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.Naval and air power were crucial to the United Nations' success in the Korean War, as it sought to negate the overwhelming Chinese advantage in manpower. In what became known as the 'long hard slog', naval aviators sought to slow and cut off communist forces and support troops on the ground.USS Leyte (CV-32) operated off Korea in the Sea of Japan for a record 93 continuous days to support the Marines in their epic retreat out of North Korea, and was crucial in the battles of the spring and summer of 1951 in which the UN forces again battled to the 38th Parallel. 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 chronicles the carrier war in Korea from the first day of the war to the last, focusing on front-line combat, while also describing the technical development of aircraft and shipboard operations, and how these all affected the broader strategic situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Foreword by Dr. Richard P. HallionIntroductionChapter 1: Climb Angels Two-Five - Buster!Chapter 2: The Revolt of the AdmiralsChapter 3: Forging a New SwordChapter 4: Naval Aviation Saves ItselfChapter 5: Defeat LoomsChapter 6: InchonChapter 7: A Whole New WarChapter 8: DisasterChapter 9: Holding the LineChapter 10: The Battle of Carlson' s Canyon and the Hwachon DamChapter 11: Weekend WarriorsChapter 12: Operation StrangleChapter 13: "Death Valley"Chapter 14: Who Owns the Night?Chapter 15: The CherokeeChapter 16: The West CoastChapter 17: The Marine WarChapter 18: The End in SightChapter 19: The War AssessedBibliographyIndex