Coalition Air Warfare in the Korean War 1950–1953
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Preface Coalition Air Warfare in the Korean War 1950–1953 Proceedings Air Force Historical Foundation Symposium Andrews AFB, Maryland May 7–8, 2002 Edited by Jacob Neufeld and George M. Watson, Jr. U.S. Air Force History and Museums Program Washington, D.C. 2005 Coalition Air Warfare Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Air Force Historical Foundation. Symposium (2002 : Andrews AFB, Md.) Coalition air warfare in the Korean War, 1950-1953 : proceedings, Air Force Historical Foundation Symposium, Andrews AFB, Maryland, May 7-8, 2002 / edited by Jacob Neufeld and George M. Watson, Jr. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Korean War, 1950-1953—Aerial operations—Congresses. 2. Korean War, 1950-1953—Aerial operations, American—Congresses. I. Neufeld, Jacob. II. Watson, George M. III. Title. DS920.2.A2A35 2002 951.904’248—dc22 2005029622 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Coalition Air Warfare in the Korean War 1950–1953 May 7–8, 2002 Andrews AFB, Maryland Officers Open Mess Presented by the Air Force Historical Foundation and the U.S. Air Force History Office in conjunction with the Historical Foundations and History Offices of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps Coalition Air Warfare iv Contents etc. Foreword In commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Korean War, the official history offices of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force and their respective historical associations collaborated to sponsor as comprehensive a symposium as possible, including as participants some of the coalition partners who contributed forces and weapons to the war. The intent of this symposium, titled Coalition Air Warfare during the Kore- an War, 1950 -1953, was to focus not only on the contributions made by the armed forces of the United States, but also on those of America's allies. The diverse group of panelists and speakers included not only scholars with subject matter expertise, but also veteran soldiers, sailors, and airmen who had served in that conflict. It was hoped that the melding of these diverse perspectives would provide interesting, if sometimes conflicting, views about the Korean War. The symposium organizers designated an agenda of six specific panels for investigation, including Planning and Operations; Air Superiority, Air Support of Ground Forces; Air Interdiction and Bombardment, Air Reconnaissance and Intelligence, and Logistical Support of Air Operations. Each session began with commentary by the panel chairman, which was followed by formal papers, and in some instances included a lively question and answer session. The papers and most of the proceedings found their way into print and are recorded here in an effort to permanently capture the activities, challenges, con- tributions, and heroics of the coalition air forces and the airmen who fought dur- ing the Korean conflict. v Coalition Air Warfare vi Contents About the Editors Jacob "Jack" Neufeld is the Director of the Air Force Historical Studies Office. He previously served as Senior Historian and was the Director of the Center for Air Force History. Mr. Neufeld is also the editor of Air Power History, the quar- terly journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation. He earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in history at the New York University and did doctoral studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Commissioned in the U.S. Army, he served with the Corps of Engineers at Ft. Campbell, Ky. and Ft. Belvoir, Va. from 1964-1966. He has written and edited numerous works in military history, and the history of technology, including the Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force, 1945-1960. He taught history at the University of Maryland, Montgomery College, and American Military University. Currently, he is writing a biography of General Bernard A. Schriever. Dr. George M. Watson, Jr. has had a long and productive career with the Air Force History and Museums Program. He is a 1966 graduate of the University of Maine, earned an M.A. from Niagara University in 1968 and attained a Ph.D. in Modern European History from The Catholic University of America in 1974. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War having served with the 101st Airborne Divi- sion in that country from 1969 to 1970. He has worked as a staff historian at the former Air Force Systems Command, Chief Historian of the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, and Chief of the Air Staff Division history office in the Pentagon. He is presently the Chief of the Special Projects Branch at the Air Force Historical Studies Office. Dr. Watson has contributed to a number of edit- ed volumes and journals and has interviewed numerous key Air Force person- ages, both military and civilian. He is the author of The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, 1947-1965 and co-author of With Courage: The Army Air Forces in World War II. He was a contributing author and editor of the two-vol- ume history of the United States Air Force: Winged Shield, Winged Sword. His personal memoir of his Vietnam experience, entitled Voices from the Rear: Viet- nam 1969-1970, was published in December 2001. His latest book, Secretaries and Chiefs of Staff of the United States Air Force, was published in 2002. vii Coalition Air Warfare viii Contents Contents Foreword . v About the Editors . vii Welcoming Address Gen. W. Y. Smith, USAF (Ret.) . 1 Opening Remarks Lt. Gen. Abbott Greenleaf, USAF (Ret.) . 2 Session I Planning and Operations Wayne Thompson, Panel Chair/Moderator . 5 Command and Control of Air Forces during the Korean and Persian Gulf Wars Mark D. Mandeles . 8 Weapons, Tactics, and Training Col. Richard J. Blanchfield . 21 A Gulf War Perspective on the Effectiveness of Air Power Thomas A. Keaney . 30 Session II Air Superiority The Contribution of the U.S. Marine Corps Night Fighter Squadrons Ronald W. Harbison . 37 A Wingman in Korea Brig. Gen. Michael E. De Armond, USAF (Ret.) . 45 The Korean Air War AVM W. “Paddy” Harbison, RAF (Ret.) . 49 Aces and –86s: The Fight for Air Superiority during the Korean War Kenneth P. Werrell . 53 Luncheon Address A Half Century’s Retrospective of the Korean War Adm. James L. Holloway III, U.S. Navy (Ret.) . 71 ix Coalition Air Warfare Session III Air Support of Ground Forces Charles D. Melson, Panel Chair/Moderator . 81 Black Sheep in Korea: A Reflection of Mission Transformation Fred H. Allison . 82 The Generals and Close Air Support William T. Y’Blood . 93 The Army View of Close Air Support in the Korean War Col. Donald W. Boose, Jr. USA (Ret.) . 99 The Close Air Support Controversy in Korea Capt. Keith F. Kopets, USMC . 122 Session IV Air Interdiction and Bombardment Edward J. Marolda, Panel Chair/Moderator . 133 The U.S. Navy’s Air Interdiction Effort during the Korean War Jeffrey G. Barlow . 135 British Commonwealth Carrier Operations in the Korean War Comdr. David Hobbs, RN (Ret.) . 142 Searching for Lucrative Targets in North Korea: The Shift from Interdiction to Air Pressure Conrad Crane . 158 Air Power Coordination during the Korean War Vice Adm. Jerry Miller, USN (Ret.) . 178 Dinner Remarks Lt. Gen. Robert Keller, USMC (Ret.) . 185 Keynote Address An Infantry Platoon Leader in the Korean War Brig. Gen. Philip L. Bolté, USA (Ret.) . 193 Session V Air Reconnaissance and Intelligence R. Cargill Hall, Panel Chair/Moderator . 199 The Intelligence War in Korea: An Army Perspective John Patrick Finnegan . 203 x Contents The Ghost Armies of Manchuria Maj. Patrick C. Roe, USMC (Ret.) . 227 USAF Reconnaissance during the Korean War Col. Samuel T. Dickens, USAF (Ret.) . 239 Session VI Logistical Support of Air Operations Roger G. Miller, Panel Chair/Moderator . 257 U.S. Air Force Korean Logistics William W. Suit . 259 Logistic Support for Conducting Sustained Air Operations at Sea: The U.S. Navy Experience in Korea Thomas Wildenberg . 278 Testing Vertical Envelopment in the Skies over Korea James A. Ginther . 287 Transportation in the Korean War Benjamin D. King . 305 Reprise Korea, Fifty Years Later Brig. Gen. David E. Clary, USAF . 317 Glossary . 325 Author Biographies . 331 Index . 345 xi Coalition Air Warfare xii Preface Welcoming Address Gen. W. Y. Smith, USAF (Ret.) Welcome to the eighth biennial symposium cosponsored by the U.S. Air Force History Office and the Air Force Historical Foundation. Our subject this year deals with coalition air operations during the Korean War, the first war fought under United Nations auspices. We are going to examine the assumptions and effects of American and allied air power in all environments—ground, sea, and air combat. And we will consider the roles played by intelligence and air mobil- ity operations. We are particularly proud that this symposium is a joint endeavor, involving sponsors and participants from all of the military departments and services, from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Moreover, we have the support of the various historical offices and foundations, and all of the United States mil- itary departments have participated in selecting the topics and speakers you will hear from today. We hope you will find the program stimulating and provoca- tive. 1 Coalition Air Warfare Opening Remarks Lt. Gen. Abbott Greenleaf, USAF (Ret.) Working with our counterparts in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, we of the Air Force believe we have organized an exciting program. We expect this to be an informative, interesting, and enjoyable day and a half of recalling the Korean War and drawing some lessons from it. The Korean War is most often referred to these days as the “Forgotten War.” A number of reasons might explain that, the principal one being that the Korean War was pushed to the background as the Cold War between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact heated up in the subsequent years.