Psy Ops.

This is coolbert:

From the psychological warfare Internet web site we have these items copied for your edification in entirety. Psychological warfare leaflets during the Korean War encouraging an enemy [Soviet, Chinese, North Korean] pilot to defect and come over to the United Nations side, bringing with him an intact and combat ready MiG-15. Thanks to the PsyWarrior web site.

Read these items NOT so much as to the content of the leaflet as distributed but rather the response of the one man who did defect and bring a MiG with him! [all instances of large text and bold are my emphasis and not as appeared in the original leaflet!!]


"OPERATION MOOLAH - - THE PLOT TO STEAL A MIG-15"


The leaflet as dropped and as signed by "General Clark on the stationery of the Far East Command." The text states:

"Headquarters
Far East Command
APO 500

20 April 1953

To:  Brave Pilots of Jet Aircraft
Subject: A Road to Freedom

Pilots! The Far East Command offers its help to all brave pilots who wish to free themselves from the vicious whip of the Communist regime and start a new and better life, with proper honor in the Free World.

The Far East Command offers you refuge, protection, human care and attention. You are given full guarantee that your names will remain secret if you so desire. Pilots! Your brave move will bring you to freedom and will give you opportunity to live in the future without fear for your well-being. Besides that, your heroism and decision will help others by pointing to them the road to freedom.

The Far East Command will reward $50,000 United States dollars to any pilot who delivers a modern, operational, combat-type jet aircraft in flyable condition to South Korea. The first pilot who delivers such a jet aircraft to the Free World will receive a bonus of an additional 50,000 US dollars for his bravery.

Following is a list of instructions to all pilots who desire to free themselves from the Communist yoke.  Escapee pilots will fly to Paengyong-do Island, fifty (50) kilometers south of Chodo Island. From Paengyong-do escapee pilots will proceed to Kimpo Air Base at 6100 meters altitude, descend over Kimpo Air Base, and proceed to make an immediate landing. UN Aircraft will accompany escapee remaining always above and behind, unless low clouds or visibility prevent escapee from locating Kimpo Airbase. If escapee is unable to make a visual let-down,  he will proceed to the Seoul area at 6100 meters and circle with his gear down. A United States aircraft will then fly close abreast and lead the way to the landing field. Upon initial contact with UN Aircraft, or if at any time UN Aircraft attempts attack, escapee will immediately lower landing gear and rock wings violently.

The Free World shall welcome you as an old friend as well as a hero.

Mark W. Clark
General, United States Army Commander-in-Chief
Far East Command"

"The leaflet instructions were later critiqued by the defecting North Korean pilot. He said":

"During the last 90 days of the war, MiGs seldom flew to North Korea. Chodo is 100 km (62 miles) southwest of Pyongyang in the Yellow Sea. To fly to Chodo would be all but fatal at that time. Moreover, flying from Chodo to Paengyong-do, 50 km (31 miles) over the sea does not make any sense. Nobody had ever heard of Paengyong-do in the Yellow Sea. Finally, proceed from Paengyong-do to Kimpo, 200 km (124 miles) at 6100 meter (20,000 feet) altitude. Any MiG following the above flight path for defection would have been an easy prey for the Sabre jets. The USAF had not instructed F-86 pilots with escorting procedures for defecting MiGs. They were unaware of the Operation Moolah. Might I have defected then if I had seen the leaflet? Absolutely not. Flying safely to reach Pyongyang from China in 1953 was impossible. To reach Chodo out in the Yellow Sea without being shot down in 1953 was unthinkable. I would have never followed the leaflet’s instructions."

Comments:

* That one defecting pilot that DID bring a combat ready MiG-15 NEVER DID read one of these leaflets and that even if he had read the leaflet would not have defected given the instructions as listed!

* UN pilots HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED AS TO THE EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE A PILOT TO DEFECT! UN pilots were not aware of what "lower landing gear and rock wings violently" signified!! Defectors would likely have been blasted out of the sky if they followed directions!

That "road to freedom" would have meant almost certain and instant death NOT exactly what the UN psy ops personnel had in mind. Feedback [the efficacy of the message] was necessary before the message was delivered but that was not possible? Warfare in general is not an easy business and psychological operations are even that more difficult!

coolbert.