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| USAF 4th FIG 334th FIS  USAF 1951 |
Pilot Major George A. Davis, Jr., 12035A (MIA / KIA) Dublin, TX Crashed February 10, 1952 Aircraft History Built by North American Aviation (NAA). Constructors Number 172-35. Delivered to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) as F-86E-10-NA Sabre serial number 51-2752. Wartime History Assigned to the 4th Fighter Interceptor Group (FIG), 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS). No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On February 10, 1952 in the morning took off piloted by Major George A. Davis, Jr. leading a flight of eighteen F-86 Sabres on a mission to protect fighter-bombers striking Kunu-ri and Sinuiju near the Yalu River in North Korea. Davis was leading a three plane formation with wingman Lt. William W. Littlefield. Over the target area, he observed a flight of twelve MiG-15s over the border in China. Davis and Littlefield opted to attack the formation and made a diving attack that surprised the enemy flying 8,000' below. In a single maneuver, Davis shot down two jets (officially credited as his thirteenth and fourteenth victories) then attempted to intercept a third, Davis was hit by gunfire from behind and crashed in North Korea. When Davis failed to return, he was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). Officially, the U.S. Air Force did not acknowledge the loss of Davis for two days. He was officially credited with two aerial victories, based on Littlefield's debriefing. Afterwards, his wife requested Congressional inquiry to investigate his loss. Davis later earned the Medal of Honor, posthumously and was the only Sabre pilot to earn the highest award for valor. Although it is certain a MiG-15 pilot shot down Davis, assigning definitive credit for his shoot down is problematic. Both Chinese and Soviet MiG-15s were patrolling in the vicinity and both claimed Sabre aerial victories. No gun camera footage is known to have survived and records from both sides are not readily accessible. Wreckage This F-86 Sabre crashed into a hillside roughly a kilometer north of Sambong-ri. On February, 12, 1952 after the U.S. Air Force acknowledged the loss of Davis, the Chinese realized a famous ace pilot had been downed. On February 15, 1952 PLAAF General Liu Yalou instructed the 4th Division to determine if Chinese pilots were responsible for his shoot down. On February 16, 1952 and February 18, 1945 search teams from the 4th Division were sent into North Korea to locate the crash site and interview Chinese soldiers in the area. At crash site, Chinese personnel photographed the wreckage, the body of Davis, his M1911 .45 caliber automatic pistol and at least one of his dog tags. Following a week of investigation, the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) credited MiG-15 pilot Zhang Jihui, group leader of the 4th Division, 12th Air Regiment was credited with shooting down Davis, based on his claim for two kills, but did not have gun camera film. After the dog fight, he was jumped by other F-86s Sabres, damaged and ejected. The kill was also verified by Chinese soldiers from the 15th Army, 149th Division who witnessed the dog fight and Sabre crash. On February 23, 1952 the PLAAF findings were reported to Chairman Mao Zedong and Zhang Jihui officially credited and earned the Medal of Combat Hero, 1st Degree and was promoted as a war hero to the Chinese public. In the 1990s, Soviet veterans revealed their side of the air combat, apparently in resenting the fact the Chinese took credit for shooting down Davis. According to former Soviet pilots, the 148th GIAP, 97th IAD engaged in air combat that day and claimed three Sabres shot down without loss and credited the shoot down Davis to MiG-15 pilot Sr. Lt. Mikhail Averin who observed two Sabres dove to attack their formation over the Supung hydroelectric power station. During the air combat, Averin claimed to get on the tail of a Sabre and score hits causing it to flip over and crash. But, Davis crash site further south from where they were paroling. Memorials Davis was officially presumed dead the day of the mission. He earned the Congressional Medal of Honor, posthumously. Also, the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Silver Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf Clusters, Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Davis is memorialized at the courts of the missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). Davis is also has a memorial marker at City of Lubbock Cemetery in Lubbock, TX at section 45, corner of Dogwood and Azalia at Lat 33.33846 Long -101.48868. Davis is at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court 8 gold inlay indicating he earned the Medal of Honor. He also has a memorial marker at City of Lubbock Cemetery in Lubbock, TX at section 45, corner of Dogwood and Azalia at Lat 33.33846 Long -101.48868. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - F-86E-10-NA Sabre 51-2752 "2752 (4th FIG, 334th FIS) shot down by MiG-15 over Korea Feb 10, 1952. Pilot George A. Davis posthumously awarded Medal of Honor." 342nd Fighter Squadron "Scourgers" Lt. Davis photographs circa 1943-1944 NARA Records of Military Personnel Who Died as a Result of Hostilities During the Korean War - George Andrew Davis Jr KORWALD Loss Incident Summary - 51-2752 page 50 Davis, Jr., George A. [PDF] Red Wings Over The Yalu pages 163, 167-168 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - George Andrew Davis Jr. FindAGrave - Maj George Andrew Davis, Jr (courts of the missing, photo) FindAGrave - George Andrew Davis, Jr (memorial marker) Red Wings Over The Yalu (2002) pages 183-168 (February 10, 1952), 164 (photo Zhang Jihui) Aviation History Vol. 27, No. 4 March 2017 "Who Shot Down Major Davis" by Raymond Cheung pages 36-41 Thanks to Raymond Cheung for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated August 4, 2023 |
 F-86  MIA 1 Missing  Medal of Honor |
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