Who got credit for the other Shootdowns? err BailOuts.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2003 1:46
PM
Subject: Re: P39 in Korea from Joe
Baugher site
Les,
Nobody really knows for sure, but one assessment I saw someplace was that
the Soviets were the ones to experiment with women pilots in Po-2s. They were
lighter and as a course that meant the plane could carry a (relatively) larger
bomb load. (Still, that is little more than mortar bombs or grenades, but more
of them makes more of a mess on the other end.)
As for the pilots bailing out, some of the Chinese and Koreans were
scared to death of combat, and once their commander was killed or shot down,
some of them reportedly had no idea of what do to on their own; result, they
would bail out! Record was something like 7 out of 8 doing that in one Chinese
squadron when the commander was shot down.
The Soviets would bail out over DPRK territory as they did not want to be
captured due to the problems it would cause.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS