HOW IT WAS! KUNSAN AIRBASE VMF(N)-513 "FLYING NIGHTMARES" (1951-1954) Page 3 of 9

The Chief Sez Annie and Charlie's GSD & Naval Aviation Site (NR)

Award of Honor USS Harlan Dickson (NR)

Acknowledgment: Special thanks to Ron Stout of Burien, Washington for his narratives and invaluable technical information. Special thanks to Paul Noel of Oak Harbor, Washington for his invaluable assistance in providing information, proofing the text, providing guidance in assembling the materials and contributing his narratives. Special thanks to Jack Kio of Oswego, New York for his narratives, photos, and invaluable technical information. Thanks to Jim Curzon for his narratives and photos of Kunsan. Thanks to Eugene "Mule" Holmberg for the patches of the VMF(N)-513. Thanks also to Ken Gates for his research materials and photos. Thanks to Ron Harribson for his narratives. Thanks to Bill Brennen for his narratives and photos. Special thanks to Robert Frankovich for his narrative of a 22d CRBS rescue attempt. Also thanks to Ray Bourgholtzer; Gil Garcia; and Ray Harvey for their contributions. Thanks to Joseph S. Rychetnik of Point Richmond, California for his narratives and technical information. Primary Source Material: The Flying Nightmares: A History and Assessment of VMF(N)-513 at War in Korea 1950 - 1953 by Benjamin Huston Kristy, History Thesis, Kansas State University, 1995; U.S.Marine Corps Aviation: 1912 to Present by Peter B. Mersky); Air Power, January 1986; Naval Fighters Number Four Douglas F3D Skyknight, by Steve Ginter.

Move to Yonpo Airfield, North Korea: On December 1, 1950 the VMF(N)-513 moved to Yonpo Airfield (K-27), North Korea near Hamhung. (Go to Airfield Location and Designator Map.) They flew close air support missions at the Chosin reservoir during the Marines withdrawal. The trapped Fifth and Seventh Marines moved out on 2 December from Yudam-ni headed to Hagaru-ri. Ahead of them lay fifteen miles of tortuous, icy roads in mountains swarming with Chinese Red troops. Overhead as many as 40 to 60 tactical aircraft constantly circled the Fifth and Seventh Marines. Paul Noel noted, "Wonsan/Hamhung: I was there until 2 Dec 1950 when I crashed a R4D (C-47) up at the reservoir. I remember shuttling between Wonsan and Yonp'o (the field at Hamhung) including moving 513." (Note: Before this time, the VMF(N)-513 was at Wonsan Airfield (K-25).)

MacArthur in center of group at Yonpo (left),
with his Constellation (right) (Courtesy Gil Garcia)

VMF(AW)-513 sign taken at K-1 between Pusan and Masan according to Gil Garcia. (Gil Garcia)

Seoul was retaken by U.N. forces on March 18, 1951. On June 1, 1951 the First Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW) inaugurated the policy of basing one squadron immediately in the rear of the First Marine Division to provide ground alert aircraft which were on call through the Joint Operations Center for close air support missions.

VMF(N)-513 Receives F7F-3N Tigercats: In March 1951, the VMF(N)-513 gained the F7F-3N "Tigercats" (and personnel) from the VMF(N)-542 when it departed Korea. VMF(N)-542 had operated F7F Tigercats from Sept. 15. 1950, until Feb. 15. 1951. On that date the squadron turned all its aircraft and equipment over to VMF(N)-513 and all unneeded personnel returned to MCAS El Toro on March 24, 1951. The VMF(N)-542 arrived at MCAS El Toro in May 1951.

According to U.S. Air Force in Korea by Robert F. Futrell (p329), "As the B-26 intruders sought their targets far to the northward, Maring Squadron VMF(N)-513 commenced a maximum interdiction campaign against the main supply routes closer to the front lines on 1 March. Almost invariably these Marine missions teamed together Firefly C-47's and attacking F4U's and F7F's. Flying in relays from Pusan Airfield, the Marine night fighters met C-47 flare-droppers over an assigned road, and both planes looked for enemy vehicles. When targets were located, the Marine crew request the Firefly to light them with flares dropped upwind, well of to the side of the road. After orienting himself in the flare light, the Marine fighter went down and attacked the targets with rockets, napalm, fragmentation bombs, or proximity-fuzed 500-pund bombs, the latter ordnanace being used chiefly to suppress hostile antiaircraft fire. The ordnance load varied with target conditions, but the Marine airmen thought that their 20-millimeter cannons were their most effective weapons. After a Marine fighter stayed in the target area for about an hour and a half it was getting low on fuel and was coustomarily relieved on station by a fresh fighter. The cooperation between the Marine fighters and the Firefly was not simple, for the flare crew often had difficulty postitioning itself over an invisible road and dropping its flares precisely in terms of wind and terrain." (NOTE: A Marine source says that the "Fireflies" used by the Marines were R4D (Marine equivalent to the C-47) that belonged to the Marine group.)

The book continued (p330), "The "Flying Nightmares" of VMF(N)-513 regularly utilized Firefly support to attack moving targets on four selected road routes south of Pyongyang, and on several nights used PB4Y flare support to attack enemy vehicles on the road south of Wonsan." (NOTE: The call sign of the PB4Y was "Fat Face".)

On July 10, 1951, the United Nations military representatives, headed by Vice Admiral C. T. Joy, arrived at Kaesong, Korea, for armistice discussions with Communist leaders. Thus began many trying months in which negotiations were alternately suspended and reopened while hostilities continued unabated.

VMF(N)-513 Moves to Kangnung Airdrome (K-18): Between November 1951 - April 1952, there was a stalemate along the Korean battlefront during discussions at Panmunjom.On December 9, 1951 the VMF(N)-513 moved to Kangnung Airdrome (K-18) on the west coast of Korea. Ray Bourgholtzer a Radar Operator on F7F-3Ns wrote, " October, November, and December saw us flying out of K-1. Then in the latter part of December 1951, we took out sleeping bags and a small handbag each and had them tied up inside the fuselage. After flying a mission, we landed at out new base, K-18 (Kangnung). We soon were cold and miserable at Kangnung. MSgt Preston Kammeirer almost got warmed up when he came in for a landing with a hung napalm. It dropped loose when he touched down and then he had to firewall it to get out of the road of the napalm. In January 1952, the RO's (AIO's) were assigned two pilots to fly with since we had a surplus of pilots and a shortage of AIO's. This meant that on some nights you might have two flights -- each with a different pilot. My second pilot was a Marine Reserve Captain who had been my link trainer operator at Pensacola. He had a different concept of our mission and it was difficult to talk him into the air. He always wanted to know when we crossed the front lines and if you were honest, he would then call the flare plane and tell them that we had engine trouble and were returning to base. That meant salvoing the ordinance. I thought maybe I could talk him into going a little farther as I knew where there was supposed to be a barracks area. This I thought would be more useful disposition of our ordinance. However, Fatface, our flare plane, came up on the radio and the Captain asked for their position and that told me I was in trouble. As my pilot asked them to kick out a flare, it went off just a short distance in front of us. He told me that he thought I could do a better job of navigating than that."

"Lt Col Burnett became our Commanding Officer around the middle of March and I flew an intruder mission with the skipper into the Singosan area. On April 9, 1952, Bud Dillberg and I made a belly landing at Kimpo with one engine out. We had flown single engine for more than 40 minutes."

Later Ray wrote, "Kangnung was a miserable place. We were snowed in for two weeks. One day a C-47 (R4D) was able to get in and as he was coming down the runway a wheel hit a piece of ice frozen to the PSP and he spun around and then was able to use a little power to slow the taxi speed."

"Bill Wamel, who at that time was a MSgt and now a retired Major, could probably tell you a lot about intercepts. Bill was one of our top pilots. One of our major duties was the NCAP's of the Panmunjon area. They had big orange balloons with search lights trained on them around Panmunjon at the time and maybe they are still there. Our primary duty was to intercept the B-26's that violated the truce zone and force them to land at Suwon for debriefing. How you could fail to see the balloons was beyond me."

"MSgt C.E. Brown and MSgt Jim Kirbo (now deceased) had quite a story about an intercept they made one night. Since they did not have any common freq. with us, Snowflake (JOC) would have to relay the messages that they had been intercepted. Brown gave them the Bureau number on the B-26 he had intercepted and Snowflake ask how he got their number and he told them he had read it off of the tail section of the airplane. Yes, we could get tucked in without them knowing it."

The U.S. Air Force in Korea (p459) states that in the latter part of December 1951, "the Fifth Air Force also lost a part of its night-intruder capability for Marine Squadron VMF(N)-513 ran short of aircraft and crews and was forced to suspend its intruder operations."

VMF(N)-513 Moves to Kunsan AB, Korea: On April 11, 1952, the unit moved to Kunsan AB (K-8), Korea with both the F4U-5N/F4U-5NL "Corsair" and F7F-3N "Tigercat." (NOTE: Though "April 11, 1952" and "April 1952" are dates given in source materials (Kristy's text and HQ PACAF's History of Kunsan AB (for an unspecified Marine unit)), the runway was closed at Kunsan for repairs from March-June 1952 with the 3d Bomb Wing deployed to Pusan. It is therefore assumed that the VMF(N)-513 used the PSP taxiways as their takeoff-landing strip. The F4U-5NL was capable of this as proven by 1st Lt. Andre's later actions when he caused quite a stir by taking off from the taxiway past the control tower.)

Ray Bourgholtzer recalls, "On April 11, 1952 my log book shows me flying in an R5D from K-18 to K-8 and that was the start of my very brief tour of Kunsan. And it marked the end of our tour at K-18. In May, 1952 , I flew with Art Schmagel on his first mission and it was one of the few times we got hit. Got a burp gun slug in the nose of our belly tank."

In May 1952, the VMF(N)-542 remained at El Toro MCAS training F7F crews for combat. A cadre led by Lt Col Lambrecht worked to prove the F3D's combat VMF(N)-542 hand over its F3D Skyknights over to VMF (N)-513. In Air Power (January 1986) it states, "On May 27, 1952. Lt.Col. P.D. Lambrecht took VMF(N)-542's Skyknights to Korea via Moffett Field and Atsugi, Japan." (Note: In Kristy's History Thesis, it states, ""In late May, the cadre's CO, Col. Peter Lambrecht, and a small detachment of men, including a Douglas aircraft representative, Flew to Japan with nearly seven thousand pounds of electronic test gear.") Ron Stout remembered, "I joined the squadron out of boot camp in September of 51. They trained F7F crews for combat while the cadre tried to prove the F3D combat ready. When Hq MC decided the F3D was good to go they loaded onto the Badoeng Strait at San Diego and shipped out."

VMF(N)-513 Receives F3D-2 Skyknights: The second element of from the VMF(N)-542 departed El Toro for Korea in May 52. The Air Power article says, "Under the command at Lt.Col. J.C. Scott, the squadron's Skyknights left for Korea via NAS North Island. VMF(N)-542 arrived in Japan on June 18, 1952, and by the 22nd, fourteen of the fifteen Skyknights had been repainted in the flat black with red code letters scheme that was used during the Korean campaign. At the same time the tail code WH was changed to WF as, once again, VMF(N)-542 was absorbed by VMF(N)-513 with Col. Lambrecht becoming commanding officer of VMF(N)-513. (Note: Kristy's History Thesis states, "The rest of the cadre and fifteen F3D-2s arrived at San Diego on the first of June and were loaded on the transport carrier U.S.S. Windham Bay (TCVE-92) for the trip to Korea. Arriving in Japan on June 18, three F3D-2s were placed in the aircraft replacement pool at Itami Air Base, and the remaining twelve aircraft, as well as the rest of the cadre's men all arrived in Korea by June 27, when Col. Lambrecht became the squadron's CO.") In June 1952, VMF(N)-513 received twelve new F3Ds.

However, they were unable to operate the Douglas F3D Skyknights for awhile because the gun barrel extensions were left behind and firing the cannon without them would blow the radome apart. In addition, there was a supply problem with radio tubes for the radar system.

Because the F-94's could not be flown over North Korea because of its top-secret fire control system, the F7F's took their place. In July 1952, the VMV(N)-513 made four F7F's available for B-29 bomber support each night. In support of the B-19's, the F7F's customarily preceded the bomber stream by about five minutes between the initial point and the target. The conventional F7F's were said to be "completely ineffective" for battling Red jet aircraft at night".

The F-3Ds flew these missions along with the F-94s Starfires of the 319th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) from Suwon -- after their restriction was lifted. The Skyknight proved to be a better answer to countering the nocturnal MiGs during escort missions with the night-flying B-29 Superfortress. Throughout the remainder of the war the Air Force never lost a B-29 on a F3D escorted mission, even though the MiGs attempted to draw off and eliminate the F3D threat. A single Mig would fly across the bomber formation hoping to draw a Skynight away. Once the F3D was drawn from the bombers it would be jumped by two other Migs. This ploy, however, was not successful: as the Migs would show up on the Skynight's tail warning radar and the F3D could disengage before the Migs reached firing range.

Jack Kio remembers coming in with the F3Ds. He wrote, "We came with 12 F3Ds to K-8 and three were in reserve in Japan. We were supposed to have 16 but but we lost one at El Toro just before we shipped out. This I know for sure because I was in an F3D and the pilot couldn't land because the run way was blocked. He showed me how the stall warning worked and I could understand why they disconnected them. Because the 20mm gun extension was missing we couldn't fly missions until later. The rounds would go through the radar dome without the extension."

Later on Jack added, "I thought cadre left El Toro around June 1952. ... We had 15 F3Ds with us when we left San Diego on the USS Windham Bay , a small aircraft carrier ( I think in WWII they were called "jeep carriers") There was plate that said built by Kaiser in 90 days. ... The second day out the Captain came on loud speaker and said that we could smoke anyplace on the deck that we weren't carrying any fuel. I turned to a buddy and said "What's he talking about? Our planes are loaded." About the fourth day it got warm out and gas started coming out the over flow. You talk about a mad Captain, he made us take about 30 or 40 gallons out of each plane and dump it over the side, I heard later that he had wondered why the ship wasn't handing the way it should or did before we came aboard. Ours were not the only planes on board, I learned later that this ship took new planes over and brought back the ones that were shot up."

Jack remembered that there were two groups that came over separately. One with the planes and one with the test benches. "Our test benches and other equipment must have went on Badoeng Strait I remember we sent some men some place to ride the train back to k-8 as guards on our equipment."

According to the Air Power article, "Meanwhile, the parent VMF(N)-542 remained in the States training F3D crews and becoming the first Marine missile fighter squadron with the F3D-2M."

Attack on North Korean Hydroelectric Plants: On June 23-24, 1952, the Combined elements of Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps virtually destroyed the electric power potential of North Korea with attacks on prime military targets which had been by-passed through almost 2 years of war. On the 23rd, the main effort was directed against the hydroelectric plant at Suiho, 40 miles up the Yalu River from Antung, Manchuria. The attacks continued next day with more attention being given to the plants at Chosen, Fusen and Kyosen. This 2-day attack, which involved over 1,200 sorties, was the largest single air effort since the close of World War II and the first to employ planes from all the U.S. services fighting in Korea.

On July 11-12 1952, in one of the major coordinated air efforts of the war, Navy, Marine, Air Force, Australian, and British air elements launched a round-the-clock attack on the railroad yards and industrial facilities at Pyongyang.

Support of B-29s by F7Fs: Beginning in July 1952, the F7Fs began flying support for the night-flying B-29s. They usually patrolled ahead of the Superforts as they swept the sky, from the initial point to the target area, to ensure that no MiGs lurked in their path. Unfortunately, the F7Fs proved ineffective in this role.

On August 29, 1952 the new UN philosophy of mass air attack was again demonstrated in the record breaking around-the-clock raid on Pyongyang. In this the entire carrier air force of TF-77 teamed up with the Fifth Air Force, First Marine Aircraft Wing, ROK Air Force, and the British to spread destruction on the supply concentrations in and about the city.

On April 11, 1953, both sides agreed on terms for the exchange of sick and wounded captives. The U.N. would return 5,800; the Communists only 684 (471 ROK's, 149 Americans, and 64 from other nations). (Go toPOW/MIA pagefor continuing POW/MIA issues.) Suddenly there was a dreary realization that 58 percent of the POWs had perished in the camps along the banks of the Yalu. On May 3, 1953 the Commanding General, Far East Air Forces, listed 30 major North Korean airfields to be maintained unserviceable in order to limit Communist air action and to prevent augmentation of their air arm preceding the date of a possible armistice.

By late May, 1953 VMF(N)-513s strength was brought up to 24 Skyknights, and the last of the Tigercats were phased out of service. Additionally, four Skyknights and crews from VC-4 arrived aboard the U.S.S. Lake Champlain for temporary duty with VMF(N)-513.

Move to Pyongtaek AB (K-6):On June 6, 1953 the VMF(N)-513 moved to Pyongtaek (K-6). However, In the Jan 1996 Marine Night Fighter Association (MNFA) Newsletter, then Lt.Col. Dave Severance recounts that the move took place physically on June 1, 1953. He said, "Col. Hutchinson had promised the Wing Commander (1st MAW) that the squadron would make the move without any loss of missions. ... With the amount of radar gear to keep functioning and with two engines to maintain on the F3Ds, turn-around times were sometimes delayed for a day or more. To meet our commitment most of the aircraft flying missions the night of 31 May would have to land at K-6 and require little or no maintenance. The plan was for all the test benches to be unplugged at K-8 early on the morning of 1 June, move them by C-117s (I think that was the "flying boxcar" designation) and plug them into preconstructed electronic bays at K-6. Other transports were to move the remaining materiel and personnel."

On June 7-19, 1953 the major effort of carrier air was directed on a round-the-clock basis against Communist frontline and supporting positions to counter an apparent effort by the enemy to gain ground prior to a possible armistice.

On June 25, 1953 Task Force 77 deployed four F4U-5N Corsairs to Kimpo to operate under the Fifth Air Force for an indefinite period. The purpose was to intercept night attacks being made on the field by aircraft flying too slowly to be intercepted by jets.

End of the Korean Conflict: During the last month of the war VMF(N)-513 lost two crews to unknown causes. On 2 July, one of the VC-4 aircraft disappeared and on 4 July, Capt. Thistlethwaite and Staff Sergeant W.H. Westbrook were also lost. On July 27, 1953 the cease-fire was signed at Panmunjom. Fighting ended.(NOTE: South Korea refused to sign the agreement -- nor did it ever ratify the eventual agreement. It simply supported the cease-fire. 50 years later this action continues to cause technical problems. Only the U.S. General Mark Clark (as U.N. Commander); Peng Tei-huai for China and Kim Il-Sung for North Korea signed the ceasefire. Go to Armistice Agreement for text.)

The VMF(N)-513 remained at Pyongtaek (K-6) until late 1954 when the unit moved to Atsugi NAS, Japan.

• Marine Squadron VMF(N)-513 (1952-1953): "The Flying Nightmares"
  • Flying Nightmares:
  • On the Move: From WWII to Arrival in Japan to Itami to Wonsan, North Korea
  • On the Move: To Yonpo, North Korea to Itami to Kangnung to Kunsan to Pyongtaek
  • Arrival at Kunsan:
  • The Way We Did Business:
    • Close Air Support:
    • Flare-drop Mission:
    • Ground-level Friction between the Services:
  • F4U-5NL Corsair:
  • F7F-3N Tigercat:
  • F3D-2 Skyknight:
  • Squadron "kills":
  • Air-to-Ground Results:- A review of the "Final Air-to-Ground Results: Aug 1950 - May 1953"
  • Germ Warfare: -- The VMF(N)-513 is accused of using germ warfare from Kunsan
  • Departed Kunsan for K-6:
  • After Korea:
  • Footnotes:
  • 319th Fighter Interceptor Squadron: -- F-94 Squadron from Suwon providing B-29 air cover with VMF(N)-513 and Specifications of the Lockheed F-94 Starfire
  • B-29 Superfortress:-- Night bombing strikes on the North Korea (June 1952 - July 1953)

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