B-29 Question

[fer-de-lance]

Regarding the ECM issue, the Soviets had deployed a P-20 "Token" Vee-beam 3D radar to Antung and it was directing MiG intercepts. A jammer against this radar was available but was not used for the reasons mentioned above.

The Chinese also admitted losing a MiG-15 to B-29 defensive fire. The commander of the 4th Division, 12th Regiment, Zhao, Da-hai, was killed July 9th, 1951. After being frustrated by unsuccessful firing passes against the B-29 due to a high rate of closure, Zhao throttled back to slow down on his final pass and was shot down.

[JoeB]

Originally Posted by fer-de-lance

1. Regarding the ECM issue, the Soviets had deployed a P-20 "Token" Vee-beam 3D radar to Antung and it was directing MiG intercepts. A jammer against this radar was available but was not used for the reasons mentioned above.

2. The Chinese also admitted losing a MiG-15 to B-29 defensive fire. The commander of the 4th Division, 12th Regiment, Zhao, Da-hai, was killed July 9th, 1951. After being frustrated by unsuccessful firing passes against the B-29 due to a high rate of closure, Zhao throttled back to slow down on his final pass and was shot down.

1. Yes, the B-29's had to settle for chaff only v S-band radars like P-20.
2. I'm including that in my 3-4. With that exception, all daylight MiG-15attacks on B-29's recorded by the USAF AFAIK correspond to ones recorded by the Soviets. The doubt comes wrt to two incidents, one with F-86 and B-29 credits competing for a MiG loss the Soviets attributed to F-86's so not much chance there, and another night loss the Soviets attributed to bomber return fire (besides the one I mentioned) where I can't find any US encounter that matches it. MiG's were damaged in a number of other cases.

For completeness we might add that NK Yaks downed a lone B-29 July 12, 1950; one pilot (neither US nor NK accounts are clear if there were one or two Yaks) was the leading NK 'ace' Kim Gi Ok, eventually head of the NK AF. B-29's made a number of raw claims against NK props early in the war; none were officially credited nor any reflected in captured NK records but those aren't complete. B-29's also downed a FAA Seafire by mistake in July 1950.

Joe