(Please click on pictures to get larger views.)
MY FRIEND THE FIGHTER PILOT
By Robert S. DeGroat
The Grumman XF9f-s Panther prototype (BuNO12247500) was first flown on November 24, 1947. When the communists pushed across the South Korean border on June 25, 1950. The Panther would play an important part in the American air effort there. From June 1950 to July 1953, Panthers flown by both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marines, would amass more than 78,000 combat missions.
Fighter Squadron 111 (VF-111), the “Sundowners,” was one of the first squadrons to acquire the F9F-2. VF-111 was part of Air Group 11, based aboard the USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) during their first Korean tour.
On November 9, 1950 during an air strike against the Yalu River bridges (joining North Korea and Manchuria), Panthers from Air Group 11 were attacked by MiG-15 fighters. VF-111’s LCDR Tom Amen shot down one MiG-15, scoring the first U.S. Navy jet-to-jet kill.
That same day, Ensign William A. Finlay, JR. was nearing completion of
advanced flight training in Corpus Christi, Texas. A 1949 graduate of the
U.S. Naval Academy, Bill had entered the flight training at NAS Pensacola,
Florida - his first flight occurring on October 26, 1949. He soloed
on February 2, 1950 in an SNJ-5 (BuNo85016), allowing him to enter advanced
training.
After advanced, it was back to NAS Pensacola for carrier qualifications. Bill successfully completed flight training on December 14, 1950, making 10 carrier landings off the Florida coast. At a ceremony the next day, he was officially designated “Naval Aviator” and presented his wings. He was then assigned to VF-111, which had meanwhile completed its first tour when Air Group 11 returned to San Diego in March 1951.
After his arrival at NAS Miramar, Bill received his checkout in the F9F-2. His first flight in the jet came on July 31, 1951. On September 6, he became carrier qualified in the Panther by making 10 landings on the USS Valley Forge (CV-45), off the California coast.
VF-111 had been refitting, moving from the Philippine Sea to the Valley Forge. When CV-45 headed West for anther Korean tour, Lt. (jg) Finlay was among the pilots who made up the “Sundowners” squadron.
After
arrival off the Korean coast, Bill flew his first combat mission on December
11, 1951, a combat air patrol (CAP) orbiting the Valley Forge as part of
its “protective umbrella”.
By December 18, 1951, he had flown another CAP and two reconnaissance strikes. He should have known that December 18 would bring an extraordinary mission, the day of his second wedding anniversary. The mission was to include a valley code named Hazel-Helen, and should have provided a second clue. His mother-in-law’s name was Hazel.
Bill was to be part of a four plane flight sent near the combat line to deliver a mixture of 100 and 250 pound bombs. Upon returning to the carrier, they were to fly up the valley Hazel-Helen, 35 miles south of Wonson, and strike at anything moving in the valley with their 20 mm cannon, the idea being to disrupt any supply trucks or trains from reaching their destinations.
The flight took off from the Valley Forge and approached the North Korean coast a 10,000 feet. After dropping their bomb loads on the primary objective, they headed for the southern end of Hazel-Helen, which was actually a mountain pass.
Entering the narrow mouth at the end of the pass the Panthers flew in single file. Once through, they assembled into a “Fluid-4”formation, putting two sections of two aircraft at the same altitude, although spaced approximately 1.5 miles apart. The wing men flew on the lower outside of each section, enabling them to see beyond their leader, keeping the sections in view of each other, an extra precaution against surprise attacks by MiGs. Each section was required to change altitude and heading at irregular interval, in order to confuse enemy gunners.
The valley was approximately eight miles wide with flak batteries in the hills on both sides of the pass, ideal for catching aircraft in a cross-fire. It was also easier to hide the guns in the hills rather than on the valley floor.
In addition to the possibility of flak, the pilots has also been briefed to be extra careful as Intelligence had reported that an unmarked POW camp was somewhere in the valley. With this information, the pilots started into the valley, seeking out targets of opportunity.
Just as they adopted their formation, the flak started. It was thick and accurate, colorfully punctuated with tracers. As long as the tracers were directed at the planes, the pilots knew they would be ahead of the actual flak busts. Only when the tracers could be seen coming up ahead of them, was there a chance of being hit. The formation came through 15 long seconds of intense flak unharmed.
The rest of the flight up the valley was uneventful. Seeing nothing worth hitting, they headed back to the carrier, the mission lasting only 1.3 hours.
Only after returning aboard the carrier did Bill have time to assess what had just occurred. This was his first time under fire. The enemy had tried to kill him, to end his Naval aviation career. What a way to spend an anniversary!
Twenty-six missions later on March 8, 1952 bill had the distinction of making CV-45’s 37,000th landing. The celebration of each consecutive 1000th landing creates quite a stir aboard an aircraft carrier, with coffee and cake for all.
As the tour ended in June 1952, it was decided to give the Navy's F9F-2’s to the Marines since, upon refitting in the States, the Navy squadrons were to receive the newer F9F-9. On June 10, Bill flew his aircraft into the U.S. Marine base (coded,K-3) near Pohang. He found out later that this particular plane was used by VMF-311, one of its pilots being a rather well known baseball player named Ted Williams.
With the current tour ended, the Valley Forge made its way back to the States for refitting. After completing one cruise, Navy pilots were not required to make another. Being an Annapolis grad, Bill volunteered for his second cruise. VF-111 reformed, replacement pilots filling in the empty gaps left by departing veterans.
While this was going on VF-111 pilots were transitioning to the newer F9F-5 Panther. It was basically the same as the F9F-s, with a better cockpit arrangement, better throttle response, and a top speed approximately 30 knots faster.
Bill checked out in the F9F-5 and flew his first solo on September 29, 1952. While ‘Sundowner” pilots were checked out in the new Panther, the rest of VF-111 moved aboard the USS Boxer (CV-21). When the Boxer headed out for Korea at the end of March 1953, Bill now found himself in the new position of combat veteran. The newer pilots would naturally look to him for guidance on survival in combat.
His first mission of the second cruise occurred on May 14, 1953. He would fly 24 more missions sometimes flying two or three missions a day, before CV-21 withdrew to Sasebo, Japan at the end of June.
While refitting at Sasebo, VF-111 was moved to the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39). The move was required as CV-39 could stock more jet fuel, enabling the carrier to stay on station for longer periods of time.
CV-39 was off the Korean coast for the last month of the conflict, July, 1953. Bill was very busy flying 16 more missions that month, the majority being “Cherokee” strikes.
The strikes were called by the forward air controller, “Cherokee,” who directed the bombing and strafing attacks against specific ground targets near the combat line. The Navy jets, just having come from the carrier, would check in after reaching the front lines. They would orbit an area until assigned a target: troop buildups, fuel dumps staging areas, enemy assaults, or vehicle parks (usually hidden under tree cover). These targets, many times unseen, would be given as coordinates.
Many targets, like fuel dumps were camouflaged and, at times, further obscured by undercast. Success in hitting the coordinates of such targets exactly was rewarded by spectacular explosions.
On July 27, 1953, the last day of the Conflict, Bill flew two of these missions, the first largely forgotten: the log quietly stated “27 July 53, F9F-5, (BuNo 126657), 1.7 hours, 1 cat shot, and 1 carrier landing on CV-39” It is the second mission of the day, the last of the Korean Conflict, that is permanently fixed in Bill’s mind.
The
four plane flight of Lt(jg)) Arthur R . Loomer, Ensign James J McGinnnis,
Lt. James M. Riggan, and Lt(jg)) William A. Finlay, Jr., was vectored
to Yonpo airfield that afternoon. Theirs was the last flight to leave the
Lake Champlain.
Yonpo airfield was southwest of Hungnam. No planes had been based there for some time, yet the strike was important just the same. The four plane flights responsibility was to bomb and crater the runway, making it unusable. Trying to land MiGs there would be in violation of the new treaty, scheduled to take effect later in the day.
There
was no flak as they performed their bombing runs. All was quiet, and now,
would remain so. By chance Bill, flying F9F-5 (BuNo 126037), was the last
one to complete his bombing run. He had, in fact dropped the last U.S.
Navy bombs of the long Korean Conflict at 1730 hours that afternoon. This
final mission lasted 1.6 hours.
VF-111 was recognized for its superior action in the face of great odds. The “Sundowners” were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the SecNav Commendation and the Korean Presidential Citation.
Flying 125 combat missions over two tours, Bill Finlay never “bent”
and aircraft. He was recommended for a DFC. He was awarded six Air Medals,
and Individual Strike flight award, and a letter of Commendation with a
Combat “V.” He was a good pilot with and excellent combat record, a fine
example of an American military officer.
Note.. As caretaker of this web site I am a former Sundowner having served with VF-111 from Oct. 1952 to Jan 1954. I was the assist flight deck inspector for VF-111 and helped Lt. Finlay out of his airplane on that last strike. He then put his arms around me and said “Hanson its over and we are alive.” I still have the two green books I carried on the flight deck and kept track of each fight and how the planes came back, weather ready to go again or if they had been shot up or hit by flak. Also two pages in the back where I kept track of the planes we lost and if the pilots survived or not. Quite emotional to look at that.. Thanks and a big thank you to all the men who served with VF-111 on her 3 tours of duty in the Korean war.
Orlin Hanson