HMS Theseus's Fireflies struck roads, railways, bridges, and tunnels while Sea Furies attacked transport and troop columns. Low wind over the deck sometimes required rocket-assisted take-off, making sortie generation a combined problem of aircraft and ship handling. A Supermarine Sea Otter completed a long-range rescue of an American naval aircrew in sea conditions normally considered unsuitable for landing. A Westland Dragonfly trial aboard RFA Fort Duquesne tested helicopter landings on an auxiliary and the movement of stores between ships. The sequence captures the overlap between fixed-wing strike, search and rescue, and the early promise of helicopters for fleet logistics.
Notable Point · 2:16:10-2:18:18
Carrier aviation, rescue, and helicopter trials in Korea
Korean War operations connect carrier strikes and severe-weather rescue with early experiments in helicopter landings and ship-to-ship supply.