July 1950
18th Group Deploys to Korea
Advancing enemy troops forced the airborne control function to relocate southeastward from Taejon to Taegu. It was very early in the war and GHQ was reluctant to commit or authorize command movements that might be nullified by the unpredictable tactical situation. However, on July 13th, General Stratemeyer obtained permission to move the 18th Group to Japan.
The Group Command was authorized to deploy to Korea via Japan, but only one squadron, the 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, would be moving out with the Group.
The unit history reflects the drastic expansion of the 18th Group’s mission that is now “to seek out, engage and destroy the North Korean enemy; to neutralize his war making potential and to compromise his will and ability to fight.”
The combat components of the Group were to achieve the expanded new mission by “furnishing close air support to the United Nations ground forces, aerial reconnaissance of enemy-held territory, seeking military targets of opportunity and providing such other tactical operations as may be directed by higher headquarters to bring hostilities in Korea to a successful cessation.” 5
The 35th Fighter Interceptor Group (FIG), moved from Japan to a new airfield (K-3) at Pohang on July 14th, and became the first USAF fighter group to be based in South Korea during the war. The 6132nd Tactical Air Control Squadron, the first tactical air control unit in the war, went into operation at Taegu under Col. Joseph D. Lee, USAF. It provided forward, ground-based air control for aircraft providing close air support of UN forces. A Fifth Air Force-Eighth Army Joint Operations Center began to function at Taegu, and Fifth Air Force organized an advance headquarters at Itazuke AB, Japan. The vital command and control capabilities were beginning to come together.
Bout One Briefing. Capt. James P. Beckett, briefs ten ROK pilots on the operation of the F-51 Mustang. Beckett was not a member of the Dallas Squadron.
Within hours of their arrival at Taegu, the pilots of “Dallas” were part of a new command. “Bout-One” and “Dallas” had ceased to exist as independent units. Following their merger into the newly created 51st Fighter Squadron (Provisional) at Taegu (K-2), the eager pilots flew their first F-51 Mustang combat missions in Korea on July 15th.
During their pre-briefing, a new Fifth Air Force operation order was brought to their attention. It assigned “Mosquito” call signs to airborne controllers in T-6 airplanes, and the name became the identifier for the aircraft—“Mosquito.”
The new 51st Provisional Squadron was promptly assigned to the 6002nd Fighter Wing under the command of Captain Harry H. Moreland.
“At Taegu the 51st Fighter Squadron had wire communications with the air control center in Taejon, and its planes were available for scrambles when the ground situation demanded immediate air-support missions.
In the early days at Taegu the Mustangs used light-case 500-pound bombs filled with thermite and napalm with great success against both tanks and troops.”
The treads of the Russian-built tanks were rubber covered and even a near miss with the flaming napalms would usually ignite the treads and eventually destroy the tank.
“The enemy didn’t seem to mind being blown up or shot,” reported Major Hess.
“However, as soon as we would start dropping thermite or napalm in their vicinity they would immediately scatter and break any forward movement.” 6
Carefully timing air strikes to coincide with the departure of USAF counter-air patrols for refueling, on July 10th four enemy Yaks bombed and strafed the US 19th Infantry Regiment at Chongju. The clever timing and success of the attack underscored the need to get as many F-51s into action as quickly as possible. The Close Air Support (CAS) mission desperately needed their loiter time over contested areas.
That Monday also saw the Fifth Air Force begin using T-6 trainer aircraft for forward air control missions, because liaison airplanes previously used were not fast enough to elude enemy fire.
The Dallas Squadron Advance Party—Captains Moreland and Jerry Mau, and Lieutenants Frank Buzze and Chuck Hauver—“went over to scout the airfield situation at Taegu on July 12th, while the rest of us spent a couple of days at Ashiya, collecting more equipment and arranging for sea shipment across to Pusan. From there it would have to go by truck and rail to Taegu. Again, each load had to have one of our pilots go along to ride shotgun, to make sure it didn’t go astray.”
Biteman’s intelligence gear was light enough to go by air.
On July 14th, he finally received his bundle of black and white Korean air navigation charts (the only charts available in the area), which he had requested be printed on a “Priority Rush Job” by the Ashiya photo lab. Carrying the precious navigation prints by hand, he climbed aboard a heavily-loaded C-47 for the flight to their “new home-away-from-home at Taegu, Korea.”
While at Ashiya, Biteman had managed to talk to pilots of the 35th Fighter Group, who were already flying F-51 missions against the Reds.
“Things did not sound good—the Reds had crossed the Han River at Seoul—our base at Kimpo had been captured, and they were approaching our airstrip at Suwon, which was 30 miles south of Seoul. Red air attacks had caught several of our C-54 and C-47 transports on the ground at Suwon, severely damaging them; the crews had then become foot soldiers and had joined the walking retreat toward Taejon, with the North Koreans hard on their heels.”
On his last evening at Ashiya, as he finished his “last dinner on a tablecloth” at the Officer’s club, Biteman had a chance meeting with “four great stars, resting heavily on the shoulders of Air Force Chief of Staff, General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, who had just arrived at Ashiya for a personal look at the war situation. We did a little “Alphonse & Garcon” dance routine, as each tried to step aside for the other to pass, then he smiled at me, and he, the General, stepped aside to let me, the Lieutenant, pass,” Biteman recalled.
“I was amazed at how tired he looked, not realizing that he was already ill with the cancer which would soon take his life. At that moment I was glad to be a lowly Lieutenant, with but one life to be concerned about, instead of a four-star General with a goodly portion of the weight of the world pressing on his shoulders.”
Many years later, Biteman recalled his little “dance step” with the General, when he attended the dedication of the “great missile base in California—Vandenberg Air Force Base—in honor of the General I had ‘danced’ with at the Ashiya Officer’s Club.”