Commonwealth fighter wing Korea.

77 sqn RAAF fought in Korea with Mustang until May 1951 and Meteors afterwards, it was assigned to various USAF fighter wings. 2 sqn SAAF fought in Korea with Mustangs until Feb 1953 and Sabres afterwards as part of USAF 18th F-BW.

WI these two sqns were operated together, if not as their own small wing at least as a considerable part of a USAF wing? Would the South Africans re-equip with jets, would they go Meteor like the RAAF?
 
WI these two sqns were operated together, if not as their own small wing at least as a considerable part of a USAF wing? Would the South Africans re-equip with jets, would they go Meteor like the RAAF?

The South Africans in Korea re equipped with sabres in 1953.
 
Yes, that was in the OP, however Feb 1953 almost the end of the war whereas the RAAF was fighting with jets for two years of the three year war. Perhaps the SAAF could get Meteors or Vampires in 1951 or Venoms in 1952 rather than wait for the final 6 months of the war to get Sabres.
 
Yes, that was in the OP, however Feb 1953 almost the end of the war whereas the RAAF was fighting with jets for two years of the three year war. Perhaps the SAAF could get Meteors or Vampires in 1951 or Venoms in 1952 rather than wait for the final 6 months of the war to get Sabres.

Let's hope they get Vampires and not meteors. A Russian MIG pilot who served in the Korean War said in an interview that shooting at Meteors was almost too easy.
 
I wouldn't go that far. All 4 Meteors lost and 7 of the 9 damaged in air to air combat were in 1951 (5 of these 7 were written off) and were largely a result of the Meteor being misused and therefore outmatched. After Jan 1952 no Meteors were shot down and only 2 were damaged in air to air combat for 3 confirmed Mig 15 kills.

I'm looking into a PoD where 77 sqn doesn't cop such a hiding in 1951, it seems to stem from a false belief that the Meteor was largely the equal of the Mig 15. Without the terrible Dec 1 1951 hiding the Meteor would look pretty good.
 

Tovarich

Banned
I often wondered why the RAF didn't want to ship some newer jets of their own out to Korea, to see how they'd perform against the Mig15, while they had the chance?
(Or the FAA, come to that - I believe both the Vampire & Venom, plus the Attacker, operated off carriers by then, albeit in small numbers?)

Was there a fear, perhaps, that any such encounters may have given the USSR more useful insight than it would have given the UK?
 
On the SAAF:

There is an excellent book out: Flying Cheetahs in korea by Dermot Moore & Peter Bagshawe. ISBN 1-874800-15-4.

Quoting (pg 173): "Altogether the SAAF had bought 95 Mustangs from the USAF of which 74 had been lost or written off in Korea, with 34 pilots listed as killed or missing in action. various statistical sources give a variety of figures for the number of combat missions and sorties flown. The 2 Sq war diary records that 2,890 missions and 10,597 sorties were flown".

27 January 1953 saw SAAF getting its first Sabre delivery.

Nothing beats sports: During the first 2 weeks of September 1953 excess energy was channelled into the levelling and preparation of rugby and cricket pitches. 19 September 2 Sq played cricket against 77 Sq RAAF and later against 10 NZ transport. Later a rugby match against 77 Sq RAAF.

Whether the cricket match was a test match or not is not mentioned. ODI was not so strong and T20 was not invented yet.

Ivan
 
I often wondered why the RAF didn't want to ship some newer jets of their own out to Korea, to see how they'd perform against the Mig15, while they had the chance?
(Or the FAA, come to that - I believe both the Vampire & Venom, plus the Attacker, operated off carriers by then, albeit in small numbers?)

Was there a fear, perhaps, that any such encounters may have given the USSR more useful insight than it would have given the UK?

I think the British knew their jets weren't a match for the MiG 15 and didn't want that fact to be made painfully obvious.

Also I think the British were under budgetary pressure and had sent all they could spare to Korea. Besides the real reason for going to Korea was to show America that Britain was a loyal ally and please don't withdraw from Europe.
 
27 January 1953 saw SAAF getting its first Sabre delivery.

Nothing beats sports: During the first 2 weeks of September 1953 excess energy was channelled into the levelling and preparation of rugby and cricket pitches. 19 September 2 Sq played cricket against 77 Sq RAAF and later against 10 NZ transport. Later a rugby match against 77 Sq RAAF.

Whether the cricket match was a test match or not is not mentioned. ODI was not so strong and T20 was not invented yet.

Ivan

It couldn't have been a test match. Wasn't organized by any national cricket boards, wasn't played at any first-class venues, etc.

Was most likely either a single innings-per-side match (which might have lasted a day) or a double innings-per-side match (which might have lasted a couple of days).
 
Just joking on the test match.

I can't see 2 squadron's taking 5 days out of the calendar to go play cricket.

realistically, it could only have been one innings per side due to time.

PS: it was also before D-L. No light-meter around either.
 
I think the British knew their jets weren't a match for the MiG 15 and didn't want that fact to be made painfully obvious.

I always thought it ironic how the Russians, with the Mig15, made better use if British jet engines (Rolls Royce Nene in this case) than the British did.

Symptomatic of Britain's post-war incompetent governments.
 
So how do we get the RAAF and SAAF into the same wing? Does Lt Gen Robertson request it, does the SA govt? Do they both need to operate jets?
 
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