Re: Sabre vs MiG-15; similar to Bf 109 vs Spitfire

[<AMPSOne@aol.com>]

Dan,

It's not according to Cookie, it's according to the Russians. The funniest thing so far about the Korean War they tell was the "court martial" of the La-11 by a commission from Moscow. 

Here is the excerpt from an article called "Shield of the Night" printed in "Mir Aviatsiya" that covers the court martial. It took place in December 1951 after two of the senior pilots in the 351st IAP failed to intercept a B-29:

    "After they returned, General Lobov had both pilots brought up on courts-martial charges, but they were examined by regimental inspector of the corps, Hero of the Soviet Union M.P. Rents, who flew to the regiment later. After critical analysis of their flight and the conduct of an experimental intercept, which was analogous to the one the one that Karelin had tried that night, he found that the pilots were not guilty and reported so to the corps. Then the main aviation advisor to the PRC, Colonel General Krasovskiy, personally found Major Karelin "guilty as charged". The "investigation" used by the colonel general read as follows:
  
Krasovskiy: What kind of fighter pilot that can't shoot down a bomber!

Karelin answered: But you yourself, Comrade General, have flown the aircraft and tried to make an intercept!

Krasovskiy broke up laughing, but then asked in all seriousness: What would you need to permit you to successfully make night intercepts against the B-29s?

Karelin: Well, if we don't reequip our regiment with jet MiGs there is no way we can ever catch the enemy!

Krasovskij: You'll get the MiGs. How long will it take you to convert to them?

Karelin: Perhaps a month -- a month and a half.    

    The next day two MiG-15bis fighters arrived at the regiment, and the pilots went over to the material unit to learn all about that aircraft." 

That is what made the difference in night fighting for the Soviets.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS