Holding the Line

This is the gripping story of Task Force 77, the US Navy carrier commitment to the Korean War that was vital to the success of the UN forces battling the Chinese and North Koreans.

Early on the morning of Sunday, June 25, 1950, North Korean forces crossed the 38th Parallel, rapidly overrunning much of South Korea in the weeks that followed. With the South Korean army on the brink of chaos and piecemeal US reinforcements completely overwhelmed, it was only US airpower, particularly naval airpower, which would slow the tide of invading troops, providing vital breathing space for the hastily regrouping UN forces within the Pusan Perimeter. In what became known as the long, hard slog, naval aviators battled to slow and cut off communist forces and support troops on the ground. After the entry of Chinese forces into the war, naval and air power was even more crucial to the United Nations’ success as it sought to negate the overwhelming Chinese advantage in manpower.

All of this was accomplished with a force that was in the midst of change, as jet aircraft altered the entire nature of naval aviation. Holding the Line tells the full story of the US Navy and Marine Corps’ war in Korea from the first day of the conflict to the last, not only chronicling the front-line action, but also describing the technical development of aircraft and shipboard operations, and how these all affected the broader strategic situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The book costs £14.99 and will be released on 7 January 2021.

• Osprey Publishing
• ISBN 978-1-4728-3173-6
• £14.99

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