MiG Alley

[Kirk R. Lowry]

Bonjour tous!

The subject of the veracity of claims made by air forces in the Korean War is quite interesting. For years it was accepted that airmen of the USAF sent down quantities of aircraft in the air space of North Korea. Yet we now know that pilots from the Soviet Union made similar claims.

In Soviet MiG-15 Aces of the Korean War by Krylov and Tepsurkaev a total, based on records of official confirmation, of 1025 victories, 574 being F-86s, are noted for losses of 307 aircraft in combat. Whatever the actual number of losses in combat of the F-86 were, certainly, 574 is a number which cannot be reconciled! Yet, the confirmation requirements placed upon the pilots of the Soviet Union were stringent: a pilot would submit a claim for an aerial victory to the regimental commander noting the time, place and details of the attack with supporting statements made by witnesses, gun camera film was examined in great detail to asses the claim, if compiled details so warranted a search party would be sent to find wreckage of the aircraft downed, ultimately the regimental commander determined if the claim was to be confirmed.

Krylov and Tepsurkaev offer a detailed analysis of the problems inherent with the system, and there were many including the limitations of the gun cameras used, yet, political concerns are not thought to have been significant. It would seem that features of the aircraft and the combat were sources for the optimistic nature of the claims. The F-86 was a robust aircraft and the speeds at which combats were fought was great.

The situation for those flying the F-86 were similar and as a result a total of 792 MiG-15s destroyed, as cited by Thompson and McLaren in MiG Alley, is in no way accurate. Whatever was the reality, at least we can now hope to establish a reasonable understanding of what actually happened in the skies over Korea now that sources have become available from Russia. In addition to the previously noted Soviet MiG-15 Aces of the Korean War by Krylov and Tepsurkaev, Air Combat Over the Eastern Front & Korea, a memoir by ace pilot Sergei Kramarenko, offers insight into the war fought by Soviet airmen.

Salut!
Kirk

[Sreiko]

Excellent info Kirk- I did not spot this book before

[James A. Pratt III]

The site Air Combat Information Group deals with Post WW II air combat.