U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 1 (of 5): The Pusan PerimeterMontross, Lynn
History
U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 1 (of 5): The Pusan Perimeter
Montross, Lynn
Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Campaigns; United States. Marine Corps -- History -- Korean War, 1950-1953
[262] This summary of tactical air operations is derived from
MCBS, I-IV-B, 9–14; Maj George J. King, interv with
author, n. d.
Overall control of tactical air operations in Korea was exercised
by the Fifth Air Force. Marine aviation units, as components of an
integrated Fleet Marine Force, operated in support of the Brigade as
their highest priority, and in support of other UN forces as a lower
priority. After checking in with Fifth AF TACC at the Joint Operations
Center (JOC), Marine aviation units came under Marine operational
control when supporting Brigade ground forces. When providing tactical
air support for other UN forces, Marine air units operated under the
Air Force-Army system for tactical air support.
The Brigade control organization included 3 battalion TACP’s and 1
regimental TACP, each consisting of an officer and 6 enlisted men,
and each equipped with a radio jeep, portable radios and remoting
equipment. MAG-33 provided a Brigade control agency consisting of the
Air Support Section of MTACS-2. Other Brigade units associated with
control of aircraft were:
(1) The Air Section of the Brigade Staff, consisting of the Brigade
Air officer and six enlisted men responsible for planning as well as
tactical control and coordination of supporting aircraft;
(2) The Brigade observation section, consisting of the tactical air
observer, three gunnery observers, and the OY and rotary-wing aircraft
of VMO-6.
Carrier-based Marine aviation units maintained a TAC and one or more
flights of aircraft on station during daylight hours. Night heckler
and intruder missions of VMF(N)-513 from Itazuke reported to the Fifth
AF TACC and were routed by that agency to the Air Support Section
(MTACS-2) with the Brigade. During the early Brigade operations,
with the Air Force TACC located at Taegu, delays of incoming flights
reporting to JOC were caused by overloaded communications nets. An
improvement resulted when such flights by-passed JOC and reported
directly to the Air Support Section of Brigade. And when JOC moved
back to Pusan, improved communications resulted in incoming flights
reporting first to JOC again.
The Brigade control agency (Air Support Section) made use of the
following communications for the control of tactical air operations:
(1) TAR net connecting battalion TACP’s, the regimental TACP, and the
Air Support Section, and monitored by the Brigade Air Section. This was
an HF net.
(2) TAD net connecting above-named agencies as well as TAC flights of
support aircraft and on occasion the TAO. This was a VHF net of four
frequencies used to brief and control aircraft reporting for support
missions.
(3) TAO net connecting observation aircraft, the Brigade CP (Air
Section) and the Air Support Section. This was an HF net.
(4) An administrative (HF) net connecting the Air Support Section and
the carriers _Sicily_ and _Badoeng Strait_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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