The US entered the Korean war with what was basically a WWII arsenal of equipment, both for land forces and in the air. Initially this worked quite well as the smaller North Korean Air Force was equipped with Soviet piston engine fighters and attack aircraft, such as the La-11 and the IL-10. It wasn't long before the surprised and overwhelmed UN forces were pushed back. Thanks to McArthur's bold landing at Inchon, the tide turned and the North Koreans were pushed back towards the Chinese border.

During all this time, the USAF waged a strategic bombing campaign against North Korean infrastructure, basically destroying what little manufacturing the north had alone with dropping bridges and dealing with rail yards. The main player in this campaign were B-29s operating from Okinawa. Then things changed. China and the Soviet Union got into the act. The Chinese sent tens of thousands of troops across the border, while the Soviets sent not only replacement aircraft for the North Koreans (which were now based in China), but also Soviet MiG-15 units to Chinese bases in the general area. Their aircraft were repainted in North Korean markings, but the pilots were highly experienced pilots who had been successful against the Germans in WWII.

The MiG-15s were able to reach the operating altitude of the B-29s and had a heavy enough armament to not only seriously damage the Superfortress, but also knock some from the skies. Of course, this wasn't as simple as it sounds. The B-29 was fairly fast and the MiGs had not only limited fuel but also were lacking initially in decent ground control radar. Thus began a three year battle where the Soviets improved their tactics/equipment and the USAF followed suit with upgraded equipment and changed tactics, that eventually saw most bombing raids in northern North Korea move to night operations. This continued until the end of the war.

It is unusual for many of us to read a book on the Korean war from the Russian side of things. This book does just that. It is obvious from reading the book that the authors have done a lot of research into the subject and they provide a look at this particular aspect of the war from a fairly unique perspective. Some of their commentary and conclusions are different than what western media has been providing for decades about the conflict and I'll leave it up to the reader to reach their own conclusions about these areas. It is quite unusual to me to read phrases about 'our aircraft' when referencing MiG-15s, but I suppose that adds to the interest of the title. One thing I did notice is that the editing seems a bit sloppy in spots as, for instance, I found the same place names spelled in several different ways through the book. The authors also call the Superfortress 'Fortress' and refer to it as a medium bomber. Regardless, this is a very good book full of all sorts of Soviet pilot stories and insights into Soviet operations during the war. I very much enjoyed reading this perspective and I know you will as well.

 September 2024

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