Korean War Air-Ground Glossary
Note: the Korean-War Air-Ground Glossary is under construction. New pages and images are being added daily. Find terms or phrases more easily by using the Google Search Engine above. Click on the Truckbusters From Dogpatch web site button.We welcome your suggestions for new slang or terms from the Korean War. Use the Contact link above to submit your term.
The Korean War Air Combat Glossary includes military terms, slang and definitions used by the Korean War veterans to whom Truckbusters From Dogpatch is dedicated.
To help establish additional military and air force history resources about the so-called "Forgotten War," the Glossary also includes biographical information, Korean War stories and photographs of many leaders of the 18th Fighter-Wing, Fifth Air Force and other senior military leaders whose decisions affected the missions and operations of the 18th Wing, 18th Fighter-Bomber Group and the Wing's associated squadrons. The Glossary includes many photographs and video of 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing Korean War air combat operations when they were flying the P-51 Mustang and the F-86 Sabrejet aircraft.
The list includes the names and where known, biographical information about those pilots and Airmen who lost their lives during 37 months of Korean War combat. The information is far from complete and will certainly be expanded through the efforts of the 18th Fighter Bomber Wing Association and others.
The names of Two Squadron, South African Air Force (SAAF) fliers are also included.
Information on American pilots is drawn from the files of the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing Association, family records and recollections, and, where possible, from unit history reports. Sadly, even the unit histories were often incomplete or hasty in recording the status or circumstances of a pilot and his loss to the unit. When the unit history does mention the pilot, however briefly, that notation is included.
Excerpted from over 3,500 terms and definitions found in Truckbusters From Dogpatch
Letters: A-Al ♦ Am-Az ♦ B-Bi ♦ Bi-Bz ♦ C-Cl♦ Co-Cz ♦ D ♦ E ♦ F-Fl ♦ Fm-Fz ♦ G ♦ Ha-Hf ♦ Hg-Hz ♦ I ♦ J ♦ K ♦ L ♦ M-Me ♦ Mf-Mz ♦ N ♦ O ♦ Pa-Pi ♦ Pj-Pz ♦ Q ♦ Ra-Ri ♦ Rj-Rz ♦ Sa-Sh ♦ Si-Sz ♦ Ta-Tg ♦ Th-Tz ♦ U ♦ V ♦ W ♦ X ♦ Y ♦ Z
-Th-Tz -
THDG - True Heading
The Pass - A quarter-mile long defile near Kunu-ri topped on either side by embankments of dirt and loose rock. Heavily defended by anti-aircraft gun positions.
Three-in-one mission - Pilot slang meaning three missions during one sortie. The F-51s provided a fighter escort for the parachute drops—paradrops—at Sukchon and Sunchon, where the 187th Regimental Combat Team was being landed to cut off retreating North Korean troops. They then provided an escort home for General MacArthur’s C-54, from which he had been observing the operation. They left the C-54 over the MLR, and then dove down to provide close air support for ROK forces near Wonsan, and finished up the day, after rearming and refueling, by providing a fighter escort for B-26s of the 3rd Bomb Wing.
THUNDERBOLT - The first UN offensive of 1951—a reconnaissance-in-force by the American I and IX Corps. The objectives included clearing the area south of the Han River and recapturing the port of Inchon and the airfield at Suwon. Thunderbolt was followed by Operation ROUNDUP. The Eighth U.S. Army launched Operation ROUNDUP to drive CCF troops north.
Thunderjet - F-84; jet powered fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft.
Tornado - RB-45, the first jet reconnaissance aircraft in the USAF.
TIAS - True Indicated Air Speed
TIG - The Inspector General
Tiger Squadron - Colloquial name for 12th FBS because it sported the familiar shark’s teeth nose art. See Foxy Few.
Timberlake, MGen Edward J. - Assumed command as Fifth Air Force Commander on 20 May 1951, succeeding Lt. Gen. Earle E. Partridge, who relieved General Stratemeyer.
Tip Tanks - External aircraft fuel tanks mounted near the tips of the wings used to significantly extend combat range and “loiter time.”
Tk - Tank
TMC - Transport Movement Control
TN - True North
to (do) - Province, used in combined form, as Kangwoon-do for Kangwon Province,or Chungch’ong-pukto for North Ch’ungch’ong Province. There are eight mainland provinces and one island province in the Republic of Korea. Do, or to also means island, as in Cheju-do.
TOD - Top of Descent
Todd, Maj. James M. - Commanding Officer, 39th FIS in March 1952. “The main disturbing morale factor,” Major James M. Todd, new CO of the 39th FIS reported, “concerns pilots only and has to do with the limited number of aircraft in the squadron and prevalent feeling that the future won’t be any better on that score and will likely become worse.” Major Stanley Long took over as XO of the 12th after Major James M. Todd moved up to Commanding Officer.
TOMAHAWK - Korean War (March 23, 1951) airborne operation by the 187th Regimental Combat Team at Munsan-ni as part of Operation COURAGEOUS. One hundred twenty C-119s and C-46s dropped nearly 3,500 paratroopers of the 187th Regimental Combat Team near Munsan-ni in the second largest airborne operation of the war.
Top cover - Pilot slang for one or more aircraft positioned above attacking aircraft to deal with any attacks by enemy aircraft and to help pinpoint anti-aircraft positions on the ground. The “standard two-ship reconnaissance flights were continued with excellent results. This system calls for one aircraft to fly at 100 to 350 foot altitudes, depending on terrains, while the second aircraft remained at 500 to 1,000 foot altitudes to provide top cover.”
Tornado - RB-45, the first jet reconnaissance aircraft in the USAF.
TOUCHDOWN - Korean War operation (October 1951) to gain control of Heartbreak Ridge.
Track - Actual flight path of an aircraft over the ground.
Trail formation - See Formations.
Train formation - As a means of providing improved mutual cover, Sabre wings adopted a “train” type of squadron formation consisting of six flights, each of four aircraft. A refinement of the jet stream, the flights flew the usual ‘fluid-four’ formation, but remained in a loose trail formation, each flight following another within an easy supporting distance of about one mile.
Trans - Transport, Transportation
Transl - Translation
TRS - Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron
Truckbusters - Nickname for the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing. Also, Truckbuster was the name for the bi-monthly newspaper published by the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing during the Korean War.
Tumen River - The 324-mile Tumen River flows easterly from the mountains of central Korea and empties into the Sea of Japan.
TWR - Control tower.