KB
05-04-2008, 04:03 PM
SHORT CHRONOLOGY OF THE UNCONVENTIONAL
WARFARE CAMPAIGN
1950 - 1954
AUGUST 1950
August 26 US Navy Lt. Eugene Clark informed his plan to use irregular local forces for recapture of islands along Inch'on Approaches approved.
August 31 Clark arrives at Tokchok-kundo
SEPTEMBER 1950
September 1 Clark, Royal Marines and South Korean National Police retake Yonghung-do and Taemu-do from North Koreans.
September 8 Clark, Royal Marines and local irregulars retake Taemuui-do on the north side of Flying Fish (Inch'on Approach) Channel.
September 15 Miryang Guerrilla Battalion (comprised of former North Koreans) lands at Changsa-dong on South Korea's east coast. The mission is to:
(a) Interdict supplies to North Korean troops in fighting in P'ohang Salient.
(b) Diversion for Inch'on landing by US Tenth Corps.
September 17 Landing at Changsa-dong a failure. Guerrilla battalion withdrawn under fire by ships from Task Force 77 off Korean east coast.
September 24 Clark (Promoted to Lt. Cmdr.) returns to Korea with orders to liberate major islands south of Thirty-eighth parallel. His guerrillas augmented ROKM battalion and ROKN LST.
September 29 General MacArthur receives tentative permission to carry fight into North Korea.
September 30 ROK Army begins crossing Thirty-eighth parallel. First crossing on east coast.
OCTOBER 1950
October 1 Gen. MacArthur receives specific permission for advance into North Korea.
October 2 Clark's mission expanded to include `liberating' Yellow Sea islands north of Thirty-eighth parallel.
October 14 Clark's mission concluded. Guerrilla forces returned to home islands and disbanded.
October 15 Advance elements of two Chinese Communist field armies begin crossing into North Korea.
NOVEMBER 1950
November 1 Eighth Army intelligence identifies elements of CCF division fighting alongside North Koreans.
November 6 Eighth Army intelligence confirms presence of eleven additional CCF divisions.
November 25 CCF attacks in force. UN units begin retreating on all fronts.
November 27 Kim Ung Su, ROKA intelligence and former school master at Sinanju, forms partisan unit with former students. Eighth Army supplies weapons. Unit moves to Ae-do, an island off Sinanju. Begins limited attacks against NK & CCF supply lines.
December UN Forces continue withdrawal from North Korea. Meanwhile exodus of North Koreans friendly with UN begins. Small self-defense units formed to protect refugees fleeing south. Small units begin consolidating into larger units. Several battles between communist units and newly formed partisan units take place as withdrawal continues.
JANUARY 1951
January 8 US Eighth Army informed that semi-organized partisan groups are still active in North Korea's Hwanghae Province but are being forced to withdraw to offshore islands.
January 14 ROK Navy vessels withdraw refugees from Upcho-ri on Hwanghae Province's southwest coast while partisan fight a delaying action to cover the withdrawal. Meanwhile North Korean troops are closing in on a second partisan group defending refugees in Hwanghae's northwestern quadrant.
January 15 Attrition (Partisan) Section organized under Miscellaneous Division, Eighth Army G3, to direct partisan effort. Meanwhile the P'yongyang Partisan Regiment, the partisan group in northwestern Hwanghae Province, ambushes its North Korean pursuers.
January 16 The P'yongyang Partisan Regiment go on the offensive and retake Changyon but withdraw.
January 17 The P'yongyang Partisan Regiment stop a North Korean attack north of Changyon, then withdraw toward the coast.
January 19 The P'yongyang Partisan Regiment withdraws from the mainland to the offshore island of Ch'o-do.
FEBRUARY 1951
February 15 TASK FORCE WILLIAM ABLE (later LEOPARD BASE) begins operation on the west coast island of Paengnyong-do with a mission to direct partisan operations in North Korea's western provinces. BAKER Section is official established at Kijang near Pusan to airborne-train partisans for behind-the-lines operations in North Korea. Recruiting for the first behind-the-lines operation begins at the US 4th Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne.)
MARCH 1951
March 1 Task Force William able instructed to initiate partisan operations as soon as possible to support Eighth Army's Operation Killer.
March 4 William Able's Donkey 4 launches Operation "Shining Moon."
March 5 Four US Rangers arrive at Baker Section's K3 detachment for participation in "Operation Virginia One."
March 15 Virginia One launched.
March 25 British naval units (CTE 95.1) agree to support partisan operations with air strikes and naval gunfire.
March 30 Virginia One reestablishes contact via 7th Div FAC aircraft. Perry flies to location and establishes direct contact.
March 31 Three Virginia One Rangers exfiltrated by Naval helicopter from a hot LZ. All others killed or captured.
APRIL 1951
April 25 G-3 Miscellaneous assumes control of east coast irregular elements formerly under ROK control. Task Force Kirkland is formed at P'ohang-dong and prepares for a move to Samch'ok for training.
April 30 Kirkland moves to Samch'ok.
MAY 1951
May 5 G-3 Miscellaneous Division becomes an authorized TD unit, G-3 Miscellaneous Group, 8086th Army Unit. Takes control of partisan operation on Han River Estuary islands from US First Corps.
May 15 Task Force Kirkland Rear is established as support headquarters at Chumunjin, a small port city seven miles south of 38th Parallel. Advance elements of Task Force Kirkland Forward depart for Nam-do, an island on the 39th Parallel ten miles off North Korea's coast.
May 19 Kirkland Forward main body arrives on Nam-do.
May 23 Major Burke, Leopard CO, sends Captain Robert Channon to Han River islands to settle internecine war between ROK Army led irregulars and partisans from mainland Hwanghae Province.
May 24 Kirkland establishes coastwatchers on Song-do, an island a short distance off the North Korean coast.
May 25 Channon arrives on Kanghwa-do.
JUNE 1951
June 3 Kirkland launches its first raid against North Korean mainland. This is to "bloody" Kirkland partisans, gather intelligence material and make the enemy use troops needed at the front to guard its coast.
June 4 Kirkland withdraws from Kojo after successful operation.
June 5 Channon leaves Han River Islands after settling dispute.
June 18 Advance party for Operation Spitfire parachutes into North Korea.
June 21 Task Force Perry arrives at Kyodong-do to establish command and control of Donkeys along Hwanghae Province's southern coast, including Han River Estuary Islands. This is a semi-independent sub-command of Leopard.
June 26 Spitfire augmentation team dropped.
JULY 1951
July 5 Aircraft making resupply drop to Spitfire can not find DZ. Loiters until dawn and then makes drop directly over hideout. Spitfire runs for its life.
July 6 Spitfire Advance scouts run into enemy ambush at dawn. Sgt. Miles and 3rd Lt. (cadet) Ho fight delaying action to allow others to escape. (Both MIA)
July 12 Task Force Perry moves its headquarters from Kyodong-do to Kanghwa-do for better control of Han River island partisans.
July 17 Donkey Eight partisans launch raid on mainland. Boats stranded by outgoing tide. Naval gunfire and air support saves partisans but casualties heavy.
July 26 Spitfire survivors exfiltrate through 35th Infantry Regiment front lines.
AUGUST 1951
August 1 Aviary Section, Combined Command Reconnaissance Activities, Korea, 8240th AU, established at K-16 (Seoul City Airport.)
August 7 Kirkland loses Song-do (AKA Sol-sam) to enemy action.
August 8 Kirkland reestablishes coastwatchers on Song-do after enemy departs.
August 9 LTC Samuel Koster takes command of Miscellaneous Group.
August 14 North Koreans attempt to take Sunui-do by wading across mud flats during low tide. Attempt fails. Enemy casualties heavy.
SEPTEMBER 1951
September 1 Plans for Mustang II (POW rescue mission including General Dean) approved by Far East Command Headquarters. This is an updated version of Mustang I that was shelved in July.
September 2 Selected members of Baker Section informed of upcoming mission.
September 6 Yuk-do and Yongui-do attacked by North Korean troops. Yuk-do successful defended but Yongui-do falls. Captain David Maus KIA on Yongui-do.
September 11 Volunteers recover body of Maus.
September 17 B-26 carrying Baker Section officers on recon of Mustang II mission site (Ha-ri, NK) shot down. Accompanying B-26 reports two parachutes opening at very low level.
September 21 Mustang II canceled due to possible compromise.
OCTOBER 1951
October 8 Donkey 15 captures sister islands of Tan-do and T'an-do near mouth of Yalu River. Requests permission to capture Sunmi-do with UN naval support.
October 10 Permission for Sunmi-do invasion approved. Planning begins.
October 14 Donkey 15, supported by HMS Cossack, lands on Sunmi-do but island has been recently reinforced. Landing fails with heavy Donkey 15 casualties.
NOVEMBER 1951
November 6 Chinese launch attack against Donkey 13 on Tan-do. Tan-do falls. Survivors retreat to T'an-do.
November 8 Chinese invade and take T'an-do.
November 11 CCRAK deploys its first Tactical Liaison Office team to US infantry division. Mission - dispatching and retrieving agents through front line positions. Later TLOs will conduct long range patrols behind enemy lines.
November 15 Chinese take Ae-do.
November 24 Chinese take Sohwa-do
November 30 Chinese land on Taehwa-do. Vicious fighting between Donkey 15, supported with naval gunfire from HMS Cossack, fails to stop landing.
DECEMBER 1951
December 1 Taehwa-do, last partisan base along northwestern North Korean coast, falls. Three British (one SAS, two man naval gunfire team) and one US captured. One US officer flees in get-away boat leaving others.
December 10 Eighth Army G3 Miscellaneous Group absorbed by Far East Command Liaison Detachment, Korea, 8240th Army Unit. New Designation, United Nations Partisan Forces, Korea, 8240th Army Unit. Combined Command Reconnaissance Activities, Korea, 8240th AU, assumes responsibility for all behind-the-lines activities (intelligence and special operations) in Korea. Both UNPFK and CCRAK under FEC/LD(K), 8240th AU, forward HQ for Far East Command Liaison Group, 8240th AU, Tokyo.
WARFARE CAMPAIGN
1950 - 1954
AUGUST 1950
August 26 US Navy Lt. Eugene Clark informed his plan to use irregular local forces for recapture of islands along Inch'on Approaches approved.
August 31 Clark arrives at Tokchok-kundo
SEPTEMBER 1950
September 1 Clark, Royal Marines and South Korean National Police retake Yonghung-do and Taemu-do from North Koreans.
September 8 Clark, Royal Marines and local irregulars retake Taemuui-do on the north side of Flying Fish (Inch'on Approach) Channel.
September 15 Miryang Guerrilla Battalion (comprised of former North Koreans) lands at Changsa-dong on South Korea's east coast. The mission is to:
(a) Interdict supplies to North Korean troops in fighting in P'ohang Salient.
(b) Diversion for Inch'on landing by US Tenth Corps.
September 17 Landing at Changsa-dong a failure. Guerrilla battalion withdrawn under fire by ships from Task Force 77 off Korean east coast.
September 24 Clark (Promoted to Lt. Cmdr.) returns to Korea with orders to liberate major islands south of Thirty-eighth parallel. His guerrillas augmented ROKM battalion and ROKN LST.
September 29 General MacArthur receives tentative permission to carry fight into North Korea.
September 30 ROK Army begins crossing Thirty-eighth parallel. First crossing on east coast.
OCTOBER 1950
October 1 Gen. MacArthur receives specific permission for advance into North Korea.
October 2 Clark's mission expanded to include `liberating' Yellow Sea islands north of Thirty-eighth parallel.
October 14 Clark's mission concluded. Guerrilla forces returned to home islands and disbanded.
October 15 Advance elements of two Chinese Communist field armies begin crossing into North Korea.
NOVEMBER 1950
November 1 Eighth Army intelligence identifies elements of CCF division fighting alongside North Koreans.
November 6 Eighth Army intelligence confirms presence of eleven additional CCF divisions.
November 25 CCF attacks in force. UN units begin retreating on all fronts.
November 27 Kim Ung Su, ROKA intelligence and former school master at Sinanju, forms partisan unit with former students. Eighth Army supplies weapons. Unit moves to Ae-do, an island off Sinanju. Begins limited attacks against NK & CCF supply lines.
December UN Forces continue withdrawal from North Korea. Meanwhile exodus of North Koreans friendly with UN begins. Small self-defense units formed to protect refugees fleeing south. Small units begin consolidating into larger units. Several battles between communist units and newly formed partisan units take place as withdrawal continues.
JANUARY 1951
January 8 US Eighth Army informed that semi-organized partisan groups are still active in North Korea's Hwanghae Province but are being forced to withdraw to offshore islands.
January 14 ROK Navy vessels withdraw refugees from Upcho-ri on Hwanghae Province's southwest coast while partisan fight a delaying action to cover the withdrawal. Meanwhile North Korean troops are closing in on a second partisan group defending refugees in Hwanghae's northwestern quadrant.
January 15 Attrition (Partisan) Section organized under Miscellaneous Division, Eighth Army G3, to direct partisan effort. Meanwhile the P'yongyang Partisan Regiment, the partisan group in northwestern Hwanghae Province, ambushes its North Korean pursuers.
January 16 The P'yongyang Partisan Regiment go on the offensive and retake Changyon but withdraw.
January 17 The P'yongyang Partisan Regiment stop a North Korean attack north of Changyon, then withdraw toward the coast.
January 19 The P'yongyang Partisan Regiment withdraws from the mainland to the offshore island of Ch'o-do.
FEBRUARY 1951
February 15 TASK FORCE WILLIAM ABLE (later LEOPARD BASE) begins operation on the west coast island of Paengnyong-do with a mission to direct partisan operations in North Korea's western provinces. BAKER Section is official established at Kijang near Pusan to airborne-train partisans for behind-the-lines operations in North Korea. Recruiting for the first behind-the-lines operation begins at the US 4th Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne.)
MARCH 1951
March 1 Task Force William able instructed to initiate partisan operations as soon as possible to support Eighth Army's Operation Killer.
March 4 William Able's Donkey 4 launches Operation "Shining Moon."
March 5 Four US Rangers arrive at Baker Section's K3 detachment for participation in "Operation Virginia One."
March 15 Virginia One launched.
March 25 British naval units (CTE 95.1) agree to support partisan operations with air strikes and naval gunfire.
March 30 Virginia One reestablishes contact via 7th Div FAC aircraft. Perry flies to location and establishes direct contact.
March 31 Three Virginia One Rangers exfiltrated by Naval helicopter from a hot LZ. All others killed or captured.
APRIL 1951
April 25 G-3 Miscellaneous assumes control of east coast irregular elements formerly under ROK control. Task Force Kirkland is formed at P'ohang-dong and prepares for a move to Samch'ok for training.
April 30 Kirkland moves to Samch'ok.
MAY 1951
May 5 G-3 Miscellaneous Division becomes an authorized TD unit, G-3 Miscellaneous Group, 8086th Army Unit. Takes control of partisan operation on Han River Estuary islands from US First Corps.
May 15 Task Force Kirkland Rear is established as support headquarters at Chumunjin, a small port city seven miles south of 38th Parallel. Advance elements of Task Force Kirkland Forward depart for Nam-do, an island on the 39th Parallel ten miles off North Korea's coast.
May 19 Kirkland Forward main body arrives on Nam-do.
May 23 Major Burke, Leopard CO, sends Captain Robert Channon to Han River islands to settle internecine war between ROK Army led irregulars and partisans from mainland Hwanghae Province.
May 24 Kirkland establishes coastwatchers on Song-do, an island a short distance off the North Korean coast.
May 25 Channon arrives on Kanghwa-do.
JUNE 1951
June 3 Kirkland launches its first raid against North Korean mainland. This is to "bloody" Kirkland partisans, gather intelligence material and make the enemy use troops needed at the front to guard its coast.
June 4 Kirkland withdraws from Kojo after successful operation.
June 5 Channon leaves Han River Islands after settling dispute.
June 18 Advance party for Operation Spitfire parachutes into North Korea.
June 21 Task Force Perry arrives at Kyodong-do to establish command and control of Donkeys along Hwanghae Province's southern coast, including Han River Estuary Islands. This is a semi-independent sub-command of Leopard.
June 26 Spitfire augmentation team dropped.
JULY 1951
July 5 Aircraft making resupply drop to Spitfire can not find DZ. Loiters until dawn and then makes drop directly over hideout. Spitfire runs for its life.
July 6 Spitfire Advance scouts run into enemy ambush at dawn. Sgt. Miles and 3rd Lt. (cadet) Ho fight delaying action to allow others to escape. (Both MIA)
July 12 Task Force Perry moves its headquarters from Kyodong-do to Kanghwa-do for better control of Han River island partisans.
July 17 Donkey Eight partisans launch raid on mainland. Boats stranded by outgoing tide. Naval gunfire and air support saves partisans but casualties heavy.
July 26 Spitfire survivors exfiltrate through 35th Infantry Regiment front lines.
AUGUST 1951
August 1 Aviary Section, Combined Command Reconnaissance Activities, Korea, 8240th AU, established at K-16 (Seoul City Airport.)
August 7 Kirkland loses Song-do (AKA Sol-sam) to enemy action.
August 8 Kirkland reestablishes coastwatchers on Song-do after enemy departs.
August 9 LTC Samuel Koster takes command of Miscellaneous Group.
August 14 North Koreans attempt to take Sunui-do by wading across mud flats during low tide. Attempt fails. Enemy casualties heavy.
SEPTEMBER 1951
September 1 Plans for Mustang II (POW rescue mission including General Dean) approved by Far East Command Headquarters. This is an updated version of Mustang I that was shelved in July.
September 2 Selected members of Baker Section informed of upcoming mission.
September 6 Yuk-do and Yongui-do attacked by North Korean troops. Yuk-do successful defended but Yongui-do falls. Captain David Maus KIA on Yongui-do.
September 11 Volunteers recover body of Maus.
September 17 B-26 carrying Baker Section officers on recon of Mustang II mission site (Ha-ri, NK) shot down. Accompanying B-26 reports two parachutes opening at very low level.
September 21 Mustang II canceled due to possible compromise.
OCTOBER 1951
October 8 Donkey 15 captures sister islands of Tan-do and T'an-do near mouth of Yalu River. Requests permission to capture Sunmi-do with UN naval support.
October 10 Permission for Sunmi-do invasion approved. Planning begins.
October 14 Donkey 15, supported by HMS Cossack, lands on Sunmi-do but island has been recently reinforced. Landing fails with heavy Donkey 15 casualties.
NOVEMBER 1951
November 6 Chinese launch attack against Donkey 13 on Tan-do. Tan-do falls. Survivors retreat to T'an-do.
November 8 Chinese invade and take T'an-do.
November 11 CCRAK deploys its first Tactical Liaison Office team to US infantry division. Mission - dispatching and retrieving agents through front line positions. Later TLOs will conduct long range patrols behind enemy lines.
November 15 Chinese take Ae-do.
November 24 Chinese take Sohwa-do
November 30 Chinese land on Taehwa-do. Vicious fighting between Donkey 15, supported with naval gunfire from HMS Cossack, fails to stop landing.
DECEMBER 1951
December 1 Taehwa-do, last partisan base along northwestern North Korean coast, falls. Three British (one SAS, two man naval gunfire team) and one US captured. One US officer flees in get-away boat leaving others.
December 10 Eighth Army G3 Miscellaneous Group absorbed by Far East Command Liaison Detachment, Korea, 8240th Army Unit. New Designation, United Nations Partisan Forces, Korea, 8240th Army Unit. Combined Command Reconnaissance Activities, Korea, 8240th AU, assumes responsibility for all behind-the-lines activities (intelligence and special operations) in Korea. Both UNPFK and CCRAK under FEC/LD(K), 8240th AU, forward HQ for Far East Command Liaison Group, 8240th AU, Tokyo.