RAAF Losses Over Korea

[Jim Oxley]

77 Squadron RAAF served throughout the Korean War, primarily utilised in the ground attack role. First with P-51 Mustangs, and then Gloster Meteors.

By war's end it had amassed a stellar record. The squadron flew 18,872 sorties, including 3,872 in Mustangs and 15,000 in Meteors. It was credited with shooting down five MiG-15's and destroying 3,700 buildings, 1,408 vehicles, ninety-eight railway engines and carriages, and sixteen bridges.

In return, the Squadron suffered heavy losses. The squadron's casualty rate in Korea was twenty-five percent killed or captured. Forty-one pilots died, thirty-five from the RAAF and six on exchange from the Royal Air Force. A further seven pilots became prisoners of war. Aircraft losses totalled almost sixty, including over forty Meteors, mostly to ground fire.

Would be interested to know what equivalent USAF Squadron losses were, for those units also involved primarily in the ground attack role. Assuming a similar progression of aircraft equipment ie first with P-51's and then progressing to either F-80 Shooting Stars or F-84 Thunderjet.

[RSwank]

Here is a start. I have not found total sorties etc., but I am sure the info exists "somewhere".

The 8th Fighter Bomber Group is an example of a USAF close air support group that operated though-out the Korea war. The 8th FBG consisted of three squadrons, the 35th, 36th, and 80th.

See pdf page 3 on this link for summary of 8th FBG operations in Korea:

https://www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/...-30-151054-960

The group started with F-80s, then converted to F-51s (August/September 1950). In December, 1950, they went back to F-80s. They converted to F-86s in the spring of 1953. They primarily flew close air support and interdiction missions during the war.
The full KIA/MIA List by squadron is here:

http://80fsheadhunters.org/wp-conten...TIES-KILLS.pdf

The 35th FBS had 31 KIA/MIAs. The 36th had 35. The 80th had 40. Thus the 8th FBG had a total of 106 KIA/MIAs.

[Jim Oxley]

Thanks for the reply RSwank, appreciate it.

Interesting how very similar the losses are for the three squadrons in the 8th FBG, compared to 77 Squadron.

Clearly ground attack work was extremely dangerous, far more so than the 'glamour boys' flying air superiority missions in F-86's.