Transitions: the Sheepdog Navy Goes to Korea

Abstract

In the timeless tradition of international politics, “Send a gunboat” is a common response to crisis. The June 25th, 1950 invasion of South Korea from the North evoked a similar response. In a relatively short time, the ill-equipped, shrinking, post-war Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) deployed a force of three destroyers to Korea for operations under the auspices of the United Nations; well in advance of any army or Royal Canadian Air Force commitments. Despite the prevailing economic and domestic political climate, the anaemic RCN managed to maintain three destroyers on station in Korea and meet the new North Atlantic Treaty Organisation commitments, as well as begin an unprecedented period of “peacetime” expansion. This paper reviews these events and will, in particular, look at: how the RCN involvement in Korea came about and the major political factors affecting this commitment; the extent of the RCN involvement in Korea; the effect of the Korean involvement on Canadian participation in the fledgling NATO alliance; and how the RCN expansion came about and what influence the NATO alliance and Korea had on its expansion. Although the continuous deployment of three destroyers to the Korean theatre critically stretched the RCN’s resources, the commitment was met and the RCN managed to expand and develop an entirely new, and enviable, class of warship to meet its unique needs. In the end result, the RCN rose to the challenge of its motto of “Ready Aye Ready” and went one better than merely sending a gunboat. They sent three.