The Royal Canadian Navy with over a century of service under its belt has always answered its call to duty. In particular on the 30th of July 1950 [1],[5], the Royal Canadian Navy received its orders to deploy part of its fleet to Japan to assist their allies in an arising conflict in Korea. The previous month, on the 24th of June 1950, the heightened tensions in the Korean peninsula boiled over and the tiny boarder town of Ongijin was shelled heavily as the early dawn light broke the horizon [1],[5]. Soon afterward, North Korean troops began crossing the boarder supported heavily by their armoured divisions, signaling the start of the next great Korean war [1]. On the 27th of June 1950, the RCN began readying its Pacific fleet for wartime status after the Security Council meeting at the United Nations that day [1].
Canada's three primary Pacific destroyers were in varying states of readiness; The HMCS Cayuga being the senior ship was the best equipped at the time, followed closely by the HMCS Athabaskan, and lastly the HMCS Sioux who was in dry-dock at the time [1]. The Pacific fleet received its final orders on that day to begin their preparation and cancel all planned training and maintenance: “You are to sail “Cayuga,” “Sioux” and “Athabaskan” from Esquimalt at 16 knots to Pearl Harbor p.m. Wednesday 5 July, 1950...[1]”. As the operational requirements increased throughout the conflict more ships began to deploy for the Korean coast in rotations, including the Atlantic fleet: HMCS Haida, Huron, Iriquois, Nootka, & the HMCS Crusader from the Pacific fleet 1950-1955 [1].
Throughout the conflict Canada's naval contribution made a significant impact on coalition efforts to secure South Korea [5]. This was the first post-world...
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...RCN, Canadian Commander Destroyers Far East, “Korean War Report, part 2,” Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH),81/520/1650-239/187.
[4] Canada's Naval Memorial (2014) The Korean War (1950-54). HMCS Sackville memorial site and website 2014. http://canadasnavalmemorial.ca/history/battles-and-conicts/korea/
[5] Alexander, James Edwin. Inchon to Wonsan: From the Deck of a Destroyer in the Korean War (1996). Annapolis MD: Naval Institute Press, 1996.
[6] Office of the Historian (2014) U.S Department of State. Various Documents relating to NATO involvement in the Korean War (1945-1952) https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/nato [7] Commodore J.C. Hibbard, RCN, “Inspection Report,” May 1952, DHH, 88/6, p. 7.
[8] Korean Veteran’s Association of Canada (1997-2014). SERVICE OF HMC SHIPS IN KOREAN WATERS (1997-2014)
http://www.kvacanada.com/cdnforces_navy.htm
To begin, the attack on Pearl Harbour was devastating to U.S. naval capabilities in the Pacific at the onset of their entry into the war. Japanese officials had grown tired of the U.S. oil embargo, which was meant to limit their territorial expansion and aggression in South-East Asia as well as China, and as negotiations weren’t reaching any conclusions they decided that the only course of action was a first strike on the aircraft carriers at Pearl Harbour to cripple U.S. naval capability in the Pacific (Rosenberg 1). The attack, which lasted about two hours, had resulted in the sinking of four battleships, among ...
One of Canada’s largest military endeavors was the battle of Vimy Ridge during World War One. It was a fierce battle between Germans and Canadians. Canada was trying to take over the German controlled ridge, which ran from northwest to southwest between Lens and Arras, France. Its highest point was 145 feet above sea level, which was exceptionally helpful in battle because of the very flat landscape. Already over 200,000 men had fallen at Vimy, all desperately trying to take or defend this important and strategic ridge. As a result of its success in taking the ridge, Canada gained a lot more than just the strategic point. Canada was united as a nation, and the victory changed the way other counties viewed them. Canadians no longer viewed their soldiers as merely an extension of allied forces; they now viewed their troops as an independent and unified entity.
The U.S. Navy nurtured into a challenging power in the years previous to World War II, with battleship construction being revived in 1937, commencing with the USS North Carolina . It was able to add to its fleets throughout the early years of the war when the US was still not involved, growing production of vessels both large and small. In a conflict that had a number of amphibious landings, naval superiority was important in both Europe and the Pacific. The mutual resource...
Every 11 hour, 11 day of the 11th month we express our gratitude to those Canadian soldiers who fought courageously in the wars of World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Lest We Forget is a famous phrase that everyone has heard or seen in the month of Remembrance Day. This phrase reminds us daily about the losses of loved ones and the possibilities of declaring another conflict that could hurt millions of people. Canada's war experiences have defined its nation. Due to Canada's numerous contributions to the World War I, World War II and the Korean War, Canada has earned a reputation as an independent strong fighting force, a supportive ally and eventually as a valuable peacekeeping nation.
Stacey, C. P. Six Years of War: The Army in Canada, Britain and the Pacific.
participated in the war, by the end of the war, Canada was left with a very strong armed forces
Whitman, Edward C.. “Rising to Victory: The Pacific Submarine Strategy in World War II.” Accessed November 25, 2013. http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html.
In spring if 1942, Robert Love was taken out of reserve duty, and was made into deputy chief of staff of the American Ferry Command. He mentioned to Colonel William ...
Bolotta, Angelo, Dennis Gerrard, Denise Shortt, Charles Hawkes, Fred Jarman, Marc Keirstead, and Jennifer Watt. "Japanese Canadains Come Under Attack." Canada, Face of a Nation. Scarborough, Ont.: Gage Educational Pub., 2000. 170-172. Print.
Morison, Samuel, E. (1960). Victory in the pacific, 1945 – history of the united states naval operations in world war ii. (Vol. 14, p. 389). Boston: Little Brown.
Overshadowed by the previous, long and devastating Second World War, the Korean War became known by Canadian veterans as the "Forgotten War". After Japan's defeat in World War II, Korea was split into two parts, North Korea and South Korea. North Korea was occupied by the communist country of USSR while South Korea was held by the Americans and other democratic nations. War officially broke out on June 25, 1950, when the North Koreans assaulted across the country's division on the 38th Parallel with their men and artillery behind them. North Korea and its leaders wanted to unify the whole country from its division by taking over South Korea under their government. North Korea was allied with China and the Republic of Korea was supported by democratic nations. Although Canada did not send as many troops as the Americans, Canada played a vital part in the war being victorious over several important battles. The Korean War was significant for Canada because it demonstrated Canada's relations with the US and UN and showcased its growing power among other nations. Canada participated in the Korean War because of their obligation to UN, American influence, and Canada's early misconception of the war.
Dull, Paul S. (1978). A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy (1941–1945). US Naval Institute Press.
The war in Korea is often referred to as the “Forgotten War” because it is not mentioned often and is often argued that it was meaningless and unnecessary. The Korean War was significant to shaping Canada’s military and foreign politics though. It has shaped us into a peaceful nation with concerns for the well being of people in foreign countries.
Heller, Francis. “The Korean War A 25-Year Perspective”. Kansas: The Regents Press of Kansas, 1977. Print
The Korean War explicitly portrayed the atrocious battle between both the North and South side which gave the United Nations its military role for the first time, thus expanding the war from a domestic to an international scale. Sometimes called “The Forgotten War”, the Korean War was mainly overshadowed in historical terms by the conflicts that occurred before and after it, World War II and the Vietnam War. The Korean War had raged for years without a true resolution and after years of battles, even the compromise that was made was not a complete one. The current situation regarding North and South Korea is quite volatile. In order to apprehend the Korean War, one has to look at events that took place before the war, how the war was conducted and the aftermath of the War.