AIR TO GROUND IN THE F86A?by Lon Walter
After the Chinese hordes poured across the Yalu river to rescue the defeated North Korean Army in December 1950, Allied forces began a steady retreat. The withdrawal would not end until UN forces finally halted the enemy in early January 1951 on a line running roughly from Osan on the west coast to Kangnung on the east coast. Two major air bases within South Korea had been overrun by the Chinese, these were Kimpo (K-14), near Seoul, and Suwon (K-13).When Kimpo fell, the provisional squadron of F-86A's, which had operated so successfully for a month, was forced to return to Johnson Air Base, near Irumagawa, Japan, the main operating base (MOB) of the Fourth Fighter Wing. No F-86s remained in Korea, and only one air base suitable for F-86 operations was left in friendly hands, Taegu (K-2).
Although Taegu's distance from the Yalu River area made combat air patrol operations in that area impractical, it was decided to conduct limited air-to-ground operations with a small detachment out of K-2. Six Sabres (a mix from each of the three squadrons) began operations in mid-January, and ended in early February. This is the story of one such mission.
The pilots who had flown from Kimpo in December were the most experienced in the 4th Fighter Wing (Arguably, they were the most experienced group of jet pilots in the world.). For the new pilots, such as I, who had just recently gotten their wings, it was a time to build up flying time at Johnson Air Base, but there were virtually no facilities in Japan to conduct live air-to-air or air-to-ground gunnery. When the small detachment went to K-2, all of the youngsters wanted a piece of the action, experience or no!
So I counted myself as one lucky "second balloon" (a term affectionately bestowed upon new second lieutenant pilots) when I found myself at K-2 in the rustic quarters we shared with pilots from the 9th Squadron, 49th Fighter-Bomber Group (Lt. Col. "Squire" Williams, commanding). It was a bitter cold January, and the pot-bellied stove worked overtime to keep our huts livable.
For my first ever combat mission, I drew a flight of four led by Captain Martin C. Johansen, "Joe" to his contemporaries, but "Captain Johansen" to me. I suspect Joe viewed his flight with some trepidation. We were all second lieutenants, and my total F-86 flying time of around 95 hours was typical. None of us had ever fired a gun or shot a rocket from the F-86 (or any other aircraft, for that matter). But our leader briefed the three of us very carefully and went over the cockpit switchology and techniques to be used for the mission.
Captain Johansen's flight consisted of Second Lieutenants Otis P. (Flash) Gordon, Jack Bryant, and yours truly. As best I can recall, I was number four, and flew wing on Flash Gordon. Our aircraft were armed with 1200 rounds of .50 cal API (armor-piercing incendiary in case we attacked a tank), and two 5 inch HVARs (high velocity aircraft rocket). We also carried two 120 gallon droppable external fuel tanks. The only thing I remember having been told about the 5" rockets was that they were very unpredictable, and not to expect to hit anything with great precision (fat chance in any event!).
We were to take off from K-2 and proceed to the Suwon vicinity and contact a "mosquito" forward air controller (a USAF pilot flying a T-6 "Texan" aircraft, sometimes with an Army observer in the rear cockpit). The take-off itself was interesting, because the Taegu runway was PSP (pierced steel planking), which had a tendency to "ripple" as an aircraft rolled along. It was wide enough to support four ship formation take-offs - a rarity then and later.
As we climbed to about 20,000 ft, the flight to Suwon took only a few minutes, and we got a good look at the snowy and mountainous Korean terrain. Captain Johansen soon contacted "Mosquito Poison", who told us that there was a large Chinese force in foxholes on a hillside overlooking the Suwon airbase. Mosquito Poison would mark the target with a "willie pete" (white phosphorus) smoke rocket, and he cleared us to direct our guns and rockets into the vicinity of his rocket impact.
We all saw the rocket smoke, and set up our switches for guns on the first few passes, then rockets when we were low on ammunition. We fell into trail formation and set up a gunnery pattern very much like a small rectangular traffic pattern. For the life of me, I could see no foxholes, and no sign of life on that hillside, but watched our flight leader roll in and fire at the hillside, followed by Jack Bryant and Flash Gordon. I reasoned that as I dived towards the target as Captain Johansen had done, I'd probably be able to make out what it was that I was shooting at. Wrong!
We made about three gunnery passes each, then Captain Joe called for us to set up for the two rocket passes. The first pass went OK, I guess, and once again, all I could say was that we seemed to be hitting the mountainside. As Flash Gordon pulled out of his second rocket pass, Jack Bryant called out, "Look at that! They're coming out of their holes and running up the hill!" Captain Joe acknowledged and said he saw them, too. I still saw nothing but trees, but lined up again on where we had all been shooting, and fired my last rocket. Bryant called, "Good shot, Lon, you hit right in the middle of them". We were out of ammunition now, and Mosquito Poison thanked us for a good job and cleared us to return to base.
En route to Taegu, I had time to reflect on some aspects of the mission. Since it had been the first time I'd ever fired ordnance from an airplane, I really had no concept of judging range, but had simply bored in until I thought I was about at the right distance, then fired. Looking back after many years of experience, I know I must have been far out of range on each pass. The other three "balloons" most likely did the same. But if we were doing such a poor job of shooting, why did the Chinese troops leave their holes to run up the hillside? My guess then, and to this day, is that these troops had never seen an F-86 (and remember, we were carrying 120 gal. underwing fuel tanks), and the only other fighters they had seen carrying underwing tanks were F-80s and F-84s, which carried napalm in underwing tanks. They probably figured these strange looking fighters with swept wings had just about finished with their guns and rockets, and were about to drop napalm. They hated napalm, of course, and panic set in.
As we debriefed our mission back at Taegu, an intelligence specialist came into the debriefing room waving a piece of paper. "You guys must have really done a job! The mosquito pilot called back an estimate of 200+ enemy troops KBA (killed by air)." I was astounded, but gratified that we had done our job well.
I flew only four more missions out of Taegu, and the entire detachment was recalled to Johnson AB. The F-86A obviously was not suited for the fighter-bomber role, but perhaps our few missions resulted in lessons which were used to design and build the excellent F-86F and F-86H fighter-bombers. In a few short weeks, the 4th Fighter would be flying out of Suwon, this time in the air-to air role again, and I often wondered if there were any signs of our ground attack in the nearby hills, but I never got an opportunity to look into it.
LOBSTER RUN
by Charles Tad' Foran
The Texas ANG began standing air defense strip alert on a 24 hour basis in early 1957, using Lockheed F-80C Shooting Stars. We switched to F-86Ds in late 1957. The F-86D was fast and had about 1+15 hours of fuel if the afterburner was only used on takeoff. Doing acrobatics screwed up the radar, but we did quite a bit of 'rat racing' after we had engaged our 'designated' target and were on the way home.The electronic fuel control system was very sophisticated for the time, and when all the vacuum tubes were up to snuff, the thing worked very well. When things were up to snuff? But that was not always the case. Often something would go 'ALPHA SIERRA', and selecting the emergency fuel control switch was a good idea - ASAP! It got to be such a common occurrence that they changed the switch label from EMERGENCY to ALTERNATE!
We used to make 'lobster runs' from Dallas to Naval Air Station Brunswick in Maine. One of our pilots was going to medical school in Dallas, and his mom lived near NAS Brunswick. We'd get a flight together and go to Maine, spending the weekend on the Atlantic coast. Then we'd load up with lobsters and head back home to Dallas.
The routine was to lower the rocket tray and stuff 'chicken lobsters' (these are about 1.5 lbs each) into the 2.75" rocket tubes, using a broom handle to poke the little beggars down the tubes. We had 24 tubes, and each tube would hold 4 feet of lobsters, stuffed nose to tail.
We'd refuel in Illinois, making an 'Indy 500' type of refueling, i.e. using the center point fuel inlet while a clerk handed a previously completed flight plan up into the cockpit This required some detailed briefing on our first encounter with this base. But once several free lobsters were introduced into the negotiations, things went rather smoothly.
A rapid turn-around was required to keep the lobsters from getting too hot and dried out while sitting on the ramp. The cold and 35,000 foot altitude seemed to keep them in a sort of suspended animation condition - meaning they were still alive onour arrival back in Dallas.
Once parked back at NAS Dallas, our 'home plate', the rocket tray would be extended and the ground cre'ws would start poking lobsters out of the rocket tubes, using a wash tub to catch the little devils as they were extruded from the rear of the rocket tubes. Again, several lobsters were issued to the 'troops' for helping and cleaning the rocket tubes with a soapy brush. They needed a good cleaning to get rid of the fragrant odor of shell fish and associated seaweed and salt water. An 'attrition rate' of about 10% was about the norm for services rendered by various folks before the lobsters were dumped into the boiling water.
We were very popular with our. neighbors and the support troops anytime we made a 'lobster run'
THOSE WERE THE DAYS!!
HOOVER'S BULLSEYE
by Maurice L. Martin
The war in Korea was winding down. A lot of fighting was yet to be done, but you could see a real desire, in both the North and South, to end it. The negotiations at Panmunjom were in full flower, and had been for six months. Our life was quick. Flying F-86Fs in the ground attack role was fun! You took your load North, made the prescribed strike, then hoped to hell you got into a fight with the MiGs before you left the target area. Which seldom happened. The 18th FBG had the 12th and 67th FBS assigned, plus 2 Squadron from South Africa, It was a unique operation in which the South Africans put themselves under US operational control, leased their equipment (the F-86Ps) from the USAF, but furnished their own flight and ground crews. They were a great outfit, dedicated and capable. (No downed South African pilot ever gave in to the Red interrogations.)Enter Bob Hoover
Bob Hoover, a test pilot from North American, was peddling a gadget called the Moving Pipper Target Indicator, a device designed to increase bombing accuracy. It was very effective if one knew the wind direction and speed, plus the target altitude. Bob was convinced (had been?) that this would be helpful in the F-86F ground attack role in Korea. His arrival was a welcome relief from the monthly visits of the headquarters 'weenies' needing a flight to get their combat pay. Our kids looked forward to Hoover's famed demonstration of the F-86 flight envelope. He didn't disappoint! His show was a confidence builder and an eye opener even to me! After all, we knew how to get all their was from an 86!
However, I viewed his sales pitch for the MPT! much more skeptically, finding several holes in the logic behind its design. We seldom knew the winds over the target, and never the target altitude. I suggested strongly that Bob demonstrate his gadget under combat conditions. "Strongly to the point that I wouldn't endorse it unless I saw it in action. He was ecstatic, not having been invited to fly combat before in his role as civilian test pilot (he had an outstanding WW2 record). We selected a flight and suited up. I remember it well. I was Red leader, Bob was #2, Harry "The Horse" Evans was #3 and Elelment lead, and Stan Wells, 2 Squadron CO, was #4. The target was the Haeju Peninsula area for a strike-recce mission (targets of opportunity). After take-off, I shook a tight finger formation into a wide fighting formation, and called for a gun check much to the delight of friend Robert!
Our goals, Bob's and mine, were dissimilar. Mine was to show that his gadget wouldn't work. Bob's were to show that it would. And to have some fun! (Or maybe it was vice versa) With the cloud deck a few thousand feet above us and about 2,000 feet thick, I saw a concrete bridge running east to west below us. My best estimate was some three minutes flying time.
Climbing into the overcast with a careful watch, I broke out on top, defined the target to the flight, called "Tally Ho!", and rolled into the clouds. Red 2 (Bob), in a great agitated Georgian accent, queried, "Red Lead, whar you goin'? Which way you gonna break? What's that target again?" I came barreling through the overcast lined up perfectly with the bridge. Red 2, 3, and 4 were right behind me. Arming my bombs, I centered the pipper, tracked the target, and hit the pickle button. I thought I felt a little 'bump', that one feels as bombs leave the pylons. Breaking smartly left and up, I heard Red 3 report, "Bullseye Red leader!"
With the calm, controlled voice of one trying to pretend he never missed, I responded, "Rog, reform on Red lead." Red 2 again questioned my position and identity, "Whar are you? Waggle yo' wings.", then he joined up with the rest of the formation. Then he said, "Red Lead, waggle yo' wings." Doing so, I heard him say in a small, quiet voice, "Mahtie, you still got yo' bombs." That son-of-a-bitch had hit the target! To my dying day, I will remain convinced he did it with chewing gum on the windscreen. Red leader flew home with a face that has never lost its blush. I understood later that between Mr. Wright, head of engineering at North American, and Bob's insurance company, Bob had a little trouble explaining the flight.
But that was Bob Hoover, up for anything, and the best damn stick-and-rudder man I've ever known. By the way, I never did endorse his damn "Moving Pipper!"
'BUZZ JOB!'
'THE TOUR IS OVER'
by 'Ebe' Ebersone and Hans Degner
On 29 June 1953, Hans and I completed our 101st and 100th missions respectively, marking an end to our combat tours in Korea. We were in the 12th FBS/l8th FBG at K-55 (Osan AB). We had our own pre-mission briefing on what we were going to do upon our return, and a frequency to coordinate our 'homecoming activitiesThis is my recollection of the 'buzz job' that got Hans and I grounded by Col. Marty Martin, 18th FBG CO, which resulted in Dee Harper replacing me on the afternoon mission. I suspect that Dee wishes I hadn't been grounded, as he was shot down, injured his back, shot his way through some North Koreans, and walked to a helicopter that picked him up and brought him home. But I'm stealing his thunder. He'll tell that story (in the next issue).
The mission was a Chodo Alert with four F-86s. I was lead, Lt. Mays was #2, Lt. Degner #3, and Lt. Tinius was #4. It was a routine Chodo Alert mission, nothing happened. If I ever had a 'milk run', that was it. Apparently no one got in trouble and needed our help. My Form 5 shows 1:45 for the flight time, including our post mission activities'.
On our way back from Chodo I sent Mays and Tinius in to land. After they were down, Hans and I went north of K-55, and I requested a "last mission low pass". We were 'cleared as requested', and switched to our 'discrete frequency' to coordinate our pass. Flying north to south,
Hans on my right wing, we straddled the tower at their glass-cab height. We were 'pushing the Mach' at near full throttle! Hans peeled tight to the right, and I broke left We met head-on, each on his right hand side of the runway, about mid-field, did a loop, joined up for a couple of low, fast passes over the maintenance troops, did a victory roll in formation, came In and landed. What could be more fun than that?
Now for the interesting part. When the tower cleared us, they thought we were farther out timewise, than we were. The tower cleared an inbound South African flight, led by Maj. Stan Wells, to land - on 'our' runway! I didn't hear the exchange. Hans and I were lined up on our runway pass when Stan, starting to flare and with throttle in idle, saw me coming at him about 10 feet off the deck. Stan thought he'd misunderstood the runway heading, and started to pour the coal to his bird.
About then Hans roared by on his right wing at the same 10 feet as I was at; Stan chopped the throttle and bounced his bird onto the runway. He told me later that his only thoughts were "You Bloody Tits! What the hell is going on?" His #2 saw all this from short final, and decided the smart thing for him was to go around. About this time I entered my loop, pulling up just to the left of Stan's #3, who was very puzzled as he had heard "Springbok Flight, cleared to land." #3 proceeded to do so, well behind Stan. #4, on his base leg, saw too wild a scene for him, raised his gear, went full throttle, and flew the heck away from the whole fiasco.
Sabres were everywhere, going in all directions, at different speeds, and landing. I think the troops enjoyed the whole scene. But a certain Group CO didn't. Or at least, he couldn't give the impression that he was amused. When I parked my bird, Col. Martin halted his jeep and said, "Major, you're grounded!" I wasn't even out of the cockpit yet, but blurted out something like, "But Marty, I just came from the target area where you and I are going, and 1 think you I should...." He cut me off with a scowl, spoke slowly and distinctly, "Major, you don't hear very well, do you? YOU are gounded!" He shifted the jeep into gear and sped off.
After Col. Martin had a piece of me, I had a short conversauon with Major Wells. Stan was a helluva fighter pilot and combat leader. He'd earned his rank and respect with the South Af Air Force during WW2. He'd also flown F-5lDs with us, converting with us, to the F-86 in Korea. The gist of his conversation was "What the bloody hell was going on out there? I thought some bloody damned Yanks had gone daft! I didn't hear the tower clear you for a last mission pass." He then added, "We jolly well must control ourselves a bit more in the future, shan't we, lest we kill someone!" And with that, he invited me to Rorke's Inn for a drink.
After rotating home, I got a package from Lt Col 'Pappy' Stell, containing Marty's letter of reprimand, my reply by endorsement, and 'Pappys' letter, dated 25 July 1953. It read:
Dear Major Ebersole,
Enclosed you will find some correspondence that you will probably be glad to have. It was planned here to return this to you prior to your leaving, but we slipped up. These letters were given to you originally to avert an outbreak of incidents of this nature, that may not have been so capably handled as you and Lt Degner did.
Please do not feel jolted by paragraph 3* as all is forgiven here. Good luck to you in your new assignment and let us hear from you.
Sincerely,
Glenn Stell. Commander* in paragraph 3 Col. Martin had written:
"Field grade officers are looked upon by junior officers as leaders. The act you committed indicates that you are a failure as a leader. Also, you failed your squadron and group commanders."On the original letter, Marty had lined out 'are a failure as a leader2, and had pencilled in "you failed in this instance", and left the typed 'as a leader'. A couple of years ago I wrote Hans and asked if this was the way he recalled the events. Hans added that my account of the 'homecoming activities' sounded good to him. He was thankful that he did the buzz job with a 'major', or his punishment would have been more severe. His paperwork was also returned to him back in states. Had it not, his 34 year career with American would not have been. So ends the story of the 'BUZZ JOB'. Hope you all liked it.