At the outbreak of the Korean War, the Fifth Air Force relied on three squadrons of F-82Gs assigned to the 347th Fighter (All Weather) Group to operate effectively over evacuation centers. The F-80C Shooting Stars were also based nearby but had limited time over target areas.
The mission of the F-82 aircrews was to “Seek out and destroy the North Korean Air Force,” and they later flew long-range interdiction missions against North Korean tanks and trucks. The F-82G also played a role in intercepting North Korean PO-2 biplanes during the “Bedcheck Charlie” raids.
The three Twin Mustang squadrons flew a total of 1,868 sorties during the Korean War, scoring twenty-four victories, four air-to-air, and twenty ground victories before being replaced by Lockheed F-94B jet interceptors in 1952.
However, it also came at a cost…
F-82 Twing Mustang losses in the Korean War (Partial list)
| Date | Serial No | Unit | Personnel Casualties | Circumstances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-06-28 | 46-358 | 339th F(AW)S | Lindvig, Vernon A., First Lieutenant (KIA) Sayre, Derrell B., First Lieutenant (KIA) | Crashed during an attempted landing at Iwakuni. |
| 1950-06-28 | 46-364 | 68th F(AW)S | No casualties | North Korean Yaks strafed Suwon Airfield, destroying one B-26 and one F-82. |
| 1950-07-06 | 46-402 | 68th F(AW)S | Fiebelkorn, Ernest C., Captain (KIA) Higgins, John J., First Lieutenant (KIA) | Possibly crashed near Chongmong-ni. |
| 1950-08-07 | 46-355 | 68th F(AW)S | Meyer, Francis J., First Lieutenant (KIA) Moran, Charles B., First Lieutenant (KIA) | Went missing in the southwest area of Chinju-Sunchon. |
| 1950-09-28 | 45-376 | 68th F(AW)S | Stanton, Billy D., First Lieutenant (KIA) McDonald, Robert., Captain (KIA) | Collided mid-air with an F-80 from the 16th FS. |
| 1950-11-07 | 46-359 | 4th F(AW)S | Tymowicz, Adam P., Major (Non-battle death) | The aircraft crashed into Naha Bay in Okinawa. |
| 1950-12-07 | 46-400 | 68th F(AW)S | Harding, Warren., Captain (KIA) Pratt, Clifford., First Lieutenant (KIA) | During a night weather reconnaissance mission, the aircraft crashed 18 miles away from the base due to icing and power loss. |
| 1951-01-27 | 46-399 | 68th F(AW)S | Anctil, Laurence A., Captain (MIA) Greer, Robert L., First Lieutenant (MIA) | Went missing during a combat patrol mission between Pyongyang and Kangdong. |
| 1951-02-12 | 46-373 | 68th F(AW)S | Boughton, George Jr., First Lieutenant (Non-battle death) | Crashed during a test flight northwest of Brady Air Force Base, Japan. |
| 1951-03-14 | 46-394 | 68th F(AW)S | Fluhr, Julius C Jr., Captain (MIA) Milhaupt, Frederick Jr., Second Lieutenant (MIA) | Failed to return from a combat mission. |
| 1951-05-26 | 46-357 | 68th F(AW)S | Mulhallen, Ralph D., Captain (MIA) Nielsen, Arlid C., Captain (MIA) | Failed to return from a combat mission near Chorwon, North Korea |
| 1951-07-03 | 46-378 | 68th F(AW)S | Johnston, James E., Captain (Rescued) Doll, Roderick S., First Lieutenant (Rescued) | Hit by anti-aircraft artillery and crashed into the sea. |
Sidenote: This is a partial list.
Further reading
Bibliography and source
- Twin Mustang The North American F-82 at War by Alan C. Carey
- F-82 Twin Mustang (Mini in Action No. 1608) by Larry Davis