Battle of Chumonchin Chan

Battle of Chumonchin Chan
Part of the Korean War
Torpedo boat No.21 on display at the Museum of Victory of the Fatherland Liberation War, Pyongyang. According to North Korean propaganda, this boat received credit for sinking the USS Baltimore. This was despite the fact that the USS Baltimore was not deployed to Korean waters during the war.
Date July 2, 1950 Location off Chumonchin Chan, Sea of Japan Result United Nations victory
Belligerents
United Nations:  United Kingdom  United States	North Korea
Commanders and leaders
Jesse D. Sowell	unknown
Strength
2 cruisers 1 frigate	4 torpedo boats 2 gunboats 10 ammunition ships
Casualties and losses
None	Unknown human casualties, 3 torpedo boats sunk

The Battle of Chumonchin Chan or the Action of 2 July 1950 was the only major battle fought between surface combatants during the main phase of the Korean War. It began after an Allied flotilla encountered a Korean People's Navy supply fleet.

Battle

On 2 July 1950, the USS Juneau, HMS Black Swan, and HMS Jamaica were sailing along the coast of the Sea of Japan (East Sea) when they encountered four North Korean torpedo and gunboats that had just finished escorting a flotilla of ten ammunition ships up the coast. The North Korean torpedo boats began an attack on the allied ships.

Before their torpedoes could be fired however, they were met with a salvo of gunfire from the United Nations ships which destroyed three of the torpedo boats. The surviving North Korean craft fled. Later in July, the Juneau encountered the same ammunition ships and destroyed them.

Gallery

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  Propaganda mistaking a United Nations forces ship for the USS Baltimore which was never deployed to the Korean War. It also claims the heavy cruiser was sunk by North Korean torpedo boats during the battle.

Sources

Naval Battles of the Korean War