The Tortuga's Korean Service

Though some insist it should be referred to as the "Korean Conflict" or a police action because the participants never officially declared "war," there are few veterans who would disagree that the fighting in Korea between 1950 and 1953 was as bitter as any war. In recent years, the Korean War has been called "The Forgotten War," because it has been overshadowed by the more immediate memories of Vietnam, Desert Storm and the fiftieth anniversary commemorations of World War II. With four million casualties, however, the war that President Truman declared a testing ground in the conflict between communism and democracy has left an indelible imprint on the history of the twentieth century.

Commissioned during the final phase of World War II, Tortuga conducted shakedown in the Virginia capes area and was at Colon, Canal Zone, en route to the Pacific combat area on 15 August 1945 when she received news of Japan's surrender. The dock landing ship soon proceeded to Buckner Bay, Okinawa, and subsequently operated in Korean and Chinese waters repairing small craft and serving in the mobile support unit attached to Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet. Operating initially out of Jinsen (now Inchon), Korea Tortuga subsequently conducted her support missions out of Tsingtao, Taku, and Shanghai, China, Hong Kong; and Yokosuka, Japan. In the spring of 1947, the ship returned to the west coast of the United States via Guam and Pearl Harbor, and was decommissioned and placed in reserve at San Diego on 18 August 1947.

Following the communist invasion of South Korea in the summer of 1950, Tortuga was recommissioned on 15 September 1950, Comdr. Elof W. Hermanson in command. Reactivated in response to the Navy's need for amphibious ships created by the war in Korea, the landing ship dock underwent an abbreviated refitting and shakedown before she sailed for Japan on 29 December. Proceeding via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok she arrived at Sasebo on 3 February 1951. Tortuga participated in a feint landing which preceded the operation mounted to recapture the strategic port of Inchon.

About this time, intelligence reports indicated that the Chinese communists might take advantage of American preoccupation with the war in Korea by mounting an invasion, across the Taiwan Strait, of Nationalist-held Formosa. American strategists felt that, in such an endeavor, the Chinese would utilize many seagoing junks since, in operations off Korea, vessels of this type had proven to be almost unsinkable. Accordingly, Tortuga raised eight 60-foot junks from the depths of Inchon harbor and transported them to Yokosuka to be studied to determine what ordnance would be most effective against them.

Tortuga remained in the Far East through 1952 for two more Korean deployments. During the first, the landing ship provided support services at Inchon; and, in the second, she took part in the massive amphibious feint at Kojo, North Korea, from 13 to 16 October 1952, and in operations off Wonsan, supporting minecraft in November and December. During 1953, Tortuga participated in the Korean prisoner-of-war exchange after the Panmunjom Armistice and also conducted landing exercises and maneuvers in the Far East and off the west coast of the United States.

Note: The following corrections and comments were sent to me by
Richard A. Bowman
(March 1948-October 1952)
USS Mansfield (DD-728) 1948-1950
USS Tortuga (LSD-26) 1950-1952 QM2

The CO at the time of recomissioning was CDR. Kenneth S. Shook. He took command 15 September 1950 and served until 22 August 1951. CDR. Elof W. Hermanson served until 10 November 1952. I served under both of these skippers.

Shook was a USNA graduate and a former destroyer skipper. Hermanson was a "mustang," who came up through the ranks. His first order of business upon taking command was to convert the ship and crew into a "boot camp" atmosphere.

Tortuga was awarded five engagement stars for her
Korean War service and eight for service off Vietnam...