Red Devils over the Yalu: A Chronicle of Soviet Aerial Operations in the Korean War 1950-53 (Helion Studies in Military History) by Igor Seidov & Stuart Britton

Author:Igor Seidov & Stuart Britton [Seidov, Igor]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: HISTORY / Military / Korean War, HISTORY / Military / Aviation
ISBN: 9781910294314
Publisher: Helion and Company
Published: 2014-03-19T04:00:00+00:00

However, for some reason the victory over the Sabre was not credited to Kaliuzhny, but to his wingman.

The pilots of the 17th IAP, which had sortied in 24 MiGs, also scored victories in this major clash: Senior Lieutenant V.M. Khvostantsev did particularly well by downing two Sabres in the dogfight. In the period between 0725 and 0734, radar had detected up to 120 enemy fighters and fighter-bombers in the Chinnampo area at an altitude of 6,000-8,000 meters, flying in groups of 8, 12, 16 and 24 aircraft in the direction of Anju. At an order from the division command post, 24 MiGs of the 17th IAP under the command of Captain N.V. Sutiagin took off from Readiness No.1 to intercept the enemy aircraft.

Captain Sutiagin’s group received the assignment to engage the F-86 fighters in the Anju area at an altitude of 7,500-8,500 meters. While en route to the area, seeing that they were leaving contrails behind them at an altitude of 8,000 meters, Sutiagin decided to climb to 9,500 meters, where they would leave no contrails. Upon arriving over Anju, the group leader noticed a formation of up to eight F-86s out in front of them and to the right and higher by about 600-700 meters. However, at this same instant he received information from Major M.S. Ponomarev that a dogfight was underway behind and to the left of them.

Sutiagin decided to join the on-going fracas and ordered the group to swing around 180° to the left. Coming out of the turn, Sutiagin saw the action going on in front of them and led the entire group toward it.

As they were approaching the combat (in an area north of Taechon), Sutiagin observed a flight of F-86s off to their left and 1,000 meters below them, swinging around to their left on a course to intercept them. He gave the command: “We’re going on the attack”, before rolling to the right, and then back to the left into a dive upon this flight of Sabres. Having closed to within a range of 1,000-1,200 meters, Sutiagin received information from Captain S.S. Bychkov that they had Sabres behind them. Sutiagin pulled abruptly into a climbing turn to port, thereby exiting out from under the attack of these Sabres. Having conducted a low-angle spiral, he spotted four F-86s below and to the left, which were moving across their front from left to right, and having let them pass below him, he went after the enemy in a diving turn to starboard. Pursuing the enemy, Sutiagin caught sight of two F-86s that were attacking his pair from the left and behind. Sutiagin broke off his pursuit of the enemy and evaded the attack of this pair of Sabres with a climbing turn to port. At this moment, an order arrived from the division command post to break off combat, so Captain Sutiagin headed back to base.

Senior Lieutenant F.G. Malunov’s element, following behind Sutiagin’s element in the climbing turn to port, spotted four F-86s in front of them, to the right and below.

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