MiG Pilot:
Korean War Solo Game

Pilot Characters

by Marvin Scott

1. Lieutenant Kim of the North Korean air force is a relatively inexperienced pilot. His country was created after World War II as a result of the division of Korea. In the invasion of South Korea Lt. Kim flew a Russian Yak, a World War II aircraft. Transition training for the MiG-15 was quick and crude. Some classes were conducted by North Koreans who were not pilots. They could read Russian and told the pilots-in-training what the Russian manuals said. Later Russian pilots ran the in-flight training. The North Koreans found the controls of the MiG-15 very heavy. The Russians encouraged them to do weight training to build strength. Lt. Kim is not happy about quality control on the MiG-15. It seems each plane is a bit different. Lt. Kim is not very eager to engage enemy Sabres. He feels his chances are much better against the other planes. He is secure in knowing that the MiG can fly higher than any enemy aircraft. He is based in Manchuria, but recent reports indicate the enemy will cross the Yalu River and attack MiGs even when they are on final approach. Lt. Kim has heard some of his fellow pilots’ reports of victories. He is sure many of these reports are lies.

2. Lieutenant Wong is an officer in the Peoples’ Liberation Army. Before 1949 the PLA had no airplanes. In the past year the Russians have provided the Chinese with MiG-15s. Lt. Wong was chosen for flight training because he was a good Communist and a good soldier. He feels his country is threatened. It is his duty to fight in the air as his fellow volunteers are fighting on the ground.

3. Lieutenant Ivanovich is a pilot in the Soviet Air Force. He is proud to be flying the MiG-15. It is a first class fighting machine equal to anything flying. So far he has no combat experience. His area of operations is restricted. He cannot fly over water. There is the chance he would crash and be picked up by enemy air-sea rescue. The USSR and her allies do not have sea rescue capacity. He cannot fly over 100 kilometers South of the Manchurian border because he MiGht be captured. He is supposed to speak Chinese when he uses his radio. All of the above restrictions are intended to conceal the fact that the USSR has aircraft in this war. His MiG even has a Chinese insignia.

4. Captain Gorky is a veteran of the Great Patriotic War. He flew in the closing months of combat and downed two German planes. Now he is flying the USSR’s best fighter, the MiG-15. He has confidence in his ability. He has heard that the enemy Sabre pilots are very skilled. They can’t be better than the Germans can they? Actually his job is to stop bombing raids or air strikes. It is best to evade the Sabres and engage the planes carrying bombs. Meanwhile Capt. Gorky is a bit nervous. He is thankful that his rations include Vodka. It helps him unwind.

5. Colonel Slavic is the hero of the Soviet Union. He began flying in an I-16 facing ME109s. He survived by superior skill and luck. Eventually he flew a lend lease P-39. There was an airplane! In the Great Patriotic War he downed 10 planes. Now he is leading a squadron of MiG-15s. This is a first class fighting machine. Turning is a bit of a problem, but it maneuvers in the vertical very well. It climbs faster and higher than any enemy aircraft. Capt. Slavic is a veteran pilot who knows his plane and the tactics to win. He is eager to meet the best the enemy has to offer.

MiG Pilot Korean War Solo Game


Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior # 145
Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Magazine List
© Copyright 2004 by Solo Wargamers Association.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com