Mission to China

by Richard Chandler

On 25 June 1952, a pilot (or pilots) flying F-86’s on the “Dawn Patrol” up along the Yalu River, the border between North Korea and China, saw or thought they saw bomber type aircraft on some of the three Chinese airfields.  They radioed this information to 5th AF Joint Operational Control (JOC) which immediately placed all crews and capable aircraft on advanced alert.  We in the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron had just finished weather briefing when this alert came in and the squadron was ordered to place our three operational RF-86’s on runway alert status.  Two other former fighter pilots and I were sent to man them until the 4th Fighter Wing aircraft returned and were placed on alert.

After returning to operations I found they had instructions to prepare a photo reconnaissance mission to verify the siting(s).  The next pilot on the list to fly was somewhat hesitant about flying this mission and covering all three targets. So I volunteered to go also, since I was already set-up in one of the aircraft. It was then suggested that JOC send two of us and split the three targets between us, I was to take pictures of the two airfields in line on the West and the other pilot was to take the one further East.  This was approved by JOC.  We then went over to the 4th Fighter Group to be briefed about how we were to be integrated into their flights to the Yalu area.  We flew in the number 3 and 4 position in a flight of 12 aircraft until about 60 miles out of our target airfields in China.  We then dropping down from the escorting aircraft started our descent on the photo (dicing) runs across the Yalu into China.

My first target was An-Tung Airfield which I photographed and visually checked the flight line and hangars, and saw no bomber aircraft.  I then pulled up and made a dicing run on Ta-Tung-Kou Airfield with no unusual aircraft sighted. While in the vicinity and on my way home, I pulled up and turned right and made a similar photo run on Pak-a-Shan airfield on my return to the Yalu and back into North Korea where I had the protection of the fighters again.  When high enough for radio contact, I relayed my visual sightings of no Bombers on any of those airfields to the controlling agency.

The trip back to K-14 was uneventful except for the being quite low on fuel.  I climb to 43,000 feet to conserve fuel and throttled back to idle when near enough and started my glide to make it to K-14.  The reduced cockpit air due to the engine idling and the cold outside temperatures made my windscreen fogged up so bad I worried about seeing the runway; however, when I advanced the power in the pattern I could see again.

After I parked and shut down my plane the photo people immediately removed the film, told me that the cameras had worked, then rushed the film to the photo lab.  I inquired about the pictures later after dinner and was told that they were good pictures but that I could not see them; they were classified beyond my clearance level! ¹

Copyright (C) 2003 Richard Chandler
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¹ For this mission, Chandler was nominated for and received the Silver Star Medal per General Order number 27, dated 15 January 1953, Headquarters Far East Air Forces.

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