The Royal Canadian Navy in Korea
In 1950, after the post World War II downsizing, the Royal Canadian Navy had only five fully operational ships with an additional seven being used for training. Then, in June 1950, the Korean War erupted and Canada’s navy was once again at the fore. Within days of North Korea’s attack on the south, Canada’s navy answered the United Nations call to assist. The west coast destroyers Cayuga, Athabaskan and Sioux steamed westward and, within days of arriving in Japan steamed for Korea. The three RCN ships were the first Canadian units to see action in Korea.
The Tribal Class destroyer HMCS Cayuga served three tours in Korea (DND Photo)
In 1951 Nootka and Huron departed for Canada in July and August, and Cayuga and Athabaskan arrived for a second tour of operations in the Far East. In February 1952 Nootka again relieved Sioux. The other two originals were replaced in May and June by the Canadian destroyers Crusader and Iroquois. For 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 fire. Nevertheless the RCN did not suffer its first and only battle casualties of the Korean War until October 2, 1952, when Iroquois received a direct hit from a shore battery. Three crewmen were killed and ten wounded
HMCS Iroquois in Korean waters (DND Photo)
In November 1952 Nootka and Iroquois left for Canada; Athabaskan returned to Korea for a third tour, and HMCS Haida arrived for her first. Haida was the eighth Canadian destroyer to fight in Korean waters.
During the 37 months of the Korean War, the RCN led all other UN Naval Force ships in the number of communist trains destroyed. HMCS Crusader held the title as the most proficient at ‘trainbusting’ with four. “Trainbusting” is a reference to the RCN’s bombardment of communist troop and supply trains from close in. Apparently this took place not only from off shore but actually while the ships were patrolling North Korean rivers.
In all, the RCN managed to kill eight communist trains. Throughout the war, eight RCN destroyers—four from Esquimalt and an equal number from Halifax—carried the colours of Canada in the Far East. By the end of hostilities, more than 3,500 officers and men had taken part in operations. They had steamed some 725,000 miles and fired 130,000 shells.
