RE: Book review: Red Wings Over the Yalu: China, the Soviet Union and the Ai...

["Jack Hwang" <jackchwang@comcast.net>]

Dear Joe:

I have read your note and found this topic really interesting.  I think I
will
grab Larry Davis' and X. Zhang's books for more readings.  However,
if my memory serves me right, PLAAF credited Ji-Hui Zhang for two
F86 kills in that battle, with the first F86 crahing into the mountains and
the 2nd F86 disintegrating in the mid-air.  He and his wingman were
shot down AFTER the two kills.  If some of the Chinese articles
describing the battle were indeed excerpts from the official reports, then
there existed a large dispartiy between US and Chinese accounts.
According to these Chinese accounts, the first F86 (allegedly George
Davis') was using the Dive and Zoom tactic and did not get any MiG in
the first pass.  JH Zhang blasted him out of the sky at a distance of 600
meters, which was quite a feat itself given the distance.  The downings
of JH Zhang and his wingman were, of course, attributed to the other
F86s IN THE BATTLE.   I think I will look up X. Zhang's book to see how he
deals with these accounts.

BTW, JH Zhang was never an ace.  PLAAF records credited him with
4 kills (including the two F86s on Feb 11, 1952), and one damaged.

Jack