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The Action of 12 October 1950 was a battle fought during the Korean War. While conducting Operation Wonsan against sea mines in Wonsan Harbor, a squadron of US Navy warships was attacked by North Korean Army (KPA) batteries. During the operation, two US ships struck mines and sank while the remaining vessels and aircraft silenced the enemy guns.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.usspirateam275.com/c_o__report.htm )〕 The KPA fired on American survivors in the water, wounding several men. In addition, the action prompted the United States Navy to begin the construction of hundreds of minesweepers for use in the conflict. It also gave the Americans an incentive to take a more aggressive stance by blockading Wonsan.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.usspirateam275.com/c_o__report.htm )〕 == Action == On October 10, Lieutenant Commander Bruce Hyatt was leading a force of one destroyer, USS ''Endicott'' and five minesweepers on a minesweeping patrol off Wonsan. The five minesweepers were the USS ''Pirate'' as flagship, USS ''Incredible'', USS ''Kite'', USS ''Redhead'' and USS ''Pledge'', all similarly armed and built during World War II. On the morning of October 12, the formation was steaming in a channel between the islands of Rei-To and Soku-Semu when at 11:12 am, the warships changed course to 258 degrees into unswept waters. The channel is wide and long.〔 At 11:54 five contact mines were discovered in intervals of and disposed of. Six minutes later at 12:01, a helicopter from the ''Endicott'' reported that there were three lines of mines off Rei-To, Soku-Semu, Koto and Roto. The specific position of the mines was not clarified but still the American vessels altered their intended course and headed for the field. Due to the threat of contact, Lieutenant Commander Hyatt ordered his ships to battle stations and the crews to disperse themselves evenly across the ships in order to minimize casualties caused by an explosion.〔 While making the wide turn into the direction of the mines, USS ''Pirate'' struck a mine at 12:09 along frame sixty-two on the starboard side. A giant column of water was sent up and at the same time the North Korean shore batteries from Kei-To and Soku-Semu began to shoot shells at the stricken ship. As soon as the communists engaged, the ''Endicott'' and the remaining minesweepers returned fire on at least three separate batteries.〔 ''Pirate'' began listing to port at about twenty degrees and when it reached fifteen, Lieutenant Cornelius E. McMullen ordered the evacuation of his ship. Within four minutes, the ''Pirate'' was hit, capsized and sank completely, taking down six enlisted men. Around sixty men went adrift, some in life rafts. At 12:04, just as the minesweeper turned over, the shore batteries resumed their shooting, this time on the sailors in the water.〔 Because of the accurate battery fire, the American ships could not achieve a complete rescue of the survivors for over four hours. Dozens of the adrift men were wounded by shrapnel and one man was killed. Five minutes after the ''Pirate'' was hit, the ''Pledge'' was engaged in a gunnery duel with one of the batteries. Simultaneously, the ''Pledge'' was hit by an artillery shell and struck a mine. Her commander, Lieutenant Richard O. Young, ordered his men to seal hatches and save the ship but about forty-five minutes later the crew abandoned the vessel and the ''Pledge'' was underwater. Five men were killed.〔 The KPA shore batteries were eventually silenced after several hours of fighting, enabling the American rescue of the remaining survivors. USS ''Redhead'' was heavily damaged in the battle; she received several hits from the batteries while rescuing survivors from both the ''Pirate'' and the ''Pledge''. A total of twelve United States Navy sailors were killed in action and at least forty-three were wounded.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Action of 12 October 1950」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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