BATTLE REPORT VI: The War in Korea, 1950

This is in the nature of a postscript to the projected five volume history of the naval forces and combat operations of World War II. Drawn, as the earlier volumes are, from first hand interviews and primary sources, this comes so close to the present that it reads like a correlation of the daily news, though with a sense of objectivity and clarity that straight journalism often lacks. From Seamen to Admirals, from Marines P F C to Generals, this is their story. One gets again the shock of the invasion news, the hasty gathering of the forces, the weighing of the factors tested in the Cold War, the inadequacies and contradictions and improvisations. Some of the incidents are highlighted by the drama and the courage of individuals; some by the magnitude of the conception. Success and failure alike are shared;- the brilliant Inchon campaign (not so much of a walkover as the news would have conveyed); the fiasco of Changsa-dong; the British commando raids; the paradox of Wonsan; the thrilling mine sweeping story; the use of giant battleships for coastal bombardment; retreat and evacuation and the miracle performed by the Marines as they fought their way out of the Chosin trap; the contribution of the tugs; the marvelous care of the wounded; the cooperation of other troops of the U.N. All this- and more- makes this a gripping record.