When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the nascent republic was only one year old. For the Chinese army at that time, the naval and air forces were almost negligible.
Although the Korean battlefield was mountainous and mainly the army fought fiercely, the powerful navy of the "United Nations Army" could provide long-range fire support, and could even carry the army to "land at Incheon" with one hand, and the powerful air force firmly controlled the air supremacy of the battlefield, forcing the volunteers to often have to travel day and night.
At that time, the Chinese Air Force was regarded as a "baby air force" by the US military staff, but soon after, US Chief of Staff Vandenberg exclaimed:
"This doll has grown into a giant overnight! They are now a world air combat power! ”
The cause of such an earth-shattering upheaval was a mysterious foreign force. With their help, the Korean battlefield was close to the northeastern side of China, and it became a "forbidden area of life" for many American pilots to talk about.
1. The "air support" promised by Stalin has finally arrived!
After the United States entangled the "United Nations Forces" to intervene in the Korean War, the Syngman Rhee regime in South Korea, which had been almost driven into the sea, came back to life, and General Kim's high-flying offensive came to an end. In view of the increasingly tense situation on the Korean Peninsula, Chairman Mao Zedong resolutely advocated sending troops to the DPRK to "fight with one punch, lest a hundred blows come."
However, the Chinese delegation headed by Zhou Enlai also secretly went to Moscow to discuss assistance with the Soviet side. In earlier negotiations, the Soviets promised to provide air support for Chinese troops entering the Korean war. Later, however, the Soviet side said that the Soviet Air Force was not ready and would not be able to enter the war until two or three months after the Chinese troops entered the DPRK.
This means that China's heroic sons and daughters will have to fight the "United Nations Army" armed to the teeth for a whole quarter without air cover! A few days later, the Soviets changed their minds again, saying that the Soviet Air Force might not be able to participate in the war in two or three months, and even if it did, the scope of the operation would be limited to defending China's northeastern airspace, and the Yalu River would not enter the DPRK's airspace.
There is no doubt that this will cause heavy casualties to our volunteers. In the face of the Soviet Union's statement, Zhou Enlai was worried and argued. On October 13, Mao Zedong sent a telegram from China, asking Zhou Enlai to act on his behalf, to the effect that even after two or three months, the Soviet Air Force could not enter the Korean War, and the Chinese must send troops!
On October 25 of that year, the Chinese People's Volunteers entered the DPRK to participate in the war, and the ground battle officially began. On November 1, the long-overdue roar of fighter planes finally sounded over the Yalu River on the border between China and North Korea.
2. The "Mysterious Unit" Wearing the Uniform of the Volunteer Army
Although the Soviet Air Force entered the war "ahead of schedule", their combat range was very limited compared to the Chinese People's Volunteers who were penetrating deep into the heart of Korea. Their main objectives are to defend bridges, power stations and dams on the Yalu River, as well as communication lines and airfields within 75 kilometers on the North Korean side of the Yalu River.
Since the Soviet Air Force finally joined the battle, why is it said that this is a "mysterious unit" supporting the war? It turned out that Stalin and other high-level leaders of the CPSU had a very complicated mentality about getting involved in the Korean War, and they were unwilling to see US forces encroaching on the Korean Peninsula, but they were afraid of direct confrontation with the United States.
However, with such an indifferent attitude of sitting idly by and watching the Chinese and North Korean armies being crushed by the powerful naval and air superiority of the "United Nations Army", what kind of face does it have to call itself a "big brother"? It was in this contradictory state of mind that Stalin severely limited the operational scope of the Soviet Air Force, and demanded more than this for this batch of air force units entering the DPRK:
Like the Chinese People's Volunteers, they also fought in North Korea as unofficial "volunteers", and uniformly wore the uniforms and insignia of the Chinese People's Volunteers, and their ground vehicles and fighter planes were all painted with the logo of the Chinese People's Volunteers.
They each had a small card, with a Cyrillic phonetic Chinese command vocabulary on the front and a Cyrillic phonetic Korean command vocabulary on the back - yes, Stalin did not allow them to use Russian for combat communication, and combat orders must be given in Chinese or Korean. It is said that this is because they are worried about being discovered by US pilots, and it is actually a Russian who is holding the control stick in the shell of the volunteer plane.
In this way, this group of Soviet pilots who entered the war in Korea became a "mysterious unit" that carried out special military regulations.
According to US information, a Soviet "volunteer" pilot was shot down, and although he successfully parachuted, he unfortunately landed in an area controlled by the "United Nations forces." In order to prevent the captives from exposing the news of the Soviet army's secret participation in the war, this heroic pilot resolutely pulled out his gun and aimed it at his temple when the enemy troops were surrounded on all sides.
However, later, Soviet pilots participated in the Korean battlefield, which was already a matter that the warring parties could not tell. This is because from the engagement, the US pilots gradually discovered that the other side was a group of difficult opponents, who were not only experienced in technology and tactics, but also had a very high level of flying quality. To paraphrase the classic lines in Jiang Wen's "Let the Bullets Fly", it is "This XX is only 1 year old? In any case, it is hard for the "United Nations Army" to believe that they are facing the Chinese Air Force, which has just turned one year old!
3. What are the results of the "mysterious force"?
North Korea, which became independent after the victory in World War II in 1945, has an older air force than the new Chinese Air Force, but it is equipped with some old propeller planes from World War II. These planes are enough to deal with Syngman Rhee, but they are powerless to resist in the face of the new jet of the "United Nations Army."
Due to the generational difference in the performance of the fighters and the lack of pilot skills, the DPRK Air Force suffered a lot of losses in MacArthur's reversing all the way, and the loss of backward fighters was not a pity, and the sacrifice of the pilots was the most painful for General Kim.
Li Qiwei was very grateful for the powerful role played by the US Air Force in the Korean War, and he frankly said that without the help of the Air Force pilots, the "United Nations Army" would probably lose the war within 60 days. Li Qiwei's remarks reflected the powerful land combat capability of the ground forces of the Chinese Volunteers, but also highlighted the extreme importance of air power in modern warfare.
However, with the help of the Soviet Union, the air forces of China and the DPRK during the same period were taught by Soviet masters to "speed up" in a short period of time, and then tempered in air battles.
On November 1, 1950, six Yak-9 fighters of the DPRK Air Force shot down two U.S. B29 bombers and one Mustang fighter in the Anju area.
On this day, the "mysterious unit" composed of Soviet pilots also broke out in the first battle over Sinuiju, the Soviet MiG-15 group, successfully shot down 2 US F82 fighters, and the ground anti-aircraft artillery unit also shot down 2 F82. The first battle was won, and the "mysterious troops" did not suffer any damage themselves.
According to the good news given to Stalin by General Zarov, the military adviser stationed in China at that time, in early November alone, they successfully shot down 23 planes of the "United Nations Army", and the results were remarkable! When Stalin learned the news, he was overjoyed and continued to increase the weight of this "mysterious force" by sending an additional 120 MiG-15 fighters.
Due to the intervention of the Soviet Air Force, the strategic plan of the US military was not realized for a long time. The US Far East Air Force Command demanded that the US strategic bomber group destroy all the bridges over the Yalu River and blow up 10 important cities and military targets in northern Korea. However, because of the existence of the "mysterious force", the bombers of the US military have been unable to complete these tasks for a long time.
Fast forward to January 1951, and a big conspiracy was brewing in the US military. They believe that if they want to ensure that their bomber group can safely carry out the bombing mission without being countered by the fighters of the "mysterious force," they can carry out a surprise attack and annihilate them on the ground of the airfield first, and after they succeed, the bomber group will immediately set off to bomb!
On the 21st, about 50 US fighter planes formed a formation and prepared to attack Andong Airport. There are a large number of MiG-15 fighters stationed here, and no one dares to imagine what the consequences will be if this place is destroyed. Fortunately, the radar unit gave a timely warning, and before the enemy planes flew in, the pilots of the "mysterious unit" were all dispatched, and the planes quickly took off to meet the enemy; in this contest between the surprise attack and the counter-raid, the "mysterious unit" caused 11 US fighters to sink into the sand at the cost of not a single casualty.
If one plan fails, another plan will be implemented. Soon after this raid, the "United Nations Army" prepared to launch a counteroffensive while the ground forces of the Chinese and North Korean coalition forces were resting, while the US Air Force dispatched a mixed fleet of 152 planes to blow up the Yalu River Bridge in one fell swoop.
In this battle, the 324th Fighter Aviation Division of the "mysterious force" dispatched all its fighters, and after a fierce battle that lasted for more than an hour, 10 US B29 bomber fighters were shot down, and 4 F80 fighters escorted by the escort were shot down, and the conspiracy to cut off the rear communications of the Sino-Korean coalition forces was once again bankrupt.
Fourth, the "MiG corridor" and the ace pilots
Although the "mysterious force" sent by the Soviet Union was effective in its combat operations, it was still in a weak position compared to the "United Nations Army" in the context of the entire Korean War. There is no other reason, and the effort invested is disproportionate. The U.S. military did its best for the Korean War, while the Soviet Union was willing to send only a small part of its air combat forces to intervene, which was still sneaky. This made it impossible for the Soviet Air Force to expand its gains on the Korean battlefield, and the ground forces of the Sino-Korean coalition still suffered serious attrition in the indiscriminate bombardment of the enemy.
However, the role of the "mysterious troops" of the Soviet Air Force is still very prominent, they have well guarded the security of the airspace of China and North Korea within the scope of operation, and firmly guarded the large rear transportation lines of the Chinese and North Korean coalition forces.
South of the Yalu River, in northern Korea, east to Heecheon City, west to the Yellow Sea, and south to Sinuiju is the "MiG Corridor," which has been talked about by countless U.S. troops. According to retired US pilots, if the weather is clear and cloudless, they will be able to see with the naked eye the MiG-15 fighter jets that are taking off and landing at the Andong airfield in China, as well as the ground crew the size of ants, in the sky above the MiG corridor.
Here, the U.S. Army's F80 and F86 fighters faced off against the Soviet Union's MiG-15 fighters, which was the first large-scale battle of jet fighters in human history, and the "MiG Corridor" became the birthplace of jet fighter air combat that went down in history.
After September 1951, the Chinese Air Force, also equipped with MiG fighters, also joined the battle. Group Leader Zhang Jihui shot down two US fighter jets in one fell swoop. During this period, the Chinese Air Force grew rapidly, and many ace pilots continued to emerge: Zhao Baotong (7), Liu Yudi (6), Sun Shenglu (6), Jiang Daoping (5), ......
These young Chinese Air Force pilots, after being trained by their masters, tested their academic performance in the "MiG corridor". However, Jiang is still old and spicy, and the number of US fighters shot down depends on the Soviet master.
Many of the pilots in the "mysterious unit" were ace pilots who had participated in World War II, and they themselves were highly skilled and had outstanding tactical qualities, and they had a record of shooting down enemy planes many times before entering the Korean War. On the "MiG corridor", Soviet ace pilot Nikolai Sudyakin alone shot down 21 American F86 fighters, while his comrade-in-arms Yevgeny Pepelyaev, who was on a par with him, shot down 19.
The war tempered its true colors, and it also washed out the heroes of air combat on both sides. There are also a number of ace pilots in the US military, who emerged in the "MiG corridor" in the engagement with the Chinese, North Korean and Soviet air forces. Captain McConnell topped the list of "United Nations Forces" with 16 MiG-15s, three of which he shot down in one day. Hollywood once made an air combat movie based on his story, but it was not very popular. Another ace, Colonel Busena, shot down 9 MiG-15s. Hollywood doesn't have any of his films, but the U.S. Air Force has a pamphlet he wrote, which records his combat experience in the "MiG corridor."
5. Why did the United States not reveal the "mysterious force" until 1988
In 1988, the United States officially disclosed for the first time that the "mysterious unit" encountered by the US military on the Korean battlefield was actually the Soviet Air Force. To tell the truth, even if the Americans don't say it, historians around the world who study the Korean War already know about it, and even during the war, the "United Nations Army" learned about this information a long time ago.
In an interview on the Korean battlefield, U.S. Air Force pilot Gran, who later became one of the astronauts of the Apollo program, bluntly stated in an interview that he was well aware that his opponent was the Soviets. Many U.S. pilots who, like Glen, had experienced the "MiG Corridor" air battles revealed that they knew in their hearts that the Soviets were sitting in the cabin, because they could even see each other's faces clearly in close combat.
However, in the face of these rumors, the US official never said a word, and it was not until more than 30 years after the end of the war that the US official confirmed the news. This can't help but make people unbelievable, it is understandable that China, the Soviet Union and the DPRK chose to keep it secret, why did the Americans also help the Soviet Union keep it secret? Even if this secret is no longer a secret, the US government chooses to pretend to be confused? Why didn't they use the propaganda machine to expose the Soviet Union to the war in the first place?
Years later, Herbert, a senior aide to the Eisenhower administration, explained: "The United States must help the Soviet Union keep its secrets, or the enormous pressure of public opinion will force us to say something, and even do something." ”
It turns out that politicians with top skills are often mistaken for riddlers in the eyes of the general public. Just like Stalin, why did he secretly send troops and set all kinds of rules and regulations for the pilots, and even the Soviet Union never advertised them until it collapsed? In fact, Stalin wanted to fulfill his obligations as a "big brother" and did not want to engage in a large-scale confrontation with the United States. Therefore, he chose the most low-key way and fought in North Korea in the name of a small number of "volunteers".
This is by no means something that Stalin "coerced" to make this decision - because the top politicians in the United States also understood Stalin's meaning, and also chose to fall off the donkey and not start a large-scale confrontation with the Soviet Union. So even if they have discovered the intervention of the Soviet army, they are willing to sell face to help keep the secret, and will never confirm this news.
As Herbert said, if the United States had officially confirmed the news that the Soviet Union had sent troops to intervene in the Korean War, then American public opinion and its allies would inevitably demand a more response from the United States. This could lead to an escalation of the scale of the war, and even the flames of war on the Korean Peninsula could be ignited in Europe, where the atmosphere was even more tense. It was the top politicians on all sides who thought of this, and the "mysterious troops" had to wear a veil of mystery until decades after the war.
In February 2000, Comrade Wang Hai, an air combat hero and former commander of the Air Force in the Korean Theater, gave an objective and appropriate evaluation of the Soviet "mysterious troops" in his memoir "My Air Combat Career":
"At the beginning of the war, the air force of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was still very weak, and the air battle was mainly fought by the Soviet Air Force...... Without the help of the Soviet Air Force, the Chinese Air Force would not have developed so fast, and it would have been difficult for the Volunteer Air Force to achieve such brilliant results. ”