USS Rochester (CA-124) - Korean War Service

Korean War Service

She was at Sangley Point, Philippine Islands, when President Truman ordered the 7th Fleet into action, and was operating with Carrier Task Force 77 on the morning of 3 July 1950 when the first U.N. air raids against North Korean forces were launched. On 18 July and 19 July 1950, Rochester supported landings on Pohang Dong by the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. She continued to serve with Task Force 77 until 25 August 1950.

Vice Admiral Struble's flagship, Rochester's guns provided support for the troops that landed at Inchon on 13 September in the operation that prompted General MacArthur’s proud signal that "the Navy and Marines have never shone more brightly than this morning."

Just before daylight at 0550 on September 17, a North Korean Yak-9 and an II-2 made an attack run on the cruiser Rochester, anchored off Wolmi-do. Initially the aircraft were thought to be friendly until they dropped four bombs over the American ship. All but one missed and the one that did hit smashed the Rochester's crane and failed to detonate. There were no American casualties in the skirmish and they painted a Purple Heart on the crane as a reminder of how close the ship came to being heavily damaged. After the bombing of the Rochester, she and the nearby cruiser HMS Jamaica opened fire with naval guns. The North Korean II-2 then strafed the British cruiser, resulting in one sailor killed and two wounded. At about the same time, shots from the Jamaica hit the II-2 and it crashed into the water. It became the first and only shootdown of an attacking plane with naval gunfire. The Yak-9 fled after losing its partner.

During the months of October, November, and December, Rochester operated continuously along the Korean coast for 81 days, providing gunfire support to troops ashore and serving as a mobile helicopter base. Helos were kept aloft constantly to aid the minesweepers in opening the ports of Changjon, Koje, Wonsan, Hungnam, and Songjin. In addition to destroying six mines by her own gunfire, the cruiser controlled naval air operations in the Wonsan area during the 10 days preceding the arrival of landing forces. Her helicopters also aided in the rescue of survivors from the minesweepers Pirate (AM-275) and Pledge (AM-277), sunk in Wonsan Harbor.

During 198 days of operations against the Communist forces in Korea, she steamed over 25,000 miles and expended 3,265 eight-inch and 2,339 five-inch projectiles. Rochester then called at Sasebo, Japan, and on 10 January 1951 headed for home, arriving at Long Beach 30 January. Ten days later she steamed for her scheduled yard overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, which took her through May.

During refresher training in the Long Beach-San Diego area, Rochester assisted in training crews for the ships that were being taken out of mothballs. She departed Long Beach 27 August 1951 for training in the Hawaiian area, after which she steamed for Yokosuka, Japan, arriving there 21 November. On 28 November, she blasted Kosong with more han 250 rounds of high explosive.

She then ranged the entire northeastern Korean coastline, bombarding ground targets, while her helicopters flew rescue missions for Task Force 77 aviators. Into the spring she continued harassment and interdiction missions along the eastern coast of Korea.

In early April 1952, she spent a week as flagship of the Blockading and Escorting Forces on Korea's west coast, and in late April, she steamed for her homeport. May through October was given over to in-port time at Long Beach and to coastal training operations. In November, the cruiser departed for another WestPac tour, arriving back on station as a unit of Task Group 77.1 (Support Group) in the waters off eastern Korea 7 December.

After spending the winter months in harassment and interdiction missions and other operations with the fast carrier task force, Rochester steamed home, arriving Long Beach, 6 April 1953.