AS-1 Student Notes (Chapter 6, Lesson 1)
Air Force Beginnings Through The Korean War
February 28, 2008
Results of World War II:
• Just 2 superpower countries remained: the United States (leader of the free world’s democracies) and the Soviet Union (leader of the communist countries).
• The Soviet Union used the Eastern European countries it occupied during World War II (East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria) as a buffer zone to protect itself from being invaded again. Yugoslavia, Albania, and China also ended up with communist governments.
• Until 1949, the United States was the only country that had the atomic bomb.
America’s post-World War II strategy:
• Truman Doctrine: halted the spread of communism in Europe and the Middle East. Named for President Harry Truman. Kept communists from taking over Greece and Turkey.
• Marshall Plan: rebuilt the remaining democracies of Western Europe, including West Germany. Named for Secretary of State George Marshall.
• Massive retaliation: relied on atomic bombs and long-range bombers to deter any attack by the Soviets.
• International cooperation: Creation of the United Nations (UN), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). The Soviet Union responded to the creation of NATO by creating the Warsaw Treaty Organization (also called the Warsaw Pact).
U.S.military reorganization:
• Reduction in the size of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy.
- U.S. Army shrank from 8 million soldiers to less than 2 million soldiers in less than 1 year.
- U.S. Navy shrank from 4 million sailors to 1.6 million sailors by early 1946.
- Reliance on atomic weapons enabled this rapid drawdown in the size of U.S. military forces.
• Creation of the U.S. Air Force.
- The National Security Act of 1947 created the U.S. Air Force as a separate military service branch.
- Stuart Symington became the first Secretary of the Air Force (top civilian leader).
- General Carl (“Tooey”) Spaatz became the first Chief of Staff of the Air Force (top general).
- This law also created the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
- The Air Force was divided into 3 combat commands:
-- Strategic Air Command (bomber aircraft) had the most important mission: nuclear deterrence.
-- Tactical Air Command (fighter aircraft) was responsible for tactical air operations worldwide.
-- Air Defense Command (radar units) was responsible for homeland air defense.
BerlinAirlift:
• The Soviet Union occupied Berlin before the 3 Western Allies (U.S., Great Britain, and France) did at the end of World War II. Berlin was divided into 4 sectors.
• The Soviets looted the Eastern part of Germany and sent anything useful back to Russia by train.
• The Western Allies wanted to rebuild the Western part of Germany, so there would be no reason for the Germans to start another war in the future.
• The Soviet Union halted all surface transportation to and from Berlin in June 1948. Unless the Western Allies acted quickly, the 2.25 million citizens of West Berlin would all starve or fall under communist control.
• The Berlin Airlift began on June 25, 1948.
- Each C-47/GOONEY BIRD cargo plane could carry 2 to 3 tons of cargo.
- Each C-54/SKYMASTER cargo plane could carry up to 10 tons of cargo and fly much faster than a C-47.
- On 1 day alone, there were 1,400 flights into Berlin, averaging about 1 aircraft landing per minute.
- On May 4, 1949, the Berlin Airlift ended when the Soviet Union agreed to halt all restrictions.
- U.S. airpower had won an important diplomatic victory, without going to war.
- Pilots of the U.S. Air Force had gained about 10 years’ worth of flying experience very quickly.
Research aircraft:
• Bell X-1: first aircraft developed to fly faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1). U.S. Air Force Captain “Chuck” Yeager became the first pilot to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947.
Background of the Korean War:
• After World War II, Korea became a divided country. The arrangement was supposed to be temporary.
- The United States agreed to accept the surrender of all Japanese forces south of the 38th parallel.
- The Soviet Union agreed to accept the surrender of all Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel.
• The Soviet Union created a “puppet” communist government in North Korea, led by cult figure Kim Il-Sung.
- Kim Il-Sung was trained in Russia and served as a Soviet Army officer during World War II.
• The United States scheduled elections in South Korea; Syngman Rhee was elected president.
- Syngman Rhee was educated at Harvard University and Princeton University in the United States.
• Neither half of Korea trusted the other half. Each considered the other’s government to be illegitimate.
How the Korean War was fought (1950-1953):
• North Korea’s army invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950 and quickly advanced all the way to Pusan.
• North Korea’s goal was to reunify the entire Korean peninsula under a communist government.
• South Korea’s goal was remove North Korean forces and make sure they couldn’t invade again.
• South Korea immediately appealed to the United Nations (U.N.) for help.
- The U.N. approved a plan to send troops to help defend South Korea. The United States led the group.
- The Soviet Union could have vetoed that plan, but their ambassador missed the U.N. meeting.
- The U.S. had almost no forces in South Korea. The nearest U.S. fighting force of any size was in Japan.
-- General Macarthur was using Japan’s Emperor Hirohito as a “puppet” ruler.
-- General Macarthur decided not to shut down Japanese factories (such as Mitsubishi) after all, so they
could produce war materials for the United States during the Korean War.
• Phases of the Korean War:
- North Korea’s invasion caused South Korean forces to retreat all the way to Pusan.
- General Macarthur planned a successful amphibious landing at Inchon.
- U.S. forces advanced into North Korea, all the way to the YaluRiver (along the Chinese border).
- Massive invasion of North Korea by Chinese soldiers…U.S. forces were pushed back into South Korea.
- American forces regrouped and counterattacked into North Korea once again.
- President Truman forbade General Macarthur to invade China or to cross any international border.
- General Macarthur was fired by President Truman (because of their differences about the war’s purpose).
- A cease-fire was agreed upon at Panmunjom in 1953, but there was no peace treaty.
- North Korea and South Korea are still separated by a “no man’s land,” the demilitarized zone (DMZ).
The Korean War in the air:
• First “dogfight” between jet aircraft of two different countries:
- The F-86/SABRE was flown by United States pilots.
- The MiG-15 (made in the Soviet Union) was flown by Chinese pilots.
- Both jet fighter planes had roughly the same capabilities.
- Yet American pilots enjoyed an amazing 9 to 1 kill ratio over their Chinese counterparts. Why? Due to
better pilot training and less control from commanders on the ground.
• The Korean War marked the first use of helicopters during a war, but not as an offensive weapon system.
- Helicopters were primarily used to transport wounded soldiers to field hospitals.
Reasons the Korean War is sometimes called “the forgotten war”:
• Began just 5 years after World War II, the biggest war of all time.
• Involved fewer countries, fewer soldiers killed, and less money spent than World War II.
• Fighting took place in just one country (Korea), halfway around the world from the United States.
• Did not result in a clear American victory. No heroes’ welcome for the U.S. soldiers involved.
