SHORE BATTERIES
The following reproductions are from newpaper articles or area officer commendations. If you have any from your time aboard, send the to us and we will publish them to the web site.
ABOARD THE USS SOUTHERLAND DDR743 IN KOREAN WATERS
14 JULY 1952
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE KOREAN WAS THE USS SOUTHERLAND DDR743 TODAY TRADED
BLOWS WITH COMMUNIST SHORE BATTERIES RECEIVING 4 HITS, BUT SUCEEDED IN CARRYING
OUT THE OBJECTIVE OF IT’S BOMBARDMENT MISSION .
THE VETERAN DESTROYER, USING EXPERIENCE GAINED AT THE INVASION OF INCHON IN THE
FALL OF 1950, POUNDED COASTAL RADAR INSTALLATIONS AND GUN EMPLACEMENTS WHICH HAD
BEEN HAMPERING THE NORTHWARD ADVANCE OF FRIENDLY ROK TROOPS IN THE KO JO AREA
ON THE KOREAN EAST COAST . AFTER PROCEEDING SINGLY TO THE FIRING POSITION, THE
SOUTHERLAND CRUISED ALONG THE COAST LOBBING SHELL AFTER SHELL INTO ENEMY
TARGETS. AS THE SOUTHERLAND’S FIRE NEARED THE HILLSIDE GUN EMPLACEMENTS, SEVEN
COMMUNIST SHORE BATTERIES OPENED FIRE, BRACKETING THE SHIP AND SCORING 4 EARLY
HITS, IN THE 24 MINUTE DUEL WHICH FOLLOWED, THE DESTROYER SUCCEEDED IN SILENCING
5 OF THE BATTERIES, POURING IN OVER 200 ROUNDS OF 5 INCH SHELLS. THE SOUTHERLAND
SUFFERED 8 MINOR CASUALTIES TO ENLISTED PERSONNEL, THE MOST SERIOUS OF WHICH
RECEIVED MEDICAL TREATMENT ON BOARD THE CRUISER BREMERTON WITHIN ONE HOUR
AFTER THE ACTION. 180 MINUTES LATER THE SOUTHERLAND HAD RETURNED TO THE
BOMBARDMENT LINE, TO CONTINUE THE NAVY’S INCESSANT SHELLING OF THE ENEMY STRONG
POINTS.
THE SOUTHERLAND, A RADAR PICKET DESTROYER, WAS COMMISSIONED AT BATH , MAINE
IN 1944, SAW SERVICE IN WORLD WAR TWO AND HAD THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE
FIRST U S DESTROYER IN TOKYO BAY AFTER THE JAPANESE SURRENDER. SHE LEFT SAN
DIEGO IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR FOR HER SECOND OVERSEAS TOUR IN THE KOREAN WAR.
THE SOUTHERLAND IS SKIPPERED BY COMMANDER OTIS A, WESCHE OF NAPOLEON, OHIO .
THE ABOVE ARTICLE WAS FORWARDED TO COMNAVFE FOR NAVY RELEASE TO PUBLIC
NEWSPAPERS.