Korean War SEAFIRE

over the 38th Parallel The last operational use of the Supermarine Seafi re came during the opening weeks of the . Tom Spencer tracks its fi nal campaign

hen the light fleet carrier HMS Triumph Wleft Britain bound for the in 1949, the conflict in Korea had not yet begun to escalate. On board Triumph was the 13th Carrier Air Group (CAG), which comprised 800 Naval Air Squadron (NAS), led by Lt Cdr Ian MacLachlan and equipped with 12 Rolls-Royce Griffon-powered Seafire FR.47s – and 827 NAS

32 FlyPast June 2020 with the FR.1. These conducted strikes on suspected a resolution approving military !"#$ Seafi res of Seafires were the last operational terrorist hideouts in the jungle. action, to which Britain agreed 800 NAS attack examples at sea in the . However, the ship moved to various to commit forces. a ground target during the Korean After working up in the parts of the Far East for exercises War. It would be the Mediterranean, the ship, under with allies and making ‘flag- Early sorties last operational use Capt Arthur Torlesse DSO, sailed to waving’ port visits. It was sailing Having loaded with war stocks of the type. join the Far East Fleet in Singapore from the Japanese port of Ōminato at Kure Naval Arsenal near ANTONIS KARIDIS where the campaign against in northern Honshu on June 25, Hiroshima on June 29, Triumph Communist terrorists in Malaya 1950 when the North Koreans and her escorts, the cruiser HMS was at its height. Thus, during unleashed their attack on the south, Jamaica and HMS October when disembarked to thus initiating the Korean War. Cossack and Consort , then sailed Sembawang, Triumph ’s squadrons The United Nations swiftly passed for the Yellow Sea off Korea’s west

June 2020 FlyPast 33 Korean War

!"#$ With the diving from 5,000ft and covering the Seafi re FR.47s of area with debris, and strafing troops. 800 NAS parked Four more Seafires maintained a forward, HMS ‘Triumph’ departs combat air patrol (CAP) over TF 77. Subic Bay in the It was immediately evident that Philippines for the US Navy aircraft were better exercises shortly suited for long-range ground before the start of attacks, while the Seafire was the Korean War. USN clearly the best interceptor. They ()*+, Seafi re FR.47s concentrated on defensive CAPs, on the deck of HMS with a high sortie rate averaging ‘Triumph’ when en more than 20 per day. However, the route to the far east. P H T GREEN COLLECTION intensive flying had its effect on the

()*+, 800 Sqn coast. On July 2, the RN badge Force rendezvoused with Seafi re FR.47s known to have been used by US Navy Task Force by 800 NAS in Korea: 77, based around the carrier USS Valley PS950, PS951, PS953, PS955, VP427, VP429, VP430/P 172, VP452, Forge, and they began VP456/182/P, VP459/179/P, VP460/176/P, VP462/172/P, VP464/173/P, operations the next day. VP477/171/P, VP480, VP482/177/P, VP485/181/P, VP489, VP493/174/P, At 0545hrs on July VP961/ 179/P, VP962/171/P, VR968, VR969/182/P 3, Triumph launched nine Seafires with a dozen Fireflys to attack successfully landed back on Seafires; skin wrinkling caused by the coastal airfield at Haeju, 50 Triumph . “I managed to return heavy landings became a particular miles (80km) north of the border, to the ship with a complete loss of problem. After this first period of with rockets and cannon, while coolant and all temperatures off operations Triumph returned to US Navy aircraft targeted airfields the clock. I consider myself lucky Kure to replenish – but was back around Pyongyang. The assault as I was too s***-scared to bale out on station on July 9 escorted by destroyed several hangars, though over shark-infested seas.” He was the C-Class HMS Comus the last section of Seafires found subsequently awarded the DSC for and three Canadian ships, HMCSs the target shrouded in smoke. bringing back aboard two damaged Kenya, Sioux and Athabaskan . Some Seafires used rocket-assisted aircraft and eventually became a test The 800 NAS Seafires also take-off gear (RATOG) due to the pilot for the Saunders-Roe SR.53. flew regular photographic minimal deck space. At 1000hrs the next day seven reconnaissance sorties, for example Lt Peter ‘Sheepy’ Lamb’s Seafire Seafires with Fireflys of 827 NAS to Mokpo, Kunsan, Chinnampo sustained splinter damage but he attacked a bridge in the Haeju area, and Inchon (). During this

34 FlyPast June 2020 period 800’s Seafires attacked railways and oil storage facilities, as well as sinking two North Korean gunboats. Then on the 18th, US aircraft from TF 77 covered an amphibious landing at Pohang on the southeast coast, when Seafires !"# This Seafi re flew 20 CAPs, which were repeated FR.47 suff ered the next day. However, with the damage when its propeller ‘pecked’ typhoon season beginning, strikes the deck. Incidents were cancelled on the 20th, and the like this meant that carrier headed for port and a short availability was maintenance period. often restricted during operations. Friendly fi re R VON T B KETTLE Triumph rejoined the fleet on the swears I was out [of the cockpit] .! /0 !"# Lt Peter 26th, when RN aircraft continued to within ten seconds of a gaping ‘Sheepy’ Lamb fl ew cover the retreat of UN forces as they hole appearing in my fuselage, through the tour “At 05.45hrs on July in Korea and was were pushed into Pusan (now Busan), about a foot behind my head. 3 Triumph launched awarded a DSC the last allied foothold in Korea. I [baled] out at 10,000ft or so, for recovering two Two days after returning to station nine Seafires with realising my clothes were probably damaged Seafi res there was a tragic incident of on fire. I could still hear them back to the ship. so-called friendly fire. When flying a dozen Fireflys to banging away with their .50 [cals] SARO VIA P H T GREEN as I floated down on my ‘brolly’. .! /0 While a attack the coastal ‘Sheepy’ circled me going down and Seafi re makes a low airfield at Haeju” switched his IFF to emergency. The pass astern, others sea was very rough.” Fortunately, are prepared for although injured he was rescued by their next mission on the deck of the destroyer USS Eversole after an ‘Triumph’. P H T GREEN CAP about 20 miles (32km) from hour in the water. COLLECTION the ship, the Seafires led by ‘Sheepy’ Operations and replenishment Lamb were ordered to investigate continued unabated and in mid- a possible enemy aircraft. The August, with US carriers absent, contact was in fact a USAF B-29 as Triumph’s squadrons returned to one of the section, Lt John Treacher offensive work. On the 13th a pair (who later became admiral and of Seafires reconnoitred the port of received a knighthood), recalled: Mokpo and they also strafed two “The top gunner hit my wingman, small vessels at Kunsan. The next Commissioned Pilot White, in the day two Seafires photographed the fuel tank behind his head and North Koreans’ main naval base he had a nice fire.” Dennis White at Chinnampo, about 30 miles said: “It was no accident. We were (48km) southwest of the capital fired on quite deliberately. Sheepy Pyongyang. These were targeted

June 2020 FlyPast 35 Korean War SUPERMARINE SEAFIRE

in the afternoon by a strike from six Seafires !"#$ Seafi re FR.47, armed with 60lb (25kg) VP485/181/P of 800 rockets, along with six Fireflys that NAS during its tenure damaged a minesweeper in the aboard HMS ‘Triumph’ off Korea in 1951. Taedong estuary, while a 2,000- ANDY HAY-FLYING ART ton (1,800-tonne) freighter and a small coaster in the harbour were 23456 Adorned with also hit. Further offensive sorties black-and-white identity stripes and followed on successive days and fi tted with RATOG on August 19 a section of Seafires gear, this Seafi re FR.47 led by ‘Sheepy’ spotted a tempting begins its take-off roll target. The unit diarist noted: for another sortie off “The vessel was well camouflaged later; when a Firefly hit the barrier, a into clouds of steam and flames.” the Korean coast. KEY COLLECTION and carried a deck cargo. After a piece of debris hit and killed the CO However, Lt James Abraham’s few runs it caught fire and was Lt Cdr Ian MacLachlan, who was in Seafire, VP430/172/P, suffered a !$;"< 23456 United seen later to be completely burnt the plotting room. He was buried at hydraulic failure and landed on States Marines pass out.” The writer also recorded sea and replaced by the Senior Pilot, with one wheel retracted. Lt D burning North Korean a recce flown the next day, led Lt Tommy Handley. After a four-day I Berry’s Seafire was unable to tanks destroyed by 800 NAS Seafi res, by Lt Cdr MacLachlan: “They patrol Triumph returned to Sasebo, lower its arrestor hook, so he was six miles east of flew up the river as far as the where six replacement Seafires were ordered to bale out but was quickly Inchon after they had capital Pyongyang. As the flight taken aboard from the maintenance recovered by the destroyer been holding up the approached, they were engaged by carrier HMS Unicorn . HMAS Bataan. advance from adjacent accurate and heavy flak.” Nonetheless, despite bad high ground. USN East coast strikes weather that somewhat inhibited Tragic loss By then the situation on the ground operations, the following day a During this period a Seafire spotted in Korea was desperate, with pair of 800’s Seafires escorted the fall of shot for HMS Consort allied forces pushed into a small four Fireflys attacking the airfield when it bombarded Kunsan, while perimeter at Pusan. Due to the lack at Koryŏ, causing significant in a surprise assault on August 22, of a US Navy carrier, on September damage. Command Pilot Reid two North Korean Ilyushin Il-10s 6 the Task Group sailed into the flew VP430/172/P on the strike. He attacked Comus , damaging the hull. Sea of to join the US 7th recalled flying in and out of low The Seafire CAPs increased and Fleet for strikes on the east coast assumed a new urgency thereafter. port of Wŏnsan – until a US vessel After an intensive period of became available. Operations on operations, when Triumph the east coast commenced at dawn returned to Sasebo in Japan for on September 8, with six Seafires maintenance and replenishment escorting eight Fireflys on an armed on the 23rd it had just nine recce of the road and railway operational aircraft available. communications around Wŏnsan Suitably restocked with aircraft that lay on the pre-war border. The and munitions, HMS Triumph and 800 NAS operations diary noted: its squadrons returned to station “Wŏnsan was completely covered in the Yellow Sea and on August in cloud so the strike proceeded 27 launched an armed recce to the south along the main railway line. north. The four Seafires sank a pair Heading back towards the coast of junks at Antung (aka Andong) in a train was spotted, Lt Abraham’s the mouth of the Yalu River on the section spraying [it] with cannon Sino-Korean border. However, 800 fire and rockets. Several hits were NAS suffered a sad loss two days seen, and the locomotive exploded

36 FlyPast June 2020 planned a major counterstroke. In contrast, after several days’ Triumph formed part of Task intense activity, there was just one Group 91.1 to support Operation mission on the 18th when Lt Tallin Chromite, the amphibious landings led a section to assault a pair of at Inchon on the Korean west supply barges in the Haeju area. coast, about 20 miles (30km) from Operations continued the next day South Korean capital Seoul. The when, during an armed recce, Lt Seafires of 800 provided vital air Abraham attacked and damaged cover for the landings in their first a 500-ton (450-tonne) ship, while cloud in driving rain, few days, which were to outflank others rocketed another on the which was unusual in the Northern forces. As part of the slipway and on a flak position. Korea for that time of year. Over preparatory activity, 800’s Seafires However, on return to the ship the two days, and in the face of flew recces of coastal positions as Command Pilot Warren had a inclement conditions, the two well as maintaining CAP. Some barrier engagement, leaving just squadrons mounted more than aircraft also conducted spotting, three Seafires operational. 100 sorties – but at a cost – as four Lt Abrahams calling out the fall Seafires had to be written off with of shot for HMS Jamaica when Final fl urry ‘wrinkling’, reducing 800 NAS to bombarding targets at Kunsan. On September 20, Tommy Handley just six machines. The landings began on September in VP430, led the only serviceable 15 with Triumph just 60 miles Seafires on an armed recce over

After this, Triumph returned to (96km) offshore. As well as the Chinnampo area and the !"#$ &$'( The Sasebo to replenish aircraft stocks providing CAP cover over the sea lanes to the north. With the destroyer USS but was back on station two days audacious amphibious invasion, Senior Pilot Lt Peter Lamb flying ‘Eversole' picked up the pilot of a Seafi re later on September 12 for its most which put ashore 13,000 allied as his wingman in VP471/175/P shot down in error crucial period in Korea. troops with equipment, Seafires they damaged a patrol boat in the by B-29 gunners on also flew ground-attack sorties. Chinnampo estuary. The squadron’s July 28, 1950. USN Critical landings During the day they engaged targets ‘ops’ diary recorded: “Rocket hits !"#$ A Seafi re With the North Koreans held of opportunity such as coastal were attained and a final strafing FR.47 of 800 NAS on the Pusan perimeter, the UN shipping, troop movements and run carried out.” These were also in an all-too familiar flak batteries. That afternoon, for the last operational sorties flown pose, as the type example, Lt Lamb’s flight assaulted by 800 NAS from Triumph as suff ered problems flak positions and Lt John Treacher with the landings successfully fl ying from the deck due to its weak rocketed a coaster. Further completed, on September 21 the undercarriage. offensive sorties were flown the vessel sailed into Sasebo for two R VON T B KETTLE next day when Seafires led by days’ maintenance. Just one Seafire Treacher targeted gun positions remained serviceable at that point. near the airfield at Haeju. Later, On the 25th Triumph was relieved following a report of two junks on station by HMS Theseus, having minelaying, Lt Randy von Kettle made five patrols into the Yellow led a section that sank one and Sea. The 800 NAS Seafires had damaged the other. Then on the flown 115 ground-attack sorties and 17th, 800 NAS aircraft once again 245 more on defensive CAP, with struck the airfield at Haeju, though the 13th CAG squadrons having two North Korean Air Force aircraft reached a peak of performance – evaded the defences to attack allied achieving higher sortie rates than warships, albeit without causing had been considered possible. It serious damage. was the Seafire’s last hurrah. FP

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