Air Battle of South Korea The Air Battle of South Korea was an air campaign early in the Korean War occurring roughly from June 25 to July 20 , 1950 over South Korea between the air forces of North Korea and the United Nations , including the countries of South Korea , the United States and the United Kingdom . The month - long fight for air supremacy over the country saw several small engagements over airfields in Seoul and Taejon and ultimately ended in victory for the UN air force , which was able to destroy the small North Korean People ' s Air Force . Background . Invasion . On the morning of June 25 , 1950 , ten divisions of the North Korean People ' s Army launched a full - scale invasion of the nation ' s neighbor to the south , the Republic of Korea . The force of 89 , 000 men moved in six columns , catching the Republic of Korea Army by surprise , resulting in a rout . The smaller South Korean army suffered from widespread lack of organization and equipment , and was unprepared for war . The numerically superior North Korean forces destroyed isolated resistance from the 38 , 000 South Korean soldiers on the front before it began moving steadily south . To prevent South Korea ' s collapse the United Nations Security Council voted to send military forces . The United States ' Seventh Fleet dispatched Task Force 77 , led by the fleet carrier USS " Valley Forge " ; the British Far East Fleet dispatched several ships , including HMS " Triumph " , to provide air and naval support . By June 27 , the naval and air forces moving to Korea had authorization to attack North Korean targets with the goal of helping repel the North Korean invasion of the country . With the US forces accepting the North Korean attack as an act of war , it became imperative to evacuate civilians and American diplomats from Korea , as the forces of the north and south were battling across the peninsula . On June 27 the South Koreans were losing the First Battle of Seoul . Most of South Korea ' s forces retreated in the face of the invasion . The North Koreans would capture the city the next day forcing the South Korean government and its shattered army to retreat further south . In the meantime , US naval and air forces were evacuating US diplomats , military dependents , and civilians by ship and air transport , hoping to get American civilians out of the country " by any means . " Civilians were being gathered at Suwon Airfield and Kimpo Airfield near Seoul , before moving to Inchon and out of the country . These airlifts and convoys were being escorted by aircraft from the United States , which was operating its aircraft from bases in Japan . Air Forces involved . The United States Air Force had 1 , 172 aircraft in the Pacific region at the time of the outbreak of the Korean War , including hundreds of F - 80 Shooting Star s as well as numerous F - 82 Twin Mustang s , B - 26 Invader s , B - 29 Superfortress es , among others . Hundreds of aircraft were available to be immediately mustered against the North Korean invasion , many of them the newest jet engine - powered fighter aircraft . The aircraft could fulfill a variety of missions and were well - equipped , well armed and out of reach of North Korean attack , with many bases safely in Japan . Additionally , the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom , and the Royal Australian Air Force of Australia provided assistance as 800 Naval Air Squadron , 802 Naval Air Squadron , and No . 77 Squadron RAAF were dispatched to provide additional support for ground operations . The combined airpower had about 33 , 975 personnel . The North Korean People ' s Air Force ( KPAF ) consisted of only 132 aircraft and 2 , 000 personnel , of whom only 80 were pilots and most poorly trained . The two Koreas had very small air forces of their own , with the North Koreans ' 132 aircraft organized into the KPAF 1st Air Division . At the early phase in the war , these aircraft were used boldly to the North Koreans ' advantage . Aware of their air superiority over the Republic of Korea Air Force and not expecting UN intervention , they anticipated light resistance in the air . In all , the KPAF had 2 , 000 personnel . Battle . At the June 25 outbreak of the war , the US aircraft in Japan immediately began moving to the closest bases to the Korean Peninsula , Itazuke Air Base and Ashiya Air Base . MacArthur ordered another 250 aircraft brought to Korea for the conflict . Attack at Suwon . North Korean aircraft first met US aircraft in combat during the Battle of Suwon Airfield , in which seven of the 13 North Korean aircraft were destroyed . The North Korean Lavochkin La - 7 and Ilyushin Il - 10 aircraft were easily outmatched by the superior American F - 82 Twin Mustang and F - 80C Shooting Star aircraft , which also had better - trained pilots . The planes of the 8th Fighter Wing , which were attempting to defend Suwon to allow evacuation of UN civilians encountered repeated harassing attacks from North Korean aircraft operating out of Heijo Airfield in Pyongyang . Heijo was the KPAF ' s main base , but in the first few days in the war the US aircraft only had authorization to defend themselves if attacked , they could not conduct offensive operations into North Korea . Raid of Heijo Airfield . During the day on June 29 , the KPAF returned to attack Suwon , and six sorties of North Korean aircraft strafed the airfield during the morning , but each time were driven off by American F - 80s , and in the course of these attacks Lieutenant William T . Norris and Lieutenant Roy W . Marsh each shot down a North Korean aircraft . The North Koreans were able to destroy a single C - 54 Skymaster parked at the airfield . The sorties culminated in a battle above Suwon in the midst of a conference of US military leaders in the town . Leaders including US Lieutenant General George E . Stratemeyer and General of the Army Douglas MacArthur personally witnessed the final sortie of the day , in which four North Korean aircraft attacked four F - 51 Mustang aircraft over the town . The four F - 51s succeeded in shooting down all four of the North Korean aircraft , with Lieutenant Orrin R . Fox scoring two kills and Lieutenants Richard J . Burns , and Harry T . Sandlin scoring one each . Ground forces also downed a North Korean aircraft during a subsequent attack . MacArthur subsequently authorized Stratemeyer to launch strikes into North Korea to destroy North Korean airfields and establish air superiority for the US forces . As soon as MacArthur cleared US aircraft to enter North Korea , the 8th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron sent aircraft to scout all of North Korea ' s airfields . By the afternoon , the aircraft had not completed their scouting missions but a bombing mission was nonetheless ordered against Heijo Airfield . At 16 : 15 , 18 B - 26 Invader s of the 3rd Bombardment Group took off from airbases in Japan for strikes against the airfield . These would be the first offensive action against North Korea . The aircraft arrived at the airfield just after dark . There they found a substantial number of aircraft from North Korea ' s 1st Air Division parked on the tarmac , caught completely by surprise . The US aircraft subsequently placed their fragmentation bombs along the hangar line , ramps , and revetment areas . In the confusion , the North Koreans were only able to get one aircraft off the ground to oppose the flight , a Yak - 3 . The aircraft was quickly shot down by Staff Sergeant Nyle S . Mickley , a gunner aboard one of the bombers . By the end of the raid , the US aircraft destroyed an estimated 25 North Korean aircraft on the ground and one in the air while suffering no aircraft lost . Subsequent strikes . With the successful strike on Heijo Airfield , the UN attempted more attacks against North Korean airfields . The 19th Bombardment Group launched a July 2 strike at Yonpo Airfield based on faulty intelligence there were 65 North Korean aircraft there . Only 16 North Korean aircraft were in the field , none of which were damaged by the airstrike . In the meantime , Task Force 77 launched attacks on airfields in Pyongyang and Ojong - ni , downing two North Korean aircraft and damaging ten others in the July 3 – 4 attack . On July 6 a flight of North Korean aircraft with ROKAF markings attacked Osan and damaged a telephone station , though for the rest of the week North Korean air forces stayed out of the sky . When they returned to the fight a week later , the North Koreans employed guerrilla tactics with their aircraft , some continuing to use ROKAF markings and timing their strikes when UN patrols were out of the skies refueling . On July 10 , seven Yak - 7 s were hidden at the captured Kimpo airfield and used in strikes against UN positions at Cheongju . The next day they surprised and damaged several F - 80s in the area . On July 12 , the Yak - 7s shot down a B - 29 bombing bridges in Seoul . Two more attacked a flight of F - 80s flying over a battle at Chochiwon , damaging them . By the end of the day another UN L - 4 had been shot down . On July 15 , two more Yaks ambushed a flight of B - 26 aircraft near Taejon , forcing one to land . Airstrikes against UN ground positions at Taejon persisted until July 19 . The North Korean aircraft strafed ground positions and also dropped propaganda leaflets signed by US prisoners of war . In counterattacks against the KPAF , the UN responded on July 15 with an attack on Kimpo , destroying two or three of the seven Yak - 7s there and damaging the runway at the airfield . On July 18 , Task Force 77 attacked Pyongyang and Pyongyang East Airfields , destroying 14 North Korean aircraft and damaging 13 more . The next day , Task Force 77 attacked Yonpo and destroyed 15 more North Korean aircraft there , and three more at Sondok . That day near Pyonggang F - 80s of the 8th Fighter - Bomber Group destroyed another 14 North Korean fighters and one bomber , and damaging seven others . On July 20 , another strike by 14 B - 29s destroyed the runways at Pyongyang and Onjong - ni . In the process of these strikes , the UN aircraft also shot down six North Korean aircraft opposing the attacks . By the end of the day on July 20 , only 65 of the KPAF 1st Air Division ' s original aircraft were intact , and only 34 of them were operable . North Korean airpower ceased to resist UN forces after July 20 , except for isolated engagements . On August 5 and 6 the final airstrikes against the remainder of North Korean aircraft at the Pyongyang airfields destroyed another 18 combat aircraft and seven more were damaged . By this point the North Korean Air Force was considered to have been destroyed , losing 110 aircraft and only possessing 35 , with only 18 operable . Through August and September , the North Koreans could only muster at most 16 sorties a day , most by isolated , single aircraft . Air - to - ground operations . By June 30 , air assets were being rallied against ground targets as well as aircraft . That day the 19th Bombardment Group was being used to bomb targets along the Han River . Meanwhile , the 3rd Bombardment Group bombed targets around Seoul , seeking to slow the North Korean advance southward from the newly captured city . These assets also attacked North Korean convoys and troop movements along the roads to great effect . During these attacks North Korean aircraft rarely opposed the US aircraft , but in a few occasions Yak - 9 flights appeared , and in one instance engaged a flight of F - 80s from the 36th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , allowing Lieutenants Charles A . Wurster and John B . Thomas to score a victory each . In spite of 25 bombing missions in Seoul , however , the North Korean troops were continuing their advance , forcing the US forces to abandon Suwon Airfield . Beginning with the July 5 Battle of Osan , US troops began a continuous and unsuccessful ground campaign against the North Koreans , and many of the US air assets were used in close air support and airstrike roles to aid the faltering ground troops . From this point on bombers mounted strategic bombing missions against military targets of all types supporting the North Korean ground troops , including ports , armor concentrations and supply stockpiles . A massive interdiction campaign ensued which would have implications for the upcoming conflicts . As more US Air Force , US Navy and US Marine Corps aviation assets arrived in the country , they increased their interdiction campaigns for several days striking bridges and strategic areas though going mostly unthreatened by the North Korean Air Force , though at least one F - 80 was lost when it hit power lines during a bombing run . The North Korean ground troops , unprepared for the aggressive use of US air power and untrained in countering it , continued to operate tightly packed convoys on open roads , allowing the US air forces to attack and ravage them repeatedly . From July 7 to 9 , an estimated 197 trucks and 44 T - 34 tanks were destroyed between Seoul and Pyongtaek . Though they subsequently won ground engagements at the Battle of Pyongtaek and Battle of Chonan , the North Korean ground troops were taking heavy losses from US air forces . On a few occasions , the UN airpower made mistakes , such as a July 3 bombing by No . 77 Squadron RAAF that hit a South Korean convoy near Suwon . At the same time , UN aircraft began flying at higher altitudes because combined small arms fire from North Korean ground targets was taking a heavier toll on UN aircraft . By mid July , these aircraft were flying up to 200 sorties a day to support UN ground troops , who by this point were losing the Battle of Chochiwon and the Battle of Taejon . By the start of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter , the air battle for South Korea had been won by the UN , and it used its air superiority decisively to its advantage during that battle . The UN would remain unopposed in the skies until the Chinese forces entered the war in November of that year . Aftermath . In spite of the unsuccessful UN ground action from June 25 to August 4 , the air battle for South Korea was considered a crucial success for the UN forces . Able to attain air superiority over its outmatched enemy , the UN air force was able to concentrate its efforts on attacking the North Koreans on the ground , and in the process inflicted significant casualties . This , in conjunction with bombing missions against North Korean armor , supplies and ports , greatly hampered North Korean efforts against the Pusan Perimeter , contributing to the eventual UN victory on the ground . Stratemeyer later said the victory was " short and sweet " but attributed the victory more to the North Koreans ' lack of a modern air force than to skill ; he felt his pilots were just as inexperienced as the UN ground troops and could have faced similar defeats had they not outnumbered the North Koreans . The victory in the air battles also meant a large number of other advantages for the war during August and September ; UN troops were able to move by day without fear of air attack , and UN naval ships could operate close to shore . North Korean troops themselves were confined to night attacks to avoid UN aircraft and much of its limited navy was also destroyed . By the end of the battle the Eighth Army had more air support than General Omar Bradley ' s Twelfth United States Army Group in Europe during World War II .