Battle of Suwon Airfield Battle of Suwon Airfield The Battle of Suwon Airfield was the first aerial battle of the Korean War occurring on June 27, 1950 over Kimpo Airfield and Suwon Airfield. The battle, between aircraft of the United States and North Korea, ended in a victory for the US Air Force after nine of its aircraft successfully shot down seven North Korean People's Air Force aircraft. It was the first direct engagement of the Air Battle of South Korea. With the outbreak of the war two days earlier, the US forces were attempting to evacuate US civilians and diplomats from the city
Soviet Union in the Korean War hide this direct Soviet intervention, precautions were taken to disguise their involvement, open knowledge of which would have been a major diplomatic embarrassment for the USSR. Soviet pilots wore Chinese uniforms when flying, whilst rules were prescribed to stop Soviet pilots flying near the coast or front lines (where they might be captured if shot down) and from speaking Russian on the aircraft radio. All aircraft flown carried Chinese or North Korean markings. When not flying, for reasons of ethnicity, on the ground Soviet pilots 'played' the roles of Soviet commercial travellers rather than Chinese or North Korean soldiers. Soviet