Today In History: 08 October [1952] -- Twelve Banshee fighters of U.S. Navy escort USAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress' in a raid on Kowon
Twelve F2H Banshee fighters of U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron 11 (VF-11) embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge (CVA-33) escort U.S. Air Force Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers in a raid on the rail and supply center at Kowon, Korea. Minutes later, 89 aircraft from USS Essex (CVA-9), USS Princeton (CVA-37), and Kearsarge follow up with a bomb and rocket attack on Kowon.
Introduced in 1948 the Banshee was an early jet fighter operated by United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, as well as being the only jet-powered fighter to ever be deployed by the Royal Canadian Navy.
PHOTO: A U.S. Navy McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee in flight.
See the Historical Aviation Film Unit website at http://www.aviationfilm.com to get a new history tidbit every day.
Photo Attribution: Public Domain via Wikimedia.
October 08