Re: MiG pilots got worse

[Love Shack <Home@DanSources.com>]

Ron...
I do not know a period the US/UN ever had an outstanding kill/ratio record in
Korea.  Sounds like more hype.  The Chinese were not as good as the Russians at
the same time were not an easy kill either.

Regarding the Mariana Turkey shoot, one of the unsung reasons of Japanese
attrition was because their pilots were always ill.  This included valued flight
leaders.  They had a illness far worse then the Americans in the South Pacific.
This is because did not have the Panama experience as we did at the turn of the
century.

Japanese pilots were very brave, air combat required 100% attention. Yet they
lost many crew and pilots from all the jungle deseases. I have read several
accounts of Japanese pilots still ill and weak and flying combat.  Ace after Ace
getting killed in combat. You needed a 100% healthy flight to protect you as
well.

Reading other airgroup claims, I have become wary claims of massive kill ratios
from all the combatants.  Today we are still getting unsubstanciated news in
Afghanastan where the US/Afghan forces supposedly killed 500 to 1000 Al Quida
troops.  we also supposedly had them trapped and bobmed them all to h e l l.  Yet
we can only identify 20 bodies.

The ultimate goal, despite all the killing, was that main war stopped.  Thereby
saving further losses of the civilian and military.

Dan Fahey


RonaldS842@aol.com wrote:

>    After the North Korean Air Force started offering money for kills they
> became worse. "the communist MiG pilots who were permitted to fly after the
> reward offer was made were the worst of the whole Korean War" according to
> General Mark Clark.
>    For the Sabre pilots the months of May and June 1953 were reminiscent of
> the famed "Marainas Turkey Shoot" of World War II. when Japan's naval airmen
> had been blasted from the sky in phenominal numbers. At the same time in
> which the MiG airmen were eager but unskilled the Sabre pilots were alway
> "tigers" and were displaying superior tactical and gunnery skills.
>    Ever since the early days of combat the Sabres had emphasised high speed
> cruising in the target areas, but now they began to employ up to 98 percent
> of their power while awaiting combat. The higher speeds reduced the time the
> Sabres could stay on patrols but they had important offensive and defensive
> benefits. If the MiG were sighted the Sabres rate of closure was higher and
> if the MiG attacked the MiG's rate of closure was slower. In combat between 8
> and 31 May the Sabres sighted 1507 MiGs, engaged 537 of them and destroyed 56
> at a combat loss of only one Sabre.
>
> Ron