Operational Analysis of United States Submarine Employment in the Korean War

摘要

United States submarine operations during the Korean War are critically analyzedfrom an operational perspective. The Korean War represented a prototype for future Major Regional Conflicts (MRCs). Examining the Operational Commander's use of submarines against a relatively weak naval power, in a conflict dominated by land battle, provides lessons which may be applicable to future MRCs. Brief historical and operational overviews are followed by operational analyses of submarine command and control, operational reconnaissance missions, and the war's impact on the submarine force. conclusions discuss lessons learned for present and future operational planning. Compared to their significant contribution during World War II, U.S. submarines did not play a major role in Korea. Their employment was mostly directed towards training and reconnaissance operations. Korean War operational reconnaissance set the stage for submarine operations throughout the Cold War. Submarine employment in the Korean War was affected by three key issues: difficulty in preventing blue-on-blue engagements, communications limitations which inhibited rapid, reliable submarine operational tasking, and defensive mining of the littoral region. These three issues will continue to challenge operational Commanders when employing submarines in future MRCS.