The great success of the Inchon Invasion led General MacArthur to order a second amphibious assault, targeting Wonsan on North Korea's east coast. After landing there, Tenth Corps could advance inland, link up with the Eighth Army moving north from Seoul and hasten the destruction of the North Korean army. Wonsan would also provide UN forces with another logistics support seaport, one closer to the battlefronts than Pusan and with greater handling capacity than tide-encumbered Inchon.
Since the enemy army's coherence collapsed much more rapidly than expected, by the Wonsan operation's planned executation date of 20 October 1950, its immediate strategic goals had been overtaken by events. However, the forces landed there proved valuable in the push up North Korea's east side, and the captured port did fulfill its intended mission.
Wonsan's greatest value, though, was unintended: it gave the U.S. Navy a painfully valuable reminder of the fruits of neglecting mine countermeasures, that unglamorous side of maritime power that, when it is needed, is needed very badly. As Admiral Forrest Sherman, the Chief of Naval Operations at the time, remarked "when you can't go where you want to, when you want to, you haven't got command of the sea". This experience provoked one of the greatest minesweeper building programs in the Navy's history, one that produced hundreds of ships to serve not only under the U.S. flag, but under those of many allied nations.
This page features a special image selection on the Wonsan Operation, and provides links to broader pictorial coverage of that undertaking.
For more pictures of the Wonsan Operation, see:
For visual coverage of other aspects of the September-November
United Nations' offensive in Korea, see:
For a precis of our Korean War images, and links to more
comprehensive pictorial coverage of that conflict, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: 80-G-423625 Opening of Wonsan, October 1950 Republic of Korea minesweeper YMS-516 is blown up by a magnetic mine, during sweeping operations west of Kalma Pando, Wonsan harbor, on 18 October 1950. This ship was originally the U.S. Navy's YMS-148, which had served in the British Navy in 1943-46. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 620 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-422081 Mine Division Thirty-One Commanding Officers in conference off Korea, 26 October 1950. Probably taken in the wardroom of USS Incredible (AM-249), off Wonsan. Those present are identified in Photo # 80-G-422081 (Complete Caption). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 111KB; 740 x 620 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-422164 USS Mockingbird (AMS-27) Deploys an acoustic hammer box during sweep operations off Wonsan, Korea, in October 1950. The original photo is dated 23 October 1950. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 109KB; 595 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-421430 Wonsan Operation, October 1950 Underwater Demolition Team "Frogmen" study the situation, prior to destroying a North Korean minefield in Wonsan harbor, 26 October 1950. Photographed by C.K. Rose, of Combat Photo Unit Two. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 89KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-421526 USS LST-742 Loading vehicles at Wolmi-Do Island, Inchon Harbor, South Korea, on 13 October 1950, while preparing for the Wonsan operation. Note that the ship has been left "high and dry" by the tide. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 131KB; 740 x 620 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-422091 Wonsan Landings, October 1950 Amphibious shipping anchored in Wonsan's outer harbor during the landing of the First Marine Division, 26 October 1950. Larger ships present include about 19 LSTs, one LSM, one LSD and about 21 transports (APA & AP) and cargo ships (AKA & AK-types). Three minesweepers are visible at the far right. This view looks approximately south, with Sin-Do island in the foreground. Umi-Do is the small island in the left distance. Landing beaches on the Kalma Pando peninsula are out of view to the right, as is Wonsan city. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 104KB; 740 x 605 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-421392 Wonsan Landings, October 1950 LVTs and LCVPs land elements of the First Marine Division at Wonsan, North Korea, 26 October 1950. Note the very heavy wakes produced by the LVTs as they churn toward the beach. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 150KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 80-G-421388 Wonsan Landings, October 1950 Six U.S. and Republic of Korea LSTs unloading at Wonsan, North Korea, during the landing of the First Marine Division, 26 October 1950. USS LST-1123 is the second from the far end. Nearest LST bears the side number QO-83. This view looks approximately northwest along the eastern shore of the Kalmo Pando peninsula, whose northern end is seen in the left center distance. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 127KB; 740 x 610 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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For more pictures of the Wonsan Operation, see:
For visual coverage of other aspects of the September-November
United Nations' offensive in Korea, see:
For a precis of our Korean War images, and links to more
comprehensive pictorial coverage of that conflict, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
20 October 1999