US Seventh Fleet, Korea 1950-53: The first Cold War naval campaign

by Corbin Williamson, Paul Wright (Illustrator)

Overview

Naval dominance was crucial to the defence of South Korea, and this illustrated study explains how the US Navy brought its war-winning fleet to bear in a complex campaign.

Fought just five years after the US Navy's carrier-led forces swept into Tokyo Bay, the naval campaign in Korea was a very different war, and one that set the trend for naval warfare for the rest of the century.

In this book, Dr Corbin Williamson, a specialist on the US Navy of the period, explains how a fleet built to fight an uncompromising total war rapidly adapted to a successful Cold War multinational intervention. Seventh Fleet's role included blockading enemy ports, escorting convoys, close air support, interdiction, naval gunfire support, and amphibious invasions and evacuations. With few exceptions, Seventh Fleet's command of the sea around Korea was unchallenged, allowing the fleet to focus its efforts on supporting the ground war.

The Korean War was also part of a period of intense technological change, and it saw the combat debut of naval jet aircraft and helicopters. Packed with battle diagrams, photographs and meticulously researched battlescenes, this book examines the ships and technology, command and organization, logistics, intelligence, and combat performance of the fleet. It is a rounded portrait of how Seventh Fleet proved the flexibility and importance of sea power in an unexpected theater.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472866868
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	08/26/2025
Series:	Fleet , #12
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.75(h) x 0.25(d)

About the Author

Dr Corbin Williamson is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean at the Air War College where he teaches courses on strategy, World War II, and the Korean War. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Ohio State University and has previously worked in the Historical Office of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. His first book, The U.S. Navy and its Cold War Alliances, 1950–1953 was published in 2020.

Paul Wright has painted ships of all kinds for most of his career, specializing in steel and steam warships from the late 19th century to the present day. Paul's art has illustrated the works of Patrick O'Brian, Dudley Pope and C.S. Forester amongst others, and hangs in many corporate and private collections all over the world. A Member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Paul lives and works in Surrey.

Table of Contents

(Subject to Confirmation)

THE FLEET'S PURPOSE

FLEET FIGHTING POWER

The Ships

Technical Factors

HOW THE FLEET OPERATED

Doctrine, Command, and Communication

Intelligence and Deception

Logistics and Facilities

COMBAT AND ANALYSIS

The Fleet in Combat

Analysis

FURTHER READING