§ 2.36 p.m.
§ EARL JOWITTMy Lords, I beg to ask Her Majesty's Government the Question of which I have given them private notice—namely, whether, Her Majesty's Government have any Statement to make on the course of military operations in Korea.
§ THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (EARL ALEXANDER OF TUNIS)My Lords, since the armistice talks began last July, there has been a great change in the military situation in Korea. The Communist forces have taken full advantage of the lull in the fighting to reinforce, reorganise and re-equip their armies. The size of the force in the field against the United Nations Command is not far short of 1,000,000 men, compared with a total of just over 500,000 last July. Although the number of enemy formations has been increased, this reinforcement has largely consisted of building existing units up to full strength. The fresh troops are mainly Chinese. At the same time, the enemy's strength in armour and artillery has steadily mounted. They are now believed to have over 500 tanks and self-propelled guns. There have been large increases in the numbers of anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, heavy mortars and field artillery. Rocket launchers have also made their appearance.
Despite our air superiority over the immediate battle area, the enemy have also been able to build up large stocks of all types of supplies during the past ten months. There has been a marked increase in the size of the enemy air forces, which have about 1,800 aircraft compared with some 1,000 aircraft last July. About 1,000 of these aircraft are jet fighters, mostly MIG 15s. There is no evidence at present of an imminent enemy attack, but with their reinforcements, the Communists are now in a position to launch a 1534 major offensive with little warning and could maintain the initial pressure of their attacks for some time.
The United Nations forces have not been idle during the last ten months. They now hold the most strongly defended line that they have ever occupied across the peninsula and they are, of course, backed by strong close support air forces. Ground operations have been on only a small scale since last July, but the United Nations air forces carry out regular heavy attacks against enemy positions. These air forces are playing a very important part in limiting the enemy's chances of launching a successful offensive. Their chief task is to put out of action and keep unserviceable the major North Korean airfields capable of being used for jet fighter operations. As an example of their success, our accurate night bombing made the Communists abandon their effort to base jet fighters on three new airfields, which they constructed in the Sinanju area last autumn, and on two other airfields, which they had enlarged to accommodate jet aircraft. Sinanju is half-way between the Chinese border and the capital city of Seoul on the west coast.
The result of these operations has been that the United Nations has air superiority over the immediate battle area. A large proportion of the Chinese aircraft are still stationed in Manchuria. The lack of forward airfields would seriously handicap them if they attempted to carry out a sustained air offensive. The other main objective of the attacks by our air forces is to disrupt the flow of supplies to the enemy, to limit their troop movements and destroy their supply areas. The success of these attacks has severely restricted rail traffic in North Korea and has forced them to limit vehicle movement almost entirely to the hours of darkness.
Ground operations in Korea consist at present of reconnaissance patrols and probing attacks. Our forces hold strong defensive positions, strengthened by field fortifications, wire and mines, and the Communists have also strengthened their defences. Patrolling is active and determined on both sides. The Communists have launched a number of attacks of up to regimental strength, supported by heavy concentrations of artillery and mortar fire. These attacks have been contained by United Nations forces, and 1535 in almost all cases any ground lost initially has subsequently been regained. In this static situation, the United Nations Command is taking every opportunity to relieve units for rest and re-training.
Ships of the Royal Navy are operating on both the west and east coasts of Korea, and serving with them are units of the Australian, Canadian and New Zealand navies. A force, including two British light cruisers and one British aircraft carrier, maintains command of the Yellow Sea and patrols the west coast of North Korea, between the gulf of the Yalu River and the Han River estuary, thus cutting all enemy sea communications between China and North Korea and between North Korea and the battle area. This force also prevents the enemy from invading the numerous islands lying off the west coast which are held and used by our forces. Guns of our naval units also regularly engage enemy troops and other military targets on this coast. Our aircraft carrier provides coastal reconnaissance and daily air strikes against enemy targets on the mainland, and gives close support to the army when required.
British destroyers are frequently engaged in vigorous and effective action off the North Korean coast. H.M.S. "Charity" was recently straddled by four enemy guns while supporting American minesweepers in the Taedong estuary. Taedong is on the east coast about 200 miles north of the right of the battle line. H.M.S. "Charity" promptly returned the fire and knocked out three of the four enemy guns.
Although they have not recently been engaged in heavy fighting, troops of the Commonwealth Division take part daily in patrols and probing attacks, and they have maintained their reputation of being in the highest rank of the divisions in Korea. They are occupying one of the most vital defensive positions of the Allied line across the peninsula covering the approaches to the capital city of Seoul. There are Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Indian units in addition to our own in the Division and their team work under the most stringent conditions have proved an outstanding success.
The Royal Air Force squadron of Sunderland flying boats continues to take an active part in the anti-submarine and 1536 shipping patrols which ensure the security of the sea lines of supply between Japan and Korea. A number of R.A.F. fighter pilots have been serving with American squadrons, and they have acquitted themselves with distinction during their tour of duty. South African and Australian squadrons have also been playing their part in United Nations air operations.
So far this year, the losses suffered by the United Kingdom forces have been: 68 officers and men killed, and 168 wounded. Four are prisoners of war and 4 are missing. Our total casualties since the beginning of the war in June, 1950, now amount to 3,250: to break that figure down, it comes out as 513 killed, 1,601 wounded, 939 prisoners of war and 197 missing. Her Majesty's Government wish to express their sincere condolences with the bereaved and with those who have been, and are, anxious about the wounded, missing and prisoners. I am sure the House will wish to record the admiration we must all feel of the bearing of all ranks in the trying conditions in Korea. We can only hope that a satisfactory armistice and peace settlement will soon crown the efforts they have made.
It may interest your Lordships to know that I received recently an invitation from General Mark Clark to stay with him in Tokyo and visit the battlefront in Korea. I think it would be a good thing for me to accept this invitation as soon as I can conveniently do so, and when I return I hope to be able to give a much fuller and more interesting statement than I have been able to give your Lordships this afternoon.
§ 2.45 p.m.
§ EARL JOWITTMy Lords, I think I can speak for all your Lordships in expressing our sense of gratitude and indebtedness to the noble and gallant Earl for the statement he has just made. There is no one in the country better qualified to form a judgment on these matters, and no one on whose word and opinion greater reliance can be placed than that of the noble Earl. Speaking for myself, I very much hope that he will accept the invitation which General Mark Clark has given him. Though I find the account he has given us to-day quite interesting, I realise that an eye-witness impression from him would be even more interesting. I need not remind the noble 1537 Earl that what we want is the plain, unvarnished truth, however unpalatable it may be, and I know that we shall get it from him.
With regard to the Statement itself, I should like, first of all, to associate Her Majesty's Opposition with the noble and gallant Earl's expressions of sympathy with the bereaved, and also our sense of pride in the performance that our troops from the whole Commonwealth are putting up. I should also like to say that, while the statement, quite naturally and properly, deals with our own losses, we must remember that the losses of the United States have been far greater than our own. I think it would be fitting that we should also extend our expression of sorrow and sympathy with the bereaved relatives in the United States.
If I am not troubling the noble Earl unduly, I should like to ask him one question. We have all been most disturbed about the statements that have been made as to the incidents in relation to the internment camp and the prisoners of war on Koje Island. If the noble Earl has any information with regard to the situation there prevailing, I shall be grateful if he can supplement what he has already said by telling us something about that matter.
§ EARL ALEXANDER OF TUNISMy Lords, I shall be pleased to give the noble and learned Earl all the information that I have about the Koje Island camp, but my information is somewhat limited. Until recently, the camp on Koje Island was the only United Nations prisoners-of-war camp. I understand that it is divided into a considerable number of compounds and sub-compounds, within which the prisoners are held. There are approximately 132,000 prisoners of war and 37,000 civilian internees confined in this camp. In order to establish greater discipline in the compounds involved in the recent disorders, the United Nations command is in process of an extensive regrouping and reorganisation of prisoners. In addition, they are moving from Koje Island camp those prisoners who during the screening have shown strong objection to repatriation. The report ordered by the United Nations Commander on the Koje Island inquiry has not yet been received, so I can made no comment about the recent disorders. When I receive further information I shall be only too pleased to give it to the House.
§ 2.51 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT SAMUELMy Lords, before we pass from this matter, perhaps I may be allowed, on behalf of noble Lords on these Benches, to join in thanking the noble and gallant Earl the Minister of Defence for the full Statement which he has made with regard to the military aspects of the present static situation, as he has described it. This is not an occasion on which we should wish to make any observations on the political implications, or on the prospects which are opened up for the future. Therefore, I will content myself by joining in expressing the pride of the House in the fine achievements of the United Kingdom forces and, indeed, of the forces of the Commonwealth, and our sympathy with the relatives of the killed, the wounded and the missing. We have no doubt that the journey which the Minister of Defence contemplates making to the Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations forces will have useful results, and we shall await with the greatest interest the further report that he will be able to give to the House.