Article Korean War Usaf Timeline

[Charlie-G]

1951


Oct. 1-3: In Operation Snowball, 315th C-119s experimentally dropped 55-gallon drums filled with napalm behind enemy lines.

Oct. 10: FEAF marked a significant date for the Chinese, the anniversary of the overthrow of the Manchu Dynasty, by dropping special leaflets and making radio broadcasts aimed at Chinese Communist Forces in Korea.

Oct. 16: Fifth Air Force Sabre pilots destroyed nine MiG-15s in aerial combat, a record daily high.

Oct. 16/17: B-29s flew 31 day and night sorties, the high for the month, including attacks against rail bridges, marshaling yards, and the Samchang airfield and leaflet drop and reconnaissance sorties.

Oct. 19: The US Army opened a 1,000-bed hospital at Camp Drew, north of Tachikawa AB, Japan. Henceforth, C-54s flew medical evacuees from Korea to Tachikawa, then C-47s shuttled them to Camp Drew, thereby reducing transit time.

Oct. 21-30: The enemy flew sorties over North Korea daily for the first time in the war. MiGs appeared in numbers over 100, consistently outnumbering their F-86 counterparts and downing three F-86s at a cost of five MiGs lost to Sabres.

Oct. 22: Two 3rd ARS SA-16 rescued the 12-man crew of a downed B-29, the highest number rescued by SA-16 on any day in the war.

Oct. 23: In one of the bloodiest air battles of the war, during a 307th BW raid on Namsi airfield, MiG-15s destroyed three B-29s and one F-84 and damaged five other bombers. Fighter pilots and B-29 gunners shot down five MiGs.

Oct. 25: In an unusually effective close air support strike, F-51 Mustangs inflicted approximately 200 casualties on enemy troops in the I Corps sector. Enemy small-arms fire hit a rescue helicopter picking up a downed UN pilot. The H-5 made a forced landing in enemy territory. The next day, two other H-5s hoisted all four men to safety from the mountainside where they had hidden from Communist troops during the night. At the request of the Communists, peace negotiations resumed.

Oct. 27: MiGs flew approximately 200 sorties, the high for the month. On a last medium bomber daylight raid, B-29 gunners shot down six MiG-15s, their highest number of enemy aircraft downed on any day of the war. A 3rd ARS H-5, with fighter escort, rescued a downed UN fighter pilot despite intense fire from enemy ground troops.

Oct. 31: The service-test C-124A departed for the United States, having successfully completed its test in the Far East and convinced the 315th Air Division of the need for a Globemaster squadron.

Nov. 3: Enemy ground fire damaged a 3rd ARS SA-16 engaged in a failed rescue attempt; however, the aircrew, in spite of six- to eight-foot seas, successfully landed in Korea Bay, off the west coast of North Korea, and rescued another downed pilot.

Nov. 4: Thirty-four F-86s encountered an estimated 60 MiG-15s in the Sinamju area. The F-86 pilots destroyed two and damaged three others.

Nov. 6: Eleven enemy piston-type, twin-engine light bombers, probably TU-2s, bombed Taehwa-do, a UN-controlled island. This raid was the first confirmed report of air-to-ground action by an enemy light bomber formation since the Korean War started.

Nov. 8: F-86s and F-80s encountered more than 100 MiG-15s, but only a small number chose to fight. USAF pilots destroyed one MiG and damaged another, while losing one F-86.

Nov. 9: A C-47 landed on the beach of Paengnyong-do Island, off the southwest coast of North Korea, and rescued 11 crewmen of a downed B-29. The 19th BG attacked marshaling yards at Hwang-ju, Kowon, and Yangdok; the Saamcham airfield; and a barracks area. In other night attacks, 98th BW B-29s bombed Taechon airfield, flew five close support sorties and a leaflet sortie, and struck Hungnam.

Nov. 12: Peace negotiations moved to Panmunjom, a village less than five miles east of Kaesong, in a newly established demilitarized zone on the 38th parallel. UN Command ceased offensive ground operations.

Nov. 16: Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers made more than 100 rail cuts between Sinanju and Sukchon and between Kunu-ri and Sunchon. They also damaged bridges, knocked out gun positions, destroyed supply buildings, fired fuel dumps, and took a toll of enemy railcars.

Nov. 18: F-86 aircraft strafed eight MiG fighters on the ground at Uiju, destroyed four, and damaged the rest. MiG-15s forced three flights of F-84 fighter-bombers to jettison their bombs and abort prebriefed rail-cutting missions near Sinanju.

Nov. 24: In night operations, 98th BW bombed Taechon airfield and the marshaling yard at Tongchon and flew five close support sorties; 307th BW bombed the marshaling yard at Hambusong-ji; and 19th BG bombed Namsi airfield, the Hoeyang highway bridge, and the marshaling yards at Munchon and Hambusong-ji.

Nov. 27: Maj. Richard D. Creighton, 4th FIG, shot down a MiG to become the fourth ace of the war.

Nov. 28: Representatives of all intelligence gathering organizations in Korea met at Far East Command, Liaison Division, to discuss how to coordinate their activities. Capt. Donald Nichols represented Det. 2, 6004th Air Intelligence Service Squadron. The conference resulted in the establishment of the Combined Command for Reconnaissance Activities in Korea.

Nov. 30: In one of the largest aerial battles of the war, F-86 pilots of the 4th FIG engaged over the island of Taehwa-do 44 enemy aircraft flying south to bomb a UN target. The Sabre pilots destroyed 12 and damaged three others. Maj. George A. Davis Jr., 334th FIS, achieved Korean War ace status by downing a Tu-2 and a MiG-15. He was the first to be an ace in two wars, since he had been an ace in World War II, as well. Maj. Winton W. Marshall, 335th FIS, also became an ace, destroying an La-9 and a Tu-2. Enemy forces attacked Taehwa-do, north of Cho-do, forcing friendly forces to retreat to Cho-do. Fifth Air Force aircraft dislodged the enemy, enabling friendly forces to retake the island.

Dec. 3: Enemy jets made their first air-ground attack of the war, bombing and strafing UN ground positions near Chorwon, almost 60 miles northeast of Seoul.

Dec. 13: Twenty-nine F-86s encountered 75 MiG-15s over Sinanju, and in a wild melee the F-86 pilots shot down nine MiGs, giving USAF pilots a total of 13 aerial victories for the day.

Dec. 14: In the night, 19th BG B-29s inflicted severe damage on marshaling yards at Maengjung-dong.

Dec. 19: The 307th BW sent 10 B-29s to bomb marshaling yards at Chongju.

Dec. 21: Fifth Air Force units flew 530 sorties, making 30 cuts in the main rail line between Sinanju and Sukchon and attacking a supply complex near Kunu-ri.

Dec. 24: In a typical nighttime mission, B-29s from the 98th BW cratered the runway at Taechon airfield and bombed the railroad bridge at Sinanju.

Dec. 27: FEAF aircraft flew 900 sorties, the largest number of the month, damaging or destroying locomotives, railcars, buildings, vehicles, and gun positions.

 

[Charlie-G]

1952
Jan. 12: F-84s caught three supply trains at Sunchon, racing for the shelter of a tunnel. They blasted the tunnel mouth shut, trapping the trains in the open, then destroyed the boxcars and at least two locomotives.

Jan. 12/13: Ten Okinawa-based Superfortresses dropped 396 high-explosive 500-pound bombs on the railroad bridge east of Sinanju across the Chongchong River, rendering the bridge unserviceable.

Jan. 25: A helicopter rescued a downed airman, near the coastline of the Yellow Sea, while F-84s strafed enemy troops in the area. Escorting F-86s destroyed three MiG-15s during the pickup. In other air-to-air combat, UN jets destroyed six and damaged four Communist aircraft.

Jan. 26: A rescue helicopter, behind enemy lines near the coastline of the Yellow Sea, received small-arms fire while rescuing an F-84 pilot, Capt. A.T. Thawley.

Feb. 9: In a typical mission, 10 medium bombers used radar-aiming methods to drop 100 tons of 500-pound bombs, rendering the north bypass Chongju rail bridge unserviceable.

Feb. 10: Leading a flight of three F-86s on a patrol near the Manchurian border, Maj. George A. Davis Jr. engaged 12 MiG-15s in aerial combat. Davis shot down two enemy aircraft and completely disrupted the enemy formation, but the MiGs destroyed his aircraft as well. Because he executed his attack against superior numbers and successfully protected the fighter-bombers his flight had been escorting, Davis posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his valor.

Feb. 16-22: MiG-15 pilots flew close to 1,400 sorties this week.

Feb. 17: Fifth Air Force flew an impressive 695 sorties, cratering rail tracks in more than 50 locations, damaging a locomotive and 15 railcars north of Huichon, strafing a convoy of trucks near Sinanju, and destroying supply buildings and dumps between Kumsong and Sibyon-ni.

Feb. 19: The Communists flew approximately 389 MiG-15 sorties, the largest aerial effort to date. In aerial combat, USAF pilots destroyed three enemy aircraft.

Feb. 23: By shooting down a MiG-15, Maj. William T. Whisner Jr., 25th FIS, achieved ace status.

Feb. 26: Ten Superfortresses, using radar-aiming methods, dropped 100 tons of bombs on the Sinhung-dong railroad bridge near Huichon in north central Korea, knocking out two spans. Col. Cecil H. Childre replaced Henebry as commander, 315th Air Division.

March 5: While jet fighters stilled enemy anti-aircraft fire, a USAF helicopter lowered a hoist sling and rescued a downed USN pilot in the vicinity of Yongyon.

March 11: Fighter-bombers dropped 150 tons of bombs and approximately 33,000 gallons of napalm on a four-square-mile supply storage and troop training area near Sinmak. Fifth Air Force operations officers reported this to be the most intensive napalm attack on a single area in the war.

March 11/12: Ten B-29s struck the Sinchang-ni choke point, 10 miles east of Sunchon, with 91 tons of high explosives, rendering the point unpassable.

March 15: Brig. Gen. Wiley D. Ganey replaced Kelly as commander, Bomber Command.

March 20: In the Sui-ho Reservoir area, MiG-15s attacked a USAF patrol. The F-86 pilots destroyed five MiGs and damaged approximately 13 others.

March 25: Fifth Air Force flew 959 sorties, concentrating on interdiction of the rail line from Sinanju to Chongju and making approximately 142 cuts in the track. Some aircraft struck the Sunchon-Pyongyang highway, scoring 27 hits.

March 27: A helicopter crew, learning that Chinese troops had captured a downed US pilot near Pyoksong, made several low passes, enabling him to escape. While one helicopter crew member fired at the Chinese soldiers with a rifle, others lowered a hoist and rescued the pilot.

March 31/April 1: Bomber Command B-29s flew 29 sorties, approximately twice the normal rate, mostly against the Sinhung-dong rail bridge and Kwaksan railroad track.

 

[Charlie-G]

1952

April 1: Fifth Air Force Sabre pilots destroyed 10 MiGs while losing one F-86. Col. Francis S. Gabreski, commander, 51st FIW, destroyed a MiG to become the eighth jet ace of the war.

April 3: In aerial combat, Capt. Robert H. Moore, 336th FIS, destroyed his fifth MiG to become an ace.

April 6: In air-to-air operations, Capt. Iven C. Kincheloe Jr., 25th FIS, destroyed a MiG, becoming the war's 10th ace.

April 10: Brig. Gen. Chester E. McCarty assumed command of the 315th for the remainder of the war.

April 14: The first Air Force Reserve wing ordered to active duty service, the 403rd TCW (Medium), arrived at Ashiya. An SA-16 of the 3rd ARS, while under enemy small-arms fire from the shoreline, rescued a US naval aviator from the water.

April 21: In aerial combat, Capt. Robert J. Love, 335th FIS, destroyed two MiGs to become an ace.

April 22: Because of shortage of fighter-bombers, 5th Air Force assigned Sabres of the 4th FIW and 51st FIW a new commitment-the armed reconnaissance of enemy lines of communication.

April 26: In air-to-air operations, Maj. William H. Wescott, 51st FIG, destroyed his fifth MiG in four weeks to become the war's 12th ace.

April 28: An H-19 helicopter of the 3rd ARS picked up a downed Royal Netherlands air force Sea Fury pilot. It was the second time in three weeks that the same pilot had been picked up by a 3rd ARS helicopter.

April 29-30: Unrelated crashes of a C-47, a C-119, and a C-46 claimed the lives of 16 people, the greatest loss for the 315th Air Division in the first half of 1952.

May 3: Sabre pilots destroyed five MiG-15s, with Maj. Donald E. Adams, 16th FIS, destroying two and Capt. Robert T. Latshaw Jr., 335th FIS, downing another to increase the number of aces to 14.

May 4: Twenty-five F-86s strafed and destroyed five of 24 Yak-9s parked in revetments at Sinuiju airfield.

May 8: In the first of four major interdiction strikes, 5th Air Force fighter-bombers flew approximately 465 sorties against the enemy supply depot at Suan, located about 40 miles southeast of Pyongyang, in the largest one-day attack since the war began. Over a 13-hour period, the UN pilots damaged or destroyed more than 200 supply buildings, personnel shelters, revetments, vehicles, and gun positions. Enemy anti-aircraft fire downed an F-86 on a dive-bombing strike against the Kunu-ri marshaling yards, the first loss of a Sabre on a fighter-bomber sortie.

May 12: Gen. Mark W. Clark, USA, replaced Ridgway as CINC, UN Command and Far East Command.

May 13: Fifth Air Force Sabres destroyed five MiG-15s in aerial combat. In the morning, 12 F-86s attacked targets in Sinuiju and Sinuiju and Uiju airfields. In early afternoon, Sabres struck the marshaling yards at Kunu-ri and, in late afternoon, bombed Sinuiju with 1,000-pound bombs. Unfortunately, Col. Walker M. Mahurin, commander, 4th FIG, who had led all three missions, was shot down and captured.

May 15: Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew 265 sorties against a vehicle repair factory at Tang-dong, north of Pyongyang, destroying at least 39 buildings and a power plant. First Lt. James H. Kasler, 335th FIS, destroyed two MiGs to become an ace.

May 16-17: In an outstanding example of emergency unit movement by air, 315th C-119, C-54, and C-46 aircraft transported 2,361 members of the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team and combat equipment, vehicles, and supplies from Japan to Pusan. The team quelled rioting POWs at Koje-do, where the UN Command had established a large POW compound.

May 18: An SA-16 amphibian from the 3rd ARS, while under fire from the enemy shoreline, rescued a downed F-84 pilot.

May 20: Col. Harrison R. Thyng, commander, 4th FIW, destroyed his fifth MiG to become the 16th jet ace of the war.

May 22: Fifth Air Force flew 472 fighter-bomber sorties against the Kijang-ni industrial area southwest of Pyongyang to destroy more than 90 percent of the complex, which produced hand grenades, small arms, and ammunition.

May 23: In the last of four major interdiction strikes, 5th Air Force flew 275 fighter-bomber sorties against a steel factory complex in the Kijang-ni area, destroying 80 percent of the target. Because of poor weather, an H-19 helicopter from 3rd ARS flew most of a sortie on instruments and picked up a downed Marine Corps AD-2 pilot-one of the first instances of a primarily instruments helicopter rescue.

May 23/24: B-26s seeded the Kijang-ni area with delayed-action bombs to hamper repair efforts.

May 26: The 315th Air Division received its first Globemaster as two squadrons began the conversion from C-54 to C-124 aircraft.

May 26/27: Ten B-29s from the 19th BG attacked the Sinhung-dong rail bridge, destroying one locomotive, 16 boxcars, 350 linear feet of the bridge, and nearly 400 feet of track on the approaches.

May 30: Lt. Gen. Glenn O. Barcus replaced Everest as commander, 5th Air Force.

June 4: An H-19 helicopter of 3rd ARS picked up a downed British pilot, encountering automatic weapons fire during the rescue.

June 6: Fifth Air Force Sabres destroyed eight MiGs in aerial combat, the highest daily tally for the month.

June 7: In initiation of an air refueling test, code-named Operation Hightide, 35 F-84 Thunderjets took off from Japan, refueled from KB-29M aircraft over Korea, and attacked targets in the north.

June 9: A 3rd ARS H-19 helicopter picked up a downed UN pilot, encountering moderate small-arms fire en route.

June 10/11: Eight 19th BG B-29s attacked the rail bridge at Kwaksan. Enemy MiGs, operating in conjunction with radar-controlled searchlights and flak, destroyed two B-29s and badly damaged a third. This new development in the enemy's air defense system prompted FEAF to improve electronic countermeasures to jam and confuse enemy radar.

June 14: Following reconnaissance flights that indicated repairs at the Pyongyang airfield, 5th Air Force fighter-bombers cratered the runways, rendering them unserviceable in approximately 150 sorties without a loss.

June 15: In aerial combat, 2nd Lt. James F. Low, 335th FIS, destroyed his fifth MiG, becoming an ace just six months after completing flight training.

June 19/20: B-29s flew 35 sorties against North Korean targets, nearly three times the nightly average for the month. Twenty-seven medium bombers attacked the Huichon rail bridge.

June 23: Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers, with F-86 cover, flew approximately 250 sorties against North Korean hydroelectric power plants. The Sui-ho complex sustained 70 percent structural damage, rendering it nonoperational.

June 24: FEAF flew 1,043 sorties, the highest daily total for the month. Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew more than 250 sorties against North Korean hydroelectric power plants, four of them having been targets the previous day.

June 24/25: Twenty-six B-29s flew close air support sorties, one of the largest such medium bomber missions since the early days of the war. Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers rendered temporarily unserviceable the Samdong-ni rail complex, the choke point of the east-west and north-south rail lines in North Korea. Night-flying B-26s seeded the area with delayed-action bombs to hamper repair efforts.

June 30: The first two aircrews of the 374th TCW completed their proficiency checks in the C-124 Globemaster.

 

[Charlie-G]

1952

July 3: McCarty, 315th Air Division commander, flew the 374th TCW's first operational C-124 from Japan to Korea. In 13 sorties over enemy territory, C-47s dropped more than 22 million leaflets, over one-sixth of all dropped during the month.

July 4: Approximately 53 MiGs, some piloted by Soviets, attacked some 50 F-86s and 70 F-84s during a raid on the North Korean military academy at Sakchu near the Yalu. Fifth Air Force pilots downed 13 MiG-15s at a cost of two Sabres. Although four MiGs succeeded in passing through the protective fighter screen, they failed to destroy any fighter-bombers. Bombing results were poor, however.

July 10: Beginning this date, over the next three weeks the 315th airlifted the 474th FBW from Misawa to Kunsan, the largest unit movement by air to date.

July 11: FEAF flew 1,329 sorties, the highest daily total for the month. In the first raid of Operation Pressure Pump, nearly every operational air unit in the Far East attacked 30 targets in Pyongyang, in the largest single strike so far of the war. Attacking aircraft destroyed three targets, including the North Korean Ministry of Industry. Most others sustained heavy damage.

July 11/12: As part of Pressure Pump, B-29s flew 71 effective sorties, more than 50 against the Pyongyang supply area.

July 13: FEAF initiated a new general-warning leaflet-drop program over enemy territory. The new leaflet identified specific towns and targets to be destroyed by air attacks.

July 15: Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew approximately 175 sorties against the Sungho-ri cement plant and a nearby locomotive repair facility.

July 20: Fifty-eight F-84Gs of the 31st FEW arrived in Japan, the first large-scale Pacific crossing of jet fighters using in-flight refueling.

July 30: Following extended heavy rains, helicopters of the 3rd ARS carried approximately 650 flood-stranded US military members and Koreans to safety. Flying more than 100 sorties, five large H-19s transported some 600 evacuees, while two H-5s carried the rest. In the I Corps sector, two H-5s flew more than 30 sorties to rescue 60 flood-stranded Koreans and US soldiers.

July 30/31: In one of the largest medium bomber raids against a single target, 60 B-29s destroyed a noteworthy 90 percent of the Oriental Light Metals Co. facility, only four miles from the Yalu River. The B-29s achieved the unusually extensive destruction of the target in spite of encountering the largest nighttime counterair effort to date by the enemy. The attacking bombers suffered no losses.

Aug. 6: Fifth Air Force pilots observed an estimated 250 MiGs, the largest daily total since April 1. In the major air-to-air battle of the month, 34 F-86s destroyed six of 52 MiG-15s. FEAF organized Det. 3, 6004th Air Intelligence Service Squadron, to increase effectiveness of evasion and escape techniques by downed airmen. The detachment continued ongoing experiments, such as "snatching" downed personnel by especially equipped C-47s. It also emphasized aircrew training in emergency procedures, the use of radios and survival equipment, and helicopter rescue procedures.

Aug. 7-8: Capt. Clifford D. Jolley, 335th FIS, destroyed three additional MiGs in two days to become the 18th ace of the war.

Aug. 8: Fifth Air Force fighters flew 285 close air support sorties, the highest daily total for the month. Indicative of FEAF's increased use of propaganda, at night B-26s flew three voice-broadcast sorties totaling almost four hours over enemy-held positions near the east coast.

Aug. 15: The 315th transported 300 medical evacuees, the highest daily total for the month.

Aug. 19/20: FEAF aircraft dropped general-warning leaflets over Pyongyang concerning the next night's attacks.

Aug. 20/21: Thirty-eight B-29s bombed supply areas of the enemy's capital, the highest number of medium bomber sorties against a single target this month.

Aug. 22-23: On successive nights, three C-47s flew 60-minute voice-broadcast sorties near the front lines, indicating a greater emphasis by UN Command on psychological war.

Aug. 29: At the request of the US Department of State, FEAF conducted against Pyongyang the largest air attack to date as a dramatic military action during a visit by China's foreign minister, Chou En-lai, to the Soviet Union. The State Department hoped that the attack might lead the Soviets to urge the Chinese to accept an armistice rather than expend further Communist resources in the war. FEAF aircraft, protected by USAF Sabres and RAAF Meteors, flew approximately 1,400 air-to-ground sorties. The 31 targets sustained moderate to severe damage, but 5th Air Force lost three aircraft to ground fire.

Aug. 31: The 31st FEW, stationed at Misawa, completed the last phase of the USAF air refueling test program, Operation Hightide, begun in June.

Sept. 3/4: B-29s flew 52 effective sorties, the monthly high, and all but two against the Chosin hydroelectric power plant complex.

Sept. 4: Seventy-five fighter-bombers flew well north of the Chongchon River to attack targets, flushing out an estimated 89 MiGs from their Manchurian bases. The 39 Sabres screening the F-84s engaged the MiGs, destroying 13, to equal the one-day records set on Dec. 13, 1951, and July 4. Four F-86s fell to the MiG pilots. Maj. Frederick C. Blesse, 334th FIS, destroyed his fifth enemy aircraft to become an ace. An H-19 from the 3rd ARS rescued a downed fighter pilot and two crewmen of a USN helicopter, which had lost power and crashed in the water while attempting to pick up the pilot.

Sept. 5: In two daylight strikes, FEAF flew more than 200 sorties against an ore-processing plant located northeast of Sinanju, damaging or destroying approximately 70 buildings and repair shops.

Sept. 9: Protected by F-86s, 45 F-84s attacked the North Korean military academy at Sakchu. Of approximately 64 MiGs in the area, some penetrated the Sabre screen, shot down three Thunderjets, and forced several flights to jettison their bombs. The F-86s suffered no losses during the aerial combat and destroyed five MiGs.

Sept. 12/13: Twenty-five B-29s attacked the generator building at the giant Sui-ho power plant. Prior to and during the attack, USAF B-26s and USN aircraft dropped low-level fragmentation bombs to suppress enemy searchlights, rendering eight of approximately 30 unserviceable. At the same time, four B-29s orbiting to the east jammed enemy radar. Enemy fighters shot down one medium bomber and flak damaged several others, but the B-29s dropped their bombs on target, again rendering the plant unserviceable. FEAF concluded that searchlight suppression and electronic countermeasures probably had saved the B-29s from greater losses.

Sept. 15: To improve air-ground coordination and mutual understanding between the US Air Force and the US Army, 5th Air Force commander Barcus began sending groups of 15 pilots at a time on three-day tours to the front lines.

Sept. 16: Fifth Air Force flew 110 B-26 sorties, the high figure for the month, mostly night armed reconnaissance and interdiction. Using the recently developed roadblock tactics, the light bombers damaged or destroyed more than 100 enemy vehicles.

Sept. 19: In the first daylight medium bomber raid in 11 months, 32 B-29s with F-86 escorts attacked an enemy barracks and two supply areas southwest of Hamhung. An RB-45 preceded the B-29 formation, and an RB-29 orbited in the assembly area, providing weather information.

Sept. 21: Sabre pilot Capt. Robinson Risner, 336th FIS, destroyed two MiG-15s to become an ace when the enemy responded to an attack on the Pukchong munitions plant by 41 F-84s.

Sept. 27: At night, three B-26s flew in the central sector loudspeaker sorties totaling 3.5 hours, an unusually high amount of broadcast time.

Sept. 29: Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers flew against enemy bunkers and gun positions 207 close air support sorties, the highest figure this month and well above the daily average.

Sept. 30/Oct. 1: Including five electronic countermeasures flak suppression aircraft, 48 B-29s from three units-19th BG, 98th BW, and 307th BW-destroyed the last strategic-type target in Korea, the Namsan-ni chemical plant located 1,300 feet from the Yalu River and near the Sui-ho dam. During the bombing, seven B-26s swept in at low altitudes to suppress eight of some 40 searchlights.

 

[Charlie-G]

1952

Oct. 4: Brig. Gen. William P. Fisher succeeded Ganey as commander, Bomber Command.

Oct. 5: Fifth Air Force combined attacks with USN aircraft against barracks and supplies of the Chinese 67th Army at Loeyang.

Oct. 7: Fifth Air Force fighter pilots and USN aviators attacked the CCF 26th Army at Yongpyongni.

Oct. 8: To support the Kojo amphibious hoax, 10 B-29s of the 98th BW conducted a rare daylight visual bombing mission on the supply area at Kowon in eastern Korea in coordination with USN fighter-bomber attacks. Truce talks at Panmunjom recessed over the issue of forced repatriation of POWs. The UN delegates proposed to allow enemy POWs to choose repatriation or not; the Communist delegates insisted on the repatriation of all POWs at the end of the war.

Oct. 9: Fighter-bombers attacked widely scattered Communist communications centers from Huichon in North Korea south to the bomb line. Fifth Air Force aircraft inflicted heavy casualties on a Communist regiment, delaying its commitment to the enemy attack under way.

Oct. 12: An SA-16 pilot, 3rd ARS, participated in two rescues within 30 minutes and more than 100 miles apart. After directing a helicopter pickup of a downed Sabrejet pilot, the SA-16 pilot landed in the Haeju Harbor and, while overhead fighters suppressed ground fire from the shore, picked up from a dinghy a 69th FBS pilot who had parachuted from his burning F-84.

Oct. 12-14: The 315th conducted paratroop-drop exercises with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team as part of the Kojo deception.

Oct. 12/13: Twenty-six B-29s from all three medium bombardment units struck nine separate troop concentrations on Haeju Peninsula.

Oct. 13: In preparation for the Kojo amphibious demonstration, FEAF and USN aircraft hit enemy positions around Kojo, and USN surface craft shelled the beach area. After a respite of almost a year, the enemy, using small fabric-covered biplanes, hassled Cho-do and the Seoul area with "Bedcheck Charlie" raids.

Oct. 15: For the amphibious Kojo hoax, assault troops climbed down to assault landing craft, which made a pass at the shore then returned to the ship. In addition, 32 C-119s, 403rd TCW, flew to Chorwon, let down to paradrop altitude of 800 feet, then returned to Taegu.

Oct. 16: North Korea sent a strongly worded protest to Far East Command concerning the recess in armistice negotiations but continued to insist on total repatriation of Chinese and North Korean POWs.

Oct. 24: Fifth Air Force and Eighth Army completed a successful 30-day test in IX Corps area of a new flak-suppression technique that allowed friendly artillery to continue firing while close support strikes were in progress.

Oct. 25: Fifth Air Force B-26s and fighter-bombers attacked the Kumgang political school, starting fires and almost completely destroying the installation.

Oct. 27: Fifth Air Force aviation engineers completed a heavy-duty runway for combat cargo operations at the Seoul municipal airport.

Oct. 31: North Korea presented a new POW camp list.

Nov. 1: Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers attacked three railroad bridges at Yongmi-dong. The 61st TCG began to phase its C-54s out of the airlift in preparation for the group's return to the US.

Nov. 4: Dwight D. Eisenhower, having campaigned on a promise to seek an end to the Korean War, was elected President. FEAF photographic surveillance showed the three railroad bridges at Yongmi-dong again in serviceable condition and two bypass bridges nearing completion.

Nov. 5: Typhoon conditions on Okinawa forced cancellation of all scheduled B-29 missions.

Nov. 6: On a return attack against the Yongmi-dong railroad bridges, 100 fighter-bombers found that the enemy had moved in anti-aircraft artillery and begun to build a fifth bypass bridge.

Nov. 10: The 315th air evacuated the 250,000th patient from Korea to Japan.

Nov. 12/13: Six B-29s of the 98th BW knocked four spans out of Pyongyang's restored railway bridges.

Nov. 13/14: Five B-29s from the 307th BW in an experimental attack used incendiary clusters against the Sopo supply area but obtained poor results.

Nov. 15: In the first fatal accident of 315th's airlift of rest and recreation passengers, a 403rd TCW C-119, returning 40 travelers to Korea, crashed in Japan, killing all on board.

Nov. 16: USMC aircraft attached to 5th Air Force attacked hydroelectric facilities at Kongosan.

Nov. 17: USAF fighter-bombers attacked hydroelectric facilities at Kongosan. Col. Royal N. Baker, commander, 4th FIG, flying in MiG Alley with the 335th FIS, scored his fifth MiG kill.

Nov. 18: When USN Task Force 77 attacked the North Korean border town of Hoeryong in the far northeast, unmarked but obviously Russian MiG-15s flying from Vladivostok attempted to attack the fleet. Carrier-based F9F aircraft engaged several MiGs and downed one of them. In MiG Alley, 334th FIS pilot Capt. Leonard W. Lilley scored his fifth MiG kill.

Nov. 18/19: Six B-29s from the 98th BW attacked the Sonchon supply center, 35 miles from the Manchurian border. On this night, weather in the target area was clear, and enemy interceptors used new tactics to shoot down one B-29. The enemy dropped flares so that searchlights could lock on the bomber, and four fighter passes riddled it, forcing its crew to abandon ship over Cho-do.

Nov. 19: The 49th and 58th FBWs, in two separate strikes totaling 179 aircraft, attacked a troop and supply concentration at Kanggye. An Eighth Army-5th Air Force indoctrination team completed a tour begun in late October to brief key Eighth Army officers on the nature and functioning of the air-ground system.

Nov. 22: The 8th FBW lost two F-80s to ground fire during close support missions for IX Corps. One of the pilots, Maj. Charles J. Loring Jr., leading a flight of four F-80s, was hit near Sniper Ridge by enemy ground fire. He deliberately crashed his aircraft into the midst of enemy gun emplacements, destroying them completely. Loring was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. In MiG Alley, 16th FIS pilot 1st Lt. Cecil G. Foster scored his fifth MiG kill to add his name to the list of aces.

Nov. 28/29: All three medium bomber units at 45-minute intervals hit at Sinuiju and Uiju targets defended by approximately 116 heavy guns, 94 of which were radar-controlled, and 40 searchlights, as well as enemy interceptors. Preceding the attacks, five B-26s flew flak-suppression missions. Fourteen B-29s bombed Sinuiju airfield, six struck the Sinuiju locomotive repair facilities, 10 hit the Uiju airfield, and four attacked the Uiju communications center. In spite of clear weather, using electronic countermeasures equipment and chaff, the B-29s escaped losses in a generally successful mission.

Dec. 2-5: President-elect Eisenhower toured the front in Korea and met with South Korean President Syngman Rhee.

Dec. 2-7: Bomber Command increased from one to three the number of B-29s allocated for radar-directed bombing in front of IX Corps during the battle for Sniper Ridge north of Kumhwa.

Dec. 3: F-86 pilots engaged enemy swept-wing jets in strength in the Pyongyang area for the first time since Aug. 9.

Dec. 5: Shortly after 9 p.m., enemy aircraft dropped three bombs on Cho-do, causing no damage in the fifth reported attack on this installation.

Dec. 6: New flak-suppression technique across the Eighth Army front became effective for close support sorties.

Dec. 11: A fully loaded B-26 of the 3rd BW caught fire at Kunsan airfield and exploded. The accident soon destroyed three other B-26s and caused major damage to six F-84s of the co-located 474th FBW.

Dec. 17: Two F-86 Sabre pilots claimed the first sighting of the enemy's IL-28 twin-jet bombers, one having crossed the Yalu River a few miles south of the Sui-ho reservoir, escorted by two MiG-15s, while the other remained over Manchuria.

Dec. 19: Photoreconnaissance of the Pyongyang main airfield revealed the presence of three aircraft, the first observed there since October 1951.

Dec. 21: The 366th Engineering Aviation Battalion completed a new landing strip at Pusan East.

Dec. 22: An SA-16 crew landed in an inlet near Haeju, a North Korean port just north of the 38th parallel on the Yellow Sea, and rescued a downed HMS Glory Sea Fury pilot in his dinghy. The only fatal aeromedical evacuation accident of the war occurred when a Royal Hellenic air force C-47 transporting patients collided with an F-80 jet fighter-bomber at Suwon.

Dec. 27-31: The 581st Air Resupply and Communications Wing (ARCW) flight of four H-19 helicopters at Seoul flew several experimental agent-insertion sorties into enemy territory for covert and clandestine intelligence activities.

Dec. 28: An SA-16 crew of the 3rd ARS picked up a downed pilot in the Yellow Sea north of Cho-do. He was in the water less than three minutes.

Dec. 29/30: Eleven B-29s of the 307th BW attacked the Teagam-ni headquarters area, destroying 146 buildings.

Dec. 30: As a part of Project Spotlight, an RB-26 located five locomotives in one marshaling yard, and two B-26 light bombers destroyed four and damaged the fifth.

Dec. 30/31: The 19th BG bombed the Choak-tong ore-processing plant near the Yalu. Aided by a full moon and a signaling aircraft, enemy interceptors downed one B-29 and damaged two others so badly that they were forced to land at Suwon.

 

[Charlie-G]

1953

Jan. 4:
Fifth Air Force mounted a 124-airplane strike against the Huichon supply center.

Jan. 4/5: Twelve B-29s of the 307th BW bombed the Huichon supply areas and railroad bridge.

Jan. 9/10: Seventeen B-29s kicked off an air campaign against the Sinanju communications complex by bombing rail bridges at Yongmi-dong, anti-aircraft gun positions near Sinanju, and two marshaling yards at Yongmi-dong and Maejung-dong.

Jan. 10: Fighter-bombers followed up the B-29 night attacks with a daylight 158-aircraft raid against bridges, rail lines, and gun positions.

Jan. 10/11: 307th BW B-29s bombed Sonchon and Anju marshaling yards. Enemy searchlights illuminated a B-29 apparently betrayed by its contrails, and fighters shot it down.

Jan. 11: Battle damage assessment indicated that all rail lines in the Yongmi-dong area were unserviceable.

Jan. 12-15: After missing a day because of weather, fighter-bombers continued around-the-clock attacks in the Sinanju area.

Jan. 13: Some 12 enemy fighters shot down a B-29 on a psychological warfare, leaflet-drop mission over North Korea. The crew included Col. John K. Arnold Jr., commander, 581st ARCW.

Jan. 13/14: 307th BW and 19th BG attacked Sinanju and Kunu-ri marshaling yards.

Jan. 14: Following up on the B-29 attacks the night before, fighter-bombers struck gun positions, railroads, and bridges in the Sinanju area.

Jan. 15: Aerial photographs revealed a new camouflaged yard at the Sui-ho hydroelectric dam and two of the four generators working.

Jan. 17/18: The 98th BW attacked the Pyongyang radio installation, which was 42 feet underground and only 1,000 feet from a possible POW camp. The 11 B-29s scored eight to 10 hits with 2,000-pound general-purpose bombs, but these did not penetrate deeply enough to destroy the radio station.

Jan. 22: The 18th FBW withdrew its remaining F-51 Mustangs from combat and prepared to transition to F-86 Sabres, thus ending the use of USAF single-engine, propeller-driven aircraft in offensive combat in the Korean War. Peking radio announced the capture of Arnold and his surviving crew members, three having perished when the B-29 went down Jan. 13. The Communists did not release Arnold until 1956.

Jan. 24: Two pilots of the 51st FIW, Capt. Dolphin D. Overton III, 16th FIS, and Lt. Harold E. Fischer, 39th FIS, achieved ace status. In addition, Overton set a record for becoming a jet ace in the shortest time of four days.

Jan. 25: Beginning this day, UN Command limited immunity for only one Communist convoy each way per week between Pyongyang and the Panmunjom area. The enemy could no longer use the armistice negotiations as a pretense for sending supplies and reinforcements unthreatened by UN airpower to the front lines.

Jan. 28: In a break from interdiction of enemy transportation targets, fighter-bombers attacked a troop concentration near Pyongyang.

Jan. 28/29: A 19th BG B-29 exploded over the target southwest of Sariwon. Enemy fighters apparently silhouetted the B-29 against a full moon and shot it down. This was the fourth B-29 loss since December but the last of the war. USMC Skynight aircraft escorting B-29s used new tactics to down an enemy night interceptor, the first enemy jet destroyed at night by a radar-equipped jet fighter.

Jan. 29: Fighter-bombers followed up the previous day's attack near Pyongyang.

Jan. 29/30: Enemy fighters badly damaged another B-29 in the same circumstances as the previous night. USMC Skynights once again shot down an enemy night fighter. A 319th FIS F-94 tracked by radar and destroyed an La-9 aircraft late on the night of the 30th. This marked the first Starfire kill in Korea.

Jan. 30: A 4th FIW F-86 pilot intercepted and shot down a Russian-built Tu-2 twin-engine bomber over the Yellow Sea, northeast of Pyongyang, the first reported destruction of this type aircraft since Nov. 30, 1951.

Jan. 30/31: Approximately 10 enemy fighters so badly damaged a 307th BW B-29 that it barely made an emergency landing in South Korea.

Feb. 2: Ninety-six 5th Air Force fighter-bombers struck a troop billeting area located six miles south of Kyomipo, destroying 107 buildings.

Feb. 9: At Kyomipo, 5th Air Force fighter-bombers and light bombers left in smoldering ruins the former steel mill being used as a munitions factory and locomotive repair shop.

Feb. 15: In the strike of the month, 22 F-84 Thunderjets of the 474th FBW struck the Sui-ho hydroelectric power plant. With no losses, 82 escorting F-86 Sabres drew off 30 MiGs while the Thunderjets dropped their 1,000-pound bombs. The attack halted power production at Sui-ho for several months.

Feb. 15/16: Radio Pyongyang went off the air when B-29s attacked the nearby Pingjang-ni communications center, damaging power lines.

Feb. 16: Capt. Joseph C. McConnell Jr., 39th FIS, achieved ace status. The 1st Marine Air Wing led a 178-aircraft formation, including 5th Air Force fighter-bombers, in an attack against troop billeting and supply storage in the Haeju to Sariwon region of western North Korea. The 45th TRS transferred all its remaining RF-51s to Japan, leaving it an all-jet RF-80 unit.

Feb. 18: In one of the highlights of the air-to-air war, four F-86s attacked a formation of 48 MiG-15s just south of the Sui-ho reservoir, shooting down two enemy aircraft. Two other MiGs, attempting to follow an F-86 through evasive maneuvers, went into uncontrollable spins and crashed. In this battle, Capt. Manuel J. Fernandez, 334th FIS, achieved ace status, downing his fifth and sixth MiGs.

Feb. 18-19: In one of the largest all-jet fighter-bomber strikes of the war, 511 aircraft placed high-explosive bombs on a tank and infantry school at Kangso, southwest of Pyongyang, destroying 243 buildings.

Feb. 22: In a letter to Kim Il Sung, North Korean premier, and Paeng Te-huai, CCF commander in Korea, the UN Command stated its readiness to repatriate immediately seriously ill and wounded POWs who were fit to travel and asked whether the North Korean and Chinese leaders were prepared to do the same.

Feb. 26: Fifth Air Force instituted routine armed daylight reconnaissance over northwestern Korea in response to the enemy's vehicle movements.

Feb. 28: Third Air Rescue Group received two new and larger H-19 helicopters. MATS C-124s had flown the dismantled helicopters directly from the factory in the US to Japan, where they were assembled and test-flown before being ferried to Korea.

March 5: Good weather permitted 5th Air Force to complete 700 sorties. Sixteen F-84 Thunderjets attacked an industrial area at Chongjin, just 63 miles from the Siberian border, destroying buildings and two rail and two road bridges, damaging seven railcars, and inflicting several rail and road cuts. Fighter-bombers flying ground support missions reported damage or destruction to 56 bunkers and gun positions, 14 personnel shelters, and 10 supply stacks.

March 5/6: Seventeen 98th BG B-29s attacked a supply area deep in North Korea at Onjong. Two 19th BG medium bombers flew close support missions opposite the US Army's IX and X Corps. Two other B-29s employed shoran to attack on the east coast the Naewan-ni marshaling yard.

March 9: Responding to press reports that US pilots routinely pursued Communist jets across the Manchurian border, UN Command CINC Clark asserted that UN pilots broke off engagements at the Yalu River boundary, enabling many damaged MiGs to escape, although some border violations might have occurred in the heat of combat. Informing the US Joint Chiefs of Staff that air operations in Korea were conducted strictly within limitations established by appropriate authority, Clark also directed FEAF to comply with directives concerning violation of the Manchurian border.

March 13/14: On a deep penetration raid, 12 307th BW B-29s struck a cantonment area near the Choak-tong ore-processing plant near the Yalu River.

March 14: To provoke aerial engagements with Communist fighters, 5th Air Force combat crews dropped leaflets asking, "Where is the Communist air force?" over each ground concentration they attacked.

March 17/18: Serving notice that medium bombers would continue striking in MiG Alley, the 307th BW and 19th BG raided the Punghwa-dong troop concentration area just three miles south of the Communist fighter base at Sinuiju. The bombers sustained very minor flak damage.

March 21: North Korean truce negotiators expressed their willingness to observe the provisions of the Geneva Convention and exchange sick and wounded POWs. At the same time they hinted that the exchange might lead to a resolution of other issues hindering an armistice.

March 21/22: Operation Spring Thaw began when 18 19th BG medium bombers knocked spans out of two principal bridges at Yongmi-dong and rendered the third unserviceable.

March 22/23: Eight 19th BG B-29s continued the attack on Yongmi-dong bridges. The raiders observed that the enemy had repaired one of the bridges damaged the night before. Despite reports of backed-up traffic on the approaches to the bridges, Bomber Command suspended further raids, suspecting that bombers returning for a third time might sustain heavy losses.

March 26: UN pilots sighted 289 MiGs, the highest daily total observed since Aug. 6, 1952.

March 27: MiG-15s equipped with external fuel tanks jumped two RF-80s and two RAAF Meteors between Sariwon and Sinmak, only 38 miles north of the front lines. This was one of several MiG forays close to front-line positions, seemingly in response to UN leaflet drops goading the enemy air forces to come out and fight. Assigned to the 18th FBW, Maj. James P. Hagerstrom destroyed his fifth MiG to become the 28th Korean War ace.

March 28: Col. James K. Johnson, 4th FIW, downed his fifth MiG to achieve ace status.

March 29: Lt. Col. George L. Jones, 4th FIW, became the 30th jet ace.

March 30: Chou En-lai, China's foreign minister, suggested that POWs not desiring repatriation might be placed in the temporary custody of a neutral nation until negotiations determined their final status. Prior to this proposal the Communists had insisted on the repatriation of all POWs. Their new flexibility on this issue provided an opportunity to resume truce negotiations.

April 1: One 307th BW B-29, unable to attack its primary target, visually bombed a truck convoy, reporting excellent results in an attack believed to be the first of its type since Bomber Command began operations in North Korea.

April 6/7, 7/8, 11/12: At night, Bomber Command B-29s raided the three serviceable railroad bridges spanning the Chongchon River at Sinanju. The following mornings, fighter-bombers struck traffic backed up on the approaches to the damaged bridges.

April 12: An H-19 helicopter assigned to the 581st ARCW hoisted Capt. Joseph C. McConnell Jr., F-86 pilot with eight victory credits to date, from the Yellow Sea, after he had ejected from his battle-damaged aircraft.

April 13: An 8th FBW pilot flew an F-86F model Sabre on its first air-to-ground combat mission.

April 15: The Communists completed approximately 75 miles of railroad linking Kusong with Kunu-ri and Sinpyong-ni. Built in less than 70 days, the new line bypassed numerous bottlenecks created by USAF bombing of the Chongju, Sinanju, and Sunchon railroad complexes.

April 20-May 3. During Operation Little Switch, Communist and UN forces exchanged sick and injured prisoners.

April 26: Suspended for six months, armistice negotiations between Communist and UN forces reconvened.

April 26/27: A B-29 medium bomber dropped leaflets over North Korea to kick off Project Moola, the FEAF effort to obtain an operational MiG-15.

 

[Charlie-G]

1953

May 1: Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers struck Radio Pyongyang. Screened by the 4th and 51st FIWs, the 8th and 18th FBWs briefly headed toward the Yalu River then abruptly swooped down on North Korea's capital to bomb the broadcasting facility and its power supply. Monitoring the battle from the air, 5th Air Force commander Barcus promised that his aircraft would return every time the Communists broadcast "filthy lies" about 5th Air Force.

May 10: Flying through intense flak Col. Victor E. Warford, commander, 58th FBW, led eight Thunderjets to attack the hydroelectric generating facilities at Sui-ho near the Yalu River.

May 10/11: Thirty-nine Superfortresses raided the 375-acre Yangsi troop concentration area 12 miles southeast of Sinuiju, achieving 63 percent destruction of one of the last large lucrative targets remaining in North Korea.

May 13: Thunderjets of the 58th FBW, in the first attack against previously excluded irrigation dams, bombed the Toksan Dam holding the Potong River's water 20 miles north of Pyongyang. Floodwaters swirling from the breached dam washed out six miles of embankment and five bridges, destroyed two miles of the major north-south highway, rendered Sunan airfield inoperable, and ruined five square miles of prime rice crop.

May 14: Communist and UN truce negotiators recessed indefinitely over differences concerning POWs who refused repatriation.

May 16: Ninety 58th FBW sorties breached the Chasan irrigation dam. Surging waters washed away three railroad bridges and destroyed rice ripening in surrounding fields.

May 18: An H-19 helicopter rescued two members of a B-26 crew 20 miles inside enemy territory by using tactics presaging those of later conflicts. The helicopter scrambled from its base and flew to a small island off the Haeju Peninsula to await fighters to clear the path to the downed airmen. Penetrating enemy territory at 5,000 feet, the helicopter followed the fighter pilots' directions until it located the survivors who were signaling with a mirror. After the survivors set off a flare to indicate wind direction, the helicopter landed and rescued them, staying on the ground for approximately 30 seconds.

May 18/19: Eighteen Superfortresses returned to complete the destruction of the Yangsi troop concentration area.

May 19/20: A formation of 19th BG B-29s attacked a large supply complex at Unsan-dong, destroying 140 buildings. Located eight miles west of Sinanju, the complex probably sheltered coast defense forces and was a bivouac area for troops moving south.

May 21/22: Using shoran to aim the bombs, B-29s scored seven direct hits on the Kuwonga dam but failed to burst it because North Koreans had lowered the water level by 12 feet, significantly reducing the pressure on the dam.

May 25: The UN armistice delegation vainly attempted a compromise with the Communists, proposing that nonrepatriate POWs remain in neutral custody for up to 120 days after the armistice, until their governments could confirm their attitude toward repatriation.

May 27: Aerial reconnaissance discovered Communist preparations for a major ground offensive.

May 28/29: The B-29s returned to the Kuwonga dam, scoring five direct hits with 2,000-pound bombs. Although the dam did not burst, North Koreans had to finish draining the reservoir to accomplish repairs, thus exhausting the supply of water available for irrigation.

May 28: The Communists launched a series of company- to regiment-sized attacks that lasted into early June. Gen. Duk Shin Choi, the senior South Korean army delegate to the UN armistice delegation, informed negotiators that his government considered the May 25 proposals by the UN Command unacceptable and announced that he was boycotting future negotiations on the instructions of his government.

May 29: Clark warned the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the South Korean government might release POWs unilaterally.

May 31: Lt. Gen. Samuel E. Anderson assumed command of 5th Air Force, replacing Barcus.

June 2-3: Bomber Command B-29 bombers began night close support missions, mostly against targets where the Communists were training and building up troops and supplies in the western sector of the US IX Corps area.

June 5: Lt. Col. Vermont Garrison, 335th FIS, became the Korean War's 32nd jet ace.

June 10: Fifth Air Force and Bomber Command made coordinated strikes against North Korean serviceable and near-serviceable airfields. Sixteen B-29s from the 98th BW struck Sinuiju and Uiju, encountering flak and fighters without losses. In the heaviest 5th Air Force raid of the airfield campaign, 31 F-84s struck Kanggye airfield.

June 11: Fighter-bombers made their deepest penetration of the war when 13 F-84s attacked Chunggang-jin airfield located midway on the North Korean-Manchurian border. Pilots reported that the raid had rendered the runway unserviceable.

June 13-18: To flood airfields at Namsi and Taechon, F-84s, B-29s, and Marine F4U Corsair fighter-bombers struck irrigation dams at Toksan and Kusong. The raids failed to breach the dams because the Communists had lowered water levels to decrease water pressure.

June 15: Brig. Gen. Richard H. Carmichael replaced Fisher as commander, Bomber Command.

June 16: Setting a single day record, 5th Air Force flew 1,834 sorties. More than half were close support missions against enemy troops in the Pukhan Valley area.

June 17/18: The South Korean government unilaterally released 27,000 anti-Communist POWs.

June 18: Flying for the 335th FIS, Capts. Lonnie R. Moore and Ralph S. Parr Jr. became the Korean War's 33rd and 34th jet aces, respectively.

June 22: Assigned to the 25th FIS, Col. Robert P. Baldwin became a jet ace.

June 22-23: The 315th employed 27 C-46s and 61 C-119s in 284 sorties to transport the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team-3,252 paratroopers and 1,771 tons of cargo-to Korea to reinforce Eighth Army reserves.

June 23: With all North Korean airfields but one inoperable, FEAF commander Weyland advised his air forces to limit attacks to follow-on raids to damage airfields sufficiently so that another series of air raids could knock them out in four or five days.

June 28-July 2: C-46, C-54, and C-119 transports of the 315th airlifted the 19th and 34th Infantry Regiments-3,937 soldiers and 1,227 tons of cargo-from Japan to Korea.

June 30: Sabres set a record by destroying 16 MiGs in a single day. The previous record, 13 kills, had been set Dec. 13, 1951, and matched July 4 and Sept. 4, 1952. Flying with the 25th FIS, 1st Lt. Henry Buttelmann became the Korean War's 36th jet ace.

July 4/5: Twenty-four B-29s attacked airfields at Taechon, Namsi, and Pyongyang.

July 7/8: Sixteen medium bombers raided a supply area and marshaling yard at Namsi.

July 10: Fifth Air Force fighter-bombers began raiding rail bridges at Sinanju and Yongmi-dong to hinder the buildup for the final Communist assault.

July 10/11: The 98th BW B-29s attacked the Sinanju bridges. The 307th BW B-29s bombed rail bridges at Yongmi-dong.

July 11: South Korean President Syngman Rhee agreed to accept a cease-fire agreement in return for promises of a mutual security pact with the United States. Maj. John Bolt, USMC, flying with the 39th FIS of the 51st FIW, shot down his fifth and sixth MiGs to become the Marines' only Korean War ace.

July 12: RF-80 reconnaissance aircraft photographed heavy concentrations of anti-aircraft artillery opposite sectors of the front held by the US IX Corps and the South Korean II Corps, providing warning of an enemy offensive.

July 12-20: Close air support sorties by FEAF aircraft contributed significantly to staunching the Communist onslaught against the South Korean II Corps.

July 13-19: B-29 medium bombers flew nearly 100 ground support missions dropping 4,000-pound airburst and delayed action anti-personnel bombs to blunt the Communist offensive.

July 15: Maj. James Jabara, 334th FIS, scored his 15th aerial victory to become the world's second triple jet ace.

July 16: Cmdr. Guy Bordelon, flying with 5th Air Force, became the war's 38th ace and the only ace for the US Navy.

July 16-20: Fighter-bombers completed a series of attacks on the Chongchon bridges, rendering them unusable.

July 19: Capt. Clyde A. Curtin, 335th FIS, shot down two MiGs to become the 39th ace. The final session of armistice negotiations at Panmunjom convened. After meeting one day, the top negotiators agreed to adjourn while technical experts worked out the cease-fire details.

July 20: Maj. Stephen L. Bettinger, 336th FIS, became the 40th ace of the Korean War with his fifth MiG-15 kill.

July 21/22: Eighteen B-29s close out the war for Bomber Command, striking Uiju airfield.

July 22: Combat between USAF Sabres and Communist MiGs ended with an air battle between three 51st FIW and four Communist jets. During this engagement, Lt. Sam P. Young, 25th FIS, scored the last MiG kill of the Korean War.

July 27: At 10 a.m. Lt. Gen. William K. Harrison, USA, the senior delegate for the UN Command, and Gen. Nam Il, the senior delegate for the North Korean Army and the Chinese Volunteers, signed the armistice agreement to produce a cease-fire in the Korean War.

 

[Charlie-G]

Finally finished sorry for the delay