Hero pilot who shot down at least FOUR Russian Migs in classified dogfight in 1952 to receive the Navy Cross: Captain took on seven jets alone and was shot 263 times - but was ordered not to tell anyone for fear of sparking war

UK Daily Mail ^ | January 18, 2023 | Alastair Talbot

[C19fan]

A hero pilot who shot down at least four Russian Migs in a classified dogfight at the height of the Cold War which saw his jet shot 263 times is to receive the Navy Cross.

Retired Navy Captain Royce Williams was sworn to secrecy for more than 50 years over fears that his battle against seven Soviet fighters could spark war with Russia.

Now the 97-year-old is free to tell his tale and is due to receive the Navy's second highest award for combat valor on Friday at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

[xkaydet65]

I had a friend in college who was active in the anti war movement. Very active. He got so involved it became his life and also his death. He became depressed and went out a 9th floor window in a Queens hospital. Were he to come back now and find 2023 Free Republic I think he could feel comfortable reading many of the thoughts being posted.

[ansel12]

I sure miss Don, the retired admiral that pursued this case, Don was a great guy, with a great wife and daughter, you would be shocked at how regular joe he could be, and I was a little baffled about our friendship, but I liked it, I knew him in the 1970s and early 80s.

Happy 100th Birthday Rear Admiral Don Shelton, U.S. Navy (Retired)!
https://www.history.navy.mil/news-and-events/news/2021/shelton.html

[KarlInOhio]

So Russian pilots over North Korea rather than the usual Chinese or North Korean. I didn’t see how he identified them as Russian during the fight unless his gun camera footage showed the marked as Russian.

[MeganC]

Yup. Just like it was fine that Americans flew for China against Japan prior to 12/7/1941

[SunkenCiv]

• Russia's Lavrov says West's opposition to Russia's war is like Hitler's 'final solution' [01/19/2023]
• Putin ally Medvedev warns NATO of nuclear war if Russia is defeated in Ukraine [01/19/2023]
• Putin Ally Medvedev Warns NATO of Nuclear War if Russia Is Defeated in Ukraine [01/19/2023]
• Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine [01/19/2023]
• High-ranking Wagner Group member seeks asylum in Norway [01/19/2023]
• Iran: We can threaten Suez, Hormuz, the strategic waterways of region ( the nukes are obsolete) [01/19/2023]

[robowombat]

The USS Sterett incident in the Viet Nam War is a bit like this. The incident was given very short shrift, the official reports were so concise as to be deceptive, the incident was given the official memory hole treatment and there has never been a book length treatment of what was the most heroic surface engagement of the war. The reason is that Soviet and possibly CCF forces had carefully orchestrated the engagement to collect data on real time US defensive maritime capabilities against east bloc air, maritime and ground to sea systems.

[Vaduz]

Captain Royce Williams on for the record books outstanding.

[robowombat]

The US shot down a Soviet recconaissance bomber during the Korean War that made no hostile acts and carefully staid well out of immediate range of the US carrier. The Soviets never acknowledged the event happened in comparison to the strident communist propaganda campaigns over trivial incidents.

[robowombat]

The USAF, in error, attacked an air base in the Soviet Union during the Korean War and inflicted considerable damage and casualties.

[Jeff Chandler]

I spent a lot of time in and on a Grumman F9F Panther. Of course, it was the retired aircraft parked at Lion’s Park in Costa Mesa, California, and I was a little kid when I climbed all over it.

[21twelve]

Interesting national psychology on both our sides to make a big deal of small things but keep the big things quiet. I imagine it goes to making sure the military has a huge budget, but not really wanting to have a war.

That's a good thing I guess (no war), but it also reminds me of that book 1984(?) where the two countries are “always at war”.

[Grampa Dave]

Great Post:

A hero pilot, who shot down at least four Russian Migs in a classified dogfight at the height of the Cold War which saw his jet shot 263 times is to receive the Navy Cross.

Retired Navy Captain Royce Williams was sworn to secrecy for more than 50 years over fears that his battle against seven Soviet fighters could spark war with Russia.

Now the 97-year-old is free to tell his tale and is due to receive the Navy’s second highest award for combat valor on Friday at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

In a ferocious dogfight lasting half an hour, Williams downed at least four Migs despite his aircraft being so badly wounded he considered ejecting over hostile territory - an almost certain death sentence - as he limped back to the USS Oriskany aircraft carrier.

[Grampa Dave]

It seems like we keep a lot of our so called military history quiet for about 60+ years.

A friend, who keeps track of former military action like this episode, feels that we will be told more about:

The Cuban Missile, Crisis and the Castros and their killer agents post Cuban Missile Crisis and the various actions on their part and our part in the Caribbean.

JFK being killed.

Realities of LBJ re his presidential wars/crimes:
Gulf of Tonkin, US Liberty being attacked, the Pueblo being captured and military action in countries around N. VietNam and other Nam battles/Issues.

U2 flights over mainland China and Russia.

[Alberta's Child]

I haven't attacked anyone.

And I have no idea what "you Russian people" means. I don't think I could even translate more that two works ("da" and "nyet") from Russian to English.

[Alberta's Child]

There’s nothing wrong with being in an anti-war movement. The problem is when you’re involved in it for the wrong reasons.

[Alberta's Child]

Now the 97-year-old is free to tell his tale ...

This line from the article is odd -- and seems clearly wrong.

He's apparently been free to tell his tale for years, since the incident was declassified in the early 2000s.

It's the awarding of the Navy Cross that has brought the story into the news today.

[AppyPappy]

We had one too and in the summer, it was hot as an oven

[minnesota_bound]

The Russins also said a 5th crashed on landing and a 6th never was seen again. I say that makes it 5.

[ansel12]

“”Pride in fighting halfway around the world with no declaration of war by Congress … as a tool of the United Nations.
No thanks. It’s clear to me where this country went off the rails.””

You attacked the vet’s heroism fighting Russians and his service, you attacked our military and our nation and you attacked our Korean war dead as “a tool of the United Nations”.

You have completely turned against America and to Russia.

[ansel12]

It is an odd line, didn’t you see post 24? A friend was working on this, years ago.