COLD WAR WARRIORS
ZULU ALERT AT FURSTY
by Ford Smart
During the mid-1950s there were a great many Air Force crews that stood silent alert across the borders from the (then) Soviet Union. Their mission - Stand By To Repel An Attack, should one ever come. It was a lonely vigil, with no headlines and very little praise. They were known as the COLD WAR WARRIORS.
I was one of the Cold War Warriors serving with the 36th Fighter Day Wing at Bitburg AB, Germany. The 36th was composed of three squadrons - the 22nd FDS, 23rd FDS, and 53rd PDS. During 1954/1955, we flew the North American F-86F model. Our primary mission was termed "FIGHTER DAY", which simply meant maintaining air superiority over our area of responsibility in West Germany. We sat ZULU ALERT in a 5 and 15 minute status, from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The 36th FDW had no nuke role at the time.Often we would rotate to Furstenfeldbruck AB, near Munich, on a TDY. basis. This brought us much closer (about 5 minutes jet time) to the Soviet Bloc nations of East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Soviet-occupied Austria This was where the MiG threat was the greatest. When scrambled, we would be vectored by GCI into the ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone), a 15-20 mile-wide buffer zone inside West Germany abutting the Soviet dominated countries. Our mission was to intercept incursions from behind the lron Curtain.
Normally we were airborne daily either training or on an actual intercept of a bogie picked up by GCI radar. Many times we flew within sight of various types of MiG aircraft (15s, 17s, etc) at distances of from one to three miles. We just flew side by side, warily eyeballing each other from across our respective sides of the border, waiting for someone to make a move. Actual engagements were rare in this area. Rare yes, but they did occur, with both sides claiming victories. The last one occurred, I believe, during 1954.
As one can imagine, the notorious European weather was a significant factor in the mix. For example, it was quite common for West Germany to be 'socked in'. while the Soviet hases were in the clear. During these weather conditions, the MiGs would often launch what appearred to be a massive attack toward the West. Radar would pick up entire squadrons of MiGs at high altitude and airspeed, dashing direcdy toward the border. This, of course, was designed to initiate our response scrambling everything we had on ZULU ALERT - which we promptly did!
The MiGs would then turn back and return to base, leaving many an F-86 driver sitting high and dry over a solid undercast, with many of our bases 0/0 (WXOFF). The Sabres would usually be low on fuel, and the pilots highly motivated to find someplace to land! It was a critical situation. But fighter pilot ingenuity and skill prevailed (with a little bit of devine guidance, I suspect), and we all landed somewhere safely, usually at Hahn AB, Germany, which sat on a hill, usually above the fog level.
Training and exercises were frequent. Periodically we would go down to Wheelus AB, Libya for qualifying. At Wheelus, we were required to be proficient in air-to-air gunnery, rocket-firing, bombing, and strafing. There was a conventional range inland where we pin-pointed 251b. practice bombs, fired 2.75 inch rockets, and zeroed in on the strafing panels. Air-to-air gunnery was carried out over a Mediterranean Sea water range. We fired .50 calibre that was dye dipped, on a towed target panel. Occasionally we had some air-ground practice at Baumholder, a small range located inside West Germany.
But our true love was combat air maneuvers, or 'rat racing'. The F-86F was a magical bird for 'rat racing'. Daily we patroled the skies over Germany, 'hasseling' with anything that we spotted. In those days our most formidable 'foe' (besides our own "Stick Buddies") were the Canadians in their Sabre Mk 5s and Mk 6s, flying out of Zweibrucken AB, West Germany. Many a tale has been told about these encounters with our brothers from up north - THEY WERE TOUGH!
Exercises for the Cold War Warriors of NATO were constant and continual. Many concentrated on air superiority; others dramatized 'invasion' and support of NATO ground forces and base defense. On one particular base defense exercise, I recall flying 12 missions in one day at Bitburg! The aircraft were 'clean', i.e. no underwing stores or drop tanks. We took off in one aircraft, engaged in a blur of aerial combat, landed and hopped into another waiting Sabre and repeated the scenario. Some missions were as short as 15-30 minutes in length, within 50 miles of Home Plate since we had only internal fuel available.
In December 1956 the 36th FDW mission was diversified and the squadrons dispersed. The 53rd went to Landstuhl AB, while the 22nd and 23rd remained at Bitburg. The mission became that of fighter-bomber in anticipation of the arrival of the North American F-100C Super Sabre, which we subsequently flew on VICTOR ALERT with nukes. But that is another story. The men of the 36th Fighter Wing were some of the original Cold War Warriors, sitting ZULU ALERT in Lockheed F-80s as early as August 1948. Today the 36th is relegated to air base group duties somewhere within PACAF, one of the casualties of the frenzy toward 'leaning down the military'. What a way to end a glorious career!
KOREA
LAND OF THE
MORNING CALM?
by Larry Davis
Forty Five years ago, in June 1995, saw the beginning of three long years of war on a small peninsula jutting from the Asian mainland toward Japan. That country was Korea, a peaceful little nation that never seemed to have a destiny of its own. When World War 2 ended, Korea was occupied by troops of both the Soviet Union and the United States. In 1948, the United Nations decreed that Korea be unified under its own government, with both occupation armies leaving as soon as elections were held. The elections were held, but only south of the 38th Parallel. The Communists didn't want to take a chance on losing their portion of Korea, north of the 38th Parallel. The 38th Parallel became a dividing line between the (now) two Koreas.
Both sides wanted to unite Korea under one flag. South Korea, being a free democratic nation, wanted negotiations and free elections - the UN policy. The North, being forcefed the communist manifesto from Moscow and Peking, was adamant not to let that happen. Their goal was re-unification too - under communist rule. And they began building an army that would do just that by military means.At 0400 hours on 25 June 1950, almost one year to the day after the withdrawal of US troops from South Korea, North Korean tanks crossed the border into South Korea There wasn't a whole lot that South Korea could do to stop the communist takeover. The South Korean Army wasn't much more than a police force, with no tanks or heavy artillery. They had virtually ro air force at all, with only a dozen light Piper Cub types, and three T-6 Texan trainers.
The North Korean invasion went unchecked, and the heavy tank spearhead rolled into the capitol city of Seoul. When news of the invasion reached President Truman in Washington, he had only one thought, the safe evacuation of US citizens in South Korea. President Truman ordered the Far East Air and Naval Forces (FEAF and NAVFE) to begin the evacuation as soon as Possible. When FEAF C-54s touched down at Kimpo AB in the morning of the 25th, it was the first US reply to the invasion. it wouldn't be the last.
Although North Korean Air Force (NKAF) Yaks destroyed a FEAF C-54 at Kimpo, the evacuation was completely successful. But the North Korean tanks rolled on. Early in July, the first US ground troops deployed to Korea. But the rust of occupational duty in Japan, plus a lack of intelligence regarding the strength of the North Korean Army, took its toll andTask Force Smith was wiped out By September, the UN forces were holed up in extreme southeastern Korea, around the port city of Pusan. It was known as the Pusan Pocket
Here the line held. With US airpower blunting the Red tank spearhead, US Army and Marine troops held a line along the Naktong River.. General Douglas MacArthur now began thinking of retaking South Korea. MacArthur gambled that the Red advance left their rear completely unprotected. He was right! On 15 September US Marines landed at Inchon, deep in the rear of the Red advance. The next morning elements of the US 8th Army broke out from the Pusan Pocket. The Red armies, caught by surprise, were cut off from their supplies and reinforcements. FEAF and Navy fighter-bombers swept the roads clean of North Korean tanks and troops attempting to escape. Seoul was retaken on 28 September, and the invasion forces linked up with the advancing 8th Army a couple of days later.
Now it was the UNs turn to reunite Korea. A week into October 1950, UN forces crossed the old border at the 38th Parallel and began advancing north. The North Korean Army had been decimated during the invasion and subsequent encirclement by UN forces. UN airpower had literally destroyed the North Korean heavy tank force. Nothing was in the way of a UN victory. Or so it seemed.
Late in October a new element entered. Fresh troops began to appear. And these fresh troops were NOT Korean, they were Chinese volunteers. The UN forces continued their advance north. On 19 October the North Korean capital of Pyongyang fell. US troops of the 7th Division were soon overlooking the Yalu River near Hysanjin. They would be the only UN forces to actually look across the Yalu.
The UN forces had split during the advance. A mountain range lay between the US 8th Army on the west coast, and the 10th Corps, including the 1st Marine Division, on the east coast. In these mountains the Chinese were assembling - hiding during the day and silently moving into position at night. On 26 November they attacked! Half of the Chinese forces, 250,000 men, attacked the positions held by the 8th Army. The other half attacked the 10th Corps.
The Chinese 9th Army, totaling well over 100,000 men, cut off the 1st Marine Division at the Chosin Reservoir. It was during these attacks that the term 'horde' was born. "Boy, what a night!", the Marine told the reporter, "I killed 2 or 3 hordes!" The Marines were cut off and surrounded. Only gallant fighting, the will to survive, and some timely air drops by Air Force cargo planes, allowed the Marines to escape the trap.
The Chinese advanced back down the peninsula, recrossed the 38th Parallel, retaking Seoul and Kimpo in early January 1951, before finally being halted on 25 January south of Suwon. The UN troops held and slowly began retaking what they had lost the last two months. By early April, UN forces were again across the 38th Parallel. The line stabilized in this area, remaining so the rest of the conflict
. Throughout the war, the air over Korea was controlled by UN air forces, mainly US fighters and bombers. FEAF at first ruled the skies with F-80 Shooting Stars, which kept the NKAF grounded. The NKAF Yak was a good match for FEAF and NAVFE propeller aircraft, but no match for the F-80 jets. The Chinese intervention in November 1950 brought with it the Soviet MiG-15 jet fighter.
At first the MiGs were flown by Soviet pilots, who quickly gained air superiority. Had the MiGs been deployed further into North Korean as the Chinese ground troops advanced, it would have made the retaking of South Korea much more difficult, But they weren't, instead they were launched from Red bases safely across the Yalu River. They made life miserable for F-80 and B-29 crews operating anywhere near the Yalu. But as soon as the MiG made an appearance in the Korean skies,FEAF requested the latest, and best, fighter be sent to Korea - the F-86. For slightly more than a month, the Red air forces had air superiority over Korea. By mid-December F-86As from the 4th Fighter Interceptor Group were flying missions against the MiG threat. As quickly as they had gained it, the Reds lost air superiority. The MiG and the F-86 were a pretty good match in performance. The Sabre was faster, but the MiG was more maneuverable. The American pilots were better trained and more aggressive. But as was shown in Bruce Hinton's account in Sabrejet Classics, vol 3-2, the Red pilot could be quite good.
However, despite fighting at great odds (out-numbered and fighting at extreme range, MiG sanctuaries, etc), the F-86s prevailed, regaining air superiority. By the end of the war F-86s had shot down a confirmed 792 MiG-15s, for the loss of only 78 F-86s - a 10-1 ratio. At least 47 Sabre pilots were killed in action, with a further 65 being listed as MIA.
Forty five years ago the Korean War began. It ended three years and one month later. The cost was tremendous. America lost 54,246 young men, including 33,629 killed in action. Well over 100,000 were wounded. South Korea lost an estimated 400,000 men in the struggle to remain free. North Korean and Chinese losses have been set at over 2,000,000. The results of three bloody years of war - South Korea remains today a free nation, albeit under the constant -threat of attack from North Korea.
This year, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War 2, America is finally becoming cognizant of what is known as The Forgotten War. On 27 July 1995 a memorial was unveiled in Washington to express the gratitude of the American and Korean people to the 1,319,000 US servicemen that braved the extreme cold of the Korean winter to stop communist aggression. The Korean War ended in July 1953, not in complete victory as in World War 2, but certainly not in defeat. The UN accomplished its goal - restoring South Korea's freedom. Let us drink a toast to all who served there, and another to those who never came home.
MY FAVORITE F-86L STORY
by Bill Van Dine
As cadets, we were ingrained with certain responses to specific questions, such as the correct answer to the age old question - "What kind of pilot are you?!" I never had the opportunity to answer that question after I graduated from flight training until I met up with the F-86L.
My greatest thrill with the F-86L involved two intertwined sorties with the 13th FIS at Sioux City, Iowa. After I had flown the 86D for five years with the 469th FIS and 26th FIS, I was re-assigned to the 13th FIS at Sioux City. The 13th was scheduled to move to Glasgow, Montana and transition into the McDonnell 101B Voodoo. But when I arrived, the 13th still had their F-86Ls. I was only 25 then, wearing one whist bar. But most of the other young pilots assumed I was reporting directly from Perrin AFB and newly graduated from pilot training.Our squadron comander was LtCol Robert M. Bell. He took me into his office on my second day to discuss my flying experience. During our conversation, I told him about my marksmenship streak of 19 consecutive sorties where I fired on every pass and scored a hit on every pass. I was proud but not bragging. Just about then he poped that timeless question - "How do you rate yourself as a pilot?" I thought for a moment and then answered - "Colonel Bell, you now have the finest F-86D pilot in the Air Force assigned toy your sqauadron!" This response not only caught him off guaard, but also startled him into action. He then asked what size flying boots I wore, and when he heard that his boots were my size, he handed me a spare pair from behind his desk, saying - "Go get yourself a flying suit, helmet, jacket and chute. We're going flying RIGHT NOW!"
I got my equipment and went off to fly my first F-86L. Colonel Bell chased me through the sortie and evaluated my wire recording after landing. It was only a practice mission, but I did manage to bury the dot. And my Instrument approach and landing were good. The only comment I heard from the good Colonel was what I overheard as he passed our Operations Officer folowing the evaluation of my recording. "Call Division and schedulea check pilot for Van Dine as soon as possible." I guess I backed up my boast!
I flew with the check pilot, but we had to land at an alternate field hecause of a snowstorm. We returned the next day and I received my EXPERT dedignation! Such was my introduction to the F-86L It had the updated systems and was equipped with SAGE, but handled the same as the D model. I never truly considered the F-86L to he a different specie.
"POP THE CLUTCH"
by Pat McGirl
This is my favorite Sabre story, and it concerns the F86H model, the last of the 'sports jobs".
It was a cold day at Nellis Air Force Base in January 1959 where I landed during a cross-country trip. I wanted to refuel prior to returning to Van Nuys Airport, California, 'Home Plate' of the 115th TFS/California Air National Guard. The Nellis Line Chief was anxious to get me on my way and asked if he could roll out the air and electric start cart. I told him that I was having a problem with my F-86H accepting air, and I needed three men on each wing to push the bird forward and get it rolling.The Line Chief gave me a very questioning look, sort of a "Who are you kidding Bub?" look. However, after gathering some nearby mechanics, the Chief was ready to comply with my unusual request. Again he looked at me as if I were a little strange. I guaranteed that I would be gone after this unusual ground maneuver. As the Nellis ground troops began pushing me forward, my wingman yelled from his cockpit - "Pop The Clutch!"
I immediately hit the brakes, simultaneously hitting the fuel/air starter switch. low and behold, the beast came to life breathing fire! My wingman started his Sabre in the conventional manner, and we were on our way. To this day I know a Nellis ground crew that hates F-86H pilots. But when I waved, they all laughed, and everyone got a kick out of the gag.
The F-86H was among the greatest of all the Sabre variants. It could give (and has!) the F-16 a 'go' today - with the right driver behind the stick. I flew the F86A, E, F, and H with both the California and Puerto Rico Air National Guards. We picked up several F86Hs from North American Aviafion that had only two to three hundred hours on the airframes. Did they ever fly well! These Hs were definitely some of the best of the "Last Of The Sport Jobs!"
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
by Les Waltman
This event occured in the mid-1950s when I was a member of the 104th Fighter Interceptor Squadron of the Maryland Air National Guard. We flew from Friendship Airport (now Baltimore-Washington International Airport), just to the south of Baltimore. The 121st Fighter Interceptor Wing was made up of squadrons from the Maryland, Delaware, DC, and West Virginia Air National Guards, all of which were equipped with the North American F-86E Sabre.
In those days each unit flew a fairly heavy evening schedule. One of our prime activities was to bounce eveything airborne in our area. On this particluar evening we were trolling along Maryland's eastern shore. I was flying Number Three in a flight of three Sabres. Element lead was another Maryland pilot, Joe Russell, an acknowledged champion of air-to-air tactics. We spotted a two-ship flight of F-86s from the Delaware squadron.Russ commenced his attack on the unsuspecting Maryland Sabres, supported by me in a high position. He was, however, too aggressive in his attack and it looked like he was going to overshoot. I saw him suddenly yank back on the stick, complete what certainly looked like a one-turn spin, and drop neatly into the 6 o'clock position, and within range of his target - the Maryland ANG Leader. Somewhat in awe at the extraordinary tactics employed by his attacker, the Maryland Flight Leader voiced over the radio, "What am I supposed to do now?!"
I quietly replied through my mask mike - "APPLAUD!"