Battle of Inchon

Kimpo airfield was the largest and most important in Korea and MacArthur demanded its early capture.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=36}}</ref> Once it was secured, the Fifth Air Force and USMC aviation units could bring fighters and bombers over from Japan to operate more easily against North Korea.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=56}}</ref>

Kimpo airfield was the largest and most important in Korea and MacArthur demanded its early capture.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=36}}</ref> Once it was secured, the Fifth Air Force and USMC aviation units could bring fighters and bombers over from Japan to operate more easily against North Korea.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=56}}</ref>

[[File:North Korean Il-10 Kimpo September 1950.jpg|thumb|right|An abandoned Soviet-made North Korean [[Ilyushin Il-10]] [[attack aircraft]] at [[Gimpo Airport|Kimpo airfield]] in September 1950.]]

[[File:North Korean Il-10 Kimpo September 1950.jpg|thumb|right|An abandoned Soviet-made North Korean [[Ilyushin Il-10]] [[attack aircraft]] at [[Gimpo Airport|Kimpo airfield]] in September 1950.]]

The 5th Marines advanced rapidly on the 17th and by 18:00 its 2nd Battalion was at the edge of [[Kimpo Airport|Kimpo airfield]]. In the next two hours the battalion seized the southern part of the airfield. The 400-500 KPA soldiers who ineffectively defended it appeared surprised and had not even mined the runway. During the night several small enemy counterattacks hit the perimeter positions at the airfield between 02:00 and dawn, 18 September. The Marines repulsed these company-sized counterattacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the KPA troops, who finally fled to the northwest; E Company and supporting tanks played the leading role in these actions. Kimpo was secured during the morning of 18 September.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=510-11}}<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|pp=58–59}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title = Hell Or High Water: MacArthur's Landing at Inchon|url = https://archive.org/details/hellorhighwaterm00shel|url-access = registration|publisher = Macmillan|date = 1968|language = en|first = Walt|last = Sheldon}}</ref> Kimpo airfield was in excellent shape; the North Koreans had not had time to do any major demolition. In fact, several North Korean planes were still on the field, a Yak-3 and two Stormoviks. Kimpo would now become the center of UN land-based air operations.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=61}}</ref><ref name=rh/>{{rp|141}}

The 5th Marines advanced rapidly on the 17th and by 18:00 its 2nd Battalion was at the edge of [[Kimpo Airport|Kimpo airfield]]. In the next two hours the battalion seized the southern part of the airfield. The 400-500 KPA soldiers who ineffectively defended it appeared surprised and had not even mined the runway. During the night several small enemy counterattacks hit the perimeter positions at the airfield between 02:00 and dawn, 18 September. The Marines repulsed these company-sized counterattacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the KPA troops, who finally fled to the northwest; E Company and supporting tanks played the leading role in these actions. Kimpo was secured during the morning of 18 September.{{sfn|Appleman|1998|p=510-11}}<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|pp=58–59}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title = Hell Or High Water: MacArthur's Landing at Inchon|url = https://archive.org/details/hellorhighwaterm00shel|url-access = registration|publisher = Macmillan|date = 1968|language = en|first = Walt|last = Sheldon}}</ref> Kimpo airfield was in excellent shape; the North Koreans had not had time to do any major demolition. In fact, several North Korean planes were still on the field, including a Yak-3 and two Stormoviks. Kimpo would now become the center of UN land-based air operations.<ref>{{harvnb|Hoyt|1984|p=61}}</ref><ref name=rh/>{{rp|141}}

The Marine [[VMO-6]]'s [[Sikorsky HO3S-1]] was the first American aircraft to land on the field, while the Yak-3 was flown to Japan for [[USAF]] technical evaluation.<ref name=rh/>{{rp|141-142}}

The Marine [[VMO-6]]'s [[Sikorsky HO3S-1]] was the first American aircraft to land on the field, while the Yak-3 was flown to Japan for [[USAF]] technical evaluation.<ref name=rh/>{{rp|141-142}}