American Comint in the Korean war (part ii): From the Chinese intervention to the armistice

Abstract

This article examines American intelligence during the Korean War, from the intervention to the armistice, focusing primarily upon Comint. The role of Comint cannot be said to have been decisive, being weakest during the first year of the war, when strategic development were at their most fluid. Comint was certainly critical at the operational level after 1951 and helped the UN forces in Korea win significant battles. But Comint never came close to living up to its full potential and only came on stream in a manner that commanders found acceptable after the campaign in Korea had reached stalemate. The most dramatic military contribution of Comint during the Korean War was probably in the closing stages of the air war, where its impact was almost certainly critical.