HMCS Nootka in Korea
Submitted by William Anderson   [This story originally appeared in the  March 2008 edition of the Atlantic Chief & PO`s Newsletter]

The patrol carried out by Nootka from 28 May to 9 June 1952 was the most noteworthy of the period. Nootka
arrived off Yang-do north east of Songjin, on the 28 May to relieve HMAS Warramuga with TE 95.22, which at time consisted of the Australian destroyer and the U.S. Ships Endicott (CTU), Fowler, John W Thomason and Swallow. The interdiction campaign against the coastal railway was still the most important of the task element's duties, but it's ships were at this time also conducting a vigorous offensive against North Korea junks and sampans, an offensive which aimed not only at stopping fishing and sneak mine laying but also at preventing a repetition of the recent (19 February) amphibious raid on the Yang-do group.

The ships on the east coast were not having it all their own way in the interdiction and anti-junk campaign, however for the enemy, coastal batteries were becoming increasingly aggressive and accurate. In March 1952 only two U.S. ships had been hit by these shore batteries in April the figure jumped to six and when Nootka arrived in May. Another seven ships had already suffered 24 hits. Nootka was soon to learn that these statistics at least did not lie and that the tales told around Sasebo of the deadly accuracy of the east coast shore batteries were not much exaggerated.

Nootka's first encounter with these guns came on the morning of 30 May when she sailed with Thomason to bombard targets near Kyongsong below Chongjin. Nootka had been shelling gun positions in the Kyong-song area for about half an hour and had just shifted fire to a large junk pulled up on the beach when eight guns sited along the coast opened fire simultaneously. The fire was fast and frighteningly accurate; the third salvo was on its way towards Nootka immediately following the explosions of the first rounds, some of which landed within ten yards of the ship. The second salvo was even closer, and several shells landed under the flare of the port bow, abreast the bridge, so close that those on the bridge could not see the points of impact. The blast blew the steel helmet off the lookout in the sponson dazing the man temporarily, and threw columns of water upon the bridge and into the director.

The moment the enemy opened up, Nootka went full speed ahead, turning and twisting to avoid the fall of shot while she made smoke to cover the withdrawal of Tomason who was also under fire. A very fortunate accident and one which may well have saved Nootka from being hit occurred. For as soon as the destroyer began to belch smoke, the after funnel caught fire and whenever the ships guns let off a salvo, great gusts of smoke flame and sparks burst from the funnel. The unseemly display served a good purpose, for the enemy was almost certainly deceived into thinking the shells were striking home with marvellous regularity. At any rate his salvoes marched along beside the ship, keeping perfect step with her movements, and Nootka steadied on a straight course being "very loath to upset so amicable an arrangement". All this time, the range and at 9000 yards, the enemy's salvoes began to trop astern. At 12,000 yards the ship was apparently out of danger, but Nootka steamed on into the fog bank increasing the range to 14,000 yards before reversing course and steaming back to have the last word.

Though the ship decreased range to 11,000 yards to pound the offending batteries with everything she had they did not open fire again and Nootka was able to return with dignity. En route to Yong¬do the members of the ship's company amused themselves by collecting enemy shell fragments as souvenirs, there were shell fragments everywhere on the upper decks and it is said even some were found in the galley.

On 1 June Nootka again came under fire from batteries just south of Chongjin , but this was a mild affair compared with the previous action. During the daylight hours of her patrol she cruised up and down along the coast from Hungnam in the south to Chongjin in the north, pounding away at the coastal railroad shore battery positions, beached junks and sampan and other suitable targets. At night she operated even closer to shore watching for fishing craft, delivering her nightly quota of harassing fire on the various Packages and Derails and occasionally engaging targets of opportunity such as truck convoys using the coastal road. It was certainly a very busy patrol especially for the Gunnery Department, as she fired well over 2,000 rounds from the main armament alone.