Canada's contributions were not prominent, resulting in compromised authority and distinction.
Canadian troops were not trained or equipped appropriately for the type of warfare in Korea, which hindered the objectives of missions.
Canada’s contributions on the battlefield
were not significant military achievements
Canada & the Korean War
Efforts in the Land of the Morning Calm
Canada did not play a significant role in the Korean War due to the nature of the contributions to the ground, air and naval force, the inadequate preparation required for the type of warfare, and the lack of substantial achievements on the battlefield.
Thank you
Canada’s success in defending Hill 355 is over-glorified, disregarding the circumstances of this feat
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(Veterans Affairs Canada)
- Considered one of the places where Canadians saw the most action
- Defended the front lines and pushed back heavy enemy assault
- However: Canadians were forced to abandon their defensive positions to the enemy
- Canadians succeeded in reoccupying the position when the Chinese withdrew on October 24
- “Kowang-San Day”: the battalion was actually defeated, official history only hints at the actual issues
(Canada Remembers Hill 355)
Canada’s contributions to the air force did not play an influential role in aerial battlefield.
- U.S. provided most of the air force assets, but other UN countries contributed units as well
- RCAF attached to US Military Air Transport Service
Canadian troops were not outfitted with appropriate equipment from the start of their activities in the Korean War
- Only 1 RCAF squadron participated directly - Canada’s No. 426 Transport Squadron, never engaged in combat
- Poorly equipped with small arms for modern, close-quarter infantry engagements
- American 60mm, 81mm weapons replaced 2-inch, 3-inch mortars
- Unprepared for cold, damp winter
- Communication was key; American SCR 300 radio replaced Canadian sets
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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/M2_4.2_in_Mortar_Korea.JPEG
The poor defense training manifested in the Operation Commando of defending the Jamestown Line.
- Operation Commando – October 3, 1951
- Lack of training in constructing and maintaining defensive positions was clear
- "One of the finest defensive actions in the history of the Canadian army"
- Effort of troops undermined by improperly prepared divisional front, poor defense doctrine
The Royal Canadian Navy had a significant presence in the Korean War, but lacked authority over its own force.
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Canada did not play a significant role in the Korean War due to the nature of the contributions to the ground, air and naval force, the inadequate preparation required for the type of warfare, and the lack of substantial achievements on the battlefield.
Canadian ground personnel were inadequately trained for the guerrilla type warfare predominant in Korea
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HMCS Athabaskan
HMCS Sioux
HMCS Cayuga
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(Herd, Canadian Encyclopedia)
- According to Captain W.R. Chamberlain, 75-85% of men in rifle platoons did not fire at the enemy
- Canadian Army’s Advanced Training Program failed to produce functional riflemen
- Success depended on the patrols and secure collective training
- Patrol reports + training bulletins standards in the official doctrine were not met
- Initially contributed 3 Royal Canadian Navy destroyers
- Participated in the Train Busters Club, an exclusive organization that destroyed North Korean trains
- Under British Command on the west coast
- US Naval Forces Far East Task Force 95
- Canada sent aid (personnel, aircraft, ships) as part of the UN peacemaking force, but it had minimal overall impact and/or authority
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The Forgotten War:
What Role did Canada Play?
- Troops were poorly trained and equipped for the environment of the war
- The achievements by Canadian forces were not significant military contributions
http://www.rmoutlook.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GT&Date=20131107&Category=RMO0801&ArtNo=311079982&Ref=AR
Canadian soldiers were trained with the European-style combined-arms operations and unable to support proper defense
Setting the Scene:
The Battle of Kapyong was not a complete success story due to the nature of the planned offensive
- Late into World War II, Soviet and American armed forces liberate the Japanese-held Korean peninsula
Soldiers of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
- Soviet troops occupy north of 38th parallel, Americans occupy the south, forming separate governments
(Stairs, "Battle Of Kapyong)
- Both sought to unify, and civil war broke out in late 1940s
- April 24 -5 1951: A battalion of 700 troops helped defend a crucial hill in front lines against force 5,000 Chinese soldiers
- Protected capital city Seoul from re-occupation, gave South Koreans time to retreat
- One of Canada's "greatest, yet least-known, military achievements"? (Denis Stairs, Dalhousie University)
- Severe loss of equipment, and William Johnston of UBC argues that if the Chinese planned to extend the offensive, they would have succeeded (105)
- June 1950, the North Korean Army invades the Republic of Korea
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- Result: the first UN intervention in history
Due to the circumstances of the time, Canada initially reduced its contribution to be sent overseas.
- Training did not correct dislike for digging
- Inadequate construction + maintenance of defensive positions in static warfare
- More training in laying barbed wire, construct fighting trenches, filling and laying sandbags
http://korean-war.commemoration.gov.au/flash/images/kapyong-map-still.jp g
- Initial reaction: agreed in principle to halt aggression, but did not immediately commit forces (Giesler 3)
...would not be
participation in war...
- Authorized recruitment of the CASF
- After UN successes, reduced to only 1 battalion for occupational duties (Giesler 5)