Page 13 of Cry Havoc

A few days later, off the coast of Wonsan, they were circled by North Korean trawlers. Bucher confirmed they were still in international waters. The trawlers had grown aggressive with one coming within 25 yards. That was still less harassment than theBannerreceived from the Soviets and Chinese on their deployment.

Then the CTs started to collect. ThePueblowas successfully accomplishing its mission. Alone with no support, the spy ship sat off an enemy shore, its antennas pulling in electronic transmissions from the military base less than 15 miles away.

On the twenty-third of January, while Bucher ate lunch in the galley, a North Korean submarine chaser had vectored in on them and approached at a high rate of speed. The Soviet-built SO-1 was fast and maneuverable, armed with 25mm antiaircraft guns, torpedoes, and a 57mm cannon. As Bucher ran to the bridge, the sub chaser was joined by three torpedo boats.

We were never in Korean territorial waters. I know we weren’t.

First came the warning. The sub chaser hoisted signal flags: HEAVE TO OR I WILL FIRE.

Fire? What’s going on? We are in international waters adhering to the laws of the sea.

They had been more than 12 nautical miles off the coast of North Korea, hadn’t they? Bucher had checked their position himself.

Two MiGs screamed by overhead.

The four original boats were augmented by a second SO-1 and torpedo boat.

Why this escalation?

They can’t want war with the United States, can they?

Maybe they are just harassing us.

That thought evaporated as Bucher saw North Korean soldiers with AKs transferring from the SO-1 into a torpedo boat.

They intend to board us.

The commander ordered his ship ahead at one-third, then two-thirds, then full.

How long would it take to scuttle the ship?Two hours by flooding the engine room.

What’s our current depth?One hundred eighty feet.

Not deep enough.

Two torpedo boats positioned themselves in front of thePueblo, blocking its path.

Bucher ordered evasive maneuvers, but thePueblowas no match for the speed and agility of their pursuers. The MiGs thundered past again.

Next came the warning shots from the SO-1’s cannon, one hitting the Pueblo’s main mast, causing the first wounds of the engagement as Bucher and two of his sailors took shrapnel.

Struggling to his feet, Bucher ordered the emergency destruction of classified materials.

He thought of the incinerator he wished he had and of the small one he was forced to buy. He thought of the canvas bags that they did not have enough of to dispose of their mountains of sensitive documents, as well as the explosives he had not acquired in Japan against his better judgment.

Do we return fire? Do I order my crew to man our two .50 caliber machine guns?

One was mounted close to the bow on the starboard side and the other was mounted near the stern. Neither were prepped and ready to fire. Both were still lashed down and covered with tarpaulins.

If I give that order, the North Koreans will blow us out of the water killing every sailor under my command.

Protect your crew!

The MiGs roared over again as another salvo of cannon fire from the sub chaser tore through what was left of the Pueblo’s masts. That barrage was followed by a volley of machine-gun fire from the torpedo boats.

Bucher ordered the bridge cleared just before another torrent of bullets tore into the pilothouse.

He could hear the sounds of sledgehammers and axes making contact with steel housings as the CTs attempted to destroy equipment in the SOD. At the same time, other crew members frantically struggled to burn classified material in trash cans. A group tried to use the small incinerator the captain had purchased, but it could only hold loose sheets requiringthe sailors to tear top-secret manuals into single pages before stuffing them into the small furnace.