U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 3 (of 5): The Chosin Reservoir Campaign — John Shaqi
U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 3 (of 5): The Chosin Reservoir CampaignMontross, Lynn
History
U.S. Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953, Volume 3 (of 5): The Chosin Reservoir Campaign
Montross, Lynn
Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Campaigns; United States. Marine Corps -- History -- Korean War, 1950-1953
Basic difference in close air support doctrine between the Navy and
Marines and Air Force were resolved by close and friendly liaison
between the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and the Fifth Air Force commands;
by a Marine aviator attached to the Joint Eighth Army-Fifth Air Force
Operations Center at Seoul; and by indoctrination of non-Marine
units of the X Corps in the Marine-Navy style of close air support.
Difficulties in inter-service communications slowed Fifth Air Force
operations orders to carrier squadrons, both Navy and Marine. Messages
were routed via FEAF and ComNavFe in Tokyo and arrived hours late.
Ashore, even MAG-12 during the first two weeks at Wonsan received
its Fifth Air Force mission orders six to 36 hours late. A direct
radio teletype between 1st MAW and 5thAF headquarters alleviated the
situation. And when the CG 1st MAW received full control of the air
over the X Corps area on 1 December, these problems were eased.
Actual control of air support for the scattered ground units
demonstrated close cooperation between the Navy and Marine Corps. This
was evident from the time the Navy’s Tactical Air Control Squadron One
on the USS _Mount McKinley_ passed control to the Air Defense Section
of MTACS-2 at Hamhung to the time that control returned to the ship in
the Hungnam evacuation.
When the Marines had control, the ship stood by as an emergency TACC
and acted as a radar reporting station for MTACS-2. When control
was passed back afloat, the Air Defense Section of MTACS-2 stood
by as a standby TACC aboard an LST until the last man was pulled
off the beach. Furthermore, three officers from MGCIS-1 went aboard
_Mount McKinley_ to help out as Air Defense controllers. They were
experienced. All through the Wonsan-Chosin campaign, the MGCIS had
directed the defensive fighter patrols, circling Wonsan and Yonpo, to
check all unidentified aircraft before the latter got close enough to
do any damage, MGCIS-1 also steered lost planes to base in bad weather,
occasionally vectored them into the GCA radar-controlled landing
pattern, and even assisted MTACCS-2 in directing air support planes to
FACs.[645]
[645] MGCIS-1 _HD Dec 50_, 2; MTACS-2 _HD Dec 50_, 7.
Tactical air support in the X Corps zone was directed to the ground
units by the Air Support Section of MTACS-2. From 26 October to 11
December, 3703 sorties in 1053 missions were controlled by the TACPs
of Marine, Army, and ROK units. Close air support missions accounted
for 599 of the total (468 for 1st Marine Division, 8 for 3d Infantry
Division, 56 for 7th Infantry Division, and 67 for ROKs). The remaining
454 missions were search and attack.[646]
[646] The remainder of this section, unless otherwise noted, is
based upon Smith, _Notes_, 1149–1161, 1222.
When FAC communications failed from valley to valley, aircraft became
radio relays and controllers. This was highlighted by the airborne
TADC, orbiting over the road from Hagaru.
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