Canada's Army in Korea

Canada's Army in Korea Preface The First Canadians in Korea Background of the Conflict Formation of the CASF The Fighting in 1950 Canadian Troops in Action Political Aspects The Patricias at Kapyong Training at Fort Lewis The 25th Brigade Goes In Early RCN Operations The 25th Brigade in Action, 1951 The 2nd RCR at Chail-li Political Developments During June 1951 Canadian Operations During June and July Formation of the 1st Commonwealth Division Across the Imjin The "Rotation" of Canadian Troops Enemy Attacks During November The Political Front, July-December 1951 Holding the Line, 1951-1953 The First General Rotation Patrols Against the Boot and Hill 113 Canadian Troops on Koje Island The RCR on Hill 355 The Patricias' Second Rotation Winter on the Hook Korean Personnel with the Canadian Forces The Second General Rotation The End of the Fighting The Attack on the 3rd RCR Political Developments, 1952-53 Administration Behind the Canadian Brigade, Juny 1951-July 1953 Supporting Arms Air Support and Supply The RCN in Korean Waters, May 1951-July 1953 The Toll of the War Conclusion Main Provisions of the Armistice Agreement The Canadians After the Armistice Canadian Troops Withdraw Korea in Retrospect Books and Articles for Further Reading Abbreviations

[edit] The RCN in Korean Waters, May 1951 July 1953

May 1951 saw the end of a long period in which Canadian destroyers were engaged in the monotonous but essential task of screening U.N. aircraft carriers in Korean waters. HMCS Sioux, one of the three "originals", re-entered the theatre in time for a return to more exciting duties. On the east coast, where the rugged terrain forced the railroads to skirt the shore in many places, enemy trains were a favourite target of naval guns. The Yellow Sea, with its many offshore islands, was the scene of much patrolling and a series of commando-type raids by ROK Marines and other U.N. forces.

HMC Ships Nootka and Huron departed for Canada in July and August, and the Cayuga and the Athabaskan arrived for a second tour of operations in the Far East. In February 1952 the Nootka again relieved the Sioux. The other two originals were replaced in May and June by the Canadian destroyers Crusader and Iroquois. For the Nootka, operating in the approaches to Haeju, the latter half of July and the first five days of August were probably the busiest period of the war. Intelligence parties were landed and picked up daily, and on seven occasions the destroyer came under enemy shell fire. Nevertheless the RCN did not suffer its first and only battle casualties of the Korean war until 2 October 1952, when the Iroquois received a direct hit from a shore battery on the east coast. Three were killed and ten wounded.

In November 1952 the Nootka and the Iroquois left for Canada; Athabaskan returned to the theatre for a third tour, and HMCS Haida arrived for her first. The Haida was the eighth Canadian destroyer to fight in Korean waters. By the end of hostilities, more than 3500 officers and men of the RCN had taken part in operations; they had steamed some 725,000 miles and fired 130,000 shells.