Hungnam Evacuation

["ysk" <ysk@kimsoft.com>]

Hi, folks:

In surfing the US Navy History, I found the paragraph below, which describes
the Korean LST I was on.  The basic facts given are as I recall them except
the date - I recall it was the Xmas Eve and our ship was about the last to
shove off (actually towed off).

The article says Dec 19.  Another factual error (?).  The ship was loaded
with captured NK rice and she needed no help from anyone in the food
department.  The rice was cooked on the deck in large drum cans by the crew.

I am wondering if anyone here remembers this incident (which hit the AP
headlines in 1950).


ysk
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http://www.history.navy.mil/books/field/ch9d.htm#top

Last and most difficult of these problems was that presented by a Korean
LST, which fouled a shaft with manila line and was unable to retract from
the beach. The snarl was cleared and repairs to the main engines were
provided by personnel from the rescue ship Conserver, after which the LST
docked again and on her second attempt to get underway fouled both shafts.
By this time her troubles were snowballing: more engine repairs were needed
and the gyrocompass had broken down; there were eight turns of 1 1/8-inch
wire around the port shaft and many of 8-inch manila around the starboard
one; a food and water shortage had developed, which was the more serious in
view of a reported 7,400 refugees on board. Despite difficulties from the
cold, the port shaft was freed by divers from Conserver; Askari contributed
26,000 gallons of water; 1,500 loaves of bread and a quantity of cooked rice
were procured from other ships in harbor, and eight tons of food from Army
sources ashore. There was no time to do more, and on 19 December the invalid
was sailed for Samchok, accompanied by Diachenko and another Korean LST,
both rigged for towing. She got there.