steve on Nostr: “Red Wings Over the Yalu” by Xiaoming Zhang ⭐️⭐️ Most English histories ...
“Red Wings Over the Yalu” by Xiaoming Zhang
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Most English histories of the Korean War focus primarily on UN forces and the two Korean nations. Less often discussed is the involvement of the fledgling People’s Republic of China. Fresh off the heels of their own civil war, Mao’s PRC embarked on a quest to stand up their own air force: the PLAAF. With Soviet assistance, the PLAAF used the Korean War as a test bed for their organization and tactics. Unlike most western air forces, the PLAAF was designed as a defensive tool on the international scene, but an offensive propaganda tool for domestic affairs. The Korean War remains China’s only conflict since their revolution in the 1940s, so it was not until the PRC observed American air dominance in first Gulf War that they truly embraced reforms and modernization. Zhang’s account provided an interesting perspective but is also painted with bias from his own communist roots. Take it with a grain of salt.
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Most English histories of the Korean War focus primarily on UN forces and the two Korean nations. Less often discussed is the involvement of the fledgling People’s Republic of China. Fresh off the heels of their own civil war, Mao’s PRC embarked on a quest to stand up their own air force: the PLAAF. With Soviet assistance, the PLAAF used the Korean War as a test bed for their organization and tactics. Unlike most western air forces, the PLAAF was designed as a defensive tool on the international scene, but an offensive propaganda tool for domestic affairs. The Korean War remains China’s only conflict since their revolution in the 1940s, so it was not until the PRC observed American air dominance in first Gulf War that they truly embraced reforms and modernization. Zhang’s account provided an interesting perspective but is also painted with bias from his own communist roots. Take it with a grain of salt.