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[KOREAN-WAR-L:11385] Re: Partisan Operations and Tan-Do/T'an-Do

Jack,

>>At 01:39 PM 2/15/2004, you wrote:
Ed,

Thanks. That solved the mystery! So Donkey 13 really took Ka-Do/Tan-Do.<<

Not positive it does but most logical explanation. And information I have indicates once Chinese kicked the partisans off Ka-do, they moved on to other islands so likely only left a few people behind -- likely NK security troops.

>>One other mystery was about  the CIA patrol boat at the night of Nov. 30th.
Was it simply missing or did it escape safely?  <<

Patrol boat made it safely back to Ch'o-do.

>>From Chinese records, they claimed they sank a "boat/ship/vessel" that night.

One other account mentioned Taehwa-Do had "3 big wooden vessels, 11 small wooden vessels, 1 small motorized boat". If the partisans did not have any motorized boat, then the only such vessel would be the CIA patrol boat. Furthermore, it would also mean that the boat really went north to attack the invasion flotilla, as promised by its skipper, and was sunk during the gallantry battle. Chinese had equipped some seven fishing boats with 75mm field guns and recoilless guns as the fire support vessels for the landing flotilla. They reported one such fire support vessel was sunk by the enemy vessels. Of course, it was not clear whether it was lost to that CIA boat or to the ships of the UN blockading fleet.<<

"Big wooden boats" likely would be coastal freighters with Yakadama "hot head" diesel engines -- 60 to 70 feet in length. Small wooden boats would likely be sail-powered fishing junks -- 15 to 30' in length. And, this is supposition, the small "motorized" boat could have been a fishing junk fitted with a "jeep" engine. The partisans had a number of these craft.

This said, the coastal freighters normally did not anchor at Taehwa-do's pier during the day since the island came under intermittent air attack. Those would sail in after dark and generally be gone before dawn. Same applied to UN ships patrolling that area. Fishing boats on the island would normally be fishing since this was a main part of the partisan's food supply.

The night of the Chinese landing my information indicates there was one wooden coastal freighter that had brought supplies to the island. As the attack developed, a number of partisans and civilians loaded on that boat and it tried to get away. As it did it took a hit (probably from one of the 76mm you mentioned) and began sinking. It made it to a small rock about 15 miles southwest of Taehwa-do before sinking. This is probably the boat the Chinese said they sank. 50 plus partisans and civilians made it ashore and were rescued by the Australian frigate MURCHISON the following night (Dec 2-Dec 3,) this after having been spotted by a recon aircraft sent to see what had happened at Taehwa-do.

As a sidebar, several of the sail fishing junks did manage to get away that night carrying civilians and a few partisans, arriving at Ch'o-do several days later.

Ed