Use of Helicopters in the Korean War

Many people are under the misconception that helicopters entered the battlefield with the Vietnam War. The United States first used helicopters as an instrument of war in the Second World War. When the much-vaunted American glider force was unable to reach downed American bombers in Burma, helicopters were called into action and successfully rescued the flight crews from their predicament. After this successful operation, military planners, realizing the enormous potential of the helicopter, guided the US military to focus more attention on the helicopter to increase its power, to form helicopter units, and to focus the defense industry on developing helicopter types that would be useful to the military.

A Sikorsky YR-4B of the US Air Force during World War II at the helm of a crashed B-25 in Burma. 

The second post-World War II war in which helicopters were widely deployed on the battlefield was the Korean War between June 25, 1950 and July 27, 1953. During the Korean War, helicopters serving with the US Air Force were among the first to see action. Early in the war, the Japan-based Third Air Rescue Squadron was sent to Korea. The primary purpose of this squadron was to search for and rescue the crews of aircraft that had crashed, crashed or been shot down during the war; however, the evacuation of the wounded quickly took precedence over this mission. Over the course of the war, more than 21,000 wounded soldiers were evacuated by helicopters. To summarize the meaning of this number, on an average day during the war, at least 19 wounded soldiers had to be evacuated. At that time, there were no personnel who could provide medical intervention with the wounded during such evacuations. The wounded were taken from the area and transported to the nearest field hospital. Here, the survival rates of the wounded who were taken to the hospitals that arrived in time for medical treatment were noteworthy in assessments of the utility of helicopters in this war. 

In World War II, it is known that 4.5% of the wounded delivered to doctors died. In Korea, the figure was 2.5%. The helicopters dedicated to rescuing the wounded did a good job. The helicopter evacuation of the wounded not only saved lives, but also had the added benefit of relieving frontline troops of the burden of caring for wounded soldiers while they continued to fight.

The photo shows a Bell H-13 Sioux helicopter carrying wounded during the Korean War. While this helicopter could initially carry one casualty, the number of stretchers mounted on the helicopter was later increased to two.

The photo shows a Marine HRS-2 helicopter being prepared to transport supplies during Operation Haylift during the Korean War in February 1953.  The HRS-2 is one of the variants of the Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw helicopter built for use in the Navy.

In this photo, a Sikorsky HO2S-1 during the Korean War transfers a Marine from the landing craft, which can carry vehicles and personnel, to the command ship Mount McKinley during the amphibious landing at Inchon on September 16, 1951. During the Korean War, Marine helicopters were used to detect and even clear mines in the sea. The sniper in the helicopter would destroy the detected mine by firing at the mines with a rifle from a certain distance.

In September 1951, the Navy also became active in the use of helicopters. Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron 161 arrived in Pusan on September 2, 1951 with 15 HRS-1s. It did not take long for HMR-161 to become operational. On September 13, 1951, in Operation Windmill I, HMR-161 took off with the 2nd Battalion, ammunition and logistical supplies from Hill 673 in the infamous "Punchbowl" area at the eastern end of the main UN resistance line. They also transported the dead and wounded in the first mass resupply effort by helicopter. On September 21, during Operation Summit, HMR-161 successfully landed 224 Marines by helicopter to assist Republic of Korea (ROK) troops on Hill 884. 

Some helicopter types used in the Korean War

1) Bell H-13 Sioux (Multi-purpose light helicopter) 

2) Hiller OH-23 Raven (Model UH-12) (Light utility reconnaissance helicopter) 

3) Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (Multi-purpose / Multi-role utility helicopter) 

4) Sikorsky R-5 / H-5 (Light utility helicopter) 

The missions of helicopters during the Korean War: 

1) Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC)

Helicopters were used to quickly transport wounded soldiers from the battlefield to field hospitals.  

2) Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR)

They were used to rescue downed pilots, crews and other soldiers behind enemy lines.

3) Supply

Helicopters were used to deliver supplies, weapons and ammunition to troops in the field, increasing their mobility, firepower and resilience in the face of the enemy.  

4) Aerial Troop transport

They were used for important missions, landing troops at key points. 

5) Discovery

They were used for aerial reconnaissance missions. Helicopters were used to search for enemy forces, to obtain information on their current situation and to reconnoiter the advance of ground-based troops. 

Conclusion

In the Second World War, we witness that helicopters, which had not yet found a place in battles compared to airplanes, were mostly used in support missions. The second war in which helicopters were used for the second time after this great war was the Korean War. In Korea, helicopters were mainly used for aerial medical evacuation, search and rescue, resupply of troops, airborne troop transport (partial flying troop operations) and tactical reconnaissance missions. 

It was during the Vietnam War that helicopters really took center stage. In my next article, I will talk about the Vietnam War and the use of helicopters in this war.