NIAGARA MILITARY MUSEUM
PRESERVING and SHARING the TRI-SERVICE
MILITARY HISTORY of the NIAGARA PENINSULA
5049 Victoria Ave, Niagara Falls. ON L2E 4E2
The Korean War erupted on June 25, 1950 when North Korea
invaded South Korea. The first Canadian military response
was made by the Royal Canadian Navy less than two weeks
after the outbreak of hostilities when three destroyers, HMCS
Cayuga, Athabaskan and Sioux set sail for waters of the
Western Pacific. These three ships took part in the battle for
the Pusan bridgehead in Korea. They were later joined by five
tribal class destroyers, HMCS Crusader, Huron, Iroquois,
Nootka, and Haida. The Royal Canadian Navy’s mission
included blockading the enemy coast, preventing amphibious
landings by the enemy, protecting aircraft carriers from the HMCS HAIDA PATROLLING THE COAST OF KOREA
threat of submarine and aerial attack, bombarding enemy
held coastal areas and bringing assistance to the civilian
Population.
In December 1950 when the port city of Chinnampo was in danger of being over run by a massive enemy advance the
order was given to evacuate. Three Canadian destroyers made a highly dangerous run 16 nautical miles up the heavily
mined Taejon River. Two United Nations ships ran aground and were forced to turn back but the remaining ships, led by
HMCS Cayuga, reached the city after a nerve-racking passage through shallow, twisting channels on a pitch-dark night.
The ships helped destroy the railway lines, docks and supplies left behind by the North Koreans. Their mission
accomplished; the ships returned to the relative safety of the open ocean.
More than 3,600 Canadian naval personnel served in eight RCN ships off the coast of Korea before the armistice was
signed on July 27, 1953. To maintain the armistice United Nations naval forces continued to patrol the waters around
Korea. It was not until September 1955 that the last Canadian destroyer left the region.
