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Korean raids:

First raid in July 1950 at Yosu on the south coast, about 30 miles behind the NK lines, the Pusan Perimeter. We were 11 members of UDT-3 already in Japan at the time of the NK attack. We were ordered aboard ADM Doyles flagship, the Mt. McKinley. It was evident our out- numbered troops needed the NK forces' attention to be diverted somehow. A night raid was the answer and we demolition sailors were to be the lucky ones. Two targets were considered, the suicidal one quickly scrubbed. The second two small railroad bridges near Yosu, a small port on the south coast were chosen. The APD Diachenko was in Sasebo. A couple of July mornings later we boarded a PBM in Tokyo Bay and the APD that afternoon. As the ship steamed toward Korea we prepared. Weapons were issued (tommy-guns, my bad choice). A hurriedly invented ops plan was reviewed. Demolitions were bought to the fantail land a rubber boat inflated. APD and UDT people know each other well, so that went smoothly.

By midnight we were steaming cautiously among the island surrounding Yosu, our nerves tightened by the light of a full moon in a clear, windless sky. About a mile off shore an LCPR was lowered. Radar had already determined the one bridge too far inland, so the ship conned us by radio toward the second. Following SOP, the LCPR towed us to within about 1,000 yards, leaving us to paddle the next 500. There, BM2 Warren Foley and I went into the water to make a recon of the target and immediately discovered I had failed to provide flotation for our weapons. A bad mistake! But we proceeded, me armed with two grenades, my swimmer's knife, and a .45. Foley had only grenades and his knife. The tide was ebbing, so our swim in was a hard one. We soon observed that our target. while near the beach, was atop an un-expected 15 foot stone seawall. We

Foley (left) became the first Korean Naval Combat Casualty.

(click to enlarge)


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rested in the shallows, then found a nearby rock outcropping that offered a way up. Once on top, we saw there were in fact two tunnels and bridges, one for the RR and one for a narrow dirt road. Approaching those black tunnel mouths in the moonlight was the most unpleasant thing I had ever done.

We signaled the rubber boat to come in, and Foley went back to show them the way up.

While listening to the rubber boat land and unloading begin, I drew my first relaxed breath of the evening... and my last, for just then a handcar carrying about 10 soldiers clanked loudly out of the tunnel. I dived for the ditch and .they properly amazed by the panorama laid out before them in the moonlight, came to a stop. Foley divining the situation, grabbed a weapon and raced back to help me out while the others took shelter against the seawall. Feeling the situation collapsing under my feet, I mistook Foley running toward me in the moonlight and shot at him. Then we heard the NKs do the same. Hit by someone, he tumbled over the edge. Pulling myself together, I lobbed my two grenades at the NKs now milling around about some 10 yards, but with unknown results except the silence ensued. As I took a peek over the edge of the seawall, EN3 Limey Austen ever alert, gave me a burst, blowing my cap off. For reasons still unfathomed, I felt around to retrieve the cap before identifying myself and slithering down the seawall to waiting hands. The badly injured Foley was loaded into the rubber boat and we paddled rapidly for the for the LCPR, miraculously unhindered by the KS's. Foley was hit in the hand and thigh (wounds inflicted by me, I then thought to my great chagrin) and had suffered a shattered kneecap. The APD already steaming seaward, picked us up quickly. And I, full of regrets climbed to the bridge to describe to the captain what a mess I had made.

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