[1][2] Wonsan was a strategic point during the war, located on North Korea's southeastern coast with a large harbor, an airfield, a petroleum refinery, 75,000 people, and as many as 80,000 troops, including several artillery batteries.

The United States Navy Pacific Fleet responded by starting the production of new minesweepers in the largest shipbuilding program since World War II.

When they arrived off Wonsan on October 20, the clearance of the mine fields was still taking place so for five days X Corps and the 1st Marine Division were forced to remain on ship to wait for a clear path to the beaches.

When the North Koreans and Chinese recaptured the city, defenses were rebuilt in a more formidable way, additional sea mines were deployed and new artillery batteries were erected.

She received two direct hits and several near misses and successfully rescued a downed pilot from USS Valley Forge with a motor boat, while he was adrift in a mine field.

[1][2] On February 24, the undefended island of Sindo-ri, in Wonsan Harbor, was captured by South Korean marines supported by two American destroyers and two frigates.

On the night of May 21 and May 22, during the height of the fighting, two American LSMRs, supported by light cruisers and destroyers, fired 4,903 rockets in thirty-five minutes, further damaging the defenses of the city.

On June 12, 1951, Walke was about 60 miles off the coast of North Korea, at position 38°52′N 129°25′E / 38.867°N 129.417°E / 38.867; 129.417, when she was struck either by a torpedo or a floating sea mine which had separated from a field.

After causing heavy damage to North Korean forces within the previous months, the situation escalated as the communists started utilizing new weapons to lift the blockade.

[2][8][10] Between late June through August 1951, North Korean attacks on American ships seemed to increase so the United States began concentrating on destroying enemy batteries.

On July 11, in the vicinity of Yo-do island, USS Blue and Frank E. Evans were attacked, approximately fifty splashes were counted near the ships but none of them were hit.

Due to the attacks, particularly the Battle of the Buzz Saw, American naval commanders decided on launching Operation Kickoff which referred to maneuvers within Wonsan Harbor, aimed at reducing the batteries.

[1][2] Because the communists were still mining the approaches of Wonsan and Hungnam, on September 5 the commander of CTF-95 ordered the minesweeping group CTG-95.6 to sweep the coastline so as to allow UN ships to remain within gunfire range of the shore at all times while blockading.

Incidents of shore batteries scoring hits on allied warships also became less common and for weeks no vessels were damaged until October 29 when USS Osprey was engaged.

[1][2] On January 11, 1952, the next significant gunnery duel began when Redstart and Dextrous received accurate battery fire from Ho-do Pan-do while they were sailing without an escort.

During the following day Brinkley Bass was struck again with one round from Ho-do Pan-do, wounding five men, one seriously, and causing damage to the ship's radio and electronics.

On March 28 USS Burlington was fired on from Ho-do Pan-do, shots straddled the ship but evasive maneuvers prevented probable hits.

[1][2] USS Leonard F. Mason experienced an explosion in her depth charge starboard detonator locker on April 1, while bombarding Ho-do Pan-do, but suffered no casualties.

No damage was reported as all of the shells landed splashed in the water around 1,000 yards short of the ship, USS Mansfield was also attacked with about forty 75-millimeter rounds.

[1][2] On October 21 Lewis was furnishing gunfire support for two Republic of Korea minesweepers operating in Wonsan Harbor when they came under fire by enemy guns.

It was also a failure as UN intelligence estimated that ninety percent of the North Korean shore batteries were active against UN islands rather than the blockading fleet, though throughout the bombardments, which occurred almost on a daily basis, only four UN personnel were killed and fifteen wounded.

As part of the communist bombardment in the Wonsan area, enemy shells killed two men on February 14, including an American marine, and wounded nine others in the most successful North Korean artillery attack against UN land forces.

[1][2] On March 18, 1953, USS Los Angeles was carrying out bombardment duties at Wonsan when two air bursts and one surface round landed near the ship.

[1][2] The North Korean batteries targeted naval vessels on April 5, USS Maddox received six rounds of 75-millimeter while ROKN AMS-515 avoided fifty shots of 105-millimeter fire.

On April 8, at least sixty-four shots were fired at the fleet and a couple days after, USS Eversole and Los Angeles engaged in a duel with shore batteries.

[1][2] On April 22, the North Korean bombardment of UN held islands continued, with dozens of rounds being fired each day, some of which hit but only slightly damaged USS Manchester.

On April 29, as the bombardment of UN held islands continued, an HU-1 helicopter received fourteen rounds of VT fuzed enemy shells while on a mine reconnaissance flight over Wonsan Harbor.

[1][2] USS Manchester was conducting a heavy bombardment of Wonsan on or about July 3 when fragments from a near miss put a two-inch hole in the after stack and through the door of a powder room.

[1][2] A few days after, North Korean artillery fired forty-eight rounds of 76-millimeter to 105-millimeter shells at USS Saint Paul and scored a hit on a gun mount.

For the next several days, the North Koreans focused on attacking UN islands until July 23, when Saint Paul drew twelve rounds of 155-millimeter fire, all of which splashed in the water ten to fifty yards from the ship.