[ansel12]

Good info, but I do wish we had given some token resistance, even had it resulted in additional casualties. The total lack of return fire made this the most embarassing defeat in U.S. Navy history.

[robowombat]

This is a troubling chapter in USN history. While in the 18th century there was no dishonor in striking colors to an enemy with overwhelming force advantage in the ideological struggles of the post 1914 era it would be thought that USN officer in command of a US vessel on the high seas would not submit to an enemy such as the NKs without making them sink his vessel. I wasn't there and do not like to second guess officers on the spot in charge but Cdmr Bucher's example would strike me as not one to recommend itself to other officers in command.

[drjimmy]

Good info, but I do wish we had given some token resistance, even had it resulted in additional casualties. The total lack of return fire made this the most embarassing defeat in U.S. Navy history.

There was pretty much nothing to return fire with. The Pueblo was a converted cargo ship. Its two .50 caliber guns were covered with frozen tarps and were not armored, and the ammunition was stored below. Anyone who would have tried to man the guns would have been blown away by the Koreans. The ship did the only thing it could do, which was stall for time by heading further out to sea while the sensitive material was burned, shredded, and dumped overboard. Perhaps it would make you feel better if the crew had commited mass suicide rather than embarass the U.S. Navy, but that still wouldn't have saved the ship.