page_title: Blockade of Wonsan
section_title: Operation Kickoff
hierarchical_section_title: Blockade of Wonsan / Blockade / Operation Kickoff
caption_attribution_description: USS Manchester (CL-83) returns enemy counter-battery fire with her forward turret's 6"/47 guns, while operating off the North Korean east coast, March 1953. Note life rafts and floater nets stowed atop turret two.
context_page_description: The Blockade of Wonsan, or the Siege of Wonsan, from February 16, 1951 to July 27, 1953, during the Korean War, was the longest naval blockade in modern history, lasting 861 days. UN naval forces, primarily from the United States, successfully kept the strategically important city of Wonsan from being used by the North Korean Navy.
  The blockade diverted communist troops from the front line. North Korean artillery fired at the American fleet was mostly ineffective, and the city was heavily damaged by UN naval aircraft and warships.
context_section_description: Between late June through August 1951, North Korean attacks on American ships seemed to increase so the United States began concentrating on destroying enemy batteries. On June 28, the destroyer USS Henry W. Tucker received counter-battery fire while conducting a bombardment of Wonsan Harbor. She was struck by one round, causing light superficial damage and one man was injured.
  A few days later on July 3, the frigate USS Everett was attacked by the batteries and took hits, killing one man and wounding seven others. The Americans responded with an attack by the Fast Carrier Task Force. In one day 247 bombing sorties were carried out against Wonsan and 600 South Korean marines raided the mainland from the island of Cho-do.
  On July 6, the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans landed men on the island of Hwangto-do and then with two other destroyers, bombarded buildings and a torpedo station. USS Blue captured Kukto Island the following day and established an observation point to keep watch on North Korean positions. On July 11, in the vicinity of Yo-do island, USS Blue and Frank E. Evans were attacked, approximately fifty splashes were counted near the ships but none of them were hit. Due to the attacks, particularly the Battle of the Buzz Saw, American naval commanders decided on launching Operation Kickoff which referred to maneuvers within Wonsan Harbor, aimed at reducing the batteries.
  Every day from July 17, 1951, elements of the allied fleet, assigned to bombardment groups, would sail at 5 knots (9.3 km/h) to bombard known enemy positions and continue doing so from 3:00 pm until dark. On the first day of the maneuvers, the LSMRs USS Clarion River and USS LSMR-525 received heavy, accurate fire from enemy batteries on the islands of Kalmagak, Umi-do and Ho-do Pan-do. Both of the vessels were struck by shells and damaged, but not seriously. Over 500 shells splashed in the water around USS O'Brien and she sustained at least a couple of hits. One man was injured although the damage was light. USS New Jersey and heavy cruiser USS Helena also participated in the bombardment.
  On July 31, Helena engaged in a gunnery duel, she was hit one time before delivering counter battery fire which destroyed seven gun emplacements and an ammunition dump. There were no casualties caused by the shell striking the ship but near misses wounded two men.
  On August 4, British Royal Marines installed mortars on Hwangto-do for use in countering the North Korean shore batteries and on August 11, USS Hopewell, using SFCP, fired direct and indirect fire missions against enemy troop concentrations and transportation targets in the Wonsan area.  The minesweepers USS Dextrous, USS Heron and USS Redstart also came under fire by shore batteries that same day while conducting check sweep operations in the vicinity of Hodo-pando. Dextrous suffered two direct hits; killing one man, three wounded and moderate damage.
  With the exception of an attack on USS Uhlmann on August 20, while off Hodo-pando, Operation Kickoff proved to be a success as the number of attacks on blockading ships decreased for a while until new batteries were constructed. Seven enemy guns opened fire on Uhlmann that day and after a long engagement, five of the guns were destroyed and 117 splashes were counted by the sailors but there were no hits. Uhlmann had to break off the attack without silencing the remaining two artillery pieces because allied patrols entered the area.
caption: USS Manchester firing her 6-inch guns at the Korean coast.
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