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USS Cotten (DD-669)
Encyclopedia
USS Cotten (DD-669) was a of the United States Navy
, named for Captain Lyman A. Cotten
(1874–1926).
Cotten was launched
12 June 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
, Kearny, New Jersey
; sponsored by Mrs. L. A. Cotten, widow of Captain Cotten; and commissioned
24 July 1943, Lieutenant Commander F. T. Sloat in command.
9 October 1943, Cotten arrived at Pearl Harbor
31 October. Here she joined the 5th Fleet, and on 10 November sortied for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands
, screening the escort carrier
s providing air support and patrolling against submarine
s off Tarawa
. Returning to Pearl Harbor 7 January 1944, she sailed with the vast Fast Carrier Task Force
(then TF 58, later 3rd Fleet's TF 38) on 16 January for air strikes on the Marshalls
on 29 and 30 January. Based at Majuro
, Cotten participated in the Truk raid
of 16 and 17 February; supported the landings at Emirau Island
; and screened the carriers
as they launched strikes on Palau
, Yap
, Ulithi
and Woleai
between 30 March and 1 April. Continuing her screening, she joined in covering the Hollandia
operation from 21 to 24 April and air strikes on Truk, Satawan
, and Ponape
between 29 April and 1 May.
After a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor, Cotten rejoined TF 58 for the invasion of the Marianas
. She screened the carriers during air strikes on Saipan
; sank a sampan
17 June; splashed a dive bomber
making a run on during the Battle of the Philippine Sea
of 19 and 20 June; and screened air strikes on Guam
, the Palaus, Yap, Ulithi, and the Bonins.
She sailed from Eniwetok 30 August 1944 for raids to neutralize Japanese bases in the Philippines
during the invasion of the western Carolines
, returning to Ulithi 1 October. Five days later she sortied with TF 38 for strikes on Okinawa, northern Luzon
and Formosa
from 10 to 14 October. When the crippled and were used as lures to draw out the Japanese Fleet ("BaitDiv 1"), Cotten waited with the striking force, then from 15 October she operated in support of the Leyte landings
as aircraft from her carriers struck Luzon repeatedly. She fought off the air attacks on the escort carriers during the Battle of Surigao Strait phase of the Battle for Leyte Gulf on 24, 25, and 26 October and joined in the pursuit of the remnants of the Japanese fleet after the battle. She rejoined TF 38 to pound Luzon from 5 November, survived the 18 December typhoon which damaged the 3d Fleet, and arrived at Ulithi to repair storm damage and replenish 24 December.
On 30 December 1944 Cotten in TF 38 put to sea to support the invasion of Luzon
by screening during strikes on Formosa, Luzon (6–7 January), Camranh Bay, Indo-China; Hong Kong
and Canton
; and the Nansei Shoto. On 10 February the task force (again TF 58) sortied to open the Iwo Jima operation
with a strike on Honshū
on 16 February, with Cotten on the advanced scouting line. They returned to Iwo Jima
to fly cover over the invasion landings on 19 February. Except for screening another raid on Japan on 25 February and one on Okinawa on 1 March, Cotten remained on fire support duty off Iwo Jima until 28 March. With she swept the area for Japanese shipping on 14 and 15 March, sinking two enemy picket boats.
After overhaul and training on the west coast, Cotten sailed by way of Pearl Harbor for the raid on Wake Island
of 6 August, called at Eniwetok and Guam, and anchored in Tokyo Bay
3 September. She remained in Japan
carrying out a variety of occupation duties until 5 December when she sailed for home, arriving at San Diego, California
22 December and New York
17 January 1946. Cotten was placed out of commission in reserve at Charleston, South Carolina
, 15 July 1946.
and acted as plane guard at Mayport, Fla.
, before sailing from her homeport of Newport, R.I.
18 May 1953 for a tour of duty in the western Pacific during which she patrolled off Korea
.
Sailing westward from Japan to complete a round-the-world cruise, she arrived home 15 January 1954. Local operations and exercises in the Caribbean were followed by a tour with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean from 28 July to 28 November 1955. On 4 January 1957 she departed Newport for a new area of operations. Calling at Trinidad
, Freetown
, Mombasa
, Karachi
, and Aden
, Cotten operated between Massawa
and Aden, Cape Town
, and Freetown before returning to Newport 1 July 1957. On 3 September she sailed for 6th Fleet duty in the Mediterranean. Returning to Newport 27 November, Cotten continued east coast and Caribbean operations until making a final tour of duty in the Mediterranean, Red Sea
, and Persian Gulf
between March and November 1959. On 2 May 1960, she was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Norfolk, Virginia
Cotten was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
1 December 1974. She was sold 31 July 1975 and broken up for scrap.
service and one for Korean War
service.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, named for Captain Lyman A. Cotten
Lyman A. Cotten
Lyman Atkinson Cotton was an officer of the United States Navy.-Biography:Cotton was born 18 December 1874 in Wilson, N.C., and was a member of the United States Naval Academy class of 1898. After serving at sea, he studied at the Naval War College, and was naval attaché to Japan and China...
(1874–1926).
Cotten was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
12 June 1943 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
The Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company was a United States shipyard, active from 1917 to 1949. During World War II, it built ships as part of the U.S. Government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Operated by a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation, the shipyard was located at...
, Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
; sponsored by Mrs. L. A. Cotten, widow of Captain Cotten; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
24 July 1943, Lieutenant Commander F. T. Sloat in command.
World War II
Departing Norfolk, VirginiaNaval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
9 October 1943, Cotten arrived at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
31 October. Here she joined the 5th Fleet, and on 10 November sortied for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign
In the Pacific Theater of World War II, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, from November 1943 through February 1944, were key strategic operations of the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps in the Central Pacific. The campaign was preceded by a raid on Makin Island by U.S...
, screening the escort carrier
Escort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
s providing air support and patrolling against submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s off Tarawa
Tarawa Atoll
Tarawa is an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It is the location of the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, South Tarawa...
. Returning to Pearl Harbor 7 January 1944, she sailed with the vast Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
(then TF 58, later 3rd Fleet's TF 38) on 16 January for air strikes on the Marshalls
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
on 29 and 30 January. Based at Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
, Cotten participated in the Truk raid
Operation Hailstone
Operation Hailstone was a massive naval air and surface attack launched on February 17–18, 1944, during World War II by the United States Navy against the Japanese naval and air base at Truk in the Caroline Islands, a pre-war Japanese territory.-Background:Truk was a major Japanese logistical base...
of 16 and 17 February; supported the landings at Emirau Island
Landing on Emirau
The Landing on Emirau was the last of the series of operations that made up Operation Cartwheel, General Douglas MacArthur's strategy for the encirclement of the major Japanese base at Rabaul. A force of nearly 4,000 United States Marines landed on the island of Emirau on 20 March 1944. The island...
; and screened the carriers
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
as they launched strikes on Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
, Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
and Woleai
Woleai
Woleai is a coral atoll of twenty-two islands in the eastern Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia and is located approximately west-northwest of Ifalik and northeast of Eauripik...
between 30 March and 1 April. Continuing her screening, she joined in covering the Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
operation from 21 to 24 April and air strikes on Truk, Satawan
Satawan
Satawan Atoll is part of the Mortlock Islands in the Caroline Islands, administratively part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Captain James Mortlock discovered two sets of islands on 19 and 27 November 1795. Confusingly, both were later called Mortlock Islands...
, and Ponape
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
between 29 April and 1 May.
After a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor, Cotten rejoined TF 58 for the invasion of the Marianas
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign
The Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, also known as Operation Forager, was an offensive launched by United States forces against Imperial Japanese forces in the Mariana Islands and Palau in the Pacific Ocean between June and November, 1944 during the Pacific War...
. She screened the carriers during air strikes on Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
; sank a sampan
Sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from long. Some sampans include a small shelter on board, and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats...
17 June; splashed a dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
making a run on during the Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
of 19 and 20 June; and screened air strikes on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, the Palaus, Yap, Ulithi, and the Bonins.
She sailed from Eniwetok 30 August 1944 for raids to neutralize Japanese bases in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during the invasion of the western Carolines
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
, returning to Ulithi 1 October. Five days later she sortied with TF 38 for strikes on Okinawa, northern Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
and Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
from 10 to 14 October. When the crippled and were used as lures to draw out the Japanese Fleet ("BaitDiv 1"), Cotten waited with the striking force, then from 15 October she operated in support of the Leyte landings
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
as aircraft from her carriers struck Luzon repeatedly. She fought off the air attacks on the escort carriers during the Battle of Surigao Strait phase of the Battle for Leyte Gulf on 24, 25, and 26 October and joined in the pursuit of the remnants of the Japanese fleet after the battle. She rejoined TF 38 to pound Luzon from 5 November, survived the 18 December typhoon which damaged the 3d Fleet, and arrived at Ulithi to repair storm damage and replenish 24 December.
On 30 December 1944 Cotten in TF 38 put to sea to support the invasion of Luzon
Battle of Luzon
The Battle of Luzon was a land battle fought as part of the Pacific Theater of Operations of World War II by the Allied forces of the U.S., its colony The Philippines, and Mexico against forces of the Empire of Japan. The battle resulted in a U.S. and Filipino victory...
by screening during strikes on Formosa, Luzon (6–7 January), Camranh Bay, Indo-China; Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
; and the Nansei Shoto. On 10 February the task force (again TF 58) sortied to open the Iwo Jima operation
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
with a strike on Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
on 16 February, with Cotten on the advanced scouting line. They returned to Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
to fly cover over the invasion landings on 19 February. Except for screening another raid on Japan on 25 February and one on Okinawa on 1 March, Cotten remained on fire support duty off Iwo Jima until 28 March. With she swept the area for Japanese shipping on 14 and 15 March, sinking two enemy picket boats.
After overhaul and training on the west coast, Cotten sailed by way of Pearl Harbor for the raid on Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
of 6 August, called at Eniwetok and Guam, and anchored in Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
3 September. She remained in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
carrying out a variety of occupation duties until 5 December when she sailed for home, arriving at San Diego, California
Naval Station San Diego
Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...
22 December and New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
17 January 1946. Cotten was placed out of commission in reserve at Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, 15 July 1946.
1951 – 1960
Recommissioned 3 July 1951, Cotten conducted operations in the CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and acted as plane guard at Mayport, Fla.
Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport is a major United States Navy base in Jacksonville, Florida. It contains a military airfield with one asphalt paved runway measuring 8,001 x 200 ft. ....
, before sailing from her homeport of Newport, R.I.
Naval Station Newport
The Naval Station Newport is a United States Navy base located in the towns of Newport and Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice School...
18 May 1953 for a tour of duty in the western Pacific during which she patrolled off Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
.
Sailing westward from Japan to complete a round-the-world cruise, she arrived home 15 January 1954. Local operations and exercises in the Caribbean were followed by a tour with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean from 28 July to 28 November 1955. On 4 January 1957 she departed Newport for a new area of operations. Calling at Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, and Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
, Cotten operated between Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
and Aden, Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, and Freetown before returning to Newport 1 July 1957. On 3 September she sailed for 6th Fleet duty in the Mediterranean. Returning to Newport 27 November, Cotten continued east coast and Caribbean operations until making a final tour of duty in the Mediterranean, Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, and Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
between March and November 1959. On 2 May 1960, she was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Norfolk, Virginia
Cotten was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
1 December 1974. She was sold 31 July 1975 and broken up for scrap.
Awards
Cotten received nine battle stars for World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service and one for Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
service.