The entry of the United State's premier jet interceptor into the Korean War was triggered by the ever-increasing presence of the Soviet-built MiG-15 south of the Yalu River. The possibility of the USAF losing air supremacy over the Korean Peninsula was unacceptable. The 4th Fighter Wing got the call for combat in Korea. They were made up of a combination of new pilots right out of jet training and the older combat veterans of World War II vintage. This combination of pilot types wrote and re-wrote the text books on jet warfare. Of the 40 jet aces that the war produced, the 4th Wing boasted 24 of them. This book details these incredible pilots and the planes they flew.

The 51st Fighter Wing initially flew the F-80C in the Korean War, but in 1951, the 51st brought in high-scoring World War 2 ace Colonel Francis Gabreski to assume command when it converted from the F-80 over to the newly arrived F-86E. His recruits included his elite 4th Wing pilots, and by the end of the war, the 51st had two pilots who achieved the status of “Double Ace” as well as the highest scoring ace of the war, Joe McConnell. This book describes the 51st Wing's tenure with the Sabre that led to their high scoring sprees of 1953.

The 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing (FIW) was sent to Korea in December 1950 expressly to deal with the threat posed by the all-new MiG-15 fighter that had made its combat debut the previous month. It remained the sole Sabre wing in-theatre for a full year, its pilots tangling with Russian-flown MiGs up over the Yalu River on a near-daily basis. Through sheer skill and superior machinery, the 4th FIW prevailed, and the skies over North Korean remained firmly in UN control. This book includes numerous photos of aces and their aircraft, as well as extensive first-hand accounts.

The 51st Fighter Wing initially flew the F-80C in the Korean War, but in 1951, the 51st brought in high-scoring World War 2 ace Colonel Francis Gabreski to assume command when it converted from the F-80 over to the newly arrived F-86E. His recruits included his elite 4th Wing pilots, and by the end of the war, the 51st had two pilots who achieved the status of "Double Ace" as well as the highest scoring ace of the war, Joe McConnell. This book describes the 51st Wing's tenure with the Sabre that led to their high scoring sprees of 1953.

The first virtually all-jet war, the conflict in Korea saw F-86 Sabres of the USAF take on MiG-15s of the North Korean and Chinese air forces. Although the Allied pilots were initially taken aback by the ability of the communist fighter in combat, sound training and skilful leadership soon enabled Sabre pilots to dominate the dogfights over the Yalu River. In all 39 F-86 pilots achieved ace status, and a number of these are profiled in this volume, as are notable pilots from the US Navy, Marine Corps and Royal Navy and, for the first time, the handful of MiG-15 aces.

This book covers the history of the 4th Fighter Wing, from re-activation in 1946, through the end of the short TDY to Korea in 1957. The early history covers the entire F-80 era, including the first jet aerobatic team, and the introduction of the legendary F-86 Sabre in 1949. From daily squadron diaries, the coverage on Korea begins with the move to Korea in November 1950, through the first operations in December, including a first person account of LtCol Bruce Hintons first MiG kill. Dozens of MiG kill reports are included in the various chapters, with another first person account of Capt Jim Jabaras fifth and sixth kills, making him the first jet ace in history. Pilots from the 4th Wing accounted for 502 of the 792 MiGs shot down in the Korean War, and had twenty-five aces of the total of thirty-nine aces crowned in Korea. Photo coverage includes most of the aces and their aircraft, maintenance, and airfield scenes. A complete list of every victory, and all the losses, is also contained. Interviews with pilots, crew chiefs, and factory tech reps tell the complete story of the Fourth But First before, during, and after the Korean War.

Strap in alongside the Sabre pilots as they experienced the world's first large-scale jet-vs-jet combats. Brought to life with innovative tactical artwork and dramatic first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves. The F-86A Sabre had entered USAF service in 1949, and in December 1950 three squadrons were sent to South Korea. Despite primitive basing conditions and overwhelming Chinese opposition, the Sabre pilots stopped communist air forces from attacking UN ground troops and allowed Allied fighter-bombers to operate without threat of interception. The ensuing air battles between Sabres and MiG-15s were the first since World War II, and the last in recent times to involve large numbers of jet fighters in direct confrontation. In all of them the victorious F-86 pilots demonstrated the superiority of their training and tactics and the outstanding qualities of their Sabres. Contemporary photographs and specially commissioned artwork, including a dramatic battlescene, armament views, technical diagrams and ribbon diagrams illustrating step-by-step each main dogfight explored in the book, bring the experiences of the Sabre pilots and their battle tactics vividly to life.