F-80 Shooting Star Units of the Korean War

Osprey Combat Aircraft #128

by Warren Thompson

Built within a 180-day time limit in 1943, the F-80 Shooting Star first saw service in Italy in the final year of World War 2, and consequently was sent to bases in the US, Europe and the Far East after VJ Day. It was the latter groups based in Japan that initially bore the brunt of the early fighting in Korea, engaging MiG-15s in the world's first jet-versus-jet combat.

Flown principally by the 8th and 49th Fighter Bomber Wings, the F-80 served until the end of the war, completing an astonishing 98,515 combat sorties, shooting down 17 aircraft (including three of the vastly superior MiG-15s), dropping over 33,000 tons of bombs, and firing over 80,000 air-to-ground rockets. Aside from the fighter-bomber Shooting Stars, the ultra-rare, but heavily used, photo-reconnaissance RF-80A saw extensive use in the frontline in Korea as a replacement for the vulnerable RF-51D.

Filled with first-hand accounts and rare colour photographs taken by the veterans themselves, this is the engrossing story of the pioneering F-80 Shooting Star.

152 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2019

About the author

Warren E. Thompson

Reviews

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my experience Warren Thompson has been nothing but reliable writing for Osprey in regards to early jet fighters, and this booklet is no exception. To a large degree he's letting the F-80 pilots speak for themselves, and concentrates on the organizational history of the USAF squadrons that used the Shooting Star through the conflict. A particular plus here is that most of the photos used are in color. For the reader who is interested in the period this booklet would be well-worth having.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 2019, 'F-80 Shooting Star units of the Korean War' is number 128 in the highly successful 'Combat Aircraft' series of aviation titles from publishers Osprey. This volume focusses on the role of the F-80 Shooting Star in the Korean War. Accounts of the Korean Air War tend to focus on the role of the F-85 Sabre in its role in wresting air superiority from the Mig-15, whilst books like this tell you how the F-80 coped until the F-86 arrived, and how the F-80 shouldered the burden of ground-pounding after this. The regular mention of F-80 losses incurred achieving this add some poignancy. An interesting and informative read.

[Baustman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This aviation volume is fantastic! I learned a tremendous amount about an unsung aircraft and the very brave men who flew them. Highly recommended.