Klaf P-39q

[comrade harps]

Bell P-39Q Airacobra
24th Air Regiment, DPRK Korean Liberation Air Force
Koksan Air Base, DPRK
27 July, 1950

Korea's association with the Bell P-39 began May 1943 when exiles in the Soviet 413th International Air Regiment first trained on the type. During much of 1944 they saw combat in Europe against the Nazis before returning to their base near Vladivostok in January 1945. In August that year they joined in the liberation of Korea, seeing action against the Japanese occupation force.



In 1948 as the DPRK established the Korean Liberation Air Force (KLAF), the 413th withdrew, leaving around 50 P-39Qs for service with the KLAF's 24th Air Regiment.

With more modern fighters in service, the P-39s undertook a variety of training roles and during 1949 around 20 were refurbished. These Airacobras were used for adversary training, having their internal .50 cal machine guns removed and faired over to save both weight and drag. The removable .50 cal underwing gondolas were retained, but not usually fitted. However, in preparation for the 25 July 1950 offensive, the underwing guns were permanently re-instated from early May. As part of their refurbishment the aircraft also lost their camouflage, being finished in silver a scheme that resembled that of USAF and RoKAF F-51 Mustangs.

All this was used to advantage on the 27th July, when 6 P-39Qs attacked the airfield at Kimpo. On the 25th, South Korean ant-aircraft gunners opened fire on 2 uncamouflaged RoKAF T-6 Texans. The next day, 4 USAF F-51D Mustangs also came under fire from South Korean gunners. Acting to reduce the changes of fratricide and believing that all KLAF combat aircraft were camouflaged, the South Korean military HQ issued an order late on the 26th not to fire on any "silver painted" aircraft. Within hours, the KLAF was aware of this.

Using RoKAF call signs, 6 silver painted P-39Qs (including Yellow 9) entered Kimpo's controlled airspace at around 10.35 hrs on the 27th and completed their first firing pass before attracting any return fire. On the completion of their third pass they were met by two USAF F-82G Twin Mustangs. The USAF pilots quickly shot down four of the much slower Airacobras, but not before several civilian transport planes and RoKAF Texans and Mustangs were destroyed or damaged.

This brought an end to KLAF P-39 combat operations. Clearly outclassed, the aircraft were thereafter used as unit hacks.

P-39Q Yellow 9 was later found by UN troops at Kimpo, abandoned and with a damaged port undercarriage. Recovered to the USA, the aircraft was stored at Wright-Patterson until handed over to the Smithsonian in 1955. Restored to static display status, it became a controversial part of the museum's Red Air exhibition from 1960 as a reminder of WW2's Lend Lease policy.




comrade harps
Kit: 1:72nd Hobby Boss P-39N (note that the kit omits the nose mounted .50s)

[Brian da Basher]

Well done Comrade Harps! I'm especially impresed with how skillfully you painted the canopy framing and the anti-glare panel. It looks great in NMF and those KLAF markings. I also really like the interior color you used.

The backstory is a lot of fun to read too!

Brian da Basher

[McGreig]

I like this - plausible backstory and the Korean markings and silver finish look very attractive on the P-39    

[BadersBusCompany]

Great BS and a lovely kit....................makes me want to profile some P39s  

[Sisko]

Nice stuff!!!!!

[ysi_maniac]

         

[lancer]

Brilliant! This is what wiffing is all about. The back story is great and could well have happened, which would have been as ironic as heck. The P39 look spot on in that NMF finish though

[comrade harps]

The back story is great and could well have happened, which would have been as ironic as heck.

For many years I thought that the Nth Koreans actually did have P-39s (and P-63s) because I have one book on the Korean air war that mentions it as being in their inventory. However, the more I researched, the more I realised that this was wrong.

I recently found out the source of the error. Apparently some US Navy fliers during the Korean War attacked an airfield full of Airacobras and Kingcobras. They thought they were in Nth Korea, but found it odd that no one was shooting back. In fact, the had strayed across the border and were in Russian airspace. As a cover story, they let it be known that the Nth Koreans were operating the type. They only came clean about it years later. There was an article about this in a recent aviation history magazine (I forget which, as I was browsing at a newsagent).

Anyway, I loved the irony of the Nth Korean's using a Lend Lease Yankee Imperialist Run Dog of a fighter againt Yankee Imperialist Run Dog Twin Mustangs and set the aircraft into an actual, historically documented combat.

Thanks all for their kind words and smilies.

comrade harps

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Great model and believable backstory!