Fleet Operations in a Mobile War: September 1950-June 1951

The U.S Navy and the Korean War #1

by Joseph H. Alexander

United States Navy and the Korean War.Highlights fleet operations of the United States Navy in the Korean War from September 1950 to June 1951.

53 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2001

About the author

Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC served in the Corps for 29 years as an assault amphibian officer. He has written six books, including Utmost Savagery and Edson’s Raiders. He was the Naval Institute Author of the Year in 1996 and Naval History Author of the Year in 2010. He was the principal historian and writer on the exhibit design team throughout the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. He lived in Asheville, North Carolina.

Biography taken from http://www.usni.org/author/colonel-jo...

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this slim book because it fills in an area of military history I have not read about much- and one that is chronically forgotten. While most of the cultural memories of the Korean War are of the Land and Air war on the Peninsular -there was an extensive war at sea for the UN Allies, one that established future principals for the Cold War Naval confrontations, and was as difficult as any of the cold war struggles. Amphibious, Carrier and Mine Warfare groups had to deal with Tides, weather, logistical complications and possible escalations of the Cold War to serve the needs of the land and air forces for the United Nations. Joseph H Alexander, whose Utmost Savagery about Tarawa in WWII is considered a classic, is just passing through with this slight 51 page pamphlet, but packs a lot of interesting material and great black and white and colour pictures into the volume. It worked as an amuse bouche, whetting my appetite for finding and reading more on this fascinating topic.

Alexander addresses five issues from the Korean War Maritime campaigns - Command of the Sea generally, Inchon, mine warfare at Wonsan, the Hungnam evacuation, and then the Carrier Air war of close support that consumed the last years of the struggle. Alexander explains how political, Strategic, Cold War Strategic, and Inter Pentagon and inter allied issues came into play- as the Navy tried to deal with the first of the Cold War Hot wars. We see a Navy pulled apart after WWII try to turn around and serve the UN/US interests- while forced to re-learn skills like Mine Clearance that had atrophied in only 5 years since 1945. The Navy managed to deliver on every demand made on it- but Alexander shows how difficult it was to be relied on. This war established best practices and protocols that are the basis of many still in use today, so this wrestling with logistics and strategic concerns is germane to most of the American Naval history since. I think its a strong addition to any Korean War or Cold War Naval History library .

There are few adult themes and little graphic description that might upset a Junior reader over about 12/13 years of age. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, I think this is a good resource, but the dearth of other sources on this topic come into play. For those who Game/Model/Read the Korean War and the early Cold War era, this is one of the few games in town. I think this is a good resource for Scenario/Diorama development with the pics a real helpful addition. For those playing Cruel Seas/Victory at Sea or other period Naval Wargames, with or without an aerial or Amphibious element, this would be a really great option. It's also a single pamphlet that one can offer to the Fantasy/RPG player in the club who wants to understand the conflict in one small sitting. I have to say it made me eager to read more about the Korean war in General, and the Naval war off the Korean Peninsular in particular- always a good thing.