Ch'o do Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Serves | Ch'odo, North Korea | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 0 ft / 0 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°33′07.30″N124°49′57.20″E / 38.5520278°N 124.8325556°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  Chodo  Chodo  Chodo  Chodo | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Chodo Airport | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 초도기지 |
|---|---|
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Chodo giji |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'odo kiji |
Ch'o do Airport is an airport in Ch'odo island,Hanggu-guyok,Nampo,South Pyongan Province,North Korea.
The airfield has a single grass runway 11/29 measuring 3020 x 141 feet (920 x 43 m). [1] However,other sources state the airfield is 3500 feet long. It is sited on Ch'o do island off the west coast of North Korea in the Korea Bay.[ citation needed ]
During the Korean War,the USAF designated the airfield as K-54,but it was often listed as incomplete or not built. [2]
An element of the USAF 3rd Air Rescue Squadron operating Sikorsky H-5s and later Sikorsky H-19s was based on the island from January 1952. [3] Cho-do was regarded as an ideal forward operating base particularly for the rescue of pilots of F-86s damaged over MiG Alley as the F-86 could usually glide to an ejection location near Chodo,often the rescue forces would have to wait for the damaged F-86 to arrive at the rescue location. [3] : 18–19 On 4 April 1953,an H-19 rescued Captain Joseph C. McConnell the future top-scoring US ace in Korea after he ejected from his F-86 just north of Chodo. [4] On 30 April 1953 an H-19 rescued future double-ace Captain Lonnie R. Moore after his F-86F crashed at sea north of Cho-do. [3] : 16
In mid-February 1952 the USAF installed early-warning radar on Cho-do which could detect aircraft taking off and landing at Chinese airfields along the Yalu River. In May a tactical control center was added and this was used vector F-86s against MiG-15s [4] : 104 The base was later used for communications interception duties [4] : 106 including providing advance warning of an air attack on Taehwa-do on 30 November leading to a USAF ambush that resulted in the destruction of 12 communist aircraft. [4] : 108–9
On 5 September 1952 communist artillery shelled the base,injuring six civilians. On 13 October the radar on Cho-do detected six aircraft heading towards the base;these aircraft,believed to be Po-2s,dropped 14 bombs,which killed four civilians. Similar attacks occurred on 26 November and 5 and 10 December causing minimal damage. [4] : 110 Another attack took place on 15 April 1953,killing two gunners and destroying one anti-aircraft gun. [4] : 111
UN forces withdrew from Cho-do under the terms of the Korean Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War on 27 July 1953. [5]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force