Cruise History Korean War '51

The Hopewell left the States the latter part of June, 1951 for Hawaii.  Following more training in Hawaii around the middle of July she left for Japan. Upon her arrival in Japan, Hopewell was assigned to the operational control of Commander SEVENTH Fleet and served in various Task Forces of that Fleet. Duty with Task Force 95 for a period of about one month (August 1951) saw Hopewell, engaging in continuous days and night bombardment of enemy troops and installations at Wonsan, North Korea. Remaining inside the harbor limits most of this time, the ship was within easy range of enemy batteries which opened fire at irregular intervals. Though often straddled and splashed by near misses, Hopewell was never hit. For this action each member of the crew received forty-five dollars combat pay. The first few days in Wonsan were spent bombarding likely targets from the small swept area in the harbor. But observation and correction of the fall of shot was difficult, particularly during rain and fog. 

Early August report that UN Navy belts Wonsan for 178th day. The heavy Cruiser USS Toledo, the Netherlands destroyer H.R.M.S Van Galen and USS Hopewell and Uhlmann fired nearly 5000 lbs of high explosives at military targets at Wonsan. News taken from the Teletype Scrip of the ANDROMEDA titled Your Fleet in Action today (26 August 1951): "Communist highways and rail installations were battered heavily by United Nations Naval surface forces on the east and west coasts of Korea. Task Force 95 warships at Wonsan dueled with heavy communist artillery, well-concealed in cliffsides, for the third consecutive day. The U.S. Destroyers Hopewell and Parkes, accompaning U.S. Rocket ships poured round after round of effective counter-battery at the Red shore batteries. The Hopewell's main battery scored 10 direct hits in the center of a Bivouac area causing heavy damage. She blasted 10 enemy-occupied buildings, shelled bridges and vehicles and got 6 bullseyes on a troop shelter. The Parkes completely destroyed a gun position killing the Red soldiers grouped around it. The Rocket ship picked off an ammunition dump with her 6-inch Battery. During communist gunfire Sunday morning , UN Destroyers were straddled but suffered no damage or personnel casualties. Late Monday afternoon the Cruiser Los Angeles arrived in the Dosong-Kansong area from Task Force 77 to give gunfire support to the Battling South Korean Troops. Early last night she opened up on Red Infantry concentrations at long range with her 8-inch guns. In the same area the Task Force 95 destroyer USS Wedderburn continued pounding away at entrenched enemy soldiers. The destroyer had fired directed salvos at nine separate targets before daylight. Delayed reports indicated that the Wedderburn exchanged heavy gunfire with shore batteries in the Kojo area midway between Wonsan and Kosong last Friday afternoon. Red artillery poured over 100 rounds at the Wedderburn as she zigzagged out of range. Her main batteries pinpointed at least two of the artillery positions destroying over 50 troops. During this time we received word not to fire on Power Stations. One morning after being fired on over 30 times and replying with heavy bombardment we received word that our ammunition expenditure was believed to be excessive and did not appear effective and hereafter limit counter battery to not more than two guns except in emergency. (maybe there was a shortage of ammo?) During one of its short trips outside the harbor, Hopewell rescued a downed US Navy pilot from the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard who had crash landed at sea fifty miles north of Wonsan, and returned him to his carrier that night. This rescue was effected close inshore under enemy fire. During other short trips out of the harbor, Hopewell furnished gunfire support to mine sweepers engaged in the dreary, ever-dangerous task of sweeping mined areas. On one occasion, Hopewell silenced three enemy shore batteries which were firing on a mine sweeper engaged in close inshore sweeping. 

During a month’s service with Task Force 72, Hopewell participated in the Formosa Patrol. They Experienced a siege of typhoon weather, but that didn’t bother them much. “Now-days,” an officer from the Kidd said, “we get a lot of advanced information as to the size, speed, and proportions of a typhoon, which gives the ship ample opportunity to get out of its way and to get into a harbor before its too late. But even at that, its pretty rough to get on the edge of one. They can shake these little old tin cans up for sure. The Christmas holidays were not exactly what anyone would call delightful to the officers and men of the four destroyers, but the Navy, they pointed out with pride, did a splendid job on Christmas day by seeing to it they had a genuine American Christmas dinner. Each ship had a Christmas tree, delivered by a tanker and the food was of the best-turkey and all the trimmings. It was just a routine day, though. We were 35 miles off Korea and there wasn’t much we could do any way. But we sure ate well. The Navy and ships cooks made sure of that the men and officers got a break while participating in the Formosa patrol by managing to get in short visits to Hong Kong, Keelung, Formosa and to Boke Ko (Boko Yo) in the Pescadores  Islands. The Hopewell crew managed to keep busy at the latter place. They saw a sailboat capsize and matter of factly rescued its crew, righted the craft and returned the men and boat to its parent ship. 

The Hopewell and her crew earned the China Service Medal (Extended) for this cruise. Following a short but intensive period of ASW training as a member of the Western Pacific Hunter/Killer Training Group, during which Hopewell and the other ships of her Division gained the plaudits of one of the submarine Commanding Officers engaged in the exercises for their aggressive and excellent work in pursuing contacts made. Hopewell returned to Task Force 77 and completed her tour of duty in the Far East.

The Hopewell earned the nickname of "The Duke of Wonsan" for her consistent and accurate shelling of enemy targets. Also the Hopewell and her crew earned the Korean Service Medal with two engagement stars, and plaudits of Commander Task Force 95, Commander Task Force 77, and Commander Seventh Fleet. During the entire time, Hopewell was flagship of Commander Destroyer Division 152, and ship's personnel assisted him and his staff in carrying out the many duties imposed on him by the many operational commands he held. Hard punching Destroyer Division 152 returned to home port of San Diego, California on Wednesday 6 February, 1952 after completing 8 month tour of combat duty in Korean and Formosan waters. The division is comprised of the Hopewell, Kidd, Uhlmann and Wedderburn, all Fletcher type 2,100 ton destroyers who also saw action in World War II battles. 

Wonsan Plaque: The 22 destroyer division commanders who took part in the two-and-one-half year siege of Wonsan will be presented a plaque bearing a small key to that city. The plaque is a replica of the city key inherited by relieving destroyer division commodores, who bear the mythical "Mayor of Wonsan" title. The original key to the city, bearing the words "The Bay of Eternal Prosperity" and "The Mayor of Wonsan," was forwarded to the Museum of Naval History at Annapolis, Md., at the end of the Korean hostilities. The siege of Wonsan, one of the longest naval blockades in history, acted as a bottleneck in the Communist supply funnel, cutting off the use of railroad facilities and supply dumps in that city. The blockading began in October 1950 when the Navy began clearing "one of the most intensive minefields in history" so the ships could enter. 

After returning to the United States in early February 1952, the Hopewell proceeded to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for a four month overhaul and modernization period. Captain T. M. Fleck was relieved of his command when the four destroyers came back to the States, and the new division commander was Commander W. H. Cheney, Jr. Commander James B. Hildreth took over command of the Hopewell from Commander John S. Felter who was transferred to Third Naval District Headquarters on the East Coast. 

“You just can’t beat the boys in Division 152,” said Hildreth, who with his wife and their two young boys, are planning to live on Mare Island during the ship’s overhaul. “About 65 percent of them were re-activated veterans of World War II with destroyer experience, and the new men have adapted themselves excellently to life aboard a destroyer. We have men from 35 states and they have their little differences when it comes to bragging about their respective birthplaces, but when it comes to working together under battle conditions, they’re an unbeatable bunch.”

Note: Material for this article was taken from the Vallejo Times-Herald, Vallejo, CA - Sunday, April 20, 1952. Article titled “Four Destroyers Return To Mare Island From Korea War” by Milton Dunlap.” and from Our Navy Magazine article “History of the USS Hopewell DD-681 September, 1943 to September, 1953.” edited Bob Lawson