Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1951-10-23
IA Red Jets Destroyed Or
Damaged In Big Air Battle

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raging air battles involving $50
planes. Two American planes
We're shot down and two damag-
ed.
The Fifth Air Force estimated
a record $50 Russian-built Mig
1,5s were involved. They swarmed
in waves on Bog Superforts
bombing a new red airfield at
Namsi.
Allied airmen were credited
with destroying five Red jets,
probably destroying two, and
damaging between seven and ten.
One B-29 was crippled and
plunged into the Yellow Sea.
The crew bailed out. A Fifth Air
Force briefing officer said one
F-84 Thunderiet was shot down.
Two B-29s from Okinawa were
badly damaged, but landed at
allied bases in Korea.
The estimated $50 fast Red
jets-a record number-fought
with 96 Sabre and Thurderjets
and an unannounced number of
B-29s.
The air battle, one of the big
gest of the Korean war, over
shadowed action on the quieting
ground fronts.
United Nations tank and infan-
try forces began enveloping
smoldering Kumsong. deserted
former Red stronghold on the
central front. The allies in the
eastern mountains beat off three
Red probing attacks And in the
west, raiding u. N. patrols got
into stiff fight with entrenched
Chinese west of Yonchon.
The big air battle famed III
northwest Korea as B-29'S from
Okinawa rained 100000 pounds of
high explosives on NamSi Air
Field--the. second new Red Air
drome hit iT two days,
Waves of Red jets swept in
from Manchuria in lone of the
heaviest and most determined at
tacks ever launched against the
Superforts BY the Migs" an Air
Force announcement said.
Pilot reports indicated more
than 100 red jets swept in to
attack.
The fight broke into three dis
tinct mass battles as escofting
Sabre jets and thunderjets took
on the Red attackers. The first
broke out at 10 am. between 81
Sabres and more than - Reds
over Namsi. The battle lasted 80
minutes.
Many of the red planes took in
all three fights.
One B-29 plunged into the Yei-
low Sea off the west coast of Ko-
rea. Escorting planes circles over
head while rescue vessels rushed
In to pick up the airmen who par
achuted into the water.
The Namsi Airdrome is in Mig
alley between the Chongchon and
Yalu rivers.
1t is west of Taeehon, where
another new airfield was hit
Monday. A superfort hit in that
attack also crashed into the Vel
low Sea. Nine of her crew land
ed on an island, three IN the wa
ter. ALI were rescued.
Other air actions Monday,
FEAT said, cost the Reds two
lets shot down and two damaged.
while the allies lost Shooting
Star and a Mustang fighter.
Allied pilots had watched the
construction of both the Taechon
and Namsi airdromes. Taechon
was hit two days after 1t was
completed. The reds still were
working on the Namsi runway, APP
proximately $500 feet long and
go feet wide. when the raiders
struck.
The Reds have been trying to
develop air bases in northwestern
Korea to shift at least part of
their air force from Manchuria.
In Washington the u. 5. Air
Force estimated the reds have
more than 1900 planes in Man
churia. Half of these are jets.
u. S. ground forces inflicted
% 275 casualties on the reds last
week, 9th Army Headquarters
announced. OF the total 22,000
were listed as killed, 5000 wound
ed and 1.275 taken prisoner.
The toll was taken mainly on
the central and West-central
fronts Gen. James A. Van Fleet
ordered limited offensives there
to- straighten his lines on the
eve OF new armistice talks ex-
pected to open soon at Panmon-
JON.
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