Page 537 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

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The Evertsen left the mission area in April 1951 and was replaced by the destroyer
Hr.Ms. Van Galen. To the satisfaction of the Dutch Admiralty, the departing ship was
showered with praise by the British and American naval authorities. This was “the best
what a Dutch man-of-war can bring home”, according to the influential daily de Volk-
skrant.
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In the summer of 1951, the land front stabilised at the 38 parallel and truce negotia-
tions began between the warring parties. Meanwhile, the fighting continued unabated.
In the autumn of 1951, the support for troops on the UN-held islands in the Yellow
Sea increasingly required the attention of TG 95.1. An increasing number of guerrilla
organisations supported by the Americans and the South Korean government, as well
as personnel of the U.S. Air Force (with early warning radar), were being seen on these
islands. In late November, North Korea tried to recapture these outposts. The multina-
tional naval force therefore received a guideline on 2 December, stating that the de-
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fence of the outposts was to be given priority. As part of these new joint tasks, the Van
Galen fired on targets near the guerrilla-held islands and enemy troop concentrations
opposite the island of Sok-to.
On 6 January 1952, the UN command decided to leave the defence of all the im-
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portant UN-held islands off the Korean coast entirely to the navy. Consequently, the
set-up of TG 95.1 was changed. It was assigned a new task element: the island garrisons,
TE 95.15, under the command of Colonel W.K. Davenport, USMC. Near the island of
Choda, on several occasions in 1952, South Korean marines embarked on the Van Ga-
len, and her successor as of February of that year, Hr.Ms. Piet Heyn, all as part of the
joint and combined operations for the defence of the islands. The Dutch also brought
supplies to landing craft and patrol vessels close to the coast, and Dutch liaison teams
carried out reconnaissance on board of small South Korean craft.
The frigate Hr.Ms. Johan Maurits van Nassau, which began operating in Korean
waters from January 1953, also focused much of her efforts on the occupied islands.
Her shallow draught allowed the frigate to operate closer to the coast and in shallow
channels. At the request of the island garrisons or guerrillas carrying out landings, the
Dutch ship systematically shelled enemy positions. At the end of May 1953, TG 95.1,
including the Johan Maurits van Nassau, bombarded enemy artillery on the northern
shores of the Taedong-gang estuary. During these actions Hawker Sea Fury FB XI and
Fairy Firefly Mk V planes of the British carrier HMS Ocean provided air spot for the
UN naval forces. Three of the pilots of these Sea Furies of 807 squadron were officers
of the Dutch naval air service.
On 27 July 1953, a ceasefire was agreed and the tasks of the UN naval ships were
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limited to monitoring the truce.

Conclusion
The Dutch civil and naval authorities were all satisfied with the deployment of the
Royal Netherlands Navy in the Korean conflict. The ships and their crew proved capable
of adapting quickly to combined and joint deployment in the area of operations. Without
encountering any serious problems, they operated in various roles. To wit: bombardment