Korean War B-29 claims

[JoeB]

Originally Posted by Gizmo

Hi,

Some comments...

6 Dec. - According to Soviets, Serikov separated from MiGs formation before combat and missing. Also no B-29 gunners claims.

9 Jul. - There is also victory against MiG-15 scored by Capt. Milton Nelson of 4th FIW. He claimed that enemy pilot ejected.

According to original combat reports, gunners of the flight of 19th BG B-29’s attacked on December 6 1950 believed they downed a MiG-15, but it was credited only as ‘possible’. It’s reasonable IMO to assume this probably explains Serikov's loss.

As mentioned already, the PLAAF loss July 9 1951 was caused by B-29's according to "Red Wings over the Yalu" by Xioaming Zhang, p. 120. However it's footnoted to a book of personal recollections “Lantian zhi lu”, and there is no published official account of the incident according to Zhang. B-29's were credited with two MiG's, F-86's with one. Given the generally much higher accuracy of fighter compared to bomber claims (and not just in Korea), I agree there’s still room for uncertainty about the cause of this loss. Review of actual Chinese combat reports might settle it.

The other MiG apparently downed by a B-29 was that of Kapt GM Poltavets, night of August 23-24 1952, failed to return, .50 cal bullet holes found in fragments of the a/c recovered, according to “Night Battles in the Sky of Korea-Part 1” in Aviatsiya i Vremya No. 6 2002. According to original combat reports, a B-29 crew of the 307th BG reported that an attacking MiG they fired on that night exploded, but they were not awarded a victory (no confirmed victories were awarded to B-29’s in night operations).

Thus, neither of the two most likely real B-29 victories over MiG's was officially credited, while perhaps all the officially credited victories (with the possible exception of the July 9 '51 case) were overclaims!

In the pre-MiG-15 period, besides the Seafire friendly fire incident July 28 1950, the 19th BG’s uncredited claim against a Yak-9 June 29th may have been valid. According to Alexander Kotlobovsky’s article in Aviatsiya i Vremya No. 2 2004, the North Korean ace Lee Don Gyu was shot down by B-29’s that day, parachuting safely.

Joe