After her LCVPs carried I/3/5 1stMarDiv into the assault at Green Beach to help capture Wolmi-Do that morning, Wantuck was Control Ship for 1st Marines' assault at Blue Beach that evening, when the tidal ebb and flow permitted the second part of the amphibious assault on Inchon.
There were 172 amtracs, formed in 25 boat waves, Blue Beach was downwind of burning Inchon, whose smoke combined with dusk and rain squalls to blanket boat lanes and beaches in near-impenetrable mustard-colored haze. PHIBPAC procedures call for 32 guide-boats for proper control of such an assault, but Wantuck had only 4 LCVPs.
The first three boat waves went smoothly, but after that confusion reigned although thankfully only moderate enemy small-arms fire was met on the beaches and also only occasional shellfire was faced by Wantuck and Gurke. Still, thanks to quick thinking by Marine officers, veterans of bloody amphibious assaults in WW II, by H+30 each battalion had its respective assault companies ashore.
MacArthur's brilliant gamble was well on the way to success, with the help of a lot of Sailors, a lot of Airmen, "God, and a few Marines ..."
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