30.01.2010, 21:42
I hate to say it, but Deac is right on most accounts here.
"Control of the skies
As the war in Korea raged, Major Yingling began flying the P-51
Mustang. The single-seat prop fighter entered military service during
World War II and became highly successful as a bomber escort in raids
over Germany. The Mustang also served against Japanese air forces in
the Pacific and began the Korean Conflict as the fighter of choice.
Then the skies over Korea erupted with a new age in airpower as the new
Mikoyan Gurevich 15, or MiG-15, grabbed control of air supremacy in the
region. The MiG-15 was a modern-age jet fighter originally developed in
the Soviet Union, and one of the first jets to successfully use a
swept-wing design. China began receiving the jets in 1950, and it was
Chinese MiG-15s that seized control of the Korean skies during the
conflict. Its superior design, speed and powerful cannons outclassed
all other enemy fighters. Its presence caused a redeployment of United
Nations aircraft in Korea. The U.S. Air Force began utilizing the F-86
Sabres to combat the MiG threat.
As the MiG-15 was changing the skies of aerial warfare, Major Yingling
eventually landed with the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing in Korea - the
last wing flying the P-51s in the war. Because of the MiG presence, all
of the previous P-51 units had been pulled out and replaced with jets
like the F-86 Sabre. By the end of the war, the Sabres racked up an
impressive 10-1 aerial kill ratio versus the MiG. The P-51's role was
also changed to focus on missions like providing downed pilot air cover
and bombing.
It was on a routine bombing mission that the major made history.
The flight of Miss Dee
One early morning in late May of 1952, then-1st Lt. Yingling climbed
into his P-51, "Miss Dee," - named after his wife - and
prepared for take off. At 8 a.m., a dozen Mustangs lifted off and began
their aerial trek north.
After two hours at 14,000 feet, the fighters reached their target -
the rail lines below the Yalu River, which separates North Korea and
China. Major Yingling had never been this deep in enemy territory
before.
According to the major, they usually dive bombed their targets from
4,000 to 5,000 feet at speeds of more than 300 miles per hour. This run
was different, and as "Miss Dee" roared downward, his speedometer
raced up to 400 miles per hour.
Keeping a critical eye on his speed, he swooped in and Miss Dee dropped
her 500-pound bomb payload over the target. Fire and smoke erupted
across the ground. The major quickly scanned his speed indicator before
jerking his head around to visually confirm the target's hit as he
began cruising skyward.
As he swung his gaze back forward, he noticed a "specter" in the
sky ahead of him. A second later the specter materialized. It was a
MiG-15 and they were flying straight at each other - head-on like two
aerial gunslingers.
A shockwave washed over Major Yinging and he breathed, "Oh my God."
His training kicked in and his steely grip pulled "Miss Dee's"
sights up onto the MiG. Still head-to-head, he squeezed the trigger and
sent a burst of cannon fire toward the enemy fighter - tracer rounds
slicing through the MiG's airframe.
Making a quick acrobatic maneuver, "Miss Dee" barely screamed past
the MiG at 5,000 feet, so close that the major could see the
"ruddy" face of the pilot. He quickly peeled away and ran south.
Major Yingling's wingman saw the MiG pilot bail out of his crippled
aircraft - confirming the aerial kill.
As quickly as it started, it was over. The whole dog fight lasted a few
seconds. Mustangs don't shoot down MiGs - he had done the
impossible.
"It felt like sheer elation," he said. "It was the highlight of
my career."
After Major Yingling returned from the mission, recognition of his
victory was slow coming. In fact, he said 5th Air Force didn't
recognize the aerial kill for two months. Officials took the gun camera
film and evaluated it, because common knowledge said that Mustangs
don't shoot down MiGs. They assumed it must have been one of the
F-86s, but they were cruising high above at 16,000 feet.
Once the kill was confirmed, his aerial victory was still kept quiet.
It was decided that this would be bad publicity for the "MiG
Killers" - the F-86s, the major said. Also, the intelligence
community wanted him to stay quiet about the "ruddy" faced pilot
he'd seen. The Chinese were supposedly the only air force flying the
MiGs over Korea, but Chinese pilots don't have "ruddy" faces.
Russian pilots do - which would have been volatile information about
Russia's support during the conflict.
Nonetheless, Major Yingling's quick-thinking combat skills eventually
resulted in him being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his
one and only aerial kill."
"Control of the skies
As the war in Korea raged, Major Yingling began flying the P-51
Mustang. The single-seat prop fighter entered military service during
World War II and became highly successful as a bomber escort in raids
over Germany. The Mustang also served against Japanese air forces in
the Pacific and began the Korean Conflict as the fighter of choice.
Then the skies over Korea erupted with a new age in airpower as the new
Mikoyan Gurevich 15, or MiG-15, grabbed control of air supremacy in the
region. The MiG-15 was a modern-age jet fighter originally developed in
the Soviet Union, and one of the first jets to successfully use a
swept-wing design. China began receiving the jets in 1950, and it was
Chinese MiG-15s that seized control of the Korean skies during the
conflict. Its superior design, speed and powerful cannons outclassed
all other enemy fighters. Its presence caused a redeployment of United
Nations aircraft in Korea. The U.S. Air Force began utilizing the F-86
Sabres to combat the MiG threat.
As the MiG-15 was changing the skies of aerial warfare, Major Yingling
eventually landed with the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing in Korea - the
last wing flying the P-51s in the war. Because of the MiG presence, all
of the previous P-51 units had been pulled out and replaced with jets
like the F-86 Sabre. By the end of the war, the Sabres racked up an
impressive 10-1 aerial kill ratio versus the MiG. The P-51's role was
also changed to focus on missions like providing downed pilot air cover
and bombing.
It was on a routine bombing mission that the major made history.
The flight of Miss Dee
One early morning in late May of 1952, then-1st Lt. Yingling climbed
into his P-51, "Miss Dee," - named after his wife - and
prepared for take off. At 8 a.m., a dozen Mustangs lifted off and began
their aerial trek north.
After two hours at 14,000 feet, the fighters reached their target -
the rail lines below the Yalu River, which separates North Korea and
China. Major Yingling had never been this deep in enemy territory
before.
According to the major, they usually dive bombed their targets from
4,000 to 5,000 feet at speeds of more than 300 miles per hour. This run
was different, and as "Miss Dee" roared downward, his speedometer
raced up to 400 miles per hour.
Keeping a critical eye on his speed, he swooped in and Miss Dee dropped
her 500-pound bomb payload over the target. Fire and smoke erupted
across the ground. The major quickly scanned his speed indicator before
jerking his head around to visually confirm the target's hit as he
began cruising skyward.
As he swung his gaze back forward, he noticed a "specter" in the
sky ahead of him. A second later the specter materialized. It was a
MiG-15 and they were flying straight at each other - head-on like two
aerial gunslingers.
A shockwave washed over Major Yinging and he breathed, "Oh my God."
His training kicked in and his steely grip pulled "Miss Dee's"
sights up onto the MiG. Still head-to-head, he squeezed the trigger and
sent a burst of cannon fire toward the enemy fighter - tracer rounds
slicing through the MiG's airframe.
Making a quick acrobatic maneuver, "Miss Dee" barely screamed past
the MiG at 5,000 feet, so close that the major could see the
"ruddy" face of the pilot. He quickly peeled away and ran south.
Major Yingling's wingman saw the MiG pilot bail out of his crippled
aircraft - confirming the aerial kill.
As quickly as it started, it was over. The whole dog fight lasted a few
seconds. Mustangs don't shoot down MiGs - he had done the
impossible.
"It felt like sheer elation," he said. "It was the highlight of
my career."
After Major Yingling returned from the mission, recognition of his
victory was slow coming. In fact, he said 5th Air Force didn't
recognize the aerial kill for two months. Officials took the gun camera
film and evaluated it, because common knowledge said that Mustangs
don't shoot down MiGs. They assumed it must have been one of the
F-86s, but they were cruising high above at 16,000 feet.
Once the kill was confirmed, his aerial victory was still kept quiet.
It was decided that this would be bad publicity for the "MiG
Killers" - the F-86s, the major said. Also, the intelligence
community wanted him to stay quiet about the "ruddy" faced pilot
he'd seen. The Chinese were supposedly the only air force flying the
MiGs over Korea, but Chinese pilots don't have "ruddy" faces.
Russian pilots do - which would have been volatile information about
Russia's support during the conflict.
Nonetheless, Major Yingling's quick-thinking combat skills eventually
resulted in him being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his
one and only aerial kill."