A Concise History of the US Air Force - Air Force Historical Studies ...
A Concise History of the US Air Force - Air Force Historical Studies ...
A Concise History of the US Air Force - Air Force Historical Studies ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Principal American air commanders at <strong>the</strong> outset<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Korean War, Major General Earle Partridge,<br />
lef, Fifth <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong>, and Lieutenant General George<br />
Stratemeyer, right, Far Eastern <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong>s (FEAF).<br />
A heavy reliance on <strong>the</strong> nuclear strike force left <strong>the</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong> ill-<br />
prepared to deal with a conventional war on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> globe.<br />
Moreover, when Congress approved <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> force to repel <strong>the</strong> North<br />
Korean invasion on June 30, 1950, <strong>the</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> a formal declaration <strong>of</strong><br />
war introduced <strong>the</strong> <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong> to <strong>the</strong> new tribulations <strong>of</strong> limited war. The<br />
few air combat units <strong>of</strong> Major General Earle Partridge’s Fifth <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong>,<br />
<strong>the</strong> main combat force <strong>of</strong> Lieutenant General George Stratemeyer’s Far<br />
Eastern <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong>s (FEAF), launched interdiction raids against advancing<br />
North Korean units from bases in Japan in an attempt to slow <strong>the</strong>ir head-<br />
long rush down <strong>the</strong> Korean peninsula. Armed reconnaissance by fighters<br />
against targets <strong>of</strong> opportunity increased <strong>the</strong>ir effectiveness.<br />
The United Nations (U.N.) Security Council had called on mem-<br />
ber nations to aid South Korea on June 27, but for a time, <strong>the</strong> U.S. <strong>Air</strong><br />
<strong>Force</strong>’s thin aluminum line was <strong>the</strong> only help harassed American and<br />
Republic <strong>of</strong> Korean ground forces could expect. B-26s <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 3d Bom-<br />
bardment Wing from Johnson <strong>Air</strong> Base in Japan put <strong>the</strong> interdiction effort<br />
on an around-<strong>the</strong>-clock basis with night intruder operations beginning on<br />
<strong>the</strong> night <strong>of</strong> June 27. B-29s <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 19th Bombardment Group, based at<br />
Kadena, Okinawa, added heavy bombs <strong>the</strong> next day. Continuing interdic-<br />
tion strikes (40 percent <strong>of</strong> all missions) against overextended North<br />
Korean supply lines and desperate ground action supported by air strikes<br />
(60 percent <strong>of</strong> all missions) saved U.N. forces trapped in <strong>the</strong> Pusan Peri-<br />
meter. This success in direct support <strong>of</strong> U.N. troops freed <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong> units<br />
for strikes against strategic targets in North Korea. Accurate bombing in<br />
all wea<strong>the</strong>r conditions and North Korea’s small size allowed <strong>the</strong> B-29s to<br />
all but eliminate its industrial base by September 1950.<br />
General Douglas MacArthur, named Commander in Chief <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
U.N. Command in Korea on July 8, launched a surprise amphibious land-<br />
46