MiG ALLEY MISSION

Navy, Marines and Air Force coordinate to strike the Sui-ho powerplant

- BY WARREN E. THOMPSON

ONE OF THE TREASURES reaped by the Communists at the end of WW II was the Sui-ho complex that had been built by the Japanese in 1940 after they had occupied the Korean Peninsula. At that time, it had six of the world's largest turbine generators, which easily surpassed the capacity of Boulder Dam in Nevada. It eventually became a major source of electrical power to many bases in Manchuria and the Soviet bases at Vladivostok and Port Arthur. To say this had the potential of being one of the most important targets in the Korean War would be an understatement.

For almost the first two years of the war, however, it was a political “hot potato” that was never put on the air strike planning board by Far East Air Force (FEAF) airpower. But with the peace talks at Panmunjeon constantly breaking down and no progress being made, it was time to take a different approach. It was decided to mount a major strike against the plant, and planning began in May 1952. The attack would take place on June 23 and 24, and it was primarily intended to put pressure on the stalled peace negotiations. Up until this time, the B-29 Superfortresses had leveled just about all of the major industrial targets in North Korea, but the Sui-ho complex had been untouched.

When the order came down to hit all the power plants in northwest Korea, the facility at Sui-ho was left off, but owing to a reevaluation of the target list by the Joint Chiefs, it was added. At first, it was to be an all-USAF strike, but the Navy was brought into the planning because they could have at least four aircraft carriers close by to help.