"Task Force 77: Korea I" Topic

"Six small, silver jet fighters bearing red stars on their stubby fuselages and swept-back wings took off from the safety of their air base at Antung in Manchuria, climbed rapidly to 30,000 feet and crossed the Yalu River into North Korea. It was 1 November 1950. The formation of F-51 Mustangs and F-80 Shooting Stars flying on the North Korean side of the river was surprised at the devastating closing speed of the Communist jets, whose pilots only failed to destroy the American aircraft through their own inexperience. It was one of a series of setbacks UN forces had suffered since the Land of the Morning Calm had erupted in war on 25 June 1950 when the North Korean Army, using the false pretext that the South had invaded the North, crossed the 38th Parallel, completely wrong-footing the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army and its American advisers. From the outset, the North Koreans enjoyed total air superiority, although on paper the NKAF had no chance against the UN forces, but the USAF aircraft available for war in Korea were ill suited to operate in a close air support and interdiction campaign. They needed paved runways 6,000 feet long and these only existed in Japan, which meant that air operations over Korea were restricted to no more than a few minutes. Up until that fateful November day, US commanders had no reason to fear the Communist air threat because only piston-engined aircraft had confronted them, but intervention by China and the appearance of the Soviet-built jets in North Korean airspace dramatically changed the balance of air power at a stroke…"

Main page

link

Armand