ABSTRACT
The idiosyncrasies of the Korean War presented a number of challenges – many of which stemmed from the United States Navy's (USN) centrality in the command structure. As junior partners in all-but-name, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal Navy (RN), with the assistance of the USN, had to address a number of barriers to integration. The fluctuating command set-up was solidified in 1951, but a number of issues which influenced the level of interoperability achieved persisted. National command structures, differing philosophies and the influence of personalities all had an impact on interoperability. Although the Commonwealth navies and the USN were used to operating together and had obtained extensive experience during the Second World War, their operational styles and techniques and procedures (TTPs) were not identical. Commonwealth officers took a lead role in instructing guerrilla forces in the necessary procedures to spot bombardments.
