North Korean Amphibious Operations History
The importance of amphibious operations to Korea are well known. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, the KPA had only a limited amphibious warfare capability. Most of the KPA maritime lift was conducted by fishing boats, junks, sampans, and a few conventional amphibious warfare craft. The North Koreans have a history of using non-traditional methods to conduct amphibious operations.
Before dawn on Sunday, 25 June 1950, the North Korean army moved forcefully into the South, whose outgunned defenders were generally overwhelmed. The initial North Korean attacks included small-scale amphibious operations on the east coast while, in the west, the ROK conducted a regimental-size amphibious evacuation from the Ongjin Peninsula and US civilians were evacuated by sea from the port of Incheon. The North Korean amphibious operations in June 1950 were very similar to those conducted by Soviet naval infantry in August 1945.
Evidence indicates that the North Koreans established two naval infantry units (Yukjeondae: literally, land combat unit) under the KPA Naval Headquarters (599th Unit) at Jinnampo (Chinnamp’o) in July 1949. The 956th Naval Infantry Unit was based at Jinnampo in the west and the 945th at Wonsan on the east coast, where it received amphibious training by Soviet advisors. Another unit, the 766th Independent Unit, a guerrilla force established under the direction of future Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) defense minister O Jin U, also received amphibious training at Wonsan before the outbreak of war.
On 22 June the 766th Independent Unit moved to the port of Yangyang, where it was joined by the 945th Naval Infantry Unit and several small separate guerrilla units, bringing the size of the combined organization to 1,200 to 1,500 amphibious troops. Their mission was to support the KPA 5th Division’s attack by landing at beachheads along the South Korean east coast behind the defending ROK Army forces and to disrupt the line of communications by destroying railroad tracks, bridges, tunnels, and telephone and telegraph facilities. The forces that had conducted the amphibious landings would then join with the nonamphibious elements of the 766th that had remained behind to participate in the KPA 5th Division’s land attack. The reconstituted unit would serve as a reconnaissance and ranger force supporting the 5th Division and infiltrating guerrilla teams through the mountains to the west and south toward Busan (Pusan) and Daegu (Taegu).
The first three battalions of the 766th Independent Unit and elements of the 945th Naval Infantry Unit loaded aboard small coastal cargo ships, fishing boats, and motor launches at the port of Yangyang. The other units, joined by several hundred more guerrillas, moved to various coastal ports to embark in assorted small ships and craft, including sail boats. These motley flotillas sortied between 22 and 25 June and headed south, some of them escorted by motor torpedo boats of the 2d Naval Squadron. The North Korean attack began in the predawn hours of 25 June along the 38th Parallel. In the east, following a preparatory artillery barrage, the KPA 5th Division, reinforced by the 1st Border Guard Brigade (Gyeongbi Yeodan) and elements of the 766th Independent Unit, crossed the border around 0400 and moved down the narrow coastal plain toward Gangneung (Kangnung).
One attempted landing north of Nakpungri (Nakp’ung-ni) was driven off by soldiers of the 21st Regiment, who sank at least two of the boats with 57-mm antitank guns. However, some 1,300 KPA troops landed successfully at various places on the coast between Gangneung and Uljin (Ulchin), with most of the landings concentrated around the coastal towns of Jeongdongjin (Chongdongjin), south of Gangneung, and Imwonjin, north of Uljin.
The North Koreans had planned another landing, probably by the 3d Battalion of the 766th Independent Unit and/or elements of the 945th Naval Infantry Unit, at Busan. This would have had serious implications, as the city was essentially undefended and was the primary port of debarkation for US reinforcements and materiel coming into Korea. However, a small ROK Navy force successfully intercepted the North Korean ship.
Inshore along the coasts of the embattled nation, the ROK Navy vigorously interdicted North Korean amphibious warfare efforts. On 28 June the American cruiser Juneau arrived off the east coast of Korea, and the next day shelled the Kangnung-Samch'ok area where North Korean amphibious landings had occurred. On 15 September 1950 a daring amphibious invasion at Inchon fractured the North Korean war machine. Resistance and casualties were modest, and initial objectives were quickly secured. In the following two months UN armies pushed swiftly through North Korea.
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