Page 286 - Airpower in 20th Century - Doctrines and Employment

286 airpower in 20 Century doCtrines and employment - national experienCes
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Charlies’ by 5 Air Force personnel. In the early hours of 14 June two PO-2’s headed
southwards, one bombed a runway repair crew at Suwon Airbase (K-13) while the
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other an Eighth Army vehicle park near Inchon. This was hardly effective close air
support, but it was a beginning.
K-16 airfield, situated on an island in the Han River south of Seoul, was vulner-
able to attack and during the night of 15-16 June K-16 was bombed and strafed, but
o damage or casualties was reported. During the next few days CCAF increased its
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air activity as it attempted to implement the revised air war plan of 10 May 1951. On
17 June, Sabres from 4 Wing encountered 25 MIG-15’s, whose pilots were more ag-
gressive than before and large numbers of MIG-15’s again challenged the Sabres on
18 and 19 June. On 20 June a flight of Mustangs from 18 Fighter Bomber Wing were
sweeping a road south of Sinuiju when they encountered eight IL-10’s (Ilyushin
ground attack aircraft) en route to render close support to the CCF ground forces on
the island of Sinmi-do. Both sides called for reinforcements and a dogfight ensued
involving in addition to the original Mustangs and IL-10’s, Yak-9’s, MIG-15’s and
Sabres. The 5 Air Force lost one Mustang in exchange for one Yak-9 and two IL-
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10’s destroyed as well as damage to three IL-10’s and four MIG-15’s. 50
The FEAF commanders decided to meet the mounting air threat with an intensive
airfield neutralization programme. From 17 June onwards B-26’s attacked the North
Korean airfields at night, while B-29’s and the fighter-bombers attacked during the
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day. A decisive stage of the war was reached, both on the ground and in the air. 2
Sqn also became involved in the airfield raids. On 18 and 19 June SAAF aircraft
bombed airstrips at Ongjin and Haeju with 500lb bombs and counted nine direct hits
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afterwards. On 23 June Capt J. Swanepoel led Lts D. Green, S. de la Harpe and
T. Sivertsen on an attack against the revetments at Sariwon airfield, which was pro-
tected by 37 automatic weapons and numerous 20mm and 40mm anti-aircraft guns.
Swanepoel led his flight in at 6-15 metres above the ground and succeeded in cover-
ing the target with napalm. Due to the intense and accurate incoming fire they did
not wait around to survey the damage. The same day separate flights of four aircraft
each from 2 Sqn attacked the airfields at Anak, Sinmak and Ongjin and on 24 June
flights of four aircraft from 2 Sqn attacked the airfields at Sariwon, Anak, Sinmak
and Haeju using V.T. fused rockets for flak suppression and 500lb bombs to pothole
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the runways. As the ground offensive came to an end, the air offensive moved into
48 Futrell, et al., United States Air Force in Korea, p. 280.
49 SAMAD, War Dairies (Korea), Box 4, 2 Squadron War Diary, 22 May 1951 and 16 June 1951.
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SAMAD, War Dairies (Korea), Box 4, 2 Squadron War Diary, 20 June 1951; and Futrell, et al.,
United States Air Force in Korea, pp. 280-281.
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Futrell, et al., United States Air Force in Korea, pp. 281-282.
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SAMAD, War Dairies (Korea), Box 4, 2 Squadron War Diary, 18 June 1951; and Box 16, Debriefing
Forms SAAF220, 18 and 19 June 1951.
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SAMAD, War Dairies (Korea), Box 4, 2 Squadron War Diary, 23 and 24 June 1951; and Box 16,
Debriefing Forms SAAF220, 23 and 24 June 1951.