On January 12, 1942, Peter Carmichael, a native of Wally, near Anglesey, England, joined British Naval Aviation at the age of 18 with the intention of becoming a military pilot. Peter achieved his goal and even managed to fight with 889 Squadron in the Far East, though he did not achieve any significant combat successes during that period.
On September 8, 1950, a pivotal event occurred in Lieutenant Carmichael’s career, ensuring his name would enter the annals of air warfare history in Korea. Peter joined 802 Squadron aboard the aircraft carrier HMS “Vengeance”. Soon after, he was sent to Korea to participate in combat operations.
A Korean War Milestone
From April 1952, Carmichael began patrol flights in Korean waters from the aircraft carrier HMS “Ocean”. Between April 3 and August 28, he conducted 93 sorties on missions to survey enemy bridges and ground troops. He disliked these assignments, as they often required avoiding encounters with enemy aircraft.
August 9, 1952, Peter Carmichael’s birthday, was etched into his memory forever. On that day, he took off from the deck of HMS “Ocean” as part of a group of four “Sea Furies” (the other three piloted by Lieutenants Bryan Ellis, Toby Davis, and Karl Haynis) for a patrol mission that included bombing a small bridge. Carmichael’s aircraft led the group.
After bombing the target, they continued flying northwest of Chinnampo port when, suddenly, Carmichael’s radio exclaimed, “MiGs! MiGs approaching! 5 o’clock.” They were small dots, and if the aircraft was put into a dive on an intercept course in time, an attack from such a dangerous opponent could be avoided. The MiG-15 usually did not manage to attack and would overshoot the maneuverable “Sea Fury”.
With a different tactic, the MiG-15 would “catch” the “Sea Fury” and shoot it down like a defenseless target. Sea Fury pilots knew well the combat tactics against the MiG-15 and, using a head-on diving maneuver with a descent, often avoided heavy losses. After making a decision and executing the maneuver, Carmichael’s aircraft unexpectedly found itself between two MiG-15s.
He noticed a third MiG-15, flying somewhat to the side and behind, turning for a subsequent attack. At the moment the distance between Carmichael’s machine and one of the MiGs narrowed to 300 yards (about 270 meters) and their paths crossed, Carmichael fired a burst. The MiG-15 disappeared from his field of vision, heading down towards the ground. The MiG’s behavior was somewhat unusual, and Carmichael turned his “Sea Fury” to see where the MiG-15 had gone.
A few seconds later, he saw a flash on the ground and one of his group’s planes speeding past him. The other “Sea Furies” were not nearby, and the MiGs had gone far ahead. Someone shouted on the radio: “Who got him?” For greater certainty, “Hoogie” (Carmichael’s callsign) asked all pilots in his group to check in. He received replies almost simultaneously—everyone was alive. Then, with relief, he uttered, “It was a MiG,” and gave the command to head back to the carrier.
As it turned out later, the other three “Sea Furies” had been engaging two MiG-15s. All five aircraft on both sides were damaged; the MiGs departed without significant problems, but one of the “Sea Furies” failed to reach the carrier and crashed into the sea near Chado Island. When the planes landed on the deck of HMS “Ocean”, everyone already knew what had happened and of Carmichael’s victory. The champagne celebration was not long in coming.
A Historic Victory
This was the first victory of a British propeller-driven aircraft over a jet MiG-15 in the Korean War. The identity of the MiG pilot, whether a Chinese pilot or a Soviet volunteer, is unknown. However, no more such instances were recorded. After all, “Sea Furies” were significantly outmatched by the jet MiG-15s and often became easy prey for them.
Upon his return to the United Kingdom, P. Carmichael retrained on jet carrier-borne “Sea Hawks” and flew them for several years. He then transitioned to more modern aircraft like the Gloster “Meteor” and Hawker “Hunter”. The last entry in Peter Carmichael’s flight log is dated November 1961—a 45-minute flight in a “Meteor” (T.Mk.7), which brought his total flight hours to 3300.
Peter Carmichael left service in British Naval Aviation in November 1976 and returned to his home in Anglesey to retire.