Sabres Over MiG Alley: The F-86 and the Battle for Air Superiority in Korea

Kenneth P Werrell

Jun 2013 · Naval Institute Press

About this ebook

This is the story of the first jet versus jet war, the largest in number of victories and losses, and one of the few military bright spots in the Korean War. It tells how an outnumbered force of F-86 Sabres limited by range and restricted by the rules of engagement, decisively defeated its foe. Based on the latest scholarship, author Kenneth Werrell uses previously untapped sources and interviews with sixty former F-86 pilots to explore new aspects of the subject and shed light on controversies previously neglected. For example, he found much greater violation of the Yalu River than thus far has appeared in the published materials. The F-86 became a legend in "The Forgotten War" because of its performance and beauty, but most of all, because of its record in combat.

About the author

Kenneth P. Werrell graduated in the second class of the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1960 and went on to pilot a weather reconnaissance aircraft flying into 44 Pacific typhoons and observing the last above-ground nuclear test. After leaving the service in 1965, he attended Duke University earning a MA and PhD in history. He lives in Christiansburg, Virginia.