The Last War of the Superfortresses: Mig-15 Vs B-29 Over Korea
- 110 pages
- 4 hours of reading
This work provides a comprehensive history of the confrontation between Soviet fighters and the U.S. Far East Air Force's B-29 'Superfortress' bombers during the Korean War (1950-1953). The authors draw on extensive military documents from the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation in Podolsk, as well as published Western sources. They also incorporate firsthand accounts from pilots of the 64th Fighter Air Corps who participated in the events. Every significant battle between Soviet fighters and the B-29s is analyzed in detail, with an emphasis on clarifying actual losses for both sides through a comparison of Soviet archives and Western data. Key events, such as the air battles of April and October 1951, are highlighted for their substantial impact on the Korean War and the evolution of military aviation in both the USSR and the USA. Notably, after the encounters near the bridges at Andung on April 12, 1951, Strategic Air Command restricted the use of 'Superfortresses' near MiG bases. The series of air battles from October 22 to 27, particularly the infamous 'Black Tuesday' on October 23, led to a ban on daylight operations for 'Superfortresses' in Soviet fighter zones, significantly affecting U.S. Air Force strategic bomber policies.