KOREA

The UDT refined and developed their commando tactics during the Korean War, with their efforts initially focused on demolitions and mine disposal. Additionally, the UDT accompanied South Korean commandos on raids in the North to demo train tunnels. The higher-ranking officers of the UDT frowned upon this activity because it was a non-traditional use of the Naval forces, which took them too far from the water line. Due to the nature of the war, the UDT maintained a low operational profile. Some of the better-known missions include the transport of spies into North Korea and the destruction of North Korean Fishing nets used to supply the North Korean Army with several tons of fish annually. 

Post World War II saw a major decline in the UDT. The remaining officers and enlisted men were dedicated, hard workingmen. Before the start of the Korean conflict, the UDT were testing uses of the Underwater Breathing Apparatus (UBA) and developing weapons skills and commando operations on land in coastal regions. 

They also started experiments with insertion/extraction by helicopter, jumping from a moving helicopter into the water or rappelling like mountain climbers to the ground. Experimentation developed a system for emergency extraction by plane called "Skyhook." Skyhook utilized a large helium balloon and cable rig with harness. A special grabbing device on the nose of a C-130 enabled a pilot to snatch the cable tethered to the balloon and lift a person off the ground. Once airborne, the crew would winch the cable in and retrieve the SEAL though the back of the aircraft. This technique was discontinued for training purposes after the death of a SEAL in Coronado on a training lift. The Teams still utilize the Fulton skyhook for equipment extraction and retain the capability for war if an extreme situation requires it. 

The Korean War was a period of transition for the men of the UDT. They tested their previous limits and defined new parameters for their special style of warfare. These new techniques and expanded horizons positioned the UDT well to assume an even broader role as the storms of war began brewing to the South in the Vietnamese Peninsula.
In coming months, we will chronicle in more detail some of the actual operations conducted by the UDT during the Korean conflict.

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