Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air ...

FROM GUNS TO MISSILES
Antiaircraft Returns to Combat:
The Korean War
The Korean War was far different from what the planners
anticipated: unlike their experience of World War II or their
forecasts of World War III. In the Korean War, American Airmen
did not face dense, technically advanced, ground-based antiaircraft
defenses or an extensive air-to-air threat; nor did they
conduct strategic nuclear operations against a major power.
Instead, both sides limited the Korean War politically and militarily.
The United States (through the United Nations) fought a
second-rate and third-rate power, albeit with major power backing,
without nuclear weapons, and with few strategic targets.
American Airmen waged an air war primarily of close air support
(CAS) and interdiction against weak and obsolete antiaircraft defenses.
American flyers engaged modern fighters but in action
geographically remote from the main theater of operations.
Compared to air defenses the Allies encountered in World War
II, Communist ground-based defenses in Korea proved weak
in both numbers and technology. American intelligence estimated
that initially the North Koreans were poorly equipped
with antiaircraft guns. While their forward units used 12.7
mm (.50-caliber) machine guns, the defense of rear areas was
left to about 20 76 mm guns, which lacked radar direction.
But, these weapons multiplied when the Communist Chinese
entered into the war in late 1950. By May 1951, the Communists
were estimated to have in action 252 heavy flak pieces
and 673 light pieces, increasing and peaking at 786 heavy and
1,672 light guns in early 1953. Nevertheless, these totals
barely exceeded the numbers the Germans deployed around
some of their key targets late in World War II. The equipment
itself was vintage World War II. Although the Airmen faced a
few 76 mm guns, the Communists’ principal heavy flak weapon
was the Soviet 85 mm Model 1939 gun that later was supplemented
by the 85 mm Model 1944. In the later stages of the
war, some of these guns were controlled by radar. The main
light flak piece was the 37 mm automatic weapon. The Communists
also used large numbers of 12.7 mm machine guns.
Beginning in October 1951, Allied airmen reported unguided
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