Sabres Over MiG Alley: The F-86 and the Battle for Air Superiority in Korea

by Kenneth P Werrell

Overview

This is the story of the first jet versus jet war, the largest in number of victories and losses, and one of the few military bright spots in the Korean War. It tells how an outnumbered force of F-86 Sabres limited by range and restricted by the rules of engagement, decisively defeated its foe. Based on the latest scholarship, author Kenneth Werrell uses previously untapped sources and interviews with sixty former F-86 pilots to explore new aspects of the subject and shed light on controversies previously neglected. For example, he found much greater violation of the Yalu River than thus far has appeared in the published materials. The F-86 became a legend in The Forgotten War because of its performance and beauty, but most of all, because of its record in combat.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591148975
Publisher:	Naval Institute Press
Publication date:	09/15/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Kenneth P. Werrell graduated in the second class of the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1960 and went on to pilot a weather reconnaissance aircraft flying into 44 Pacific typhoons and observing the last above-ground nuclear test. After leaving the service in 1965, he attended Duke Universityearning a MA and PhD in history. He lives in Christiansburg, Virginia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

1 F-86 Design and Development 5

2 Efforts to Improve Performance 15

3 Maintenance: Unappreciated but Vital 34

4 F-86 Flying Safety 45

5 Soviet Fighters and Development of the MiG-15 59

6 Korean War, Phase I: June through November 1950 66

7 Air War Overview, 1950-53 75

8 Exploitation of Enemy Aircraft 94

9 Friendly Islands and Rescue Service 104

10 Sensitive and Controversial Matters 121

11 Top Guns: The Five Leading F-86 Aces 144

12 Double Aces 160

13 Other Aces 176

14 Other Groups of Pilots Who Flew F-86s in Korea 193

15 Red Aces 213

Conclusion 219

Epilogue 222

Notes 235

Bibliographic Essay 297

Bibliography 299

Index 309

Editorial Reviews

"The book is engaging and detailed. It deftly pulls the reader in with battle stories of pilots in combat. Moreover, it recounts the larger course of the war and how the Sabre pilots fit into the larger scope of the conflict." Military Heritage

"An inspiring tale of courage mixed with technology.... The book is engaging and detailed. It deftly pulls the reader in with battle stories of pilots in combat. Moreover, it recounts the larger course of the war and how the Sabre pilots fit into the larger scope of the conflict." --The National Interest

From the Publisher