The object now was to exit hostile territory, under escort, if possible, and return our unexposed radar and visual film to the reconnaissance technical personnel for processing, photo interpretation and briefing of bomber crews.

With one engine shut down, our airspeed had to be reduced by almost 50 kts. and altitude sacrificed by several thousand feet. The RB-45 was not noted for maintaining high jet altitudes on three engines.

"Roger Oscar Sierra 6, have you in sight three o'clock, can only maintain 26,000 feet, one engine shut down, request escort until we hear from the Navy. We are about 20 minutes from coast, out."

Four F-86s now take up their position, two on each wing, as we proceed on a southeasterly heading toward our coast out point just below the 38th parallel.

"Raven One, Oscar Sierra Six here. We'll continue escort to about 15 miles from the coast. Have been advised by the Navy they will pick you up at that point."

"Roger Oscar Sierra Six, understand your message."

"Hello Oscar Sierra Six and Raven One, this is Beaver Control (TAC Air Control at Kimpo), be advised we have two bogies heading your way, vector 32 zero (320) degrees, presently at 2 zero thousand (20,000 ft.), climbing, range 4 zero (40 miles). Acknowledge Oscar Sierra for both of you, over."

"Roger Beaver, understand. Oscar Sierra standing by for instructions, over."

"Roger Oacar Sierra, Beaver here, be advised, immediately break two of your flight to the right. Take up a heading of 32 zero degrees, maintain altitude 25 zero feet (25,000) until advised further, over."

"Roger Beaver, Oscar Sierra leader here, understood."

"Leader to flight, be advised number 3 and 4 will break right to heading 32 zero, number 2 shift to right wing of the Raven One. Number 1, tuck it in close on the left wing, on my count, ready, ready, now." (Oscar Sierra leader was sitting in the number 3 position on the closest right wing slot, number 4 was on his right wing.)

We are now down to two escorts, which was OK, provided the two breakaways routed out the two incoming bogies. They had now shifted frequencies to close with the two suspected MiGs in our tail position. Coast out time had now been reduced to about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the Navy was getting into the act, and I had no problem with this.

"Hello Raven One, Mellow Control here, do you read, over?"

"Roger Mellow, Raven here, go."

"Raven One, be advised we have a flight of four climbing and heading your way, should get there in zero 3 minutes, over."

"Rog Mellow, we have one on each wing now, but they'll hold till you get here, over." (Mellow Control was the call sign for Navy Task Force 77, 7th Fleet, located off the east coast of Korea.)

The time was now 0115 hours in the early morning as we approached the turnover point where the Navy would assume escort responsibility for our safe conduct to a point 100 miles over the Sea of Japan en route back to Yokota. Thus far, our mission had succeeded. We got over the target, we successfully evaded the searchlight threat, we had the unexposed film aboard, our aircraft was holding its own despite an engine out, and we hadn’t been shot at!

As we proceeded toward the coast, our rear gun turret fully armed and ready for firing in the event of hostilities from that quarter, we began to gain a slight amount of altitude as fuel was burned off.

The RB-45C had a usable fuel load of 8133 gallons (53,251 lbs.) of JP-1 at takeoff, with full tip tanks (1200 gals. each). We had been airborne about four and one half hours at this point, with a consumption in pounds sufficient to cause us not to regain some of the altitude we had lost with only three engines.