The British Carrier Strike Fleet. David Hobbs
narrow coastal strip along which both road and rail communications ran. The terrain was so mountainous that in 1140 miles of railway track there were 956 bridges and 231 tunnels, making the route particularly vulnerable to interdiction by gunfire and commando raids as well as air strikes. There were few islands off the east coast. On the other hand, the west coast had shallow seas and a number of islands surrounded by extensive mud flats and heavily silted river estuaries. The enemy frequently attempted to move supplies in small junks close inshore where larger warships were unable to operate. In August when Triumph left TF 77, she joined the west coast blockading force where her aircraft made a big difference by locating and destroying these junks in large numbers.
Inchon – A Triumph of Amphibious Warfare
As soon as operations to support the South Koreans were authorised, General MacArthur decided to mount an amphibious assault against Inchon, Seoul’s seaport on the west coast, in order to outflank the NKPA and exploit the UN’s naval superiority. For this daring operation the UN assembled a remarkable total of 230 ships from the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France, South Korea and Japan and prepared the run-down 1st US Marine Division for combat operations in only a few weeks. The US Army initially opposed the plan and the USN was hesitant because of the poor hydrographical conditions at Inchon, among them a tidal range of 33ft and other factors that limited a landing to one of only three days in the autumn of 1950. MacArthur over-rode the opposition and selected 15 September 1950, declaring that an amphibious assault was the most powerful tool available to the UN and the only one that could strike hard and deep into enemy territory at such short notice. The landings, supported by carrier-borne aircraft and naval gunfire, proved to be a first-class example of both amphibious warfare and Allied co-operation and, once commenced, the result was never in doubt. The NKPA had not believed it possible that the UN could mount such an assault so soon, nor that the US would risk landing its marines on the treacherous beaches of Inchon. Once the decision to land was taken, the USMC and Navy led the way and MacArthur said of them that ‘their star never shone brighter’. The NKPA was forced to retreat to prevent the forces that were encircling the southern port of Pusan from being isolated and captured.
British and Australian Aircraft Carriers in Action
HMS Triumph – July 1950 to September 1950
After joining TF 77, Triumph’s Fireflies flew constant anti-submarine patrols and two Seafires were held at readiness on deck alert to intercept unidentified aircraft if necessary. Aircraft from both carriers flew low round the task force to allow gunners to recognise unfamiliar shapes but, as we have seen, one of 800 NAS Seafires was shot down in error by a USAF B-29.11 To prevent any further misidentification, all RN and RAN aircraft were painted with black and white ‘invasion stripes’ on their fuselage and wings as an aid to identification and a Union flag was painted prominently on Triumph’s flight deck when the ship entered Sasebo for a replenishment period. On 15 July 1950 Triumph re-joined Valley Forge for a series of strikes from an operating area off the east coast. To free the longer-ranged USN aircraft for strikes 827 NAS flew anti-submarine patrols and 800 NAS concentrated on flying CAP sorties over the task force. On 19 July 1950 Triumph’s Sea Otter search and rescue (SAR) aircraft landed in the sea to rescue a USN Corsair pilot; the last recorded occasion on which a British amphibian carried out an operational rescue using this technique. After this Triumph suffered a leaking stern gland and had to return to Sasebo Dockyard for repairs which took two days. She was back with TF 77 on 24 July, however, and resumed her defensive flying task. By the end of the month more USN carriers arrived in TF 77 and Triumph was re-allocated to FO2’s west coast task group and her aircraft immediately improved the group’s ability to locate and engage small junks operating close inshore.
A Firefly FR 1 being ‘waved-off’ from Triumph with three other aircraft closing the ship to ‘slot’ into the visual circuit. After Commissioned Pilot White was shot down in his Seafire by a USAF B-29, RN aircraft were painted with the conspicuous black and white identification stripes seen here and a large Union flag has been painted on the flight deck. (Author’s collection)
There were no combat casualties at this stage but deck landing on a straight-deck carrier always had the potential to be hazardous. On 29 August a Firefly missed all the arrester wires on landing and went into the barrier. The propeller blades broke up as the engine was shock-loaded to a standstill and a large piece of one of them flew up, bounced off the bottom of the flying control position (Flyco), smashed through the operations room scuttle and struck the commanding officer of 800 NAS, Lieutenant Commander I M MacLachlan RN who was there to discuss his squadron’s flying programme. His injuries, unfortunately, proved to be fatal despite all the medical team could do and he was buried at sea that evening off the coast of South Korea. Lieutenant T D Handley RN, the squadron’s Senior Pilot, took over command. On 5 September Triumph moved to the east coast and replaced the American carriers while they carried out underway replenishment of fuel and ammunition. Later in the month she moved back to the west coast to act in support of the 1st Marine Division’s landing at Inchon. By then, the ship’s two months of intensive operations had depleted the number of serviceable aircraft within the air group and the surviving aircraft were proving difficult to maintain. There were no replacement Seafire FR 47s or Firefly FR 1s left in the FEF reserve stock, her stern gland was still giving trouble and so, after Inchon, FO2 decided reluctantly that she had reached the end of her operational usefulness and ordered her withdrawal. She had only eleven serviceable aircraft left and Theseus was already on her way from the UK to replace her. On 25 September, after she had returned to Sasebo for further temporary repairs in dry dock, COMNAVFE signalled ‘On the departure of HMS Triumph from the Command of the Naval Forces Far East, I take pleasure in saying to the Captain, the Officers, the Flying personnel and the Crew of this splendid fighting ship “Well done”. Your enthusiastic and effective efforts have contributed immeasurably to the United Nations’ cause in Korea.’12
Fireflies from Triumph photographed over Inchon. One aircraft is visible above the causeway leading to the small island. (Author’s collection)
British warships in Sasebo in either late September or early October 1950. Furthest away, Triumph is secured to a jetty with Belfast to starboard of her. The ships at moorings are, from left to right, the hospital ship Maine, Theseus, which had just arrived, and Unicorn. The ship in the right foreground surrounded by lighters is the armament stores issuing ship RFA Fort Rosalie. (Author’s collection)
HMS Theseus – October 1950 to April 1951
Theseus was serving with the Home Fleet in 1950 with 17 CAG comprising 807 (Sea Fury FB 11s) and 810 (Firefly FR 5s) NAS embarked and in August the decision was taken to bring her ship’s company and squadrons up to war complement and deploy her to the FEF as a replacement for Triumph. She also embarked a Sea Otter amphibian for SAR duties and sailed from the UK on 18 August 1950 for a brief work-up in the Mediterranean after which she arrived in the war zone in early October. Her first period of operations began on 8 October in the Yellow Sea off the west coast of Korea13 flying searches and tactical missions in support of the advancing UN forces’ left flank. However, on 27 October the wire reeving in her single catapult’s pulley system was found to be badly frayed and, therefore, not safe to use. Consequently, during her second operational period, aircraft had to be flown without bombs, rockets or drop tanks, relying on a free take-off from the deck which limited the number of aircraft that could be ranged for take-off. It also meant that six Fireflies had to be disembarked to Iwakuni to reduce the size of her deck park. By the end of October the defeated NKPA had been driven back into northern Korea close to the Yalu River and with less urgency for continued operations, Theseus returned first to Sasebo and then sailed for repairs in Hong Kong Dockyard. While