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Review Submission for Osprey's "Holding the Line"

Jeeves

Well-known member
Holding the Line- The Naval Air Campaign in Korea


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Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
Osprey Publishing
$30.00
Hardcover, 320 pages, 6.2 x 1.3 x 9.6 inches
ISBN 9781472831729

From the Osprey Website:

Naval and air power were crucial to the United Nations' success in the Korean War, as it sought to negate the overwhelming Chinese advantage in manpower. In what became known as the 'long hard slog', naval aviators sought to slow and cut off communist forces and support troops on the ground. USS Leyte (CV-32) operated off Korea in the Sea of Japan for a record 93 continuous days to support the Marines in their epic retreat out of North Korea, and was crucial in the battles of the spring and summer of 1951 in which the UN forces again battled to the 38th Parallel.
All of this was accomplished with a force that was in the midst of change, as jet aircraft altered the entire nature of naval aviation. Holding the Line chronicles the carrier war in Korea from the first day of the war to the last, focusing on front-line combat, while also describing the technical development of aircraft and shipboard operations, and how these all affected the broader strategic situation on the Korean Peninsula.
What’s Inside…

The title pretty much sums it up-- this is a pretty intensive overview of the contributions of the US Navy and Marine Corps in taking the war to the North Koreans and Chinese throughout the Korean War. Of note is the progression of available aircraft to carry out these operations-- from later variants of tried and true WWII piston aircraft like the F-51 Mustang and F4U-4 Corsairs to the Korean War AD-3 Skyraiders and jets from the FJ-1 Fury through to the F2H-2 Banshees and F9F-2 and -3 Panthers. The US Air Force, lacking forward air bases, was unable to operate in the northern regions like the carrier-based naval planes were able to do.

The text is filled with interesting stories from pilots who endured the “long, hard slog” of operations flying missions deep into the northern regions of North Korea along the Chinese border-- in failed interdiction missions to attempt disrupting supply lines and railroad bridges, only to have them rebuilt and operable only days later. At times, the details can easily bog one down and overwhelm-- but I am sure that is welcomed information for some. Being as I have only sparing knowledge of the Korean War, I found this little known aspect of the air war to be fascinating. Early sections of the book go into detail in how MacArthur’s missteps caused some serious obstacles to overcome after Inchon as crossing over the 38th Parallel and incurring Chinese and Russian intervention that would have lasting consequences in the war-- especially in a region known as the Chosin Reservoir.

Chapter 10 was definitely interesting was based on the operations around the Battle of Carlson’s Canyon and the Hwachon Dam. The use of WWII torpedoes by Skyraiders to destroy the dam and nullify the ability of the enemy to use the dam to flood regions and hinder operations was something to read about. In addition, some of the best accounts in the book are of the helicopter pilots who risked life and limb to rescue downed pilots and crew countless times. Crashlanding in the sea or the mountains in winter proved very dangerous due to the short amount of time before dying of exposure was a real possibility. I feel like these guys were deserving of their own chapter in the book.

The book continues with chapter 11 on “Weekend Warriors”-- and how the military had to scramble to reactivate WWII naval fliers to fill the ranks- and transition then to flying and fighting in jets. One particular section that stood out was in regards to Ensign Neil Armstrong-- I was not aware of his involvement in the war and found this section to be very informative. Chapters from then on focus on specific events and objects-- from Operation Strangle (Ch. 12), to “Death Valley” (13) which focuses on some of the more challenging events surrounding the carrier Valley Forge and how it earned this dubious nickname. Chapter 15, “The Cherokee” ,focuses on Vice Admiral J. J. “Jocko” Clark’s adventures in assuming command of the Seventh Fleet and the introduction of the “Cherokee Strikes” aimed at destroying large stores of enemy supply dumps.

Chapter 16 “The West Coast” gives a bit of an overview of shallow Yellow Sea operations and the Royal Navy’s light fleet carriers that were adept in these conditions. American Task Force 77 operated almost exclusively in the deeper Sea of Japan where fleet carriers could roam freely. The chapter focuses mainly on British Seafires, Fireflies, and Sea Furies. Chapter 17 focuses on “The Marine War” and USMC contributions to the war.

Conclusion

All in all, this is a perfect book for the novice on Korean War naval aerial operations to pick up and fine tune their knowledge. The text is relatively easy to read and follow, despite some intense statistics that one can easily gloss over when reading if that is not their primary focus. These heady sections are easily drowned out though with excellent accounts of pilots and crewmen on the aircraft and carriers involved in daily operations. Cleaver has done an excellent job presenting this little known aspect of what is already called by some the “Forgotten War”. I am pleased to have been able to read this book and brush up on a topic so little discussed. I highly recommend the book to those interested in the Korean War and the vital role the Navy and Marines played in it.
 
Thanks guys....Osprey sent me another 6-7 books that are not armor related that I can't have reviewed for AMPS so I'll be doing more of these in the coming weeks ;)
 
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