Re: Bugatti Patrol, Yellow Sea

[<geminiad@whidbey.com>]

Don,

* Who were the destroyers attached to the TG?

Navy assigned op names sometimes in indirect reference
to type of mission, sometimes not. Given the nature of a
night-only patrol into the Bohai Gulf, purpose was probably
to monitor (EW) PRC responses both at-sea and ashore
and to pick up PRC & Soviet radar and other electronic signals.

Ship traffic monitoring may have been another objective,
as well as to deter and PRC efforts to bring guerrillas  behind
the line of UN forces into South Korea.  PRC Navy had ex-
Japanese vessels and generally the Fleet knew little of
what was going on. And, the Soviets had their bases and
a proposal was out there on the political table (between
Moscow and Beijing)  for a "Sino-Soviet
Pacific Fleet", headed up by Russians.

 COMINT and ELINT would have helped
in also identifying various PLA major units and movements
of their headquarters, particular concern being northward
movement (especially after the initial Oct '50-Jan '51 offensives).

NSA would be a good place to start, using a FOIA request.
Ship names, dates involved (request would probably want to
include it down to the month, if possible). 

Would be interested in other KW-L responses and your
research outcome.

Keith Jacobs