July 1950
July Significant Dates for Early Korean War Combat Operations
July 1: North Korean forces occupied Suwon, denying Far East Air Forces use of its airstrip. “Bout One” is operational at K-2.
July 3: General Stratemeyer (FEAF) directed the 13th AF at Clark AFB in the Philippines to create new “Dallas Squadron” and deploy it to Johnson Air Base in Japan to be equipped with Mustangs. First AOC organized at Itazuke.
July 5: General Order 24 issued by the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing “directed the 18th Fighter-Bomber Group to organize a provisional squadron code named ‘Dallas Squadron’ with personnel of the former 12th Fighter Bomber Squadron to be used as a nucleus. First three TACP teams began operating at Chonan.
July 6: 6002nd Air Base Squadron organized and moved to K-2.
July 7: Provisional Troop Carrier Unit 1 (C-47’s and C-46’s) organized at Ashiya.
July 8: General Timberlake designated K-2/Taegu as the destination for the “Dallas” squadron. 39th and 40th Squadrons of the 35th Fighter-Interceptor Group moved to Ashiya and 8th Squadron of 49th Fighter-Bomber Group moved from Ashiya to Itazuke.
July 10: “Dallas Squadron” departed Clark Air Force Base via Troop Carrier aircraft for Johnson Air Base, Japan, where it was to receive TO&E. “51st Prov. Ftr. Sq. (Dallas Project) organized at K-2.” 10 FAF created 51st Fighter Squadron (Provisional) at Taegu, and authorized it to incorporate the American personnel from “Bout-One” and the “Dallas” pilots. Simultaneously, FAF created the 6002nd Air Base Squadron and sent it to Korea to provide logistical support for the provisional fighter squadron.
July 13: General Stratemeyer obtained permission to move the 18th FBG to Japan. The Group Command was authorized to deploy to Korea via Japan. Only one squadron, the 67th, would be moving with the Group. General Walton Walker named ground force commander in Korea.
July 14: 35th Fighter Interceptor Group (FIG), moved from Japan to K-3 at Pohang, the first USAF fighter group to be based in South Korea during the war. T-6 Mosquitoes began operating from K-2. 6132nd Tactical Air Control Group organized at Itazuke. General Vandenberg visited Hq FAF at Itazuke and flew to Korea (including Taegu).
July 15: “Bout-One” and “Dallas” cease to exist as independent units following merger into the newly created 51st Fighter Squadron (Provisional) at Taegu (K-2). Eager pilots of the “51st” flew their first F-51 Mustang combat missions in Korea. “The 51st Fighter Squadron (Provisional) was dubbed ‘The Flying Tigers of Korea’ by Korean President Syngman Rhee, and was allowed to paint sharks teeth on the engine cowling of the aircraft, reminiscent of the Flying Tigers of World War II.”
Major Stanley Chatfield, was preparing to land his F-80 at Clark AB, circling over the field waiting until a T-33 jet trainer had taken off. The T-33 “had a flameout about the rotation time,” and bellied in off the end of the landing runway. Chatfield “landed right away since the aircraft was a 12th Squadron aircraft and Chatfield was the new Commander of the 12th following the departure of Capt. Harry Moreland with the Dallas Project. Chatfield jumped into a jeep “and raced for the accident where the fire and crash crews were taking care of the situation.”
Lt. Daniel "Chappie" James
Also on the scene was Lt. Chappie James, who was in the process of lifting the canopy off the aircraft--with his back--and helping the pilot out. The pilot was not Spud Taylor, James’ close friend, since “Spud had long ago checked out in the F-80 and was in no need for a check,” Chatfield recalled.
James did injure his back during the rescue and was taken off flying status by the Flight Surgeon to give the injury time to heal. This did not sit well with James, at all.
“We were all getting ready to go to Korea, and Chappie is not going to be among the pilots.”
James went to Chatfield for help.
“He pleaded with me to do something,” Chatfield recalled, “so I went to the Command Surgeon and told him the story of the Group and the camaraderie of the pilots. I also told him--off the cuff,of course--that if Chappie did not go with the Group, that he said he would go AWOL and join them in Korea.”
The Surgeon relented and put James “back on flying status. I don’t think that Chappie even knew that,” Chatfield recalled.
July 19: JOC fully established at Taegu.
July 20: Taejon falls to NKA, forcing the remnants of the USA 24th Infantry Division to withdraw to the southeast.
The USS Boxer (CV 21) arrived in Yokosuka, Japan on Sunday, July 23rd crammed with 145 USAF F-51s, equipment and personnel aboard following a record eight-day transit from Alameda, California.
July 23: USS BOXER (CV 21) arrived in Yokosuka, Japan loaded with 145 USAF F-51s, equipment and personnel aboard following a record eight-day transit from Alameda, California.
“Boxer Boys.” These pilots from the 27th Fighter Wing based at Bergstrom AFB, Texas departed Austin, Texas were en route to San Francisco, California, where they boarded the USS BOXER for a fast trip across the Pacific to Korea. The F-51’s were off loaded in Yokohama, Japan, prepared for combat and flown to Taegu, Korea. (L-R) Jack A. Lightner, Ramon R. “Stoop” Davis, John A. Denman, Don E. Eberhardt, Norbourn A. Thomas, Robert D. Rohhlfs, William H. Alexander, Telbert B. Wormack, Neil R. Bartimus, Archibald Young, Edward F. Gossen, Raymond J. Frese, Kendal E. Carson, Robert B. Kelsey, Jan W. Barmore, James C. Peek, James S. Alford, Lee Gomes, Joseph V. LeRoy, John D. Duncan and Bernard L. Pearson.
July 24: 18th Fighter-Bomber Group headquarters at Clark AFB, plus the 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, received orders transferring them to Johnson Air Base, Japan to receive aircraft and for further transfer to Taegu (K-2), Korea.
July 25: Second Lieutenant Billie R. Crabtree “was the first casualty of the unit [51st Provisional Squadron] … when he dove his F-51 too close to his target,” S/Sgt. Sandy Colton recorded.
July 27: 18th Fighter-Bomber Group, commanded by Lt. Col. Ira F. Wintermute, detached from the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Clark AFB, Philippines and was ordered to Japan. The 44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron remained at Clark AFB under the Command of Major Charles H. Gipson.”
July 28: In Special Orders #144, the 18th Fighter Bomber Wing directed Lt. Col. Ira F. Wintermute as Commander, 18th Fighter-Bomber Group, to move by airlift from Clark AFB to Japan for “subsequent movement to Taegu, Korea. Group staff officers going with Wintermute, included: Major Robert Dow, Major Stanley E. Chatfield, Capt. Edward C. Hoagland, Jr., and Capt. Charles E. “Slide” Trumbo, Jr. The 18th Group was ordered deployed to Johnson Air Base in Japan “to pick up F-51 aircraft that had been brought over on the USS BOXER,” Chatfield recalled.
[The aircraft on board the Boxer were Air National Guard aircraft that had been hastily moved to the port in California for shipment. “They were in need of many things, not the least of which was ordinance,” Chatfield explained.]
“We wasted no time at Johnson. We were briefed that a C-54 would be our navigating escort. We formed up in a massive formation with the C-54 in the lead. Most of us had prior flight time in the F-51 so this was no big problem and the flight was without incident. Peeling off at Ashiya in southern Japan, all of the aircraft landing safely and were immediately serviced and inspected by the maintenance crews to see how many could be out in the air for combat.”
July 30: 18th Group and the 67th Squadron moved to Ashiya, Japan from Clark AFB on Luzon. Command and Operations functions began to function immediately, Chatfield recalled.
“As the Group Operations Officer, I made arrangements to go to Itazuke, where the 8th Fighter Bomber Group was based, for a briefing on call signs, communications in the combat areas, operations that were under way, and for targets that our Group would be called on to strike. With appropriate maps and intelligence, I returned to Ashiya and briefed the Commander and the squadrons. We were available for operations.”
A week later, the 51st Provisional, now redesignated the 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, and the Headquarters Squadron Section of the 18th Fighter-Bomber Group would be pulled back from Taejon to join the 67th and the other sections of the Group. The 18th Fighter-Bomber Group—the 67th FBS and the 12th FBS, plus supporting elements—was once again together as a fighting unit.