Thread: F-84s vs MiGs
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Old 18th September 2010, 19:15
Daniel Nole Daniel Nole is offline
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Re: F-84s vs MiGs

Clashes between F-84s and MiGs

F-84s flew his first mission in Korea the Dec 6. 1950. First unit deployed was the 27th FEW , a elite unit favorite of Curtis Le May.

-Dec 4, 1950 Despite the date of the first mission , Kapt Stephan Naumenko of the 29th GIAP submitted claims for two F-84s shot down this day. The USAF Jets engaged by the 29th GIAP were certainly F-80s and no losses were recorded this day. One MiG(Sn/Lt Rumyantsev KIA) was loss this day after structural or mechanics problems.
The Dec 13, 1950 the 27th FEW loss his first Jet by AAA(49-2335).

-Dec 24, 1950 At 10.30 hours over Sinhodo marshalling railyards a flight of F-84s spotted four MiGs and the Thunderjets dive to attack. After Russian sources was an ambush and two other MiGs of the 29th GIAP were waiting in altitude(Kapt Stepan Naumenko and his wingman Aleksey Minin). Naumenko dive and engage the last Thunderjet at some 800 meters. The F-84 was hit and crash. After the Russians, the remains of the Thunderjet and the corpse of his pilot 2th Lt Roger Bascom were found by Chinese soldiers 25 kms to the SE of Simhodo railroad station. The loss of this F-84(49-2422 of 27th FEW, 522nd FES) is admitted by the USAF but the reason gived are others: "Returning from combat mission, low on fuel, crashed near Kopo-ri Korea approx 5 mi SW of K-14".

So near of K-14 Kimpo? And in the Russian versión Chinese soldiers?Is true at this time the Chinese ofensive was in full swing and very near of Kimpo but , MiGs so far of Antung, ummm...

-21 Jan, 1951 A raid of eight Thunderjets against a bridge over the Chongchan river was intercepted by two flights of MiGs of the 177th IAP. Major Mikhailov shot down the F-84E No 49-2340(1th Lt Grant Simpson POW). That was the first F-84 loss in combat with MiGs full admitted. Pilots Akulenko, Popov and Capt Li Han of the PLAAF in his first mission submitted also claims but only 49-2340 was destroyed and a second F-84(Lt Don Watt) damaged.
Lt. Col. William Bertram (CO of 523rd FBS) claimed one MiG shot down but actually no MiG was loss this day.

-23 Jan, 1951 Was a clear 27th FEW victory day.After some four F-84s losses by AAA and MiGs the 27th FEW had flew this day his best mission in Korea. Three MiGs were destroyed(29th GIAP Kapt G.Grebenkin(KIA) and two other MiGs of the PLAAF 4th FAD 7th regiment). Kapt Popov MiG of the 177th IAP was heavy damaged and scrapped; Maj Agureev fighter was also damaged but repaired. The victors were William W. Slaughter and Jacob Kratt Jr.(the two PLAAF MiGs shot down). The MiGs were bad utilised in medium-low attacks and had lossing his advantages in dive and climb attacks againts the F-84s. Russian and Chinese submitted claims for some 15 F-84 kills(!) but actually no losses were reported by the USAF.The 27th FEW had his four MiGs and one damaged full admitted without loss.

-Apr 16, 1951 Nikolai Shelomonov of the 196th GIAP shot down the F-84E 49-2396 (27th FEW, 524th FES).The Thunderjet crashed into hill near Kaesong-Ni, his pilot, Capt Thomas Helton, KIA.

-Jun 26, 1951 F-84s pilots 1th Lt A.Olinger and Capt H.Underwood(136th FBW)shared a MiG( Y.Naumovich-KIA 17 IAP)

-Sep 3, 1951 Kapt S.M.Kramarenko(176 IAP) shot down F-84E 49-2399(136th FBW) , his pilot Capt F.Chapman bailed out and was rescued near Cho-Do.

-Sep 19 1951 One F-84E of the 49 FBW, 9 FBS , pilot Capt Kenneth L.Skeen shot down the MiG of Ivan Tuliayev(523th IAP).

Same day , the 523 IAP engage near Sinanju the F-84s of the 49th FBW. Soviet pilots make claims for some six F-84s shot down, three of wich were credited to the Regiment's commander , Podpolkovnik A.N.Karasyov. Actually only one was destroyed ,F-84E 51-520, and can be credited to Stepan A. Bahayev.

-Oct 1, 1951 One F-84E of the 136th FBW, 111th FBS(Capt Herbert Ritter MIA)shot down by one MiG of the 176 GIAP.

-Oct 2, 1951 Colission between F-84E 50-1166(136th FBW, 182th FBS) and the MiG of N.Volkov(17 IAP, 303 IAD). Pilot of the F-84 ejected and rescued(Capt Adam J.Wisniewske).

-Oct 23, 1951 1th Lt Farris Fortner and future astronaute LTJG Walter Schirra(Both 136th FBW, 154th FBS) claimed each one MiG.(Only one MiG was loss this day-Khurtin -KIA 523 IAP-and was credited to Richard D. Creighton of the 4th FIW, 336 FIS).

Same day, 18 GIAP, 303 IAD Lev K. Shchukin shot down the F-84E 50-1220 of 1th Lt John Shewmaker(MIA)of the 136th FBW, 111th FBS.

-Oct 30, 1951 , F-84E 51-615 of the 49th FBG heavily damaged in Sunan area by Kapt Sergei Kramarenko of the 176th GIAP.The Thunderjet crash in landing.

-Nov 3, 1951 F-84E 49-2398(136th FBW) shot down by one MiG of the 523 IAP. His pilot, LtCol Richard Marks was captured and POW.

-Nov 10, 1951 F-84E 51-549 (49th FBG, 9th FBS)attacked and shot down by MiG of the 176 GIAP(Pavel S. Milaushkin)SW of Pyongyang, pilot 1th Lt Michael Rebo MIA.

-Nov 18, 1951 A shared MiG between 1th Lt Kenneth Cooley and 1th Lt John Hewett(136th FBW, 111th FBS).

Same day , F-84E 51-542 (136th FBG)was heavy damaged by one PLAAF MiG(Wang Hai of the 3th FAD 7th Regiment).The Thunderjet crashed near Cho-do.

-Dec 5, 1951 F-84E 49-2415 (136th FBW, HQ)on rail cut interdiction mission in Sinanju area, intercepted by two MiG-15s.The Thunderjet crashed into the water,pilot Capt Hugh Larkin MIA. Kill credited to Sergei F.Vishnyakov of the 176 GIAP.

-Dec 15, 1951(Last F-84 MiG kill) Capt Paul Michael(116th FBW, 158th FBS) shot down a MiG.

-17 may ,1952 If Jan 23, 1951 was the day of the F-84s againts MiGs , the 17 May ,1952 was the day of the revenge for the MiGs. Four F-84s were shot down this day by the MiGs of the 821 IAP, 190 IAD.
The Thunderjet were: 50-1114(Capt Chester Shaw),50-1230(pilot ?),51-518 Lt John Trobaugh(rescued) and the old F-84D 48-760(1th Lt James Smith-MIA). The three first were Thunderjets of the 49th FBW, the last a plane of the 136th FBW. Victors of the day were: Lt Col Grigorii F. Dmitryuk, commander of of 821th IAP(1 F-84), Lt Col Olenitsa(2 F-84s)and Maj Vladimir Zabelin(1 F-84).

-20 May, 1952 F-84E 51-618(1th Lt James F.Nevill)of the 49th FBG, 182 FBS shot down by one MiG of the 256 IAP, 190 IAD. Pilot rescued.

-Aug 6, 1952 F-84E 51-686(1th Lt William Fornes MIA)of 58th FBG, 36th FBS shot down by PLAAF MiGs.

-Sep 9, 1952 Another bad day for the F-84s .Three F-84s were shot down by MiGs of the 726 IAP, 133 IAD: 51-490 2th Lt William Suffern(KIA) 58th FBG, 69th FBS, 51-687 Capt Warren O'Brien(MIA)49th FBG, 9th FBS and 51-688 1th Lt Jimmy Alkire(MIA)49th FBG, 7th FBS. The victors were: Mijail A. Katashov(51-688, 51-490) and V. I. Motonaja(51-687).
Other 9 claims were made by the 726 IAP but the USAF admitted only the losses of this three Thunderjets. The 726 IAP loss this day by the 51th FIW three MiGs( Ivan K. Sova-KIA, Ivan I. Kapunov-KIA and K. N. Degtyarev, ejected), other three MiGs were scored also this day(two for 51th FIW and one to 4th FIW).

-Sep 28, 1951 F-84E 51-592(1th Lt Gene Dennis, MIA) of the 474th FBG, 428th FBS shot down by MiG.

-Jan 15, 1953 F-84G 51-1139(1th Lt Roger Warren POW)of the 58th FBG shot down by MiG of the 878 IAP, 216 IAD.

-Apr 12, 1953 F-84G 51-1110(1th Lt Leonard de Luna MIA)of 474th FBG, 430th FBS shot down by MiG of the 913 IAP, 32 IAD.

-May 17, 1953 F-84G 51-10450 of the 58th FBG , hit by MiG and crashed at P-Y-do.

***************

Officially, the F-84 losses by MiGs were 18 Thunderjets , but actually this number(as with the B-29 losses), is quite low and optimistic.Real documented losses were 25 and there are still some 7 to 10 more F-84s with high posibilities of be victims of MiGs and not AAA. The investigation continued.

Total losses by the Thunderjets were very high and the jet pay a high tribute to the Chinese and NK AAA with a minimum of 135 Thunderjets hits and destroyed. So a high numbers and frequence in sorties come with the risk in accidents and the report USAF Digest of 1953 speak about of 335 F-84s losses, all causes. Stephen L. Sewell is more conservative in his numbers and mentioned 234 losses. However, far of the terrific losses of Corsairs and Mustangs(555 for the first and 477 for the second).

Regards

Daniel

Last edited by Daniel Nole; 18th September 2010 at 21:20.
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