Korea December 1950
UDT-3 Destroys Hungnam Harbor

By CDR (SEAL) Tom Hawkins, USN (Ret.)

On Christmas Eve 1950, United Nations forces had reached the Yalu River, which served as the border with China. Responding to that threat, Beijing sent more than 180,000 People’s Army troops to engage them. Commanding General Douglas MacArthur then ordered all forces remaining in the region, including the First Marine Division, to begin a march to the sea for evacuation by the U.S. Navy at Hungnam. Naval gunfire would provide the cover needed to protect their withdrawal.

UDT-3 Detachment BRAVO had seven men operating in the area between Wonsan and Hungnam. Orders were given for them to proceed to Hungnam, where they were directed to destroy the Port of Hungnam in one single blast, to turn the port into a “wasteland” to deprive the enemy of its use. The UDT men arrived aboard their support ship, USS Begor (APD-127), and began their task. After working for hours in severe cold, rain, and enemy sniper fire, they emplaced over 20 tons of explosives.

Their operation resulted in the largest single blast to be set off during the Korean War and the largest non-nuclear blast since WWII.