<text id=00he1406><title>New War, New Rules</title>
<history>US Air Force: Events History</history>
<article><hdr>New War, New Rules</hdr><body>
<p>The Chinese entry meant that it was a new war, and the UN command immediately adopted new rules. The ban against incendiaries was lifted and the B-29s were sent out on fire-bombing raids against northern cities near the Yalu crossings. The crews were told to fly a two-week maximum effort, and to fly to exhaustion. The attacks were to start at the Manchurian border and move south, with the single exception again of Rashin, still regarded as too close to the border to be attacked without risk of hitting Manchurian territory. To operate near the Yalu, the B-29s would need escort. SAC, then equipped with its own fighters, sent the 27th Fighter-Escort Wing from its home at Bergstrom AFB, Texas, to Korea. The 27th flew its first sorties on 8 December from Taegu.
</p>
<p>Even escorted missions were dangerous for the B-29s. On 1 March 1951, Superforts of the 98th BG arrived at the rendezvous late and proceeded to attack Kogunyong without fighter escort. Nine MiGs jumped the formation, which closed ranks and headed for Japan. Ten B-29s were shot up, three so badly that they had to make emergency landings at Taegu.
</p>
<p>The Sinui-ju railroad bridges were hit on 12 April by 9 B-29s, escorted by the 27th FEW as screen and the 4th FIW as high cover. MiGs tore through both screen and cover, got to the formations and shot down two of the bombers and damaged six more. It was an end to B-29 missions near the Yalu until more adequate escort forces were available.
</p>
<p>In October 1951, five of the big bombers were lost in a single week, one short of the total B-29 losses from the beginning of the war. China was showing all the attributes of a major air power and it was suicidal to fly B-29s in the face of such strong daylight opposition
</p>
<p>The decision was made to operate at night, using ground radar and other bombing aids, but primarily trusting to Shoran (an accurate, short-range navigation aid) and developing its use in combat. The Chinese countered with radar-controlled searchlights and an airborne controller to track the force and call in fighters. After only one of a four-plane B-29 element survived a night attack over Kwaksan on 10 June 1952, the Superfortresses were painted with gloss black lacquer on their bellies to defeat the searchlights.
