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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0871.PDF
3 July 1953 -7 maze of deep trenches interspersed with cleverly-positioned bunkers, I saw nothing to betray any movement or activity of any kind, either among the earthworks themselves or on the roads and tracks behind. What I did see was a deep, cunningly prepared defensive system hewn in the rugged earth and rocky hills, spat tered with shell and bomb craters, but threatening to exact a heavy toll of assailing forces. I saw, too, the vaulting eruptions of 1,000-lb bombs delivered on the left by U.S. Marine Corsairs, and the cur tains of dirt and smoke that hung in the air for minutes afterwards. But I am still not sure which was the most welcome sight that morning—that of L. A/C.s Goodfield and Bennet marshalling our Auster in; the glass of sherry which Major Hailes, who had by then returned, offered us in Casa Mitty, the mess; or a cigarette, tendered from a silver box inscribed: "1903. From the Divisional Artillery. Korea 1951-53." The major took his leave to make the Flight's third counter- bombardment sortie of the day, and I myself boarded the L-19 which had arrived to take me down to Seoul. To have visited those two great little Auster Flights, lodged up by the 38th parallel, was a privilege which I value above all others accorded me in my 32,000- mile journey. I had now accomplished most of what I had set out to do in Korea, except that I had been disappointed when I called on the U.S.A.F. 4th Fighter Intercepter Wing in the hope of finding S/L. Graham Hulse, D.F.C., R.A.F., at home. So I called again and was lucky enough to spot him just emerging from his Sabre. Having had few British visitors, he gave me a large hullo (the Americanism is apt, for he was with the U.S.A.F. for two years before going to Korea) and, as his American colleagues pitched horge-shoes nearby, we smoked English cigarettes and talked of Russian fighters. At that time there stood to his credit ij Migs destroyed (October and November, 1952) and one damaged (January, 1953). The digital Mig was unfortunate enough to be spotted, in company with a second, by the squadron leader when he was flying a photo, recce, escort at 30,000ft. "They were just across the Yalu at 5,000ft" he recalled, "so I dived after them and shot one down." 1 suggested to him that Flight readers might care to have some more circum stantial particulars, and he went on to recollect how the Mig-man had tried to outclimb him. The Sabre's impetus after the dive was too great for him, however, and Hulse was able to put three bursts into his wings and fuselage. The canopy flew off and the pilot ejected at 8,000ft. The Mig went its own sweet way into a sand bank just off the coast and produced a satisfactory amount of black smoke. The fractional Mig was finished off by S L. Hulse after it had been shot up by the leader of a Sabre flight; it crashed and burned just south of Antung. The damaged one he set upon at 40,000ft. "I nipped in behind him at .96," he said, "and hit him three times before he got out of range." When I met him, S JL. Hulse had flown 88 of his 100 missions; but I was not in the least surprised to read, on returning to England, this American bulletin : "S/L. Graham S. Hulse, of Staffordshire, England, a Royal Air Force exchange pilot flying F-86 Sabrejets with the U.S.A.F. 4th Fighter Intercepter Wing in Korea, shared credit for the destruction of a Mig-15, Friday, March 13th. It was the fourth time he has scored against the Russian-built jet fighters." It occurred to me that a man who can spot a Mig 25,000ft below him must have a sharp eye, and I asked S;L. Hulse to describe the appearance of the Migs he had encountered. They were variously camouflaged, he said, often in light and dark green, but also in two shades of copper and in blue. Their red stars were encompassed by a red circle, and all under-surfaces were blue. My only regret was that I could not visit other R.A.F. pilots serv ing with Sabre and Thunder jet wings; but before I boarded a 30 Transport Unit Dakota for Iwakuni, I was several times assured that they were very highly regarded by the U.S.A.F. and that their attachments were proving of incalculable value to both Services.' As an instance of inter-Services relations I conclude with the landing back at Iwakuni. The weather was fair, but F/O. Sherwood, the Australian pilot, was good enough to lay on a practice G.C.A. for my benefit, assuring me that the American controllers were really, top-notch. As it happened, someone or something was a little off-colour that day, and at a critical stage in the proceedings we found ourselves confronted by a mountainside. The controller having been apprised of this fact, he was obliging enough to turn us right. Whereupon F/O. Sherwood proceeded to inform him in loud and clear Australian that, having been directed nearly into the mountains, we were now getting all the turbulence; in consequence of which he was calling the whole thing off. When we landed the G.C.A. called up to apologise and explain; but the flying officer—disappointed that I had not experienced the usual excellent American service—reiterated his sentiments with undiminished force. To which there came the quiet and, it seemed to me, wholly conclusive, reply—"Thank you for your comments"! And so it is in this grinding Korean war that the United Nations are learning from—and thus have increasing respect for—each other. The air efforts of Australia and Britain are small in scale compared with America's; but their impact is telling. An Auster A.0.P.6 of No. 1903 Independent Air O.P. Flight, R.A.F., over the lines. Like the photograph on page 23, this was secured by "Flight" photographer L. W. McLaren from an Auster piloted by Capt. K. Perkins. '••• f » '" * •%. - « *v . jff' \ -* A 1/ ¥' t
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