Communist North Korea's invasion of South Korea in June 1950 sparked a devastating three-year war. Eight Canadian destroyers ultimately served in Korean waters as part of Canada's contribution to United Nations forces fighting the invasion.
The Canadian destroyer HMCS Cayuga engages an enemy shore battery north of Kunsan, South Korea, 22 September 1950.
A number of Cayuga's 40mm Bofors guns are visible, including one twin gun mounting (upper left) firing at a target and surrounded by clouds of smoke. The 15 September amphibious landing at Inchon, near Seoul, prompted North Korean forces to begin a rapid retreat up the Korean peninsula. At the time of this photograph, Cayuga and HMCS Athabaskan, operating in conjunction with other UN naval forces, were attacking shore targets in an effort to hamper the retreating North Korean forces.
George Metcalf Archival Collection