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| SAAF No. 2 Squadron Former Assignments USAAF USAF  SAAF 1951 |
Pilot Lt. Vernon R. Kruger (survived) South Africa Crashed May 11, 1951 Aircraft History Built by North American Aviation (NAA) in Dallas, Texas. Constructors Number 122-31126. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as a P-51D-20-NT Mustang serial number 44-63400. On September 18, 1947 transfered to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and redesignated F-51D Mustang. During 1950, purchased by the South African Air Force (SAAF) as RF-51D Mustang serial number 309. No known nickname or nose art. Assigned to No. 2 Squadron "Flying Cheetahs" attached to the U.S. Air Force (USAF), 18th Fighter Bomber Wing (18th FBW) and operated from Hoengsong Airfield (K-46). Mission History On May 11, 1951 at 7:00am took off from Chinhae Airfield (K-10) piloted by Lt. Vernon R. Kruger as one of four Mustangs on a road interdiction in the Kaesng area north of Seoul. The flight was led by F-51 Mustang 322 pilot Major Blaauw, no. 2 F-51D Mustang pilot Martin Mentz, no. 3 F-51D Mustang pilot Kruger and no. 4 F-51D Mustang pilot Pat Clulow. The four bombed a small dam in hopes of flooding the road below. Two hours later, the Mustangs landed at Chinhae Airfield (K-10) to refuel and rearmed with rockets. The four Mustangs took off from Chinhae Airfield (K-10) on another search mission with Blaauw and Kruger flying low with the other two flying top cover west of Singe. The low pair flew over what appeared to be anti-aircraft guns and while pulling up to turn, Kruger was fired on. The Mustangs fired rockets and strafed them. After pulling up, to 2,000' Kruger's plane was hit with a large hole in the left wing on fire with flames spreading into the cockpit. Kruger managed to bail out but suffered burns to his face, hands but managed to pull his ripcord and his parachute opened at roughly 1,000' and dislocated his shoulder when he hit the ground and a sprained ankle. Landing at roughly 4:00pm, he managed to released his parachute harness with one arm and took cover. On the ground, he could hear guns firing and the three planes from his flight circling above. Rescue Seeing Kruger bail out, Blaauw instructed Clulow to climb and radio rescue services. Meanwhile, Blaauw and Mentz circled Kruger. By 5:15 the three Mustangs were low on fuel and no rescue helicopter or plane had arrived. Blaauw ordered Mentz and Clulow to return to base while he remained orbiting their downed comrade. On the ground, Kruger saw the pair depart and perceived movement in the trees nearby that he believed were Communist soldiers nearby moving towards his location. Occasionally, Blaauw would make a strafing run in the vicinity to keep the enemy down. Roughly fifteen minutes later a pair of U.S. Corsairs arrived. At 6:45pm Blaauw ran out of fuel and decided to force land nearby. Landing wheels up in a small field nearby, the plane's engine broke off and settled in a cloud of dust and smoke. Moments later, Blaauw ran over to Kruger and rendered first aid to him. Together, the pair waited for rescue with gunfire in the vicinity firing at the planes overhead. Blaauw collected rocks to use as ballast to adjust the helicopter's center of gravity. At 7:15pm as the sun began to set, a Sikorsky S-51 helicopter arrived and landed nearby and the pilot and crew man helped the two pilots aboard and placed a few rocks into the baggage compartment then took off and landed at a forward Army medical unit after sunset. Kruger was given immediate treatment for his burns and wounds. The next day he was flown back to Chinhae Airfield (K-10) then flown aboard a Dakota to Hiroshima in Japan and admitted into an Australian base hospital where he recovered over the next three weeks. While in hospital, Blaauw visited him and when he thanked him for saving his life said in Afrikaans: "Vergeet dit. Ons vlieeniers moet mos saamstaan" (Forget it, we pilots must stand together). For his actions crash landing to rescue his fellow pilot, Blaauw earned the U.S. Silver Star. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-51D-20-NA Mustang 44-63400 "63400 (2nd SAAF Sq) shot down in Korea May 11, 1951." Korean War Project - 2nd South Africa Air Force - ( w/18th FB wing) Korean War Air Loss Database by Date [PDF] (PDF page 45) "Kruger, V. R. / SAAF / Lt / RSC / 51-05-11 / F-51D / 44-63400 / 2 SAAF Sq / SAAF" South Africa's Flying Cheetahs in Korea (1991) by Dermot Moore & Peter Bagshawe pages 84-86 (photo), 235-237 (A Legendary Deed by Vernon Kruger) Ciel de Gloire - Squadron 2 - SAAF "Flying Cheetahs" - F-51D 44-63400 Hall of Valor - Johann P. D. Blaauw Silver Star Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated June 30, 2024 |
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