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Unread 02-14-2008, 03:51 PM
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Default Korean War Jet Aces

From this month's Shrapnel Games Newsletter:


"While the first fighter jets entered combat during the Second World War, it was not until the Korean War that combat between jets occurred. The first such combat occurred on November 1st, 1950.

On the first of November five MiG-15 fighters of the 72nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, commanded by Major Stroykov, attacked a flight of American Mustangs. This was the first reported use of Soviet jets in Korean air space. That same day the 72nd made contact with a flight of ten American F-80 Shooting Stars, leading to the first jet on jet air combat. In that battle the Soviets claimed one American fighter downed, while the Americans lay blame for the loss of a Shooting Star on North Korean AA fire. For the Soviets November 1st, 1950 was the first loss of a jet fighter to another jet fighter. For the Americans, it would come seven days later.

On November 8th, 1950, the United States launched a bombing raid against the bridges over the Yalu River near the city of Sinuiju. The raid was conducted by seventeen B-29s escorted by F-80s. A pre-strike softening up of air defenses was carried out by F-51s and F-80s also.

During this period a flight of six MiGs attacked the F-80s but after their flight was broken up by the F-80s, headed back to base. During pursuit one MiG was shot down by Lieutenant Russell Brown, which became the first jet fighter kill by another fighter on the American side.

Just as the Soviets and the United States have differing views on who scored the first jet kill by another jet, there is some question as to who the first jet ace was. For the Soviets Senior Lieutenant Fedor Shebanov is credited as the first jet ace, racking up his fifth kill (jet kill, as he was already an ace by the five kill standard, but one of those was a prop bomber) on May 20th, 1951. Interestingly, it was that same day, and in fact same battle, that an American became a jet ace.

Captain James Jabara began his flight career in World War Two, flying over a hundred combat missions with the 363rd Fighter Group in Europe. During the war he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, and post-war he continued his military career. In 1949 he was assigned to the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing, operating a F-86A Sabre, and in December 1950 the 4th started flying missions in Korea.

Captain Jabara's first kill occurred on April 3rd, 1951, and by the end of April he had shot down a total of four MiGs, making him the leading American pilot in the conflict. On May 20th, 1951, his fighter group was making a fighter sweep near Sinuiju. The Soviets took the bait and soon a group of MiGs moved in to make contact. The Sabres, which had been flying with drop tanks, now lost them and moved in for the battle. All except for Jabara, who ended up with one drop tank stuck.

Due to the loss of maneuverability any fighter that could not lose its drop tanks was supposed to return to base instead of engaging. Jabara, perhaps anxious to make ace, ignored the SOP and moved to engage. After an initial first head on pass to no effect Jabara managed to get behind a MiG, shooting it down.

This was followed a few minutes later by the downing of yet another MiG, pushing his kill tally up to six.

From records of that air battle it has been determined that Captain Jabara's fifth kill came before Senior Lieutenant Shebanov's fifth kill. So while both became jet aces that day, it was Captain Jabara that became the first jet ace of the Korean War. Jabara was ordered back to the States after that for a publicity tour, along with the task of training pilots, but he returned to Korea in 1953 for active combat duty. By the end of the conflict he was the second highest scoring American pilot against MiGs, having shot down a total of fifteen."
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