On the Road to Hungnam, North Korea

On September 27th, 1950, the USS Hoquiam PF-5 was re-commissioned into the US Naval Service as a combatant. This ship was originally commissioned at Mare Island Naval shipyard in 1944, to serve as an escort vessel, manned by the USCG in the North Pacific. In early 1945, during Operation Hula, she and 27 other Patrol Frigates were transferred to the Soviet Navy under Lend-Lease. After long bickering and arguments, the USSR returned 27 of the 28 Patrol Frigates---mostly toed---from Vladivostok, Siberia, to Yokosuka, Japan, where the US Navy ran the former IJN Shipyard.

When the North Korean Army invaded South Koreas on June 25, 1950, the South Korean Army and the Us Army Advisors were ill prepared to challenge the North Korean Army, as they rolled south toward Pusan, South Korea. Immediately, those old PF's were inspected and there decision was made by Commander Naval Forces, Far East (ComNavFE) to reactivate the best of these old ships to assist in the Korean Campaign.

The hulk, PF-5, was the sixth ship towed to the piers and dry-docks to restore it to duty. The officers, chiefs, and sailors assigned to the duty of restoring this ship learned the Soviets had sabotages “everything”.

New crews of WW2 were recalled to serve on this ships. But first, they had to restored everything to service. It was a severe struggle, but finally, everything was ready. As stated, she was recommissioned and the crew was ready.

For the next month, she underwent Sea Trials and crew training to prepare her for war. The Captain receives orders cutting short his training schedule, to report to Commander Task Force 90, and escort them to Wonsan, North Korea, where the US Marines will disembark to chase the North Korean Army and Marines northward until they are killed or captured. The Captain expects to be there for about two weeks before returning to Yokosuka or Sasebo, Japan. Instead, the Hoquiam is transferred to Commander Task Force 96 and will support landing operations all the way to the Manchurian border with North Korea. They act as “Gate Guard” (Harbor Entrance Control Vessel---HECV) at Iwon, Hungnam, Songjin, and Chongjin, North Korea. Meanwhile, she is assigned to duties chasing down sampans or junks moving south to South Korean ports. Urgent dispatches indicate the Chinese Communists are entering the fray. The Hoquiam is urgently dispatched back to Hungnam as HECV and then into the Inner Harbor to support the Naval Facility Activity as the Port Commander. They tie up next to the Port Commander and were resting there when the Army ands Marines arrived from their long walk from the Chosin Reservoir. The crew watched as these exhausted troops boarded LCVPs and LCMs for rides to Hospital ships, Cargo ships, ands Attack Transports. Some were moved aboard the Hoquiam for a ride to South Korea. The crew watched as at least one hundred ships moved out of Hungnam on Christmas Eve loaded with all the troops, their equipment, and some civilians.