Korean War: Areas of Responsibility

[Zipper730]

I know in Vietnam there was a the Route Pack system which went from 1-6 with 6A being Hanoi and 6B being Haiphong, I was told in Korea that there was a division of responsibility set up there as well, but I've never seen the layout described.


The following might have some information: Dronescapes , fannum , michaelmaltby , M MIflyer , MiTasol , S Shortround6 , Thumpalumpacus , X XBe02Drvr

 

[fannum]

The obvious reason was to coordinate activity between Air Force and Navy/Marines. Night interdiction was an effective, under reported aspect with NK roads and rails being impassable in daylight.

 

[Zipper730]

fannum

Oh, of course. The question is: How was the division of responsibility set up? The zones and so forth.

 

[EwenS]

Been a while since I looked at this in detail, but a quick perusal of a couple of books in the library revealed the following.

In the initial phase of the war most of USN naval aviation was involved in close air support of ground forces far more than interdiction. Against the wishes of the USN, in Jan 1951 it was decided that interdiction of NK supply lines should become the name of the game. TF77 flew its first interdiction sorties since the "great retreat" on 29 Jan. That remained the situation until at least mid-1952. The major resupply routes lay on the east coast of the Korean peninsula.

The exact area covered seems to have varied initially but by Feb was "north eastern Korea". Eventually it extended 300 miles from the bombline at Koksan to the Manchurian border encompassing all territory East of 126°40' East Longitude. In Sept 1951 it was slightly extended to incorporate a strategically important railway running West of this from Yangdok to Samdong-ni. TF77 was operating off the East coast of Korea in the Sea of Japan, generally with 4 Essex class carriers (2 on station, 1 refuelling and 1 in Japan for R& R). I don't, on a very quick look, see anything subsequently changing that.

West of that line responsibility for interdiction fell on TF95 based around an RN / RAN light carrier and USN CV/CVL carrying USMC squadrons and operating on the western side of the Korean peninsula in the Yellow Sea.

This should give you a starting point for further study.

https://www.amazon.com/Naval-Air-Korea-Richard-Hallion/dp/0933852479/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=BL3VIFGRELKH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZCkbCs65WNvCDp4mg6kQTBAaBgjkwFptGIeKCNxz5U5gj870joybXXfPZcXj1p_b_2-xa2OG7I-BiHVu-Ox6kX7w-nhuqkvLyIf_icIzP4zX_9_EgIP78qHJelL2mZhbDIEUPQtx1UWysF47I8ML0YgoxxITQUQqXMwbA6z9ZQyzu_aA7LJxzp16oXqeW5zeKKRrKOzG4jAABhK17hFW_Q.keT4NFFwrKkNLTTPnaNqnOPKAB85s_l_KM-41lT4l3E&dib_tag=se&keywords=The+naval+air+war+in+korea&qid=1744976412&sprefix=the+naval+air+war+in+korea%2Caps%2C254&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Naval-Aviation-Korean-War-Aircraft-ebook/dp/B00FOGFZXM/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=BL3VIFGRELKH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZCkbCs65WNvCDp4mg6kQTBAaBgjkwFptGIeKCNxz5U5gj870joybXXfPZcXj1p_b_2-xa2OG7I-BiHVu-Ox6kX7w-nhuqkvLyIf_icIzP4zX_9_EgIP78qHJelL2mZhbDIEUPQtx1UWysF47I8ML0YgoxxITQUQqXMwbA6z9ZQyzu_aA7LJxzp16oXqeW5zeKKRrKOzG4jAABhK17hFW_Q.keT4NFFwrKkNLTTPnaNqnOPKAB85s_l_KM-41lT4l3E&dib_tag=se&keywords=The+naval+air+war+in+korea&qid=1744976466&sprefix=the+naval+air+war+in+korea%2Caps%2C254&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/Carriers-Korea-John-Landsdown/dp/0947554645/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=283XNWB6JA9E0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pT6v-O3OojzFBFDzfU9VO3-kYlz_7ww1T2T6jRakpWSxuhaEfiptB2F4YgBtXBlgK2hrjMnx23PlYx-AycS1DAu6qDIBCAGWMJc3UbNaUI-SLc2RGlnpiwHuG05sORb4_wlRZ-1ATl6iI0PeDUEHECxnqU8lFkukcbMA0_-fjiJNxW4m6kJCxqzpdJ5i5C2aRecKFvHRzX_PVauHVYkCmg.KE2opA-bEwqDAvodd6qNOkIGkfOXChIw-schebV0ImU&dib_tag=se&keywords=with+the+carriers+in+korea&qid=1744976530&sprefix=with+the+carriers+in+korea%2Caps%2C252&sr=8-1

 

[ThomasP]

Check out Operation Strangle, which began in the spring of 1951. This was a large scale interdiction operation that set the framework for EwanS's reference above re the various airpower organizations (initially 5th AF, 1st MAW, and TF 77) areas of responsibility. My understanding is that initially there were 3 sectors, beginning at the FEB and extending north to the 39th parallel. Beginning in the Fall of 1951 this Operation was reorganized in order to achieve more effect.