10. The Korean War
The Korean War which was a product of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States marked a milestone in aerial warfare. Apart from being the first military action of the Cold War, it’s also remembered as the first invasion that saw jet fighters actively participating in air battles. Initially, Germany had used jets in the closing days of the Second World War. However, they didn’t play a significant role at that time, and the Korean War was the first war to pitch jet plane against jet plane, like never before.
On 25th June 1950, North Korean forces invaded the south in an attempt to unite the country after the emergence of civil war following the two separate governments that had been formed after the liberation of Korea from the Japanese by the Soviet Union, who acted as a result of an agreement with the United States. Both governments claimed to be the legitimate government of Korea, and neither side accepted the border as permanent. The Soviet Union and China supported the North Korean forces while the US. (who recognized the North Korean act as an invasion) supported the South.
The early days of the battle saw aerial battles between US straight-winged Mustang fighter jets and Soviet Lavochkin La-7’s. The aerial battle became fiercer when the United Nations intervened in support of South Korea. More modern fighters including the American F-80 Shooting Star and F-86 Sabre, and the Soviet MiG 15 were brought in. As the war progressed, the Australian Air Force and British Hawker Sea Fury (responsible for shooting down more Communist aircraft than any other non-US power) were also introduced.
The Korean war ended on 27th July 1953, when an armistice was signed. The agreement created the Korean Demilitarized Zone to separate North and South Korea and allowed the return of prisoners. On the other hand, the USAF achieved more than 753 victories and suffered only 103 losses. In the aerial arena, the effectiveness of jet fighters was also demonstrated.
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