On this day in military history…
On 9 November 1950, just one day after his 31st birthday, Lieutenant Commander William Thomas Amen flew into naval aviation history. Piloting a Grumman F9F-2B Panther from USS Philippine Sea during the Korean War, he shot down a MiG-15, securing the United States Navy’s first jet-against-jet aerial victory. For the experienced American pilot, it was a defining moment in a flying career that had begun before the United States entered the Second World War.
Born in Scotia, California, on 8 November 1919, Amen entered naval aviation training in May 1941 and earned his pilot’s wings in January 1942. He initially served as a flying instructor at Corpus Christi, Texas, before joining Composite Squadron 82 aboard the escort carrier USS Anzio. During the fighting for Iwo Jima in February and March 1945, he flew combat missions supporting the American landings, earning the Air Medal and a second award represented by a Gold Star. By February 1950, he had taken command of Fighter Squadron VF-111, the “Sundowners”.
On 9 November, Amen led Panthers protecting Corsairs and Skyraiders attacking bridges across the Yalu River near Sinuiju. These crossings linked North Korea with China and carried troops and supplies towards the front. As the strike developed, at least five MiG-15s intervened from their base at Antung on the Chinese side of the border. The Panther pilots turned to meet them while the propeller-driven attack aircraft continued towards their targets.
The fighting stretched from around 18,000 feet down towards ground level. In the encounter, Amen shot down one of the MiGs, recording the Navy’s first victory over the Soviet-designed jet fighter. Meanwhile, the Skyraiders pressed home their attacks against the bridges. Despite the enemy fighters and heavy anti-aircraft fire, all the American aircraft involved in the strike returned safely.
Amen’s opponent represented a dangerous new challenge. With its swept wings and powerful performance, the MiG-15 initially outclassed many of the fighters operating against it. The straight-wing Panther belonged to an earlier stage of jet development, but Amen’s victory demonstrated that it could still defeat the MiG in combat. Above Korea, the experience of pilots who had learned their trade in wartime was now being tested at jet speeds.
Amen received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his Korean War service, during which his award citation credited him with 35 strike missions between August 1950 and February 1951. He later reached the rank of commander and retired from the Navy in July 1962. His name remains closely associated with that November encounter over Korea, when a carrier-launched Panther brought down a MiG and established a milestone in American naval aviation.
