B-29 Bombers Under Attack by Soviet MiG-15s Part 1

Sergeant Billy Beach is a gunner aboard the B-29, No Sweat, in the first flight and is scanning the sky for enemy aircraft when the tail gunner shouts, "MiGs coming in at 6:00." At 10:10 a.m., six MiG-15s pounce on the bombers from the rear, catching the Thunderjet escorts off guard. Captain Lev Ivanov fires a burst from his 37-mm cannon, which slams into a B-29's fuselage, forcing the smoking bomber to jettison its bombs and leave formation. A second Superfortress is set upon by a MiG, whose fire hits the number one engine, igniting it. The B-29 enters a death spiral and crashes into the sea with no survivors. Another B-29 is shot down when a MiG piloted by Senior Lieutenant Alexander Kochetgarov knocks out two of its engines. The bomber loses control and only two crewmen are able to bail out before it crashes into a mountain.