Korean War B-29 claims

[James A Pratt III]

I understand during the korean war B-29 gunners claimed 27 victories when in reality they may have got 1 to 3. Does anyone have any information on the planes they actually downed?

[edwest]

This site should help:

http://home.comcast.net/~b29sintheko...9koreanwar.htm




Ed

[Daniel Nole]

The list of victories really shot down or damaged by the B-29s.

-One V-VS MiG-15 of the 67th IAP damaged Nov 14, 1950
-One V-VS MiG-15bis of the 29th GIAP shot down Dec 6, 1950(St/Lt N.Serikov-KIA)
-One V-VS MiG-15 of the 176th GIAP damaged Apr 12, 1951.
-One PLAAF MiG-15 of the 4th FAD 12 Regiment shot down Jul 9, 1951.
-One V-VS MiG-15bis of the 18th GIAP damaged Oct 23, 1951.
-One V-VS MiG-15bis night fighter of the 351th IAP damaged Jan 30, 1953.

A MiG-15bis of the Grupa NII was also poss light damaged by the gunner Michael R. Martocchia of the 19th BW, May 31, 1951.

Daniel

[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.

[Daniel Nole]

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

Yes, three claims were made this day, for only a MiG loss. Already that was a very short deployment of the PLAAF 4th FAD, maybe three days, and after lossing this MiG flown by the Regiment Commander the division was retired of operations. The Division come back in operations Sep 22, 1951. The detail of this combat and the victory of the B-29 come from X.Zhang.

Daniel

[James A Pratt III]

Thanks this is what i was looking for. The airwar over Korea 1950-53 needs more research.

[Graham Boak]

Are you including the Seafire in your 27/1-3 kills?

[DavidIsby]

Someone has to keep up traditions.

[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