We think of the Korean War aerial combat as the classic dogfights between the American F-86 Sabre and the Russian built Mig-15 over the Yalu River at the border of North Korea and China as (Mig Alley), yet there are the contributions of two other less recognized aircraft in US service who performed admirably against their capable opponents. We think of combat pilots as celebrity heroes in a way despite the horrors of war as they seem to occupy a special place in the annals of history with their magnificent machines and their incredible instincts and skills.

In the early months of the Korean conflict, the “Forgotten War” as some have called it, US aircraft such as the US Navy F-9 Panther, a straight wing carrier-based fighter jet and the US Air Force P-80 Shooting Star as our first air to air jet combat planes. Both suffered from the limitations of a straight wing that would not allow these aircraft to approach the sound barrier. They also lacked the rate of climb of the MIG-15 which was a swept wing design allowing it to climb and accelerate faster. Yet, quite ironically, it was a US Navy Panther that scored the first kill on a North Korean Mig-15 and also a P-80 Shooting Star that achieved the first kill on a Mig fighter before more lopsided air battles occurred. Though both US fighter jets would be withdrawn from engaging with air-to-air combat with Migs as the F-86 Sabre entered service, they ran thousands of sorties in the ground attack role in support of US and Allied troops against Communist forces.

In 1952 during a routine patrol along the coast of North Korea and launched off the US Navy Carrier, the Oriskany, Captain Royce Williams leads a flight of four F-9 Panthers along the northern coast. Secretly, a little-known intelligence agency sends a coded message to the Carrier group that a suspected flight of Mig-15’s will be headed south from Russian air space possibly engaging the US forces. That virtually unknown agency is the NSA! The US aviators are now on alert. As they begin to enter contested air space the 2^nd flight leader reports engine trouble and is forced to return taking his wingman with him. That leaves only 2 combat aircraft and what they encounter is a flight of 7 Mig-15’s above 12,000 feet! Luckily there are cloud banks in the area.

Although ordered not to engage in combat, it’s already too late, the enemy is peeling off formation to begin a run on the two F-9 Panthers, and as they say, it’s “Tally Ho” for the American aviators. In the longest dogfight in US military history (35 minutes) Captain Royce Williams shoots down three Mig-15’s and badly damages another. He orders his inexperienced wingman to head home before the nitty gritty even gets started. Keeping his head on a constant swivel as 7 Mig-15’s attempt to shoot him down, Captain Williams uses one of two advantages he has-sharper turning ratio, a more stable gun platform with heavier cannons!

The Mig-15 pilots are probably Russian, in violation of the UN safety council rules, and the dogfight is occurring over unauthorized airspace! This air battle will remain a piece of untold history for years to come until 2014 when a Russian history expert reveals the engagement and Captain Royce Williams is finally given credit for his successful mission decades later. What is the average timing of a dogfight before the initial air battle and the withdrawal from air combat? It’s 5 minutes!

Williams spent 35 minutes in a slower fighter jet with less of a rate of climb fighting off a 7 to 1 advantage! Constantly weaving, turning, or diving to get away from a determined pursuit, Williams took his kill shots as the opportunity arose, but never able to celebrate as there was always another Mig-15 on his tail. Eventually he ran out of ammunition and had to enter a cloud formation to evade his enemies. According to records of the air battle, of the 7 Mig-15’s only one returned with one so badly damaged it crashed on the return and another that was totally unaccounted for (lost).

When he emerged, there was no sign of his foes, and the captain limped home low on fuel and with a shot up plane. When he managed to land his damaged F-9 Panther back on the Oriskany, they counted 263 holes in the fuselage and wings! The aircraft was unrepairable and had to be dumped over the side of the deck into the freezing seas, but the fact that Captain Williams survived with that kind of damage was a testament to the incredible strength of the construction by the Grumman Aircraft Company as well as the pilot’s skills. By the time Captain Williams retired and at the age of 100 finally received honors and the Silver Star for his bravery and service to his country.