METEOR JETS IN KOREA

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26605, 15 December 1951, Page 6

METEOR JETS IN KOREA

COMBAT ADVANTAGES OVER MIG 15

N.Z. FIGHTER PILOT’S EXPERIENCE

Although the Russian MIG 15 jet fighter used by the enemy in Korea is definitely better in many respects than the twin-engined Gloster Meteor 8 jet fighter flown by Australian pilots, the Meteor has its own advantages in combat. New Zealand’s only jet fighter pilot in Korea, Flight Lieutenant M. Scannell, A.F.C., R.A.F., who has been serving with No. 77 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, for the last nine months, and has returned to Christchurch on leave, made this comment yesterday when asked if the MIG 15 was overwhelmingly superior to the Meteor.

“The main disadvantage is in numbers,” said Flight Lieutenant Scannell. “On fighter sweeps and bomber escort we have always been outnumbered four or five to one. At times 12 or 16 Meteors have been attacked by 60 to 80 MiG’s. In spite of this disadvantage the Australian squadron has been doing very well indeed.” Because of the high speed of jet fighters it is very hard to assess any actual damage done to enemy aircraft in combat, according to Flight Lieutenant Scannell. He said that normally the Meteors would fly at 450 miles an hour, and the speed of the MiG’s would be higher. Encounters took place at 25,000 ft or lowpr, and aircraft were engaged for only five to 15 minutes. The enemy air force was very much the same as any other air force. It had good pilots and bad pilots. Besides imitating the United States Air Force and Royal Air Force formation the enemy squadrons were using German fighter tactics—trying to set the same sort of traps for their opponents. Flight Lieutenant Scannell said that United Nations pilots had seen evidence since July that the strength of the enemy air force was being increased. Previously on fighter sweeps they had encountered 30 to 40 MIG’S at a time. Now they encountered up to 150. Enemy anti-aircraft fire was accurate, and had also been improved and built up in strength since the Australian fighter squadron first went into action. There had been many rumours about a new Russian jet fighter, the MIG 19, but no pilot had definitely seen one. and there had been no nositive identification. There are Siamese, Greek. South African, British, Australian, and American airmen serving in Korea, but as far as Flight Lieutenant Scannell knows, there is only one other New Zealander, Squadron Leader V. de la Perrelle, also of Christchurch. He is serving with the Americans. A New Zealand sergeant pilot was serving with the Australian squadron, but he was killed in action recently. Flight Lieutenant Scannell. who is the elder son of Dr. W. G. Scannell and Mrs Scannell, joined the Royal Air Force in 1947 after service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Until he was sent to Janan in February with three other Royal Air Force officers to give conversion courses on Meteors to the Australian pilots who had been flying Mustang pistonengined fighters, he served in a Meteor sauadron of the Fighter Command. He was one of the members of an aerobatic team from his station which gave displays in Belgium, Denmark and Eire.

Flight Lieutenant Scannell will return to the Royal Air Force in Britain early next year.