1951-53 siege during Korean War
Naval engagements of the
Korean War
(1950?1953) and post-armistice incidents
|
---|
- Pre Armistice
- Post Armistice
|
The
blockade of Wonsan
, or the
siege of Wonsan
, from February 16, 1951, to July 27, 1953, during the
Korean War
, was the longest
naval blockade
in modern history, lasting 861 days.
United Nations
naval forces, primarily from the
United States
, kept the strategically important city of
Wonsan
from being used by the
North Korea
Navy
.
[1]
[2]
[3]
The blockade diverted communist troops from the front line. North Korean
artillery
fired at the American fleet was mostly ineffective, and the city was heavily damaged by UN naval aircraft and warships.
[1]
[2]
Background
[
edit
]
Operation Wonsan
[
edit
]
Wonsan was a strategic point during the war, located on North Korea's southeastern coast with a large harbor, an airfield, a
petroleum
refinery
, 75,000 people, and as many as 80,000 troops, including several
artillery batteries
. After the
Battle of Inchon
, in which
General
Douglas MacArthur
landed on the northwestern shores of the
Korean peninsula
, he ordered
X Corps
to make a landing at Wonsan where they would proceed west, link up with the Eighth Army and then advance towards
Pyongyang
, the capital of North Korea.
[1]
[2]
North Korean naval forces had been well supplied by the
Soviet Union
and
China
with all sorts of
sea mines
, which were used as much as possible to defend Wonsan. Soviet
military advisors
were also employed to create more effective mine fields. One of the first objectives of the operation was to begin plotting the locations of mines and then destroy them. That made the use of
minesweepers
necessary, and dozens would eventually serve in the blockade. Operation Wonsan, or the Clearance of Wonsan, began on October 10 of 1950, ten days before the landing was scheduled to take place.
Rear Admiral
James H. Doyle
commanded
Task Force 90
, a fleet of dozens of American warships which were used in the clearance.
[1]
[2]
Two days later on October 12, mines sank the sweepers
USS
Pledge
and
USS
Pirate
,
[4]
killing twelve men and wounding dozens of others, all while under accurate fire from North Korean shore batteries. The
United States Navy
Pacific Fleet
responded by starting the production of new minesweepers in the largest shipbuilding program since
World War II
. Other vessels were damaged by mines and battery fire as well but the loss of the
Pirate
and
Pledge
proved to be the major engagement during the operation.
[1]
[2]
Operation Tailboard
[
edit
]
Operation Tailboard was the codename for the
United States Army
landing at Wonsan, and it was found to have been unnecessary. Preparations began over 800 miles away at
Inchon
where on October 15, thousands of
marines
and soldiers, 30,184 in total, embarked transports to participate in the landing. When they arrived off Wonsan on October 20, the clearance of the mine fields was still taking place so for five days X Corps and the
1st Marine Division
were forced to remain on ship to wait for a clear path to the beaches.
[1]
[2]
When it came time to land on October 25, the North Koreans had already withdrawn and the British and South Koreans were securing the area. Ultimately the landing was not needed and MacArthur was criticized for not using the X Corps in the pursuit of the retreating
North Korean Army
on the Inchon front. On October 19, the South Korean Army captured Pyongyang so instead of heading there the American army went north along the coast to occupy
Hungnam
and the
Chosin Reservoir
areas while the
3rd Infantry Division
landed at Wonsan in November as reinforcements.
[1]
[2]
Evacuation of Wonsan
[
edit
]
UN forces would not hold Wonsan for long: after the massive Chinese intervention in the war,
Allied forces
were ordered to evacuate Wonsan on December 9, 1950, taking 7,009 refugees, 3,384 military personnel, 1,146 vehicles and 10,013 tons of cargo in the process. General MacArthur's plan was to regroup in
Japan
before launching another offensive, while holding
Pusan Perimeter
. When the North Koreans and Chinese recaptured the city, defenses were rebuilt in a more formidable way, additional sea mines were deployed and new artillery batteries were erected.
[1]
[2]
Blockade
[
edit
]
Opening engagements
[
edit
]
The blockade began on February 16, 1951, and would last 861 days until the signing of the
armistice
in July 1953. Throughout the blockade, United States Navy ships and aircraft engaged shore batteries repeatedly. Several American vessels were damaged by land based artillery fire though none were destroyed. UN
Task Group 95.2
was assigned to the blockade and they first bombarded Wonsan on February 17, 1951, targeting everything used by the communists and causing heavy damage.
[1]
[2]
On February 19, the
destroyer
USS
Ozbourn
, under
Commander
Charles O. Akers
, was fired on by shore batteries in the Wonsan area. She received two direct hits and several near misses and successfully rescued a downed pilot from
USS
Valley Forge
with a motor boat, while he was adrift in a mine field. The boat officer of the boat received a
Bronze Star
for the rescue.
Ozbourn
eventually returned to
San Diego
in April 1951 for repairs and later sailed back to North Korea.
[1]
[2]
On February 24, the undefended island of
Sindo-ri
, in Wonsan Harbor, was captured by
South Korean marines
supported by two American destroyers and two
frigates
. Wonsan shore batteries also dueled with UN warships on March 3, but there were no recorded hits. The
battleship
USS
New Jersey
participated in her first shore bombardment mission of the war on May 20, 1951. While patrolling off Wonsan, North Korean batteries opened fire and she was struck by one shell.
[1]
[2]
Slightly damaged, she sustained one man killed and two wounded, her only casualties during the war. Another shot was a near miss and passed over
New Jersey
from aft to port. She then responded by bombarding the enemy position until they were silenced. The type of warfare experienced at Wonsan would last throughout the war.
[1]
[2]
Operation Fireball
[
edit
]
Operation Fireball was the code name for a bombardment of the Wonsan area from May through September. It involved the joint deployment of naval and aerial assets from the
5th Air Force
which caused heavy damage to the North Koreans. On the night of May 21 and May 22, during the height of the fighting, two American
LSMRs
, supported by
light cruisers
and destroyers, fired 4,903
rockets
in thirty-five minutes, further damaging the defenses of the city. UN carrier aircraft were used to fire flares while the warships focused on gunnery.
[2]
[5]
It was the first time LSMRs would be deployed in the siege of Wonsan and over time would cause heavy casualties to the North Korean
garrison
. Between June and September the LSMRs would discharge a total of 12,924 5-inch rockets. During the operation, the destroyer
USS
Brinkley Bass
was slightly damaged while engaging a battery, she sustained eight casualties in the action.
[2]
[5]
Action off Rei-To
[
edit
]
On May 24, the UN
station ship
at Wonsan detected several small craft southeast of Rei-To Island. In a one sided night engagement, the light cruiser
USS
Manchester
and the destroyer USS
Brinkley Bass
used radar to direct their fire and broke the enemy formation. Four
sampans
were recovered the following day along with the bodies of eleven enemies, one other wounded North Korean was taken prisoner and the sampans were found to have been converted to
minelayers
, with four
M-26 mines
each.
[1]
[2]
USS
Walke
incident
[
edit
]
USS
Walke
was a destroyer, under
Captain
Marshall Thompson
, of
Task Force 77
(TF-77) which was by now assigned to naval operations in the Wonsan area. On June 12, 1951,
Walke
was about 60 miles off the coast of North Korea, at position
38°52′N
129°25′E
/
38.867°N 129.417°E
/
38.867; 129.417
, when she was struck either by a
torpedo
or a floating sea mine which had separated from a field. The resulting explosion severely damaged
Walke
'
s hull on her port side and 26 men were killed and 40 others wounded. Many of the casualties were blown over the side and into the water when the explosion occurred and it took a long time before all of them could be recovered.
[2]
[6]
[7]
[8]
The event was the deadliest suffered by the US Navy during the Korean War.
[9]
Shortly thereafter, sailors on the nearby destroyers
USS
Harry E. Hubbard
and
USS
Bradford
spotted an oil slick off of
Walke
'
s starboard side so they began dropping
depth charges
on what they reported as being two submarines. The chase was eventually discontinued and the damage to
Walke
was temporarily repaired and she made for Japan. A later investigation of the incident recovered a small metal disk from the damaged ship and when analyzed it was concluded to have been part of a torpedo
detonator
.
Walke
was later repaired and returned to Korean waters the following year.
[2]
[6]
[7]
[8]
Battle of the Buzz Saw
[
edit
]
The Battle of the Buzz Saw, as United States Navy personnel called it, was North Korea's response to the UN's attacks on Wonsan. After causing heavy damage to North Korean forces within the previous months, the situation escalated as the communists started utilizing new weapons to lift the blockade. On July 6, 1951, the United States launched another naval bombardment of the area, causing high casualties and tempting the North Koreans to retaliate with an especially heavy bombardment on July 17, 1951.
[2]
[8]
[10]
For four and a half hours the destroyers
USS
O'Brien
,
USS
Blue
and
USS
Alfred A. Cunningham
engaged the batteries at Wonsan, firing 2,336 rounds of 5-inch shells. The North Koreans offered heavy resistance, and over 500 splashes were counted, but there was no serious damage to the American vessels. The next day
USS
Frank E. Evans
engaged the batteries and received four near misses, wounding four men aboard the ship.
[2]
[8]
[10]
Operation Kickoff
[
edit
]
Between late June through August 1951, North Korean attacks on American ships seemed to increase so the United States began concentrating on destroying enemy batteries. On June 28, the destroyer
USS
Henry W. Tucker
received
counter-battery fire
while conducting a bombardment of Wonsan Harbor. She was struck by one round, causing light superficial damage and one man was injured.
[1]
[2]
A few days later on July 3, the
frigate
USS
Everett
was attacked by the batteries and took hits, killing one man and wounding seven others. The Americans responded with an attack by the
Fast Carrier Task Force
. In one day 247 bombing sorties were carried out against Wonsan and 600 South Korean marines raided the mainland from the island of
Cho-do
.
[1]
[2]
On July 6, the destroyer USS
Frank E. Evans
landed men on the island of
Hwangto-do
and then with two other destroyers, bombarded buildings and a torpedo station. USS
Blue
captured
Kukto Island
the following day and established an observation point to keep watch on North Korean positions. On July 11, in the vicinity of
Yo-do
island, USS
Blue
and
Frank E. Evans
were attacked, approximately fifty splashes were counted near the ships but none of them were hit. Due to the attacks, particularly the Battle of the Buzz Saw, American naval commanders decided on launching Operation Kickoff which referred to maneuvers within Wonsan Harbor, aimed at reducing the batteries.
[1]
[2]
Every day from July 17, 1951, elements of the allied fleet, assigned to bombardment groups, would sail at 5 knots (9.3 km/h) to bombard known enemy positions and continue doing so from 3:00 pm until dark. On the first day of the maneuvers, the LSMRs
USS
Clarion River
and
USS
LSMR-525
received heavy, accurate fire from enemy batteries on the islands of
Kalmagak
,
Umi-do
and
Ho-do Pan-do
. Both of the vessels were struck by shells and damaged, but not seriously. Over 500 shells splashed in the water around USS
O'Brien
and she sustained at least a couple of hits. One man was injured although the damage was light. USS
New Jersey
and
heavy cruiser
USS
Helena
also participated in the bombardment.
[1]
[2]
On August 4, British
Royal Marines
installed
mortars
on Hwangto-do to counter the North Korean shore batteries and on August 11,
USS
Hopewell
, using shore fire control parties, fired direct and indirect fire missions against enemy troop concentrations and transportation targets in the Wonsan area. The
minesweepers
USS
Dextrous
,
USS
Heron
and
USS
Redstart
came under fire by shore batteries that same day while conducting check sweep operations in the vicinity of Hodo-pando.
Dextrous
suffered two direct hits; killing one man, three wounded and moderate damage.
[1]
[2]
With the exception of an attack on
USS
Uhlmann
on August 20, Operation Kickoff proved to be a success as the number of attacks on blockading ships decreased for a while until new batteries were constructed. Seven enemy guns opened fire on
Uhlmann
that day and after a long engagement, five of the guns were destroyed and 117 splashes were counted by the sailors, but there were no hits.
Uhlmann
had to break off the attack without silencing the remaining two artillery pieces because allied patrols entered the area.
[1]
[2]
Renewed minesweeping operations
[
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]
Because the communists were still mining the approaches of Wonsan and Hungnam, on September 5 the commander of
CTF-95
ordered the minesweeping group
CTG-95.6
to sweep the coastline so as to allow UN ships to remain within gunfire range of the shore at all times while blockading. Upon completion, allied warships no longer had to withdraw out of range each night. While supporting the minesweepers involved in the mission, the destroyer escort
USS
William Seiverling
was hit three times on September 8 by ground-based artillery. Her
fire room
flooded but there were no casualties.
[1]
[2]
On September 10, the minesweepers
Redstart
and
Heron
were again damaged by shell fire from Wonsan, this time while rechecking pre-swept waters. On September 20,
USS
Orleck
bombarded enemy troops and mortar positions, scoring five hits which destroyed an ammunition dump.
Orleck
also attacked a large
sampan
, suspected of minelaying, and struck her four times with gunfire. On September 24,
ROKN
PF-62
was also damaged by shore battery fire. After three hits, the frigate was moderately damaged and caught on fire. Three South Korean sailors were wounded but they were able to save their ship from complete destruction.
[1]
[2]
Minesweeping operations would continue for months, the UN ships constantly swept various areas to ensure that no new mine fields were laid. Incidents of shore batteries scoring hits on allied warships also became less common and for weeks no vessels were damaged until October 29 when
USS
Osprey
was engaged.
Osprey
'
s
engine room
flooded after being hit three times and communications went out, one man was seriously wounded though the ship was saved from sinking. By November 9, the minesweeping mission was eighty percent complete, accurate shore battery fire delayed the UN ships from completing the operation for a few more weeks.
[1]
[2]
Escalation of the naval war
[
edit
]
In late 1951 and 1952 intelligence from captured or surrendered North Koreans became more frequent and reliable. The information told the United States that the enemy was building sampans for minelaying and preparing offensives against the islands around Wonsan.
MiG
aircraft were also being reported operating in larger numbers and would begin to threaten UN aircraft and the blockading force. North Korean Army troops, well supplied by the Soviets and the Chinese, were also conducting large artillery bombardments that demonstrated their supply of ammunition.
[1]
[2]
Shore batteries increased their effectiveness as well: with fire control being equipped and air burst rounds also starting to be used. With the minesweeping operation mostly completed, American bombardment groups began shelling the city again. USS
New Jersey
carried out a series of attacks at Wonsan and other nearby coastal targets from November 1 to November 6, 1951, during which she targeted the petroleum refinery at Wonsan, trains, bridges, tunnels, railroads, troop concentrations and shore batteries.
[1]
[2]
From November 22 to 24, LSR Division 31, including the LSMRs,
401
,
403
and
404
, conducted fire missions and on November 24 and 25, naval gunfire supported a
guerrilla
raid on the island of
Ka-do
where several North Korean prisoners were taken. On November 28 and 29, the North Koreans launched a small offensive operation. Using armed sampans, they attacked the island settlement on Hwangto-do, killing one civilian and taking five civilians prisoner. Most of the homes on the island were destroyed in the attack and the North Koreans suffered no casualties.
[1]
[2]
Another large-scale bombardment of Wonsan took place on December 20, with the battleship
USS
Wisconsin
participating. Six days later
ROKN
PC-740
was lost, presumably due to striking a mine off of To-do in Wonsan Harbor.
[1]
[2]
On January 11, 1952, the next significant gunnery duel began when
Redstart
and
Dextrous
received accurate battery fire from Ho-do Pan-do while they were sailing without an escort. The fire was concentrated on
Dextrous
and she sustained considerable superficial damage and a loss of one man killed and two wounded. Later on,
USS
Gregory
and
USS
George K. MacKenzie
engaged in a one-hour duel with four 76-millimeter batteries.
MacKenzie
was closely straddled with thirty-six rounds but there was no damage or casualties. She also made three direct hits on the North Korean command post.
[1]
[2]
George K. MacKenzie
was engaged again on January 24 from Han-do Pan-do, along with
USS
Marshall
. Neither ship was damaged and there were no casualties. TF-77 rescued survivors from a helicopter crash on February 8, twenty-five miles outside of Wonsan. Reports from
RESCAP
indicated that personnel involved were captured by the enemy. By the one-year anniversary of the blockade, Wonsan was bombed on a daily basis though occasionally the UN fleet would combine their firepower for larger engagements.
[1]
[2]
On February 16, exactly one year after the blockade began, USS
Gregory
,
USS
Twining
and
USS
Rowan
attacked in the usual bombardments that would last until the end of the war. Enemy shore batteries were active on March 13, at Kalmagak, Wonsan against UN forces. Counter battery engagements by USS
Manchester
,
USS
James E. Kyes
,
USS
McGinty
and
USS
Douglas H. Fox
, plus the help of Fast Carrier Task Force planes silenced the enemy guns. The accurate shore battery fire indicated the possible use of fire control equipment.
[1]
[2]
USS
Wiltsie
and
Brinkley Bass
engaged shore batteries at Wonsan on March 20, using shore-based spotting.
Brinkley Bass
scored seven direct hits on one of the batteries located near the city of Wonsan. Neither ship was struck, but
Brinkley Bass
received some shrapnel. March 20 marked the beginning of a four-day attack on the blockade by North Korean artillery. On May 21 USS
Osprey
was taken under fire by enemy shore batteries while searching for mines.
[1]
[2]
Using shore-based spotters,
Osprey
silenced three batteries and suffered no damage.
Brinkley Bass
and
USS
Stickell
silenced a battery at Kalmagak on March 22. USS
Wiltsie
received fire from the batteries east of Kalmagak on March 23 and, together with
Brinkley Bass
, responded with counter-battery fire to silence the enemy guns. During the following day
Brinkley Bass
was struck again with one round from Ho-do Pan-do, wounding five men, one seriously, and causing damage to the ship's radio and electronics. On March 28
USS
Burlington
was fired on from Ho-do Pan-do, shots straddled the ship but evasive maneuvers prevented probable hits.
Burlington
responded with 123 rounds of her own and caused a small
forest fire
.
[1]
[2]
April 1952
[
edit
]
USS
Leonard F. Mason
experienced an explosion in her depth charge starboard detonator locker on April 1, while bombarding Ho-do Pan-do, but suffered no casualties.
Wiltsie
, USS
McGinty
, and
USS
Condor
were also in action.
USS
Symbol
,
USS
Murrelet
and
USS
Edmonds
received enemy fire near Wonsan on April 2 and again suffered no damage or casualties. The same day USS
Wiltsie
received ten near misses from shore batteries east of Kalmagak while providing fire support for
Condor
.
Wiltsie
was attacked a few more times within the next several days but they were all inconclusive contacts.
[1]
[2]
In the Wonsan area on April 10, TF-77 carried out a coordinated strike using the guns of
USS
Saint Paul
and
USS
Hanson
.
USS
Silverstein
, to the north of Ho-do Pan-do, received 30 rounds of enemy fire at a range of 12,400 yards (11,300 m) with fall of shot 50 to 300 yards (46 to 274 m) from the ship but without damaging her. The incident was taken as evidence that the North Koreans were beginning to use fire control more regularly. On April 11,
Wiltsie
and
McGinty
were taken under fire by Wonsan shore batteries. Both ships conducted maneuvers in separate areas and delivered counter battery fire.
[1]
[2]
Silverstein
,
USS
Cabildo
and
USS
Apache
fired suppression fire against the batteries on Ho-do Pan-do.
McGinty
was straddled by enemy shore batteries as she moved near Wonsan on April 17.
McGinty
and
USS
Maddox
replied with counter fire and the enemy guns were destroyed. USS
Cabildo
was attacked again from shore batteries on April 29 from Ho-do Pan-do. Three near misses straddled the ship and one direct hit caused minor damage to structure and electrical wiring, wounding two.
[1]
[2]
On the same day, USS
Silverstein
and USS
Maddox
were covering the withdrawal of two friendly sampans from
Umi-do
, when suddenly enemy batteries opened fire. The sampans received the first salvos, around 30 total so
Silverstein
and
Maddox
returned the fire and suppressed the batteries. Aircraft from USS
Valley Forge
were also called in to provide
close air support
.
Silverstein
received 110 rounds of estimated 105 millimeter batteries though she was not damaged,
Maddox
received two rounds. There were no allied casualties in the action.
[1]
[2]
USS
Waxbill
attacked a shore battery the following day and on April 28
Silverstein
and
USS
Conserver
received fire from Ho-do Pan-do. With South Korean small craft, the allied ships bombarded the opposing battery and laid a
smoke screen
while other nearby ships withdrew.
Conserver
received ten rounds of estimated 122-millimeter fire. On May 7, USS
Waxbill
was fired on by twelve rounds but apparently did not return fire and on May 10, while sweeping Wonsan Harbor,
USS
Merganser
and
USS
Redhead
received ten rounds of enemy fire from Kalmagak.
Also that day,
Maddox
and
USS
Laffey
attacked North Korean railroad targets, scoring many hits. Two railroad cars were damaged along with two buildings. Batteries on Kalmagak fired ten rounds of 76-millimeter fire at the sweepers, the nearest one landing 100 yards from the ship. Counter fire by
Maddox
scored two more hits. On the next day,
Maddox
,
Laffey
,
USS
Herbert J. Thomas
and
USS
Evansville
, received 206 rounds of 75- and 155-millimeter fire and an hour-long engagement.
[1]
[2]
North Koreans were using hidden guns which were difficult to locate but were believed to have been fired from Han-do Pan-do,
Hapchin-ni
and Kalamagak. Return fire destroyed three enemy gun positions and
Herbert J. Thomas
was hit once, causing little damage and no casualties. On May 17, TG-95.2 reported that an interrogation of seven prisoners, captured off Ho-do Pan-do the day before, revealed that the enemy were planning an attack on Yodo in the near future. Troops were being concentrated in two locations on He-do Pan-do and were going to use about eighty fishing sampans for transport. Ten days later on May 27, shore batteries at Wonsan fought against USS
Cabildo
and
Ozbourn
. In a typical duel the American ships bombarded the coast and were not damaged. The day after USS
Ozbourn
accepted the surrender of two North Koreans soldiers.
[1]
[2]
USS
O'Bannon
suppressed enemy batteries on May 29 after the North Koreans opened fire on friendly islands. USS
Ozbourn
,
USS
Radford
, and USS
Heron
also engaged on May 29 and May 30.
Ozbourn
received six rounds of 155-millimeter fire and,
Radford
, ten rounds of estimated 75-millimeter gunfire with the nearest one landing fifty yards from the ship.
Heron
was hit by machine gun fire that hit aft section of the vessel. There were no friendly casualties in any of the actions and in all cases the ships returned fire with
naval guns
.
[1]
[2]
On June 5,
O'Bannon
,
Radford
and
USS
Lofberg
attacked and silenced a battery of 75-millimeter guns south of Ho-do Pan-do. The artillery opened fire on some American minesweepers but were quickly quieted by the escorts. North Koreans artillery in Wonsan bombarded Hwangto-do on June 7. No casualties were reported but twenty-one shot holes were found to have passed through the flag over the island.
USS
Albuquerque
was straddled by enemy fire on June 12, wounding one man and on June 19 the North Koreans staged another artillery bombardment against friendly held Hwangto-do.
USS
Parks
caught 300 enemy troops repairing a railroad, south of Wonsan on the same day, and fired twenty-eight rounds.
[1]
[2]
She reported inflicting seventy-four casualties and scoring hits on a railroad bridge and tracks. When it became dark,
Parks
also fired star shells at the location for bombing runs by allied aircraft.
[1]
[2]
The next exchange in the siege of Wonsan occurred a month later on August 10, 1952. Enemy gun positions on He-do Pan-do, fired upon
USS
Barton
and
USS
Jarvis
with approximately 250 75-millimeter to 155-millimeter guns.
Barton
suffered superficial damage, one man killed, and one wounded.
Jarvis
was not damaged and counter battery fire destroyed two gun emplacements.
[1]
[2]
Two days after,
USS
Grapple
was the target for about thirty rounds of 105-millimeter artillery. The ship was hit once below the waterline causing slight damage. USS
Barton
fired eighty-nine shots in response and scored three hits on two North Korean batteries.
ROKN
FS-905
was also attacked on May 12.
[1]
[2]
While anchored off Yo-do Island, with a cargo of gasoline and ammunition for
motor torpedo boats
, ROKN
FS-905
was taken under fire by enemy shore guns and received one hit in the starboard machine gun battery. The damage was light and there were no casualties. Hwangto-do was bombarded again on August 16 by the North Koreans with four 155-millimeter artillery pieces and large mortars from Kalmagak. The guns could not be located so none of the allied warships could respond.
[1]
[2]
Typhoon Karen
[
edit
]
Typhoon Karen
swept through Korean waters over the next few days so also blockading activities were suspended. Several UN warships were damaged during the height of the storm. The communists used the chance to attack Hwangto-do again. After the typhoon passed
USS
Lewis
fired seven rounds of 5-inch shells at an enemy battery on Kalmagak, which was firing on friendly islands in the Wonsan area. The enemy artillery was silenced although they killed one person and wounded two others.
[1]
[2]
On September 11, 1952, batteries on Umi-do fired eighteen 105-millimeter rounds at USS
Lewis
, no damage or casualties. On September 13, aircraft from
USS
Bon Homme Richard
attacked a 130-foot naval like vessel near Wonsan and sank it with rockets and 20-millimeter strafing. The enemy ship was one of the few sunk by UN forces during the war. Two days later,
Barton
hit a suspected of being a floating mine while sailing 100 miles due east of Wonsan Harbor. Five enlisted men were counted missing and later presumed dead, six other men were wounded. The fire room flooded and there was other less severe damage. Flooding was brought under control and she set a course for
Sasebo
under her own power.
[1]
[2]
USS
Alfred A. Cunningham
received five hits on September 19. Guns from Wonsan, estimated to be 105 to 155 millimeters, at a distance of 3,500 yards away, hit the ship with their first shot. Four more followed along with seven nearby air bursts. Eight Americans were wounded but none of them were fatal. The ship was moderately damaged but she was capable of unleashing 159 rounds of return fire.
[1]
[2]
USS
Jenkins
and USS
Taylor
came under fire from shore batteries in the vicinity of Hwangto-do The two vessels received an estimated twenty-one rounds of 90-millimeter and three rounds of 105-millimeter, but there was no damage. North Korean forces also bombarded Hwangto-do though their batteries were silenced by thirty-nine rounds from
Jenkins
. The North Koreans attacked Yo-do Island with artillery a few days later and on September 23
USS
Iowa
was attacked but her 16-inch guns quickly silenced the perpetrators. USS
Taylor
also silenced a battery on September 25 and
Heron
received 105-millimeter fire but was not damaged. Three splashes were counted near the ship.
[1]
[2]
North Korean air attack
[
edit
]
The first and only naval air battle at Wonsan and Hungnam occurred on October 7.
MiG-15s
attacked TF-77 aircraft three times, one MIG made a firing pass on two American
AD
planes so they returned fire. There were no damage or casualties on either side and the MiGs retired to the west. Later on four MiG-15s attacked a flight of
F4Us
while two others attacked eight ADs near Hungnam. In these engagements there were no casualties, but in a final attack later on that day, a single MIG-15 destroyed one of four F4Us in another action near Hungnam.
[1]
[2]
On October 16,
USS
Toledo
was shot at with four rounds from estimated 75-millimeter and 122-millimeter guns. No damage was reported as all of the shells landed splashed in the water around 1,000 yards short of the ship,
USS
Mansfield
was also attacked with about forty 75-millimeter rounds. For over a month no artillery was exchanged until November 20 when
USS
Kite
and USS
Thompson
received fire from 120-millimeter guns. The
Thompson
was hit by one round of the many which straddled her, wounding one and causing minor material damage. USS
Kite
fought another duel on the following day. She received fifty-five 75-millimeter rounds but again sustained no casualties.
[1]
[2]
On October 21
Lewis
was furnishing gunfire support for two Republic of Korea minesweepers operating in Wonsan Harbor when they came under fire by enemy guns.
Lewis
moved in to assist, returning gunfire and deploying smoke to obscure the minesweepers. She was hit by two 75 mm shells. One landed topside and caused minor damage and slightly injured one man. The other pierced the hull plating of fireroom number one. The round did not detonate, but it caused a steam explosion which instantly killed six men and mortally injured a seventh.
Lewis
continued without assistance to return gunfire and to deploy smoke. She then disengaged and made emergency repairs in Japan. Memorial services for the men who were killed in action were held on board on October 27.
On November 25,
Thompson
found herself in action, this time against enemy aircraft. Jets dropped six to eight explosives over the American ship, the closest landing 300 yards (270 m) away. The aircraft were heard by the
Thompson
'
s lookout but her radar showed nothing. When USS
Merganser
was fired upon by guns at the mouth of the
Namchongang River
on December 6,
William Seiverling
replied with 101 rounds. Seiverling was herself taken under fire by guns on Kalmagak.
[1]
[2]
On the following day,
Merganser
received thirty more rounds of 75-millimeter fire from Kalmagak but she was not damaged.
USS
Shields
, USS
William Seiverling
and UN minesweepers were fired upon by approximately seventy-five rounds on December 11. The small minesweepers were forced to slip their gear and use smoke pots to help cover themselves. That same day, USS
Waxbill
and USS
Marshall
collided west of Yo-do,
Waxbill
sustained topside damage to hull fittings but was still operational and otherwise unharmed.
[1]
[2]
On December 12
Marshall
was attacked again, twenty rounds were fired her way but they all missed.
USS
Grasp
and
William Seiverling
were also attacked and they too escaped harm. About forty rounds of North Korean artillery targeted
Waxbill
and
Marshall
on December 13, while they were patrolling near the Namchongang's mouth. Though the fire was accurate, no hits were made. The closest shot splashed in the water 10 feet (3 m) from
Waxbill
which caused shrapnel damage. Twelve shots were fired in return.
[1]
[2]
Waxbill
came under fire again on December 19. Three rounds were fired her way but none struck the ship. A few days later, USS
Toledo
received the same treatment while bombarding the city but was not damaged either. On December 23, while providing gunfire support for the minesweepers in Wonsan Harbor, USS
Marshall
, USS
McGowan
received approximately thirty rounds of estimated 75-millimeter shells. During the firing, four to nine airbursts fell near
McGowan
, sixty to seventy near
Marshall
, and several rounds between the minesweepers. Throughout the engagements the North Koreans failed to cause any damage.
McGowan
engaged in another shore battery action two days later.
[1]
[2]
Height of the fighting
[
edit
]
January 2, 1953 marked the first day in a large-scale North Korean bombardment of the UN held islands in Wonsan Harbor. Over the course of the next few months, enemy shore batteries in and around Wonsan fired hundreds of rounds primarily against Hwangto-do and Yo-do. The operation lasted until May and less sporadically thereafter. It was also a failure as UN intelligence estimated that ninety percent of the North Korean shore batteries were active against UN islands rather than the blockading fleet, though throughout the bombardments, which occurred almost on a daily basis, only four UN personnel were killed and fifteen wounded. During the operation, UN ships constantly responded with counter battery fire.
[1]
[2]
On February 9 and February 10, a maximum strike effort by American naval aircraft was conducted against supply concentrations and transport targets from Wonsan through Songjin to Chongjin and Hoeryong.
USS
Philippine Sea
,
USS
Oriskany
and
USS
Kearsarge
participated in the operations which caused extensive damage to the communists logistics system. As part of the communist bombardment in the Wonsan area, enemy shells killed two men on February 14, including an American marine, and wounded nine others in the most successful North Korean artillery attack against UN land forces. A command post on Yo-do was also damaged, one
DUKW
was destroyed and two other sustained damaged to their hulls. An aid station, two tents and communication wires were also damaged. Two bunkers caved in on Hwangto-do.
[1]
[2]
On March 5, during a heavy UN bombardment in Wonsan Harbor,
USS
Missouri
was challenged by five rounds of 105-millimeter shore battery fire.
Missouri
was not hit and she hastily silenced the battery. Five days later
Missouri
received fifteen more rounds of 75-millimeter to 155-millimeter cannon fire while bombarding the city. The American ship escaped damage again, the nearest shot landing 500 yards (460 m) off her location. USS
Merganser
was also engaged with the nearest shot splashing harmlessly 200 yards (180 m) from her.
[1]
[2]
On March 18, 1953,
USS
Los Angeles
was carrying out bombardment duties at Wonsan when two air bursts and one surface round landed near the ship. On March 22, during another heavy bombardment, two 90-millimeter air bursts and two 105-millimeter rounds landed near
Missouri
but she was undamaged.
USS
Prichett
and
Waxbill
also received fire but no damage resulted in any of the attacks.
Prichett
was attacked again on March 25 but no damage was sustained,
USS
Shelton
,
USS
Eversole
,
ROKN
AMS-502
and
ROKN
AMS-515
engaged in a similar action the following day.
[1]
[2]
USS
Los Angeles
was hit by one enemy round on March 27 but the damage was light and no one was injured. A day later two air bursts landed 200 yards from
Prichett
and on March 30 and March 31,
Prichett
evaded thirty-five more enemy shots without damage. Eight days of combined naval and air operations then started against the defenses of Wonsan. TF-77 aircraft pounded the city but the results were negligible. On April 2, USS
Los Angeles
received another hit by Wonsan shore batteries. This time there was only minor structural damage to the mainmast though thirteen men were injured. Fourteen others, who were wearing body armor, were also hit but not wounded.
[1]
[2]
The North Korean batteries targeted naval vessels on April 5, USS
Maddox
received six rounds of 75-millimeter while ROKN
AMS-515
avoided fifty shots of 105-millimeter fire. Neither of the ships were struck. Two days later on April 7, the communists again targeted the blockading ships but without results. USS
Los Angeles
and
USS
McCord
evaded two rounds, the enemy also continued their bombardment of friendly islands off Wonsan. On April 8, at least sixty-four shots were fired at the fleet and a couple days after, USS
Eversole
and
Los Angeles
engaged in a duel with shore batteries.
[1]
[2]
On April 16,
Maddox
was hit with one shot out of 156 fired at her during a forty-minute action against a ten-gun battery. The shot, a 76-millimeter, hit port side on the main deck, tearing a sixteen-inch hole and wounding three men.
Maddox
responded with counter fire but failed to silence the hostile guns. USS
Shelton
was fired at three times on April 17. April 19 was a lively day during the Blockade of Wonsan. Twenty-five rounds from 105-millimeter guns were fired at
Eversole
but as was typical, the North Koreans did not strike the ship.
USS
Curlew
also received three shots and another forty-one at
New Jersey
and
USS
Renshaw
. The only ship damaged in action that day was USS
James E. Kyes
. One 155-millimeter round, out of sixty, tore a three-foot hole through
James E. Kyes
, wounding four men in the process, one seriously.
[1]
[2]
North Korean bombardment of UN held islands
[
edit
]
On April 22, the North Korean bombardment of UN held islands continued, with dozens of rounds being fired each day, some of which hit but only slightly damaged USS
Manchester.
Between 2:30 and 4:00 pm on April 23, the island of
Tee-do
came under intense enemy fire from gun positions on Kalma Pan-do. Five marines were wounded, including one American.
USS
Henderson
provided counter fire while
USS
Owen
took aboard the casualties. During the mission,
Henderson
and
Owen
were fired on so they withdrew and TF-77 aircraft took over by bombing the area.
[1]
[2]
On the next day, Wonsan guns fired around 100 rounds of 76-millimeter to 105-millimeter rounds at the
USS
James C. Owens
and USS
Henderson
. No damage or casualties were reported.
James C. Owens
was attacked on April 25 though again there was no damage sustained. On April 29, as the bombardment of UN held islands continued, an
HU-1
helicopter received fourteen rounds of
VT fuzed
enemy shells while on a mine reconnaissance flight over Wonsan Harbor. The aircraft was not damaged but the encounter told the Americans that another new type of weapon was being used by North Korean forces.
USS
Gurke
also avoided six enemy shells that day.
[1]
[2]
April 1953 was reported by the United States Navy as being the height of the three-year battle with enemy forces. The North Koreans fired over 2,000 artillery rounds in defiance of the blockade alone, and over 1,000 more at the friendly guerrilla-held islands. Usually the average was about 500 rounds a month. North Koreans troops also constructed hidden batteries on Ho-do Pan-do, which the Americans bombarded with 5-inch guns but to no effect. Because of this, UN naval forces were ordered to stay out of the area in daylight until the weapons could be destroyed by cruisers and battleships or naval aircraft.
[1]
[2]
Mine warfare also increased during the month of April. After months of finding nothing, thirty-two new mines were found in Wonsan Harbor. On May 2 the hidden guns made two hits and two near misses each on USS
Maddox
and USS
Owen
. Both ships received slight damage but suffered no casualties. Over two hundred shells were fired by the enemy.
Gurke
came under fire on the following day, along with the friendly islands of Wonsan Harbor.
USS
Bremerton
engaged in a heavy gun strike against enemy batteries eighteen rounds of 76-millimeter to 105-millimeter shells flew by. One near miss gave two men minor wounds and the ship received superficial damage topside.
USS
Samuel N. Moore
was hit by a 90-millimeter shell on May 8 but it did no significant damage. The round hit starboard side just above the waterline. The same battery fired at
USS
Brush
, sixty-four total.
[1]
[2]
Allied air strike against Yo-do island
[
edit
]
On May 15, TF-77 aircraft attacked an airfield on Yo-do island while American ships silenced the batteries on the islands. USS
Brush
was hit in the mount that day, making it inoperable, and nine men were wounded, four seriously. The battleship
New Jersey
was fired at on May 27 but her 16-inch guns quickly put an end to it. Meanwhile, the islands were still receiving their daily barrage which continued in June. Heavy gun strikes also continued and the communists resisted every UN attack but very few hits were made. On June 3, Wonsan shore batteries fifteen 105-millimeter shells at
USS
John A. Bole
and USS
Lofberg
but no damage occurred. The guns were silenced by return fire.
[1]
[2]
USS
LSMR-409
was hit on June 4, causing moderate damage to the messing compartment and the radio room, and resulting in five men wounded. The enemy fired thirty rounds of 76-millimeter fire before being silenced by over 200 rockets from the LSMR.
USS
PC-706
destroyed five North Korean fishing boats on the beach at the northern end of Ho-do Pan-do. The weather was very foggy due to
Typhoon Judy
, which hampered TF-77's operations for three days.
Lofberg
and
John A. Bole
were attacked on June 8 by batteries, but it was another inconclusive contact.
John A. Bole
spent the next day bombarding enemy guns. On June 11, USS
Wiltsie
received an estimated forty-five rounds of 105-millimeter fire. The vessel was hit once on the starboard side of her main deck but was still completely operational. Shrapnel caused a lot of damage and a four-inch hole in the deck. No casualties were inflicted on American forces.
[1]
[2]
Three days after this incident USS
Bremerton
, USS
Lofberg
and USS
John A. Bole
exchanged fire with the batteries, several guns were destroyed and there were no friendly casualties.
Lofberg
,
John A. Bole
and
USS
Current
received 110 rounds of fire on the next day without effect. Shore batteries on Ho-do Pan-do were increasingly menacing the allied blockade. Concentrated fire was directed against destroyers in Wonsan Harbor on June 17.
USS
Irwin
and
USS
Rowan
re-escaped to seventy-five founds and
Henderson
avoided another seventy-five, the nearest landing ten yards from
Henderson
.
[1]
[2]
Irwin
and
Rowan
would fight another battle the following day. In it the North Koreans scored their highest number of hits in one engagement. USS
Irwin
was hit by one round from Kalmagak and it tore a 3-foot (0.9 m) hole in the main deck. Five American sailors were wounded.
Rowan
suffered five hits and ten wounded and she received forty-five rounds of different caliber altogether. The destroyer was moderately damaged. Thirty-six shells were fired at
Saint Paul
but she was not hit.
[1]
[2]
A small surface engagement occurred the same day. An armed South Korean Army intelligence boat encountered a North Korean thirty foot patrol boat and for ten minutes the vessels fought until the North Koreans withdrew under cover of a battery. The patrol boat had a speed of twenty knots, carried a radio and was armed with rocket launchers, machine guns and the crew carried various small arms. On June 19
Rowan
and
Bremerton
were fired on but no hits resulted.
[1]
[2]
USS
Manchester
was conducting a heavy bombardment of Wonsan on or about July 3 when fragments from a near miss put a two-inch hole in the after stack and through the door of a powder room. On July 7, North Korean gunners on Ho-do Pan-do fired on the blockade. Over 300 rounds of 76-millimeter to 122-millimeter fire landed near USS
Lofberg
, USS
Thomason
and
USS
Hamner
.
Thomason
suffered holes and dents topside due to air burst straddles, but there were no casualties. The Americans returned 880 rounds of counter battery fire before the action ended.
[1]
[2]
A few days after, North Korean artillery fired forty-eight rounds of 76-millimeter to 105-millimeter shells at USS
Saint Paul
and scored a hit on a gun mount. Two guns were damaged but nobody was wounded. For the next several days, the North Koreans focused on attacking UN islands until July 23, when
Saint Paul
drew twelve rounds of 155-millimeter fire, all of which splashed in the water ten to fifty yards from the ship. On July 27
Saint Paul
fired the last American shots of the battle against shore batteries. With the signing of an armistice, the fighting came to an end after 861 days of action.
[1]
[2]
Aftermath
[
edit
]
United Nations
ships at Wonsan achieved a significant goal by maintaining a blockade against hostile territory for so long. UN naval forces inflicted heavy casualties on the North Korean forces while sustaining comparatively few casualties of their own. The North Korean artillerymen who defended Wonsan were mostly ineffective, thousands of dollars' worth of artillery shells were wasted. Wonsan was destroyed and remained so for years after the war, but due to its location, it was eventually rebuilt and is still an important strategic point.
[1]
[2]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]