The Last Air Combat over Taiwan Straight

On January 12, 1967, one unescorted RF-104G of the CAF 12th Recon Sqn carried out a high level raid over the mainland coastal area. The returning Stargazer was then chased by a pair of Sino-Communist MiG-21s, this was the first time the MiG-21 appeared over the straight. The MiGs withdrew just before the four out of eight CAF F-104Gs sent out for covering fired their Sidewinders from a distance of three miles.

A deadly battle occurred on the next day. At 1240, four F-104Gs of the 3rd Fighter Group took into air to back up a returning RF-104G, s/n 5632, which encountered a pair of MiG-19s while returning from Amoi for surveillance of Communist submarine activity. On final approach over Quemoy, Starfighters spotted enemies from 18,000 ft at Mach 1.8. After the leader failed to launch missiles, his wingmen (s/n 4344 胡世霖, 4348 石貝波) came in immediately and scored two direct hits on the MiG-19s. The first MiG disintegrated in a violent explosion, and the second one was trailing huge sparks and its left wing was falling off. One F-104G crashed into sea while returning.

This air combats over Taiwan Straight served to demonstrate that the supposedly dangerous F-104 can be operated safely under difficult conditions. My works on F-104 and MiG-19(蘇殲6/國殲6) in the form of close-up drawings: