Allied Aces Of The Korean War

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Allied Aces Of The Korean War (Aircraft of the Aces: Men & Legends 43)

By Robert F. Dorr

Publisher: delPrado 2001 66 Pages

ISBN: 8483725991

PDF 8 MB

Before daybreak on Sunday, 25 June 1950, amid squalls of rain. North Korean forces invaded South Korea with 90,000 men and hundreds of Russian-made T-34 tanks. Aerial support for the invasion took the forty of 150 prop-driven combat aircraft, including Lavochldn La-7s, Ilyushin 11-10 Sturmoviks and Yakovlev Yak-3s, -7s, -9s and -18s. Also reported, possibly in error, were North Koreans Hying Bell F-63 Kingcobras, 2456 of which had gone to the USSR under Iend-Lease six years before.

The principal American fighter in the Far East at the time was the F-80C Shooting Star. The USAF's Far East Air Forces (FEAF) HQ was sited in Tokyo, and commanded by Lt Gen George E Stratemeycr. Maj Gen Earlc E Partridge, of FEAF's Fifth Air Force, had at his disposal the 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing (FBW) (F-80Cs) at Itazuke, Japan, aug­mented by the 68th Fighter All-Weather Squadron (F(AW)S) (F-82 Twin Mustangs). At Misawa was the 49th FBW with F-80Cs, whilst located near to Tokyo at Yokota was the 339th F( AW)S with F-82s. On Okinawa was the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing (FIW) (F-80Cs), aug­mented by the 4th F(AW)S (l:-82s). B-29s were nearby on Guam.

The closest aircraft carrier was USS Valley I:orgc{CVA-45), sailing near Hong Kong, with fighter squadrons VF-51 and -52 with F9F-3 Panthers and VF-53 and -54 with F4U-4B Corsairs embarked. A second carrier, USS Philippine Sea (CVA-47), was also steaming towards the war zone.