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thedrifter
02-08-03, 10:27 AM
Aerial 'gypsies' in C-47s of a bygone war earned their angel's wings flying supplies in and wounded soldiers out of Korea's dirt strips while bullets whizzed past.

By Timothy J. Kutta

A Douglas C-47 Skytrain roared low over the long column of U.S. Marines, but few of the men took notice of the transport. Numb from combat and the frozen Korean winter, they slogged slowly and methodically away from the Chinese entrapment at the Chosin Reservoir.

Suddenly, the lumbering transport turned back over the column. The pilot tossed something from the cockpit while wagging his plane's wings. One of the Marine riflemen retrieved a canteen with a note attached and rushed it to his commanding officer.

The column of war-weary Marines halted and then, on orders from the commander, moved off in a different direction. The transport had spotted Chinese troops ahead, lying in ambush. The warning note had saved many lives; it was the first time a transport aircraft had acted as a scout for a Marine unit. The pilot, a member of the 374th Troop Carrier Wing, had added another chapter to the history of the remarkable unit known as the "Kyushu Gypsies."

Opening Of The War

North Korea had launched a massive invasion of the Republic of South Korea on June 25, 1950. Caught by surprise, the small and ill-trained South Korean army fell back in disarray. The United States, which had pledged to protect the country, was caught off-guard by the invasion. The U.S. government realized it must immediately dispatch arms, supplies and reinforcements to prevent the complete collapse of the South Korean government. The demands of the new war could only be met by starting a massive airlift between American bases in Japan and the few remaining airstrips still open in South Korea.

The sole transport aircraft in the theater were those of the 374th Troop Carrier Wing, commanded by Colonel Troy Crawford. The unit consisted of a headquarters and the 6th, 21st and 22nd Troop Carrier squadrons. The 6th and 22nd squadrons were stationed at Tachikawa Air Base in Japan, while the 21st Squadron was stationed at Clark Field in the Philippines. All three squadrons were equipped with Douglas C-54 Skymaster transport aircraft.

Crawford ordered his two squadrons in Japan to begin operations at once, while the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron was ordered to airlift itself from the Philippines to Japan. Within a few days, the entire group was assembled at Tachikawa.

Early Difficulties

The first days of the war were difficult for the men of the 374th. They flew unarmed and heavily loaded transports into an uncertain, dangerous combat situation. Pilots often took off from Japan for friendly airfields in Korea but arrived to find the airstrips they were headed for under fire or destroyed by the enemy. One of the wing's C-54s was strafed and destroyed on the ground at Suwon, South Korea, by enemy fighters on the first day of the war. It was the first American airplane destroyed during the conflict, but others would soon follow.

Many transports were damaged while trying to land on unimproved or cratered airstrips. Heavy aircraft losses, maintenance problems and a lack of spare parts among the 6th and 22nd Troop Carrier squadrons forced Crawford to take drastic measures. To make good the losses his group had suffered, he ordered the 21st Squadron to divide its C-54s between the other two squadrons. The infusion of aircraft allowed the other two squadrons to resume normal operations. However, the colonel now had one squadron without airplanes.

The situation in Korea was still desperate, and Crawford could not afford to have a squadron sit idle. Without hesitation, he ordered the 21st Squadron re-equipped with the old Douglas C-47 Skytrains. The C-47 was a World War II-vintage transport that had been relegated to second-line duty, flying into unimproved airfields or serving as liaison aircraft. To assemble enough aircraft for the squadron, transports were taken from Air Force units across the Far East.

Preparing For Their Mission

Colonel Phil Cage, commander of the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, was not thrilled about receiving the old aircraft. He was even more upset, however, when many of his top crews were transferred to the 6th and 22nd Troop Carrier squadrons and he was assigned pilots who had been filling staff and other non-flying positions. Many of them were rusty after long periods on the ground and needed training to hone their flying skills. Still, there was a war to be fought, and the troops on the ground needed all the supplies and reinforcements they could get.

Cage and his staff went to work. First, the squadron assembled 50 flyable C-47 Skytrains plus enough crews and mechanics to operate them. Then the training began in earnest. Pilots went through checkout and familiarization in the cockpit. The ground crews were fortunate -- many noncommissioned officers were available who were experienced with the C-47. Working round-the-clock, Cage and his men performed miracles. Within a matter of days, the ad hoc unit formed into an effective and efficient combat-ready transport squadron.

Gypsy Strategy

Bringing the C-47 into the war was a brilliant move. The heavy C-54 required large, modern airfields to operate effectively. By mid-July, the North Koreans had captured many of the big airfields, and the poor condition of the smaller ones drastically reduced the operations of the C-54s. The C-47 had no such restrictions and could fly from even the most primitive airfields. The operations people of the wing quickly worked out an equitable division of labor. The C-54s would stage troops and equipment at Ashiya Air Base, one of the forward airfields in Japan, while the C-47s, which had been moved to Ashiya, would fly the men and materiel from Japan into the most forward airfields in Korea. On the return trip they would be loaded with wounded troops who would then be flown to military hospitals in Japan.

The plan worked well for a few weeks until the forward air base at Ashiya became crowded with fighter planes, an air rescue unit and several big transport planes under repair. To relieve the crowding, the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, by then nicknamed the "Kyushu Gypsies" because of their frequent moves, relocated to Brady Field, Japan, in August. The new field was only 10 minutes' flying time from Ashiya.

Antiquated Navigation

The crowded sky over Japan did not concern the Kyushu Gypsies as much as the deadly sky over Korea. The pilots of the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron found flying into Korea extremely dangerous. In addition to avoiding prowling enemy fighters, the pilots had to fly by dead reckoning because all navigation beacons had been destroyed. On a routine mission to the Pusan Perimeter, they flew out over the Sea of Japan and dropped to low altitude as they approached Korea. Once the pilots had located the coast, they flew toward Pusan until they spotted the discolored sea water of the river near the city. They flew along the river until they found the railroad tracks that led to Taegu, the most forward airstrip of the Pusan Perimeter, and then followed the tracks into the city.

This system worked during daylight when the weather was good, but finding the airfield at night or in poor weather required outstanding flying and more than a little luck. Despite the difficulties, the pilots managed to keep a steady stream of men and supplies flowing into Pusan and always brought wounded soldiers out on the return trip.

Things did not improve for the transport airplanes once on the ground. All the forward airstrips were under sniper, mortar or artillery fire. Shell holes, shrapnel and battle debris littered the airfields. Almost all the transports received bullet holes or shrapnel damage. When the forward airfield at Pohang was attacked by North Koreans, the Kyushu Gypsies flew through a hail of small-arms fire to evacuate the support personnel of an American fighter squadron stationed on the field. Many of the flights were carried out at night, with the airfield marked only by the headlights of a few jeeps. The pilots who landed at night during the evacuation were often uncertain which side controlled the airfield


http://www.military.com/pics/c47berlin.jpg
C-47 "Skytrains" line up during off-loading at Tempelhof, Berlin. More than 100 of these aircraft were flying during the first three months of the Berlin Airlift. (USAF Photo)


http://www.military.com/pics/ah0398GYPSIESf3.jpg
When this C-47 was crippled during an unsuccessful attempt to take off from Taejon airfield, its crew set it on fire rather than let it fall into the hands of advancing North Koreans. (U.S. Air Force)


As the situation on the ground worsened, transport pilots were called upon to make low-level deliveries -- parachute drops to resupply surrounded units of the American 24th Infantry Division. The 24th had been the first American combat unit committed to Korea, and it suffered the brunt of the North Korean attack. During June, July and August, 20 major airdrops were conducted in support of the division. The 50 planes of the Kyushu Gypsies flew day and night, and by the end of August they had dropped more than 200 tons of supplies to trapped units.

continued......

thedrifter
02-08-03, 10:29 AM
Courage

The transports once saw a group of Americans being held prisoner spell out "hungry" with their bodies. Undaunted by the fact that the prisoners were located in enemy territory, the transports returned with several bundles of supplies and dropped them to the prisoners.

Low-level drops to surrounded units were particularly hazardous missions because the enemy was able to bring the full force of its anti-aircraft units to bear on the transports. Flying low and slow and making as many as six passes over a drop zone to ensure the accuracy of the parachute drops, the Kyushu Gypsies and their planes were easy targets. One of the "kickers," soldiers responsible for shoving bundles out of the airplane, was shot by enemy small-arms fire, and several planes were shot down or damaged beyond repair. Despite the danger, however, the pilots never failed to respond to a call or aborted a mission because of enemy fire. The men of the 24th Infantry Division called the lumbering transports the "heavenly butterflies."

The 21st Troop Carrier Squadron continued to fly missions in support of the Pusan Perimeter from August until September, when the front stabilized. Working with medical personnel of the 801st Medical Air Evacuation Squadron, the Kyushu Gypsies evacuated more than 6,000 soldiers from Korea to Japan during the first three months of the war. The doctors and nurses of the 801st routinely rode in the C-47s as they flew supply missions around Korea. The medical people knew that they would find wounded troops during the flights and that the transport pilots would land to evacuate them.

Allied Breakout

American forces poured ashore at the South Korean port of Inchon on the morning of September 15. The invasion caught the North Koreans completely by surprise. At the same time as the invasion at Inchon, the troops in the Pusan Perimeter, having finally blunted the original North Korean onslaught, launched a massive attack to trap the enemy units between the friendly armies. The North Koreans were falling back in retreat within a few days. Seoul, the capital of South Korea, was liberated on September 26, and the combined forces of the United Nations moved into North Korea.

Following the U.N. breakout, the entire 21st Troop Carrier Squadron was moved to Kimpo, which was just behind the front lines. The pilots lived in tents or wrecked transports, ate cold C rations and were under almost constant enemy fire. Flying nonstop, the transport pilots delivered food and ammunition to front-line units and evacuated wounded troops. The supplies were essential to maintain the momentum of the advance.

Rescue Mission

The transport squadron excelled in low-level delivery techniques and in landing on almost any flat piece of real estate. Their ability to evacuate casualties after delivering much-needed supplies allowed the combat units they supported to continue their advance unimpeded.

The squadron was ordered to participate in the parachute assault on Sukchon-Sunchon, north of the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, on October 20, 1950. The attack was an attempt to rescue U.N. prisoners of war being transported by train to the north. It required almost every transport aircraft in the theater to deliver the 4,000 paratroopers and their supplies. Precision, timing and close formation flying were essential to put the paratroopers on the target.

Although they had received no special training for the mission, the weary Kyushu Gypsies climbed into their battered planes and delivered the men and cargo precisely on target. The paratroopers located the train, but they rescued only 15 prisoners.

The Fortunes Of War

The 21st Troop Carrier Squadron supported victorious U.N. forces throughout October and November. Advancing troops had supplies and ammunition airdropped to them or landed at captured airfields. The Kyushu Gypsies held the distinction of landing at the most northern field in North Korea while supporting a South Korean army unit as it advanced along the east coast. In fact, the success of the C-47s in sustaining the offensive was so impressive that a seven-plane Greek C-47 transport squadron was sent to Korea to work with the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron. The reinforcements seemed unwarranted at the time because the U.N. forces were mere miles from occupying all of North Korea and ending the war. The fortunes of war, however, were about to change.

On November 25, the Communist Chinese launched a massive surprise counteroffensive. Over the next 24 hours, 180,000 Chinese troops tore into the right flank of the U.N. forces. The South Korean II Corps and the United States 2nd Infantry Division were badly mauled. The Communist offensive appeared to be on the brink of sweeping behind and trapping the entire Eighth Army. The Eighth fell back in disarray, desperately fighting to avoid being surrounded.

The next day, 120,000 Communist troops advanced around both sides of the Chosin Reservoir on the left flank of the U.N. forces and trapped the entire 1st Marine Division. The only way for the Marines to survive was to break out to the southeast toward Hungnam on the coast. Before the breakout attack could begin, however, the Marines needed food, ammunition and a way to get their wounded out. The only way to keep the men alive was to supply them by air.

Marine Retreat

The 314th Group provided Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars to deliver bulk supplies to the Marines while the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron used their C-47s to supply smaller packets of men and to evacuate the wounded. The Marines bulldozed a 2,300-foot airstrip out of frozen rice paddies at Hagaru-ri near Chosin on December 5. The Kyushu Gypsies, led by Cage, began landing on the strip just after it was completed. The transports braved sniper and artillery fire, landing day and night to bring in supplies. More than 4,000 wounded Marines were flown out of Hagaru-ri in a few short days.

Flying into Hagaru-ri was particularly dangerous. The enemy understood that the transports were keeping the Marines alive, so whenever one of the C-47s flew over the area or attempted to land, they subjected it to intense fire. Months of flying in combat, however, had honed the transport pilots' skills. The Kyushu Gypsies dodged, jinked and flew as low and fast as they dared. Their skill and courage was such that the enemy was able to destroy only two transports. One C-47 was destroyed on the ground, and the other was shot down. The pilot of the transport that was shot down managed to crash-land the plane about three miles away from Hagaru-ri and bring most of the wounded he was carrying back to the airstrip.

The retreat continued, and the Marines bulldozed another small airstrip at Koto-ri, several miles farther east, on the evening of December 7. By late afternoon of the 8th, the transports of the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron were landing on the frozen field. Another 700 wounded Marines were flown to safety in Japan within 24 hours.

The Marines linked up with a relief column moving north early on December 9. Their retreat had lasted 13 days, but the battered and bloodied Marines had made it to safety. A large measure of their success was due to the efforts of the Kyushu Gypsies. Their courage and skill in evacuating the wounded had saved nearly a regiment of Marines. In addition, they had flown in almost 900 tons of supplies. The squadron was awarded a Presidential Citation for its efforts during the retreat.

Until The End

The 21st Troop Carrier Squadron spent the rest of the month evacuating bases and flying out wounded. The squadron's airplanes had been heavily used and were now badly in need of maintenance. At a high-level conference, several Air Force officials decided that since there were so few C-47s left in the theater, they should be replaced by the larger Curtiss C-46 Commandos that had been arriving in the theater with Air Force Reserve units. Toward the end of the month, the C-47 squadron was reassigned to Taegu for a long-awaited rest.

The Kyushu Gypsies were assigned to fly "psyops" (psychological operations) after their rest. Several of the transports were outfitted with large loudspeakers. The airplanes would fly over the Chinese lines with a South Korean broadcaster aboard, urging the enemy to surrender and dropping leaflets and safe-passage passes. At first, the transports were frequently fired on and several aircraft limped back to their base minus pieces of wing and tail. As the war dragged on, however, the enemy's position became more and more difficult, and surrender was more common. During the summer of 1951, a psyops aircraft crew of the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron accepted the surrender of 1,800 Chinese soldiers, then guided the prisoners to U.N. lines.

Despite the fact that the C-46s were replacing the C-47s, the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron continued to fly throughout the war. Whenever an airstrip was too small or the fighting too intense to allow the larger planes to land, the Kyushu Gypsies would get the call. In any weather, at any time of the day or night, the C-47 pilots delivered the goods. Their greatest contribution was the evacuation of wounded. The 50 C-47s of the squadron carried more than 150,000 wounded personnel out of harm's way during the war.

http://www.military.com/pics/ah0398GYPSIESf1.jpg
Living quarters for the 21st Squadron's detachment in Korea, near a front-line airstrip. (U.S. Air Force via C.V. Glines)

http://www.military.com/pics/ah0398GYPSIESf2.jpg
Kyushu Gypsy C-47 at Misawa Air Base is loaded with C rations for Japanese tidal wave flood victims in the 1950s. (U.S. Air Force via C.V. Glines)

Sempers,

Roger