The beginning of the fifties of the twentieth century was marked by the largest and most bloody conflict after the Second World War, the war in Korea, between the communist North and the pro-American South, in which the interests of the two superpowers, the USSR and the United States, were affected. This war, which for a long time was considered a local conflict, was attended by both American troops under the auspices of the UN, and Soviet servicemen operating in an atmosphere of strict secrecy. Our anti-aircraft gunners and pilots took an active part in the hostilities against the US Army, represented by all branches of the armed forces.
By the end of 1950, American pilots managed to almost completely destroy the North Korean aviation and seize undivided power in the "Korean" skies. But this domination lasted until the first meeting of the US Air Force with Soviet MiG-15 aircraft, under the control of the best aces of the USSR Air Force. In the very first battles, our pilots shot down several American bombers and fighters without losing a single one of their own and sowing almost panic in the ranks of the American Air Force. US Commander MacArthur was forced to report to the Chiefs of Staff Committee: the morale of the pilots is falling, flights do not bring the same effect, the enemy's military equipment is significantly superior to the American one, and even the Sabers (F-86) cannot cope with it.
The MiG-15 surpassed its main rival in only two rates of climb and armament: two 23-mm cannons and one 37-mm with a high rate of fire, the shells of which pierced any armor. For the rest of the characteristics, these fighters were equal.
In the spring of 1951, having suffered significant losses, 12 bombers and 4 fighters, when attacking a railway bridge over the Yaludzian River and without shooting down a single Soviet aircraft, even using the latest F-86 in battle, the Americans realized that they were opposed by a modern Soviet fighter. It was decided to get the air vehicle at any cost.
The US military developed a plan to capture the MiG-15 and began to diligently implement it. But they did not take into account a very important factor, the skill of Soviet aces pilots, many of whom went through World War II and had no small combat experience, all attempts by US pilots to take possession of the MiG successfully failed.
Quickly realizing that they would not be able to "steal" the MiG in battle, the Americans decided to "buy" it. US planes began to scatter leaflets, in which they promised to pay anyone who would deliver them a MiG, first $ 100,000, and then $ 1,000,000, but this plan was not crowned with success.
Meanwhile, in Moscow, in the main headquarters of the Soviet Air Force, in retaliation for the actions of the Americans, a plan was developed to land the Saber. For this purpose, a group of pilots headed by Lieutenant General of Aviation, Hero of the Soviet Union Alexei Blagoveshchensky was sent to Korea. Arriving at the scene, Blagoveshchensky gathered the commanders and announced: all information about the air situation will be provided to us - we will take the Saber. Than led the pilots into slight confusion: you first at least knock out, and only then plant. To which a cheerful, optimistic answer followed: we ourselves with a mustache, you are told to supply with information, then supply.
And yet, after the first attempt to capture the Saber, which ended in complete failure, the group from Moscow had to heed the opinion of the pilots. But the second attempt ended in vain, during these operations one MiG was shot down, two were seriously damaged and one turned over during landing, taking with it the life of one of the members of the Moscow group of Colonel Dzyubenko. After that, Blagoveshchensky and his group left for Moscow.
The capture of the Saber took place later, in September 1951. One of our pilots, Colonel Yevgeny Pepelyaev, a hero of the Soviet Union - on whose account 19 American planes shot down, participating in the battle, knocked out one of the Sabers, damaging his catapult and engine. An American fighter pilot, saving his life, planned and sat down on a pebble near the sea, just at the right moment of low tide for him. The pilot was promptly picked up by the rescue service, but the plane remained …
Then the Americans tried to bomb the lost fighter, but the tide that had begun to hid the plane reliably, and then night fell. Our military did not hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity and overnight pulled the plane a fairly decent distance, disguising it as a haystack, where it stood the whole next day. Further, the next night, for the convenience of transportation, the wings were cut off from the fighter, it was successfully delivered to our airfield, disassembled, packed and sent to Moscow. This was the first captured Saber.
Then there was another, whose pilot was captured, also successfully delivered to the airfield in Andong, packed and sent to Moscow. And one more, modified with a radar, which the Americans still managed to bomb, but most likely not completely as soon as radars on fighters appeared in our country.
It only remains to add that the gallant American soldiers were never able to get the captured MiG in battle, but they managed to "buy" the fighter only in 1953.
No Geum Sok is a lieutenant of the DPRK Air Force, a participant in the Korean War, who escaped to South Korea. On September 21, 1953, after the end of hostilities, he hijacked a MiG-15 plane, landed at Gimpo airport and declared that he was tired of life with the "red liars." For the fact that Noh hijacked the plane, he received $ 100,000 instead of the promised million, but he himself claims that this was not the reason for his escape.
(From Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia).
