Warbird Information Exchange

For whatever reasons, and maybe I'm off the mark, but I've always felt that Korean war and sacrifices made have been over shadowed by the 2nd World War and Vietnam and probalbly the same could be said about the Great War as well.

I stumbled across a cache of Korean air war pictures and thought I'd pass them along.

http://history1900s.about.com/od/photographs/ig/Korean-War-Pictures/index.htm

I would have thought that the Korean Air war would get more mention considering that it was the first conflict by where military Jet technology was still in it's infancy. And the main combat tactics developed around pistoned engine technology had to be adapted to the new varibles of the now Jet age.

Anyways without further adieu:


With her brother on her back a war weary Korean girl tiredly trudges by a stalled M-26 tank, at Haengju, Korea. (June 9, 1951)


OVER ENEMY TERRITORY IN KOREA -- One of the nine missions assigned to the 315th Air Division (Combat Cargo) is the dropping of paratroopers in airborne assaults. Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo has participated in two such combat assaults: at Sukchon-Sunchon, Korea, in October 1950 and at Munsan-ni in March 1951. Chutes billow out as troopers of the U.S. Army 187th Regimental Combat Team jump from a formation of U.S. Air Force C-46 "Commandos." While airborne assaults took place, other Combat Cargo planes continued the other missions assigned to the 315th Air Division. Besides airborne operations, FEAF Combat Cargo planes have airlifted more than 1,100,000 passengers and 400,000 tons of cargo on the Korean airlift. (circa March 1952)


FEAF BOMBER COMMAND, JAPAN -- Combat infantrymen must know how to do a flat crawl, hugging the ground to avoid being hit. Combat airmen must also know how to maneuver horizontally, only they often do it high in the night skies over North Korea. This U.S. Air force B-29 gunner coming through the 35-foot tunnel connecting forward and rear pressurized compartments on his "Superfort" is A/2C James J. Prater, Beaver Creek Drive, Powell, Tenn. Wearing parachute and "Mae West" life preserver adds to the close sqeeze in negotiating the tunnel which runs through the big aircraft's twin bomb bays. Airman Prater flies nine-hour, 2,000 mile roundtrip missions from his 98th Bomb Wing base in Japan, to attack key Communist targets in North Korea. Airman Prater joined the U.S. Air Force in November, 1951. After training in gunnery at five airbases, he was assigned recently to Japan for combat duty, where his missions are part of the Far East Air Forces' continuing program of blasting Red supplies before they reach. (circa March 1953)


When members of the United Nations Forces moved north over the 38th Parallel into the well-known industrial cities, they found gutted buildings and mounds of twisted steel, that were formerly vital to Communistic Korea's military forces. Targets such as the large marshalling yards of Pyongyang, the oil refinery at Wonsan, and the key Kan-ni Arsenal near Pyongyang, are evidence of the efforts put forth by the U.S. Air Force B-29s flying the long air miles from bases in Japan and Okinawa. Upon request from the United Nations, bombardiers of the huge bombers, paid close attention to pin-pointed military targets, and left surrounding civilian homes and business sections almost untouched. B-29s of the U.S. Air Force drop their 500-pound bombs on a strategic target in North Korea. These planes have devastated enemy North Korean supply lines, industrial areas and troop concentrations with their precision bombing. (circa September 13, 1950)


A dramatic night photo caught the navigator and pilot of a Fifth Air Force B-26 "Invader" of the 3rd Bomb Wing preparing for a night-intruder mission over enemy territory in Korea. They are: 1st Lt. Ben Eubanks, 1619 Westwood Ave., Atlanta, Ga., left, and 1st Lt. Stanley Hyman, 18 Boulevard, New Rochelle, N.Y. An aerial gunner rounds out the crew. (circa June 1951)


A small South Korean child sits alone in the street, after elements of the 1st Marine Division and South Korean Marines invaded the city of Inchon, in an offensive launched against the North Korean forces in that area. (September 16, 1950)


COMBAT CARGO, JAPAN -- Clasping his wife tightly in his arms, aboard a Combat Cargo C-124 "Globemaster" just after it landed near Tokyo, Capt. Zach W. Dean of El Dorado, Kan., the third U.S. Air Force repatriate returned by the Communists, finishes the first leg of his long trip back from a Red prison camp. (circa April 1953)


Lieutenant Colonel John Hopkins, commanding officer of the First Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, leads in singing the "Star Spangled Banner" during Memorial Services held in the field during the Korean campaign. (circa June 21, 1951)


BITTER COLD, BITTER FIGHT. While units of the U.S. Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command made an all-out effort to aid embattled units of the First Marine Division and Seventh Infantry Division, the men fighting in Korea were trying desperately to link up in their battle for survival. This marine is shown just as he reached the crest of the ridge at the link-up point. Wet, stinging snow and ice made the operation the most difficult sort, as unleashed hordes of communist troops charge again and again into the United Nations forces. (circa December 1950)


FIFTH AIR FORCE, KOREA -- As F-84 "Thunderjets" of the 49th Fighter Bomber Wing in Korea prepare to take off on an interdiction mission against enemy installations, A/2C Jerome O. Etman, at bat, of 203 W. Franklin St., Baltimore, Md., and A/2C Charles F. Hyson, Jr., 2631 Kirk Ave., Baltimore, Md., take part in one of America's most popular sports--baseball. Even though these airmen sometimes work around the clock, arming aircraft with bombs, napalm, and deadly rockets, they find time between missions for recreation. Their unit has logged more than 37,000 combat sorties during a period of two years. (circa July 1952)


A Korean youth, Kim Pak Soon, is taught one of the fundamental lessons of baseball -- "get your glove up, and keep the fingers out of the way." His instructor is S/Sgt. James W. Black, Chicago, Ill., member of the Fifth Air Force's 49th Fighter Bomber Wing. As warm weather approaches, members of the 49th plan to expand the sports program, even in war-torn Korea. (circa March 1951)


AIR WAR IN KOREA. A fond farewell from his family, sends Capt. Johnnie Gosnell of Borger, Texas, off on another mission over Korea. Waving goodbye on the field near their home are Bill, 6, Sharon, 5, and Mrs. Gosnell. Gosnell is a pilot flying with the 68th All-Weather Fighter Interceptor Squadron at an advanced U.S. Far East Air Forces base in Southern Japan. He's getting ready here to take off in his twin-engined F-82 Mustang. (circa November 1, 1950)


TROUBLE FOR ENEMY TARGETS. FIFTH AIR FORCE, KOREA. This U.S. Air Force B-26 light bomber of the 3rd Bomb Wing has its 14 forward firing .50 caliber machine guns tested prior to a night mission against enemy targets in North Korea. Pilots of the 3rd Wing nightly patrol Communist supply routes leading to the front. The B-26 night Intruders have been a major factor in the destruction of more than 53,000 enemey vehicles knocked out by U.S. Air Force units since the start of the Korean war. (circa November 27, 1952)


Leaving a fiery trail, .50 caliber bullets streak through the night as maintenance men of the 49th Fighter Bomber Wing in Korea, test fire a Republic F-84 "Thunderjet." Wing guns will be checked and put in perfect firing order before the plane takes off in the morning on a bombing and strafing mission over enemy lines. (circa August 1952)


A huge jet of flame shoots from the tail pipe of the sleek interceptor and splits the blackness of the Korean night, as the pilot tests his after-burner before take-off. The long finger of flame resembles a giant blowtorch. The after-burner, used to give aircraft additional thrust on take-off, is not actually brought into use until the take-off run has started. It is also used during air operations to increase air speed. The interceptors fly nightly combat missions protecting B-29 "Superforts" from enemy night fighter attacks, patrol deep into enemy territory and remain ever on the alert to intercept any enemy aircraft that might attempt to reach friendly territory. (July 27, 1953)


Bombs Away-Regardless of the type of enemy target lying in this rugged, mountainous terrain of Korea, very little will remain after the falling bombs have done their work. This striking photograph of the lead bomber was made from a B-29 "Superfort" of the Far East Air Forces 19th Bomber Group on the 150th combat mission the 19th Bomber Group has flown since the start of the Korean war. (circa February 1951)


Bomber Command planes of the U.S. Far East Air Forces rain tons of bombs on a strategic military target of the Chinese Communists in North Korea. As part of the stepped-up aerial offensive against the enemy, attacks such as this are staggering the Reds, thus helping UN ground forces to stem the Communist push down the center of the Korean peninsula. The planes blasting the Red hordes are B-29 "Superfort" medium bombers. (circa January 1951)


Navy Sky Raiders from the USS Valley Forge fire 5-inch wing rockets at North Korean communist field positions. (October 24, 1950)


Airborne Mercy -- Whole blood is administered to an airborne casualty, enclosed in a metal capsule attached to the side of an Air Rescue helicopter about to land at an advanced air station in Korea. Medical technician holds life-giving bottle over the wounded man during the 45-minute flight from the front lines. (circa December 31, 1952)


AT FRONT LINES IN KOREA -- Tragedy is again by-passed as another fallen UN soldier receives blood plasma while being gingerly lifted into a stretcher of a U.S. Far East Air Forces H-5 helicopter of the 3rd Air Rescue Squadron. The wounded man will be delivered to rear area medical facilities in a matter of a few moments. (circa May 1951)


BACK FROM THE FIGHTING FRONT. A group of war-weary wounded soldiers stand by while one of their number is lifted from the Air Force C-47 which brought him to this field in Japan from a forward airstrip in Korea. Speedy air evacuation of casualties in the Korean fighting has proved to be a great morale booster as well as a practical means of saving lives in many instances. (July 28, 1950)


Corporal Eader (center with back to camera) reassures a wounded soldier as medics carry him away from Captain Eliasson's copter on a litter. His next stop will be the mobile surgical hospital at a Fifth Air Force fighter strip only a short distance from this "coffee grinder" area. (circa March 1951)


Army medics carry wounded UN personnel to waiting ambulances, after the patients' arrival at this Tokyo base in the U.S. Air Force C-124 in the background. The C-124, the largest cargo plane operating on the Korean airlift, carries as many as 135 patients. Forty of the patients on this flight, critically wounded, were flown to Camp Drew Hospital near Tokyo in C-47's of the Royal Thailand Air Force. The trip, which took only 20 minutes, would have required six hours by road. (circa October 1952)


COMBAT CARGO, KOREA -- A helicopter, carrying two seriously wounded UN soldiers, is about to land gently at a front line airstrip in Korea where the soldiers will soon be placed aboard a Combat Cargo C-54 transport for the flight to Japan. U.S. Air Force and Army hospitals specializing in the type of wounds these men have received are equipped with the knowledge and methods needed to place them on the road to recovery. However, the speed with which wounded are transferred to these hospitals is oftentimes the factor which may spell life or death. (circa June 1952)


KOREA--U.S. Air Force F-86 "Sabre" jet pilot, Capt. Kenneth D. Critchfield, Fort Madison, Iowa, mounts to the cockpit of his deadly, swept-wing jet-fighter to make another sweep of "MIG Alley", scene of many vicious duels between American "Sabre" jet pilots and Communist MIG-15s. (circa October 1951)


Harlingen Army Air Field, Texas -- Elizabeth L. Gardner of Rockford, Illinois, WASP (Women's Airforce Service Pilot) pilot, takes a look around before sending her plane streaking down the runway at the air base.


FIFTH AIR FORCE, KOREA--Capt. Frank W. Corbett, 726 First Ave., Gadsen, Ala., climbs out of his U.S. Air Force 17th Bomb Wing B-26 "Invader" after his final combat mission over North Korea. In full flight gear he symbolizes the pilots and other aircrew members who fly the hard-hitting day and night combat missions in support of UN action in Korea. During his 50 light-bomber sorties into enemy territory, Capt. Corbett and his crew destroyed 150 enemy vehicles, 34 personnel and supply buildings and a bridge. They flew 16 missions against enemy front-line positions in support of UN ground troops, blasting bunkers and gun positions. On Capt. Corbett's final mission the morning of April 10, the crew scored direct hits on five enemy trucks loaded with ammunition, exploding them skyward in a mass of rubble. Capt. Corbett received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, for recognition of his combat service. (circa April 1953)


CLAD IN HIS ARMOR. Normally a good-sized man, Captain Melvin E. Jarvis, 1318 Roberta Street, Salt Lake City, Utah, pilot of a B-29 "Superfort" of the 307th Bomb Group, based on Okinawa, looks gigantic after donning over 105 pounds of flight gear necessary for combat missions. Captain Jarvis is shown at the controls of his B-29 just prior to take-off on a mission on Communist positions in North Korea. (circa May 1951)


20TH AIR FORCE, OKINAWA -- A/2C Don W. Murray of Mazon, Ill., flashes a victory smile from the gun blister of his U.S. Air Force B-29 "Superfort" after shooting down a Communist jet fighter. Airman Murray shot down the enemy jet during a pre-dawn strike against a Red staff school on the west coast of North Korea, October 8. Sighting the enemy fighter approaching from the rear, Murray fired as it attempted to sneak into the bomber stream. After five bursts, the jet broke away and exploded. Murray is a left gunner with the 307th Bomb Wing, based on Okinawa. (circa November 1952)


Looking grim and determined, veteran bomber pilot Capt. Criffis DeNeen, 18405 Patton Ave., Detroit, Mich., veteran of 39 combat missions over North Korea prepares for another. He is assigned to the Fifth Air Force's night flying 3rd Bombardment Wing, Korea; his aircraft is a hard-hitting, U.S. Air Force B-26 Invader light bomber. Night crews of the 3rd specialize in tracking down enemy truck convoys attempting to resupply frontline forces. The B-26s carry a formidable armament load of bombs, napalm, rockets and .50 caliber ammunition, and can locate their targets in darkness or foul weather by radar techniques. (circa November 1951)


98TH BOMB WING, JAPAN -- Pfc. Benjamin Livingston flies as a gunner on one of the U.S. Air Force veteran 98th Bomb Wing's Superforts, defending the B-29 against Communist jet fighters. (circa November 1951)


Capt. Eugene C. Cheatham of Montclair, N.J., serving with the Fifth Air Force's 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at an advanced Korean airbase, is shown studying aerial photographs taken by photo-reconn aircraft of the 67th Wing. He will interpret the information on the prints, report his findings to higher headquarters, who will assign targets to tactical Fifth Air Force Fighter, fighter-bomber and light bomber units for combat strikes. (circa July 1951)


HQ., 20TH AIR FORCE, OKINAWA --- As take-off time approaches, Airman Joseph Migliardi, 274 King St., Port Chester, N.Y., runs a last minute check on the remote control apparatus of his .50 caliber machine guns. (circa July 1952)


AERIAL BROWNIE. Gun cameras are synchronized with the .50 caliber machine gun fire on U.S. Air Force F-80 jet fighters and record every strike against the North Korean aggressors. Here, Cpl. Harvey Davis, 19, of Redfield, Kansas, inspects one of the gun cameras after an F-80 close support mission. (circa Sept. 1950)


1st. Lt. Walter H. Burke, Stockton, Calif., recently became in good standing of the "Century Flight Club" of the U.S. Air Force's 18th Fighter Bomber Wing. He poses with the lucky white horseshoe, official emblem of the club, at the completion of his 100th F-51 "Mustang" combat mission over Communist targets in North Korea. (circa October 1951)


FEAF BOMBER COMMAND, JAPAN--With his head covered by a fur parka reminiscent of the men of the great Northwest, 1st Lt. Carl L. Hinchey, 1207 Grand St., Duncan, Okla., a U.S. Air Force B-29 "Superfort" pilot with the 98th Bomb Wing in Japan, is ready, in his protective clothing, for another high-altitude bombing attack against Communist targets in North Korea. Because the "Superforts" sometimes bomb from high altitudes, the hazard sub-zero weather at such levels adds to the daily risks through which the medium bomber crews go. To protect them from the elements, special clothing is issued to each man for the high level flights. Lt. Hinchey has flown 15 combat missions with the 98th Bomb Wing. Since July, 1950, when the 98th went into action against the Reds, the medium bombers of the 98th have flown more than 5,500 effective sorties and dropped more than 40,000 tons of bombs on key enemy military targets and frontline positions. (circa January 1953)


Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

Paratroopers of the 187th Regimental Combat Team put on parachutes and "Mae West" life preservers before boarding a 483rd Troop Carrier Wing U.S. Air Force C-119 "Flying Boxcar," en route to Korea from southern Japan. (Circa July 2, 1953)


Battle equipped paratroopers of the 187th Regimental Combat Team wait to board C-46s of the 315th Combat Cargo Group prior to take-off on an airborne assault mission somewhere in Korea. (circa June 20, 1953)


315th AIR DIVISION, FAR EAST -- One hundred paratroopers of the Indian Paratroop Battalion board a U.S. Air Force 374th Troop Carrier Wing C-124 "Globemaster" at Dum Dum Airport, Calcutta, enroute to Korea to serve with other Indian Custodial Forces in the demilitarized zone. Five hundred and seventy-five Indian troops were airlifted from Calcutta to southern Japan in the three-decked planes in 20 flying hours, with only two stops for refueling. It was the first Globemaster landing at either Calcutta or Saigon, Indo-China, where a refueling stop was made. The Indian paratroopers were brought to southern Japan, where they were scheduled to transfer to surface vessel. (circa September 1953)


About to step into thin air, a paratrooper of the 187th Regimental Combat Team pauses momentarily while the man below clears the area. This is a practice parachute jump in which 1,000 troopers, fully armed for combat, were first transported in the U.S. Far East Air Forces C-54 "Skymasters" to a rendezvous point, transferred into C-46 "Commandos", and flown to the present drop zone. 315th Air Division (Combat Cargo) transports have carried the 187th troopers on two actual combat assignments during the course of the Korean War. (circa September 1951)


Air dropped by the 437th Troop Carrier Wing, paratroopers of the 187th Regimental Combat Team decend to earth during a practice maneuver somewhere in the Far East. (October 19, 1951)


A Republic of Korea paratrooper deflates his parachute following a "three point landing" during a mass paradrop outside of Seoul, Korea. (November 18, 1953)


A view of a Freedom tent at Freedom Village, Munsan-ni, Korea, exchanging point of POW's (recently repatriated in the UN POW exchange). (April 25, 1953)


Litter cases of North Korean POW's are shown at the Communist receiving center at Panmunjom, Korea, during the recent UN POW exchange. (September 8, 1953)


During the UN POW exchange at Panmunjom, Korea, a Communist POW verbally abuses an American Army Major saying, "You will be tried by the Peoples Court and be shot." (September 8, 1953)


At the United Nations' prisoner-of-war camp at Pusan, prisoners are assembled in one of the camp compounds. The camp contains both North Korean and Chinese Communist prisoners. (April 1951)


POWs (recently repatriated in the UN POW exchange) pose for a group photograph with their flight nurses at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. They are proudly displaying the American flag which was hand made by them during their long imprisonment at a Communist POW camp. Officer shown kneeling in front of the group is identified as Maj. David F. Macghee, 137 El Central St., Moorestown, N.J. Maj. Macghee, a B-29 pilot of the 371st Bomb Sqd., was captured on 10 November 1950 after his plane was shot down by flak and MIGs. His B-29 was the first B-29 to be shot down in the Korean conflict. (September 5, 1953)


A group of POWs being interviewed by the press at Freedom Village, Korea, proudly display their camp mascot "Oscar" a pet magpie. Left to right are: Cpl. Edward F. Beck, 604 Conroy St., Cincinnati, Ohio; Sgt. Frederick C. Brockmays, 514 N. Butler Blvd., Lansing, Mich., Cpl. James H. Sweeny, 2021 Ethel St., Waco, Texas; Pfc. Joseph Junear, Rt. 1, Box 99, Cottonport, La., and Cpl. Rodney C. Scott, Mt. Carbon, West Va. (September 8, 1953)


At Panmunjom, Korea, POW's (recently repatriated in the UN POW exchange) are off-loaded from ambulances. Note the ones in the foreground walking towards tent. (April 21, 1953)


A far cry from the brutal treatment given American prisoners of war by the Communist North Korean forces, is the humane consideration shown captured North Koreans by American and South Korean Armed Forces. (circa August 10, 1950)


MUNSAN-ni, Korea -- An unidentified POW (recently repatriated in the UN POW exchange) arrives by helicopter at Freedom Village, Korea. (circa August 5, 1953)


Returning from his 2nd combat mission over Korea, Capt. Donald R. DeFoe, pilot from Detroit, Mich., climbs down from his B-26 night intruder bomber. Capt. DeFoe is assigned to the night flying Fifth Air Force 3rd Bombardment Wing in Korea, a veteran U.S. Air Force outfit with over 13,000 Korean combat sorties. (circa October 1951)


Sgt. Ben A. Robertson, Henderson, Texas, from his perch astride the propeller of this Fifth Air Force RB-26 light bomber of the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, waves a greeting to an anti-aircraft unit on the way to their hill-side positions at an advanced Korean air base. Protecting this airstrip from enemy air attack is the 24 hour duty of this, and other anti-aircraft crews. (circa July 1951)


FEAF BOMBER COMMAND, JAPAN -- As the words informing the world of the truce being signed in Korea reached the ears of military personnel in Korea and Japan, emotions were expressed in a variety of ways. (circa July 1953)


FEAF BOMBER COMMAND, JAPAN -- A/2C Kenneth W. Roberts, of Weitchpee, Calif., assigned to the Japan-based 98th Bomb Wing, checks his trio of .50 caliber tail-stingers before another mission over North Korea in his U.S. Air Force B-29 "Superfort". When his aircraft enters Red territory, Roberts" eyes are vitally important. Sitting in the solitary tail compartment, 25 feet from the nearest crew member, he constantly scans the inky blackness for enemy fighters, Airman Roberts has flown 18 combat missions against enemy targets, and has been awarded the Air Medal, the UN Medal, and the Korean Medal. (circa March 1953)


FIFTH AIR FORCE, KOREA -- Six gunners join hands as a part of 17th Bomb Wing night interdiction teams in Korea. (circa September 1952)


Aboard a C-124 "Globemaster" en route to Japan from Calcutta, India, A/1C Charles G. Campbell, Detroit, Mich., tries on the cap of an Indian paratrooper for size. These Indian troops will be taken from southern Japan to the demilitarized zone of Korea where they will serve under the prisoner of war Repatriation Commission. (September 28, 1953)


Ignoring a Korean snow storm, two ground crew members of the 3rd Bomb Wing work on an engine of a U.S. Air Force B-26 Night Intruder. These light bombers, carrying out "Operation Strangle," hit Communist troop supply lines every night in all kinds of weather. Armed with tons of bombs and ammunition, attacking visually or by radar, the twin engined B-26s have taken a heavy toll of enemy rolling stock since the 3rd Bomb Wing entered the war in June 1950. (circa January 1952)


BITTER COLD, BITTER FIGHT. While units of the U.S. Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command made an all out effort to aid embattled units of the First Marine Division and Seventh Infantry Division, the men fighting in Korea were trying desperately to link up in thier battle for survival. These Marines are shown moving on to the link-up point. Wet, stinging snow and ice made the operation the most difficult sort, as unleashed hordes of Communist troops charge again and again into the United Nations forces. (circa December 1950)


RETURN AT DAWN. T/Sgt. Charles W. Ledbetter, 705 East Stewart Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, is shown as he returned shortly after daybreak from a pre-dawn strike against Communist troop and supply lines. Assigned to the 3rd Bomb Wing, Sgt. Ledbetter has flown 25 night missions as engineer-gunner in Fifth Air Force B-26 light bombers. (circa July 1951)


Bombs fall on Communist hordes in North Korea as mighty bombers of the U.S. Far East Air Forces Bomber Command unleash another of their concentrated attacks on the enemy's supply centers. These bombers are carrying the brunt of the strategic bombing offensive to the Communists. These are B-29 Superfortresses, famous for their remarkable results in the Korean fighting. (January 30, 1951)


U.S. Air Force B-26 (Invader) light bombers release quarter ton demolition bombs in a strike. The B-26 has been in action against the North Korean and Chinese Communist forces since the out break of Korean hostilities. (circa October 18, 1951)


B-29s of the U.S. Far East Air Forces speed to dump tons of bombs on the Chinese Red's military targets. In round-the-clock attacks, these bombers are carrying the bittter taste of war home to the Communist hordes. (circa January 1951)


This unusual photograph was snapped a split second after two napalm fire bombs were released over North Korea, from shackles underneath the wing of an F-51 "Mustang" of the Fifth Air Force's veteran 18th Fighter Bomber Wing. The bomb nearest camera plummets earthward head first, while the other retains its horizontal position. A sister plane at far left will follow up with the same type of destructive missles on this industrial military target in Communist hands. (circa August 1951)


Torrential rains in North Korea which have turned creeks and tributaries into swollen flood waters pose no particular stoppage problem to the operations of tactical Fifth Air Force fighter bombers. A pair of sleek, sturdy F-51 "Mustangs" of the 18th Fighter Bomber Wing cross this swollen stream with complete indifference as they head toward their target to spew destruction on Communist military objectives with their heavy armament loads of rockets, napalm, bombs, and machine gun fire. (circa August 1951)


Fifth Air Force, Korea -- Keeping a wary eye open for Russian-built MIG-15s, the pilots of these U.S. Air Force F-86 "Sabre" jets of the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing patrol the skies high over North Korea protecting fighter bomber operations. Pilots of the 51st FI Wing have shot down more than 145 MIGs, probably destroyed more than 15 and damaged more than 170 others. (circa November 1952)


NAPALM CARRIER -- One hundred and fifty gallons of flaming death, seventy five gallons of napalm in each of the dark colored wing tanks, speeds on its way toward enemy lines in Korea through courtesy of an F-80 jet fighter of the U.S. Far East Air Forces. Both tanks are armed with detonators that will explode the jelly-like gasoline substance into a roaring inferno of death over a vast area the instant they touch the ground. Napalm has been used with great success by the U.S. Air Force against enemy tanks, troops, military installations, and convoys because of its intense heat and becasue it is extremely hard to extinguish. (circa January 2, 1951)


A giant transport of the U.S. Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command roars in for a landing at an advanced airfield somewhere in Korea. This plane carries a load of seven and a half tons -- 15,000 pounds. It has just returned from dropping critically needed supplies to outnumbered American troops on the battle lines. The rear doors were taken off the transport prior to the mission in order that the supplies could be rapidly dropped within a small area. This plane is the famous C-119 Flying Boxcar, proven and tested in the Korean conflict with an enviable record that will be difficult to equal. (circa February 1, 1951)


This B-26 is going hunting, and is well prepared to accommodate any Korean Communist enemy game in whatever manner it may be found. For a troop concentration, dug in positions, bivouac area, a battery of hard hitting .50 caliber machine guns is ready; for a tank, locomotive, bridge or tunnel, a cluster of high velocity 5-inch rockets, and for vehicles, storage dumps, fuel and supply caches, barracks, warehouses, gun emplacements, rolling stock and dozens of other enemy targets, two deadly tanks of napalm and a number of high explosive bombs are available. Provisions for enemy aircraft are not neglected, as evidenced by the twin fifties pointing skyward. This Far East Air Forces 3rd Bomb Group B-26 light bomber represents a truly formidable "huntsman." (circa February 1951)


View of RB-29 of the 31st Reconnaissance Squadron, somewhere over Korea. (circa July 1952)


This is the Lockheed F-80C, one of the planes used for photo reconnaissance work in Korea. (circa June 1954)


Bombs Away -- This Fifth Air Force B-26 Invader of the 452nd Bombardment Wing drops its load of general purpose bombs on a vital Communist target in North Korea. Continued interdiction bombing of enemy supply centers, troop concentrations and communication lines is depriving the Communist troops of sorely needed war supplies. (circa May 29, 1951)


Not the most ideal taxi way, but still not enough of a hazard to stop operations is this miniature lake formed by torrential Korean rains. A United States Air Force F-51 "Mustang" of the veteran 18th Fighter Bomber Wing plows through the water towards take-off position, heavily armed with bombs and rockets and .50 caliber machine gun ammunition. In spite of weather and terrain hazards, strikes by tactical Fifth Air Force aircraft continue on a daily basis against Communist targets a few miles to the North of this advanced air-base. (circa September 1951)


This formation of B-29s is shown flying over enemy territory in Korea. Over twenty-four million pounds of bombs have been dropped from B-29 bomb bays during the months of July and August. (September 6, 1950)


HQ. FEAF, TOKYO -- Pictured here is the Russian-built MIG-15 fighter interceptor which was flown to a U.S. Air Force base at Kimpo near Seoul Monday September 21, by a North Korean officer pilot, in a daring flight to freedom. The flier was interviewed by world-wide press media representatives Tuesday, September 22. The MIG-15 is being studied by U.S. Air Force authorities. (circa September 22, 1953)


U.S AIR FORCE B-26 GETS NEW ENGINE. This B-26 receives a new engine to put it in top shape for further missions against the North Korean Communists. Sgt. Paul Cable (standing) from Gastonio, North Carolina, and Corporal Arthur Beauregard, from Danoby (Danby?), Vermont, recondition this U.S. Air Force plane. (circa September 6, 1950)


CAMERA TRI-POD, JET PROPELLED. Cameramen mount a giant aerial camera in the nose of a speedy but otherwise unarmed U.S. Air Force jet fighter for a reconnaissance mission over communist North Korea. T/Sgt. Harry M. Hanst, 29, of 6512 Ventnor Avenue, Ventnor City, New Jersey and Cpl. Peter E. Grant, 21, 130 South First Street, Perth Amboy, New Jersey are the technicians installing the important "weapon." (circa August 1950)


BOMBS TAKE A BACK SEAT -- MECHANICS COME FIRST. The No. 1 job of the Superfort units in the Far East Air Forces, is to put bombs on North Korean targets, but before that can be done the mechanics must have the B-29's in top mechanical condition. That's why these bombs at Okinawa wait on the work of the mechanics, T/Sgt. Luther C. Spencer of Harlington, Texas, and Pfc. John E. Semosky of Leckrone, Pennsylvania. (circa October 5, 1950)


Cpl. John J. Green, 19, mechanic from Eugene, Oregon, looks into the powerful engine as Cpl. Robert L. Cover, 22, airplane mechanic, of Joplin, Missouri (right) helps from the outside as the two men change a turbo-supercharger on a Boeing B-29 Superfort at an Air Force base in Okinawa, Ryukyu Retto. (circa September 12, 1950)





Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

A Japan-based "Superfort" crew in the last hour of sunlight completes its inspection of emergency equipment. As the darkness falls take-off time comes for another night flight to Korea to strike another high explosive blow against the enemy. (circa September 1952)


Korean War peace talks. Kaesong, Korea. (1951)


General LI-SANG-CHO, one of the representatives of the Communist Forces fighting in Korea, entering the conference room at Kaesong, Korea, where he will meet with UN Forces Representatives to negotiate an Armistice. (1951)


UN correspondents at Kaesong, Korea, covering the Armistice Negotiations between UN Forces Representatives of the Communist Forces fighting in Korea, enjoy refreshments while catching up on their notes during a recess in the conference. (1951)


UN correspondents confer at Armistice Conference site, Kaesong, Korea, prior to start of mornings meeting. Mr. Yong, New China news agency, stands at left foreground. Father O'Conner, National News Catholic news service, stands at right foreground. (1951)


Most Feared Weapon-Prisoner interrogation has determined that napalm bombs are the most feared of all weapons used by the U.S. Far East Air Forces in Korea. Shown is the blast from one of these fire bombs as it begins to envelop a building used as a military barracks by the Communists. The jellied gasoline covers the building and is forced through open windows and doors by the blast. In the upper left of the picture can be seen flames from the first of two napalm tanks dropped by B-26 light bombers on a village used by the enemy in Korea to shelter troops and store supplies. (circa January 1951)


Communist target at Korangpo-ri, Korea, left in smoke and flames after a raid by B-26s of the 452nd Bomb Group. (February 13, 1951)


Dense clouds of smoke from earlier attacks by Fifth Air Force tactical aircraft obscures most of the target area as an F-80 Shooting Star stands on its left wing tip banking sharply to line up another target in its gunsights. (circa June 1951)


Over North Korea -- Bombardiers in B-26s of the Fifth Air Force's 452 Light Bomb Wing used the "Y" in the tracks as an aiming point, and the accuracy of their calculations is attested by these two fiery blossoms of napalm, both directly astride a line filled with enemy railroad cars. The locale of this dramatic photo is a marshalling yard on the main rail line leading south from Wonsan, important East coast port city. (circa April 23, 1951)


Almost 100 locomotives -- vital to the North Korean transportation system -- were destroyed when B-29 Superforts blasted the Northwest Pyongyang marshalling yard and repair center with a 356 ton attack. The maintenance center formerly was one of Korea's largest, handling more than 40 trains a day and with a reconditioning capacity of 16 locomotives. (circa November 9, 1950)


Two Probables. These railroad bridges cross Kum River about 10 miles north of Taejon. On near bridge: left approach out; right line out; direct hit on bridge structure. On far bridge, direct hit. (August 6, 1950)


The tank of napalm dropped by Fifth Air Force B-26 Invader light bombers of the 452nd Bomb Wing (light) on this Red marshalling yard at Masen-ni, North Korea, has blended with a stockpile of supplies on a loading platform to form a fiery inferno. A rocket which completely pierced a boxcar loaded with supplies has set two others ablaze. Other rockets and .50 caliber ammunition has started huge fires in other sections of the railyard. Interdiction strikes like this have kept thousands of tons of enemy supplies from reaching frontline troops. (circa July 11, 1951)


Flames of destruction eat through a concentration of enemy troops on this ridge as the Fifth Air Force B-26 Invader bomber of the 452nd Bombardment Wing pulls away, bomb-bay doors still open, after loosing napalm (jellied gasoline) bombs on the area. Continued bombing of tactical targets such as these in support of United Nations forces is depriving the Communists of sorely needed war equipment in their spring offensive. (circa May 1951)


COSTLY VISIT. Immediate explosion from a direct hit made by a B-26 Invader light bomber on a church containing high explosives for the Communists, is shown in this photo the second after the 452nd Light Bomb Wing's plane had dropped its bombs directly on target. Wonsan harbor on the east coast of Korea is shown in the background, while buildings of the military supply area in the foreground are shown damaged in previous strikes. (circa March 1951)


This dramatic photo of a U.S. Air Force F-80 Shooting Star fighter-bomber has captured the action which occurred May 8 when day-long flights of Fifth Air Force warplanes blasted the Communist two-square mile supply center at Suan in the largest single air strike of the Korean conflict. The storage area, 35 miles southeast of Pyongyang, was smothered with more than 12,000 gallons of napalm dropped by the attacking planes. In this photo a tank of napalm can be seen just after being released. It is below the left wing of the jet. Target for the napalm is a supply building (below plane) and court-yard filled with loaded supply vehicles. Low-level attacks such as these (notice relationship of F-80 to smoke stack at right) makes for accuracy. It also makes it easier for enemy ground fire. Anti-aircraft fire, leaving a faint smoke trail, can be seen flying upward from a Communist sandbagged gun position on the small ridge in the turn of the road. F-86 Sabre jets, flying protective cover for the devastation. (May 8, 1952)


AIR FORCE B-29s STRIKE RAILROAD BRIDGES. Ten tons of bombs from Air Force B-29 Superforts of the FEAF Bomber Command sever these two important railroad bridges near Pakchon, 40 miles north of Pyongyang, in North Korea in an attack made on July 27, 1950. As Captain Meterio Montez of Gardner, Colorado, lead bombardier, released his bombs, the Superforts in the formation did likewise. Montez was in the B-29 piloted by Captain Leslie Westberg, Spokane, Washington. Military supply traffic from North Korea formerly routed over these rail lines to the battle zone will be affected by this phase of the U.S. Air Force's interdiction plan. (July 27, 1950)


This photograph vividly portrays the results of aerial bombing. When bombs from a B-29 formation thundered through this Communist railroad yard at Pyongyang, Korea, N.W., the force of an explosion twisted steel rails like wet spaghetti and tossed this huge gondola into the air and smashed it into a string of box cars. As soon as the Communists repair this yard, photo reconnaissance will again flash the green light and rail cars will dance to the Air Force tune once more. (circa February 1952)


This photograph, taken in Pyongyang, N.W. marshalling yards, Korea, illustrates the aftermath of a bombing raid by B-29s of the Far East Air Force. Wrecked locomotive, twisted trackage, and shattered roundhouse attest to the effectiveness of interdiction. (October 25, 1950)


The Rockets Red Glare -- U.S. Marines launch a 4.5 rocket barrage against the Chinese Communists in the Korean fighting. (circa 1951)


Proof of the havoc wrought by .50 calibre machine guns in F-80 jet fighters is provided by gun cameras which record on film each burst at an enemy target. Sgt. Doyle L. Benfield, Newland, N.C. is shown placing a film magazine in one of the cameras just prior to the plane's take-off. (October 1950)


An unabashed Korean puppy holds his ground in an "eye to eye" encounter with a huge Fifth Air Force aerial camera, one of the "Eyes of the Far East Air Forces". The camera is an Air Force K-19B used by night-flying RB-26 aircraft of the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing to photograph enemy airfields, railroad marshalling yards, bridges, supply dumps and troop movements. (circa June 1951)




Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

Shay,

My Personal "Thanks" for these photos. I have had the honor of flying in the C-46, C-47, C-119 and C-124 when stationed in Korea 50+ years ago.

Once a week as I volunteer at the AF Museum, I spend my time in the gallery with both Korea and Vietnam artifacts .... and find many memories as I walk the floor. Even the A Frame brings back a few.

I alo spent 7 months at a Bomb & Gunnery Range for F-86's.

The pictures were great and again, Thanks, for posting them.

_________________
Jerry
S/Sgt. - USAF Radio Operator '52-'56
C-119 "Flying Boxcar" - Korea & Japan

Volunteer: National Museum of the US Air Force (2007-2016)
LTM 381st Bomb Group Memorial Association

Thanks for posting the pics.

_________________
Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

F-51D "Sexy Sally" was flown by Major Murritt Davis CO of the 39th FIS.
He weas KIA near Pyongyang shortly after the photo was taken.
F-51D s/n 44-74534 FF-534. Both his sons live close by me. BTW the
the F-51 pilot who took the photo was also shot down and killed later this day...Capt John Horn F-51D s/n 44-72734.
and my cousin........
PFC John P. Clark Company D, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division Missing in Action 11-24-1950.

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

wow...

SWEeeeeeeeeeeeet!! thanks for posting the pictures would love to see more photos of the Korea Air War .

_________________
Always Keep Em Flying !

Glen

Lookie Capt Jim! Wham! Wham! ...............................Termights

Awesome! I was just telling my wife that I really need a B-26!