US pilot shot down four Evil Empire MiGs in 30 minutes I Royce Williams was a real-life “Top Gun”

[Litwin]

I hope, S. Spielberg´ll read this ! Its a potential blockbuster !




Royce Williams was a real-life “Top Gun” 10 years before Tom Cruise was even born.


On a cold November day in 1952, Williams shot down four Soviet fighter jets – and became a legend no one would hear about for more than 50 years.


The now 97-year-old former naval aviator was presented with the Navy Cross, the service’s second-highest military honor at a ceremony Friday in California.


Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said on Friday that among the many proposals he has reviewed to upgrade sailors’ awards, Williams’ case “stood out above all others. It was very clear to me that his actions were truly extraordinary and more closely aligned with the criteria describing a higher medal.”


“Freedom does not come cheap,” Del Toro said. “It comes through the sacrifice of all those who have and continue to serve in today’s military. Your actions that day kept you free. They kept your shipmates free in Task Force 77. Indeed, they kept all of us free.”

US pilot shot down four Soviet MiGs in 30 minutes -- and kept it a secret for 50 years | CNN

Royce Williams was a real-life "Top Gun" 10 years before Tom Cruise was even born.

edition.cnn.com

 

[Tigerace117]

I hope, S. Spielberg´ll read this ! Its a potential blockbuster !


View attachment 67433821

Royce Williams was a real-life “Top Gun” 10 years before Tom Cruise was even born.


On a cold November day in 1952, Williams shot down four Soviet fighter jets – and became a legend no one would hear about for more than 50 years.


The now 97-year-old former naval aviator was presented with the Navy Cross, the service’s second-highest military honor at a ceremony Friday in California.


Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said on Friday that among the many proposals he has reviewed to upgrade sailors’ awards, Williams’ case “stood out above all others. It was very clear to me that his actions were truly extraordinary and more closely aligned with the criteria describing a higher medal.”


“Freedom does not come cheap,” Del Toro said. “It comes through the sacrifice of all those who have and continue to serve in today’s military. Your actions that day kept you free. They kept your shipmates free in Task Force 77. Indeed, they kept all of us free.”

US pilot shot down four Soviet MiGs in 30 minutes -- and kept it a secret for 50 years | CNN

Royce Williams was a real-life "Top Gun" 10 years before Tom Cruise was even born.

edition.cnn.com

Meanwhile, in actual combat over Korea.....

“ The status of many claimed air-to-air victories in the Korean War has been increasingly debated as more data becomes available, showing that instances of over-claiming abounded on both sides. The research by Dorr, Lake and Thompson claimed an F-86 kill ratio closer to 2:1.[50] A recent RAND report made reference to "recent scholarship" of F-86 v MiG-15 combat over Korea and concluded that the actual kill:loss ratio for the F-86 was 1.8:1 overall, and likely closer to 1.3:1 against MiGs flown by Soviet pilots.[43] However, this ratio did not count the number of aircraft of other types (including the B-29, A-26, F-80, F-82, F-84 and Gloster Meteor) shot down by MiG-15 pilots.

Data-matching with Soviet records suggests that US pilots routinely attributed their own combat losses to "landing accidents" and "other causes".[51] According to official US data ("USAF Statistical Digest FY1953"), the USAF lost 250 F-86 fighters in Korea. Of these, 184 were lost in combat (78 in air-to-air combat, 19 by anti-aircraft guns, 26 were "unknown causes" and 61 were "other losses") and 66 in incidents.[52] South African Air Force lost 6 F-86s in the war.[53] This gives 256 confirmed F-86 losses during the Korean War.”

North American F-86 Sabre - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It was about as even as it gets.