186

1950-Contin ued

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

AD Skyraider prepares to take off on close support mission 428637

Wonsan refinery after carner strike 707876

the Yellow Sea, in operations intended to relieve the

pressure on UN forces which were fighting a delaying

action while withdrawing toward Pusan.

20 July Fourteen squadrons of the Organized

Reserve were activated for duty with Naval Aviation

forces. Included were eight carrier-fighter and two car-

rier-attack squadrons, one antisubmarine squadron,

two patrol squadrons, and one Fleet Aircraft Service

squadron.

22 July Badoeng Strait arrived at Yokosuka, Japan,

with elements MAW-Ion board. Four days later, Sicily

arrived at the same port with a load of ammunition,

and on 1 August, Philippine Sea reported to

Commander, Seventh Fleet in Buckner Bay, Okinawa.

These were the first carrier reinforcements to arrive in

the Far East and the beginning of carrier deployment

to the combat area that, by the war's end, totalled 11

attack, one light and five escort carriers sent into

action-some for two or three tours.

23 July Boxer arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, with a

load of 145 P-51 and 6 L-5 Air Force aircraft, 19 Navy

aircraft, 1,012 passengers, and 2,000 tons of additional

cargo, all urgently needed for operations in Korea. In