004 F-86A SABRE: Korea 1950-51

The F-86A Sabre had entered USAF service in 1949, and in December 1950 three squadrons were sent to South Korea. Despite primitive basing conditions and overwhelming Chinese opposition, the Sabre pilots stopped communist air forces from attacking UN ground troops and allowed Allied fighter-bombers to operate without threat of interception. The ensuing air battles between Sabres and MiG-15s were the first since World War II, and the last in recent times to involve large numbers of jet fighters in direct confrontation. F-86 pilots demonstrated the superiority of their training and tactics and the outstanding qualities of their Sabres. Includes contemporary photographs and specially commissioned artwork, including ribbon diagrams offering step-by-step illustrations of main the dogfights explored in the book.