With The Yanks in Korea Volume 1

Ref: 5428

SOLD In stock

Price: £16.00

sadly, flyingbooks is now closed.

{detailed description}In June 1950, thousands of Communist troops of the North Korean People's Army, spearheaded by Russian-built tanks. swarmed across the border into South Korea where the United States had but a token occupation force. Initially, in the air, there occurred a number of skirmishes between obsolete North Korean Yaks and the USAF's F-51s, F-82s and F-80 fighters —the latter the first American operational jet.
Britain, Australia and Canada provided troops and naval support, the Australians alone sending a fighter squadron — 77 Squadron RAAF equipped with P-51 Mustangs — which was joined later by similarly-equipped 2 Squadron of the South African Air Force. Britain could offer only the use of a Sunderland flying boat detachment, and naval forces including an aircraft carrier — HMS Triumph with Seafires and Fireflies — was despatched with all haste. However, the RAF assisted with night intruder operations and fighter tactics, and among those sent to Korea to offer the Americans the benefit of their experience were Wg Cdr Peter Wykeham-Barnes DSO DFC and Wg Cdr Johnnie Johnson DSO DFC, two of Britain's foremost fighter pilots. By the winter of 1950-1951 a ground war of attrition was being fought, while in the air the appearance of Russian-flown MiG-15 jet fighters had shocked the UN forces, the Americans responding by sending F-86A Sabres and F-84E Thunderjet fighter-bombers. With these jet units came a number of RAF and RCAF pilots who were on exchange postings, but it was the RAAF, SAAF and RN/ RAN Fleet Air Arm units which bore the brunt of the Commonwealth participation in the air, Meteor jet fighters having superseded the Mustangs with 77 Squadron RAAF by mid-1951.
Volume One of With the Yanks in Korea is well illustrated with rare photographs. It tells the story of the war in the air during the first 18 months of this bitter struggle between East and West, both through the words of the pilots and strategists themselves and through official documentation, most especially new Soviet material, highlighting the involvement of the British and Commonwealth aircrews with their American counterparts. Volume Two will cover the second period of the war from 1952 to its conclusion in July 1953.
{Author / Publisher / Date}by Brian Cull and Dennis Newton
published by Grub Street 2000 1st edn. 346pp illustrated, index, appendix, bibliography 16x24
{condition}mint, small scratch to rear panel of d/j
{delivery info}