Page 67 - Aviation News - September 2017

Right: Captain Howard I Price (left) with his
crew chief with a red/white blinker-nose
Mustang that had belonged to the 40th FS
and was transferred over to the 67th FBS. H I
Price via Warren Thompson
Bottom: All of the Yaks in South Korea were
shot up by strafing fighters. Those that were
able to fly made it back to Manchuria. Warren
Bodie via Warren Thompson
a positive identification. He could see no
insignia on the aircraft but was positive they
were the enemy and called to the other
two Mustangs: “Let’s go get them.” He and
Lt Olsen dived on the nearest one, which
panicked, snap-rolled and quickly lost height.
“I picked up the next one,” said Price. “He
started to turn sharply left and away from the
other Yaks and snap-rolled. I followed him
down. While he was turning I clobbered him
as my rounds converged right on target.
“Pieces flew off the enemy fighter and his
engine causing him to immediately bale out.
What surprised me was that his parachute stored on Guam in the western Pacific since “I watched all the way down until he hit
was square, unlike the round one we used. 1945. Their propellant had solidified, so very near Sinuiju. No other aircraft were in
I didn’t see where he landed, but swung the rockets tended to fall short of the target. sight so we stayed for about a half-hour; saw
around and tried to get at another aircraft. They also failed to stay on course and either no traffic on the roads, so we headed home.”
“All I saw was Lt Reynolds following a veered left or right, what Price called a ‘hook’
lone aircraft, so the or ‘slice’, in a golfing MiGs CAUGHT ON FILM
others may have ‘An ominous analogy. Only a few 67th FBS Mustang pilots tangled
dived for the ground. “I then lined up with MiG-15s – among them Captain Ross
The Yaks were much shape hurtled by from slightly below Flake.
slower than our and fired the 0.50 After months of ground support around
Mustangs [relative top me and I then knew calibres. I hit him the Yalu with no aircraft sightings, MiGs
speeds 367/437mph; from behind the suddenly became a common part of
590/703km/h] and we were weren’t cockpit all the way missions, Flake recalling that they appeared
I joined alongside up to the engine. I in two-ship elements at very high altitude,
Reynolds. He then being fired on from must have fired circling but never starting a dogfight.
stated that his guns three or four bursts, His first encounter came when a pair
had jammed. the ground, because as I remembered made two formation passes at the flight
In the meantime, that these Yak types he was leading. “We were down at 2,000ft
the enemy fighters a Yak-9 pilot had were supposed to be when my wingman called out that the two
were trying to head armoured. MiGs inverted, launching an almost vertical
west to get across the me in his sights’ “All at once, pass at us.
Yalu River and safety. bluish flames started “We started a hard turn, hoping they
I slid down and coming out of the would engage, but they pulled up again.
across as Reynolds pulled off. I fired each of engines. At the same time, the aircraft nosed The second dive on us was not so steep.
my rockets at the Yak in an effort to save my over, the guns started firing and he went I turned into them and, even though they
ammo. Each [one] missed... these rockets down in a steep dive. I think he was killed or were out of range, I pulled the trigger and
were absolutely worthless.” unconscious because he made no attempt to kept on them as long as possible to get
According to Capt Price, they had been pull out, and went on in from about 5,000ft. them on film.

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