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C47

The navigator of an F-82 Twin Mustang describes the first air-to-air victory of the Korean War

by Till Daisd March 8, 2023

“Our first burst hit the rear of the fuselage and knocked some pieces off. The Yak pilot racked it over in a steep turn to the right and we gave him another burst along the right wing…,” 1st Lt C. Fraser, F-82 Twin Mustang navigator.

The US Air Force’s last major acquisition of a propeller-driven fighter was the F-82. Although it appeared to be two P-51 Mustang fuselages on one wing, the aircraft was actually entirely original in design. For long-range bomber escort missions, the Twin Mustang carried a pilot and a co-pilot/navigator to lessen pilot fatigue. Early 1946 saw the start of production delivery, which was too late to prevent World War II. Following World War II, the P-61 night fighter was replaced by radar-equipped F-82Gs flown by Air Defense Command. F-82Gs based in Japan were among the first USAF aircraft to fly over Korea during the Korean War.

The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) lines around Seoul were breached by the North Korean Army (KPA) on June 27, 1950, and the Korea People’s Army Air Force (KPAAF) focused on targets in the ROKA rear areas.

The Anyang rail station and other military sites were attacked by KPAAF Il-10s between Seoul and Suwon, as detailed by Michael Napier in his book Korean Air War. The US military had already realized that Seoul would fall sooner rather than later and an emergency air evacuation had been quickly arranged for all remaining US and UN personnel. A fleet of two C-54 and 11 Douglas C-47 Skytrain transports was assembled together from disparate units in Japan to extract the remaining personnel from Kimpo Air Base, starting at dawn. Under a high cover of F-80s, F-82s heavily escorted the transport aircraft.

When the KPAAF focused on other targets in the morning, the US mission was unhindered. But, in the afternoon, a Yak-11 led four Yak-9Ps to interfere with the evacuation airlift. The KPAAF fighters had to pass through the F-82 Combat Air Patrol (CAP) in order to get to the transport aircraft.

They dove into the four F-82s of the 68th Fighter (All-Weather) Squadrons (68th F(AW)S), which were the low CAP at 4,000 feet, as they crossed Seoul at a height of 10,000 feet. The USAF crews managed to turn the tables despite being caught off guard and taking several hits. Soon after, the Yak-11 was shot down by 1st Lts W. G. Hudson and C. Fraser, becoming the first air-to-air casualty of the Korean War.

F-82 Twin Mustang navigator explains how he and his pilot scored the first air-to-air victory of the Korean War

Fraser recalls;

‘We were circling over Kimpo when two North Korean fighters came up out of some low clouds and started after Charlie Moran and Fred Larkins, who were flying the Number Four ship in our flight. The North Korean shooting was a little better than yesterday and they shot up Charlie’s tail. My pilot ‘Skeeter’ Hudson slipped around and got on the tail of their flight leader. When the guy realized that we were there, he pulled up into some clouds and tried to shake us off. Fortunately, we were so close that we could see him even in the middle of the clouds. Our first burst hit the rear of the fuselage and knocked some pieces off. The Yak pilot racked it over in a steep turn to the right and we gave him another burst along the right wing. This set the gas tank on fire and took the right flap and aileron off. By this time, we were so close that we nearly collided with him. I could clearly see the pilot turn around and say something to the observer. Then he pulled the canopy back and climbed onto the wing. Once again, he leaned in and said something to the observer. But he was either scared or wounded as he never attempted to jump. The Yak pilot pulled the ripcord and the chute dragged him off the wing, just before the ship rolled over and went in. The whole action took place below 1,000 ft. Later we found that Moran had evaded the Yak, but in doing so he had stalled out. When he recovered, he found himself dead astern of the other Yak and shot it down.’

Due to severe damage, Lt C. B. Moran and Lt F. Larkins’ F-82 had to make a forced landing at Suwon (K-13).

A second Yak-9P was taken out by reinforcements from the 339th F(AW)S who were on a nearby patrol. An hour later, a formation of nine Yonpo Il-10s launched another attack on the Kimpo airfield. Four F-80s from the 35th Fighter Bomber Squadron (FBS) intercepted the Il-10s as they reached their target, though, and shot down four of them while seriously damaging another. The remaining members of the formation dispersed into the sky and went back to their homes.

Korean Air War is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Rob Hodgkins via Wikipedia

March 8, 2023 0 comment

Israeli Air Force First Aerial Victories 1170x585 1

History

Israel Air Force’s first two unrealized aerial victories

by Till Daisd September 13, 2022

written by Till Daisd

On June 3, 1948, the Israeli Air Force won its first two aerial battles, according to popular opinion. However, that day no aircraft was shot down

The first two aerial victories for the Israeli Air Force/Defence Force (IDF/AF), which was then in its early stages, are commonly regarded as having occurred on June 3, 1948. ‘Everybody knows’ – and this is a ‘matter of fact’ that’s so firmly and widely accepted that it must be ‘beyond any doubt’ – that on that day Mordechai ‘Modi’ Alon has ‘shot down’ two Douglas C-47 Dakotas of the Royal Egyptian Air Force (REAF) over Tel Aviv.

This is not only a ‘claim’: it’s ‘confirmed’ by the ‘legendary’ photo attached to this post. Or isn’t it?

The IDF/AF have acknowledged it formally, and it has been recorded in history as such. It makes little difference that the Israelis never disclosed any gun-camera images or wreckage images, that there are no reports of any captured or slain Egyptian crew members, or that there is any other type of proof — “facts” — supporting the two in dispute allegations.

Actually, the only thing that is “beyond any doubt” in this situation is that Alon attacked a formation of two REAF C-47s that were being escorted by a pair of REAF Spitfires while flying a single Avia S.199 (a Czechoslovak-made variant of the Messerschmitt Bf.109G).

How is that? The two C-47s in question were altered to accommodate the addition of bomb shackles beneath their fuselages. And in revenge for an earlier Israeli bombardment of Amman, they bombed Tel Aviv (the capital of what was then Transjordan).

Alon approached near enough to start firing by taking advantage of the two Egyptian Spitfires’ low flight speed (they had to fly slowly since C-47s couldn’t fly much faster). Surprisingly, he damaged one of the two C-47s before disengaging instead of shooting off his propeller (which happened frequently enough with Israeli S-199s).

The Dakota’s crew was required to do an emergency landing on a beach close to Isdud. A day or two later, it flew the aircraft back to Egypt after having it repaired.

What happened to the other C-47? Nothing. It returned to Almazza AB, near Cairo. Namely, no C-47s were ‘shot down’ in this clash.

In other words, it is a myth that Modi Alon shot down two Egyptian C-47 Dakotas over Tel Aviv on June 3, 1948. The truth is that during that battle, just one of the Egyptian Dakotas sustained damage.

…and the photo supposedly shows ‘Alon pursuing’ or ‘shooting down an Egyptian Dakota over Tel Aviv’?

It’s actually showing one of REAF C-47s escorted by one of REAF’s Spits. How comes this is ‘facts’?

Since it was translated from the operational diary of what was then known as the “Tactical Air Force,” it reads: “REAF’s units forward deployed at el-Arish AB, in Egypt’s Sinai.”

The Story of Israeli Air Force First Two Aerial Victories that Never Were

Photo by Bukvoed via Wikipedia

September 13, 2022 0 comment

History

When the BEA C-47 that crashed onto the roof of a house near Northolt Airport

by Till Daisd February 18, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The house was re-christened ‘Dakota’s Rest!’

Bill Innes, a retired airline pilot with more than 40 years of flying experience, had the seemingly impossible dream of becoming a pilot as a young boy growing up in the Outer Hebrides. His book Flight from the Croft tells how that dream came to pass.

After gaining his RAF wings in Canada, Innes started to learn his trade by flying pre-war C-47 Dakotas for British European Airways (BEA) around the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

According to Innes, the C-47’s durability throughout the war saved many airmen’s lives. It is effectively demonstrated by a remarkable incident that took place on December 14, 1946. BEA’s services between Northolt and Scotland were initially run by Railway Air Services in collaboration with Scottish Airways when it became a crown corporation on August 1 of that year.

The Dakota G-AGZA was scheduled to fly to Glasgow on the day in question under the leadership of Captain W.J. Johnson, with co-pilot “Bing” Crosby, radio officer Hugh Murdoch, and Robina “Bobbie” Christie, Scottish Airways’ first stewardess. All passengers had been discouraged by the blizzard, which also prevented landings, with the exception of John Livingstone, a staff member who had work in Glasgow waiting for him.

The aircraft had been cleared of snow and ice, but as they taxied out, the temperature dropped again, and the longer they waited to take off, the more snow may have frozen onto the wings. The direction of departure was to the east, and it was soon apparent that ZA was having difficulty ascending. It swung to the left and came to rest perched precariously on the ruins of the roof of the nearby 46 Angus Drive after colliding with the roof of a new semi-detached house with its port wing.

The Rooftop Dakota: the story of the BEA C-47 that crashed onto the roof of a house near Northolt Airport — *Flight from the Croft is published by Whittles Publishing and is available to order here.*

When the radio officer and the stewardess moved to the back to try to unlock the passenger door, ZA started to lean. They hastily abandoned that plan and instead escaped through the emergency windows above the wing. From there, they navigated the wreckage of the loft before descending the stairs and leaving by the front door.

Surprisingly, no one was harmed. Mr. and Mrs. Levene, a newlywed couple, had not yet moved in, so the home itself was vacant. Despite ZA’s load of aviation gasoline, the Northolt fire crew responded quickly to put out any raging fires. A four-month-old infant was unharmed and is thought to have slept through the commotion in the upstairs bedroom of Number 44.

The most incredible escape, however, was made by Radio Officer Hugh Murdoch. He had a bad habit of standing between the pilot seats during takeoff to look out the windshield on those more laid-back occasions. Not only did he escape the collision unharmed, but when he turned to check at his own seat, a port propeller blade was poking through. It is quite improbable that he would have lived if he had been restrained as required by the rules.

Despite holding a senior training position in BEA, Captain Johnson continued to be referred to as “Rooftops” Johnson for the remainder of his professional life. Even when repairs were finished in six months, oil stains kept resurfacing in the ceilings for the following 10 years, suggesting that the removal of ZA may have caused more damage than the collision itself. The residence was given the new name “Dakota’s Rest”!

Photo by Whittles Publishing

February 18, 2022 0 comment