Edward Jackson, the naval aviator blinded by a cable strung who safely landed his F9F
Taken on Sep. 17, 1950 the incredible photos in this post feature ENS Edward Jackson Jr landing his F-9F on the USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) despite being blinded after his plane was damaged while attacking an airfield in Pyongyang during the Korean War.
On that day Jackson was speeding along at 100 ft above enemy territory in F9F-2B BuNo 123511 of VF-112 when he struck a cable strung across the Han River just south of Seoul.
Knocked unconscious for about 20 seconds
As explained by Warren Thompson in his book F9F Panther Units of the Korean War, the fighter’s canopy was smashed and Jackson was knocked unconscious for about 20 seconds. Coming to, he found his jet in a steep climbing turn and his vision impaired by almost 100 per cent due to blood pouring down into his eyes from facial lacerations. Jackson radioed his wingman, Ens Dayl Crow, and requested altitude and direction instructions. He then slowed his machine down and flew 120 miles back to CV-47. On the downward leg, CVG-11’s Landing Signal Officer, Lt(jg) L K Bruestle, took over from Crow and guided Jackson via radio commands to a miraculously ‘routine’ landing on the carrier’s short, pitching, deck.
BuNo 123511 was soon repaired, and it completed the rest of the cruise. Passed on to VF-191 September 1951, the jet joined VF-23 in March 1952 and VF-93 five months later It deployed with the latter unit as part of CVG-9 in December 1952, but was written off in a heavy landing aboard CVA-47 on Jan. 31, 1953 – the very day CVG-9 commenced combat operations over Korea.
The Panther
Entering the jet-age, Grumman obtained a design contract in April 1946 for the XF9F-1. The jet aircraft was a single seat carrier-based fighter. The mission of the fighters were the destruction of opposing aircraft and ground support. As design of the figther progressed, a single Nene jet englne was utilized in the fuselage, which brought the XF9F-2 prototype. The XF9F-4 replaced the Nene engine with the Allison J33 engine. As tests continued, F9F-5 was produced with the Pratty & Whitney J38 version of the Rolls-Royce Tay engine. The first fighter flew in December 1949.
During the Korean War, the F9F Panther was used extensively by both Navy and Marine squadrons and although employed primarily in strike roles it notably scored the first jet vs. jet kill in US Navy history on Nov. 9, 1950. Fighter Squadron (VF) 51 and 52 were the first to use the Panther in combat in July 1950, operating from the deck of USS Valley Forge (CV-45). At the same time, Marine Fighting Squadrons (VMF) 115 and 311 arrived in Korea.
The straight-wing F9F Panthers were eventually supplanted by swept wing F9F-6/8 Cougars, their final service coming as advanced jet trainers.
The Panther aircraft became a mainstay of the US Navy and US Marine Corps air fleets during the Korean War.
