On this day in 1953, General Mark Clark announced the beginning of Operation Moolah. It was an effort during the Korean War to obtain through defection a fully capable Soviet MiG-15 jet fighter.
Communist forces introduced the MiG-15 to Korea on November 1, 1950. USAF pilots reported that the performance of the MiG-15 was superior to all United Nations aircraft, including the USAF’s newest plane, the F-86 Sabre. The operation focused on influencing Communist pilots to defect to South Korea with a MiG for a financial reward. The plan set forth an offer of $100,000 (equivalent to $1,093,781 in 2022) for a Soviet MiG-15 and political asylum for the pilot.
On March 20, 1953, the Joint Chiefs of Staff approved the plan. The approved operation was forwarded on April 1, 1953, to the Joint Psychological Committee at FEAF in Tokyo, Japan, where it was staffed, approved, and advanced to Clark. He dubbed the plan Operation Moolah. The plan offered $50,000 to any pilot who flew a fully mission capable MiG-15 to South Korea. The first pilot to defect would be awarded an additional $50,000. The plan also included complete political asylum, resettlement in a non-Communist country, and anonymity if desired.
On April 26, armistice negotiations between Communist forces and the UN began. Clark issued the offer of Operation Moolah on the 27th to coincide with Operation Little Switch, the exchange of sick and wounded POWs between the Communist and the UN forces. General Clark announced the offer on April 27, 1953, through a shortwave radio transmission. The transmission, translated into Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Russian, was broadcast by 14 radio stations in Japan and South Korea into North Korea and China. Clark stated: “To all brave pilots who wish to free themselves from the Communist yoke and start a new, better life with proper honor … you are guaranteed refuge, protection, humane care and attention. If pilots so desire, their names will be kept secret forever …”
On the night of April 26, 1953, two B-29 Superfortress bombers dropped 1.2 million leaflets over Communist bases in the Yalu River Basin. These leaflets were written in Russian, Chinese, and Korean. The Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, ceasing all combat operations. Not one single pilot had defected to South Korea.
Early in the morning on September 21, 1953, Lieutenant No Kum-Sok flew a MiG-15bis, bort number ‘Red 2057’, of the 2nd Regiment, Korean People’s Air Force, from Sunan Air Base, just outside Pyongyang, North Korea and landed before 10:00 a.m. at Kimpo Air Base in South Korea. He was immediately taken into the base headquarters for interrogation and physical examination. The next morning, South Korean newspapers mentioned the defecting North Korean pilot and his award of $100,000. No, though, was unaware of Operation Moolah and its rewards. In the aftermath of No’s defection, five of his fellow pilots were executed.
MiG-15 pilot Lieutenant No Kum-Sok, pictured in 1953 wearing typical North Korean flight clothing.
Today is the birthday, in 1959, of Scottish singer, recording artist and actress Sheena Easton, who had the 1980 UK No.3 & 1981 US No.1 single ‘Morning Train, Nine To Five’. Easton’s other hits include the James Bond theme ‘For Your Eyes Only’, ‘U Got the Look’ with Prince and ‘We’ve Got Tonight’ with Kenny Rogers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_3vZYOYNYU
