U.S.S. Pueblo - January 23, 1968

Following WWII, the peninsula of Korea was divided in two. The Soviet Union allied with the northern half, and the United States aligned with the southern half. For three years, 1950-1953, a war between the two Koreas raged, but ended inconclusively. The United States continued to support South Korea and garrisoned troops within the country. In the mid-1960s, following a period of relative peace, North Korea began aggressive activities toward the Republic of Korea.
In an effort to gather intelligence about North Korea’s intentions, the U.S. Navy began operational cruises with AGER ships outfitted with reconnaissance equipment. In 1967, the U.S.S. Banner, while in the Sea of Japan, had been harassed by Soviet and North Korean navies, but no attempts were made to stop its mission. In January 1968, the U.S.S. Pueblo began a similar mission following the same track as the Banner through the Sea of Japan.
On January 23, 1968, while in international waters off the Korean coast, the North Koreans attacked the Pueblo. One man was killed while destroying cryptologic materials and three men were wounded. The attack was swift, and the North Koreans boarded the ship, capturing it, the crew, and the materiel the crew had been unable to destroy.
The 82 crewmen were held for eleven months before being released. The capture of the ship, which remains in North Korea to this day, constituted the largest single loss of such sensitive material. It compromised a wide range of cryptologic and classified documents and equipment.