MiG Madness: The Air War over Korea

By Lt. Col. Lawrence Spinetta | Aviation History  | 0 comments  |  Print This Post  |  Email This Post

The punitive actions taken against Overton failed to deter other F-86 pilots from continuing to break the rules of engagement. On April 7, 1953, Hal Fischer, a double ace, spotted four MiGs crossing the border into Korea. The enemy jets turned around and escaped back into China, but Fischer gave chase anyway. He cleared his wingman to return home without him after the latter reported that he was low on fuel. Flying alone, Fischer continued to press the attack even after three more MiGs appeared. Official Soviet records describe what happened next: “At 1640 upon approach to Danu airfield, Senior Lieutenant Berelidze’s pair attacked one F-86 which was pursuing Senior Lieutenant Ugryumov at an altitude of 1,000-1,500 meters. Senior Lieutenant Berelidze shot down one F-86 from a distance of 400 meters at a 14 quartering angle. The pilot: Captain Harold Edward Fischer, service number A02204126, Flight Commander, 39th Air Squadron, 51st Wing, was taken prisoner.” The Chinese held Fischer in solitary confinement until June 1955. He had more than two years to reflect on his bout of MiG Madness.

Undoubtedly, the aggressiveness of the leading American Korean War aces in pursuit of MiGs propelled them to the top of the pecking order and helped secure air superiority for U.N. forces. For that, they should be honored. But tales of friendly fire, rule-breaking and recklessness blemish the stellar combat records of these legendary airmen.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lawrence Spinetta is an F-15 pilot currently stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Spinetta, who flew 65 combat sorties over Iraq and the former Yugoslavia, holds degrees from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Harvard University and the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. He serves on the board of directors for the Air Force Historical Foundation. As chief of safety for the 1st Fighter Wing, his office is normally at 50,000 feet going supersonic. For further reading, he recommends: Red Wings Over the Yalu: China, the Soviet Union, and the Air War in Korea, by Xiaoming Zhang; and Sabres Over MiG Alley: The F-86 and the Battle for Air Superiority in Korea, by Kenneth P. Werrell.

This article by Lt. Col. Lawrence Spinetta was originally published in the March 2008 issue of Aviation History Magazine. For more great articles, subscribe to Aviation History magazine today!

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Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Aerial Combat, Aircraft, Aviation History, Historical Conflicts, Korean War

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