Steadfast and Courageous: FEAF Bomber Command and the Air War in Korea, 1950-1953 - Paperback

by U. S. Air Force (Author), Office of Air Force History (Author)

Steadfast and Courageous tells the story of the B-29s that bombed from the very beginning of the war to the end. During the campaign, they knocked out the few strategic targets in North Korea; leveled North Korean cities; and attacked airfields, close air support, and interdiction targets. The bombers had problems. The numbers employed were small-just over a hundred aircraft, in contrast to over one thousand stationed in the Mariana Islands at the end of the Japanese war. In addition, the Boeing bombers were plagued by engine problems, just as they had been in the Pacific war. But most of all, these Superfortresses were savaged by Communist MiGs and forced into night operations. Steadfast and Courageous delivers this story, along with such interesting and important details as the use of guided bombs and the first combat use of air-to-air refueling. The study concludes by noting, "With courage and steadfastness, Bomber Command's aircrews policed their assigned beat, stoically enduring their losses. Many were their missions, many were their accomplishments" . This is also a fair appraisal of the US Air Force during the entire war.