Go Navy

[barretcreek]

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/navy-pilot-who-secretly-killed-four-migs-on-one-mission-finally-recognized

Wow. Good example of Engaging the Enemy regardless of the odds. Well Done, Sir.

[Allen]

I may have missed it in the article but I wonder why so long before the recognition?

I remember when planes looked like that. As a kid I thought the fuel tanks were bombs.

[PWC]

I may have missed it in the article but I wonder why so long before the recognition?

Yup, you missed it, but I don't see how:

"In the process, they faced the threat of communist-flown MiG-15 fighter jets. Some of these were flown by Soviet, rather than North Korean or Chinese pilots, as part of Moscow?s covert involvement in the conflict."

"While Williams exploits on November 18, 1952, were very clearly extraordinary, the delicate political position at the time meant that there would be very little fanfare. Since Moscow was not officially involved as a Korean War combatant, having a U.S. fighter jet shoot down Soviet fighters flying from a Soviet airbase, killing Soviet airmen in the process, was strictly taboo."

"There was no mention that the aircraft in question had been Soviet in order to avoid any kind of diplomatic incident that could have had major repercussions on the Korean War ? perhaps drawing the United States and the Soviet Union into a direct confrontation."

"The official account of his MiG-killing mission remained classified until 2002."