The Chilling Dogfight No One Was Allowed To Know About

A battered F9F Panther roared through Korea’s freezing November skies, its engine coughing its last. Lieutenant Royce Williams gripped the stick, wrestling to keep his jet steady as he raced toward the USS Oriskany, pitching wildly on rough seas.

Unaware of his situation, a nearby U.S. destroyer opened fire, its tracers ripping past him—until someone finally realized the lone jet was one of their own.

Fighting the wind and a crippled aircraft, Williams radioed ahead—his approach was off by 15 degrees, and he was screaming in at 200 mph. With little time to spare, the Oriskany adjusted course to help him line up. The deck was heaving. The Panther was dying. He had one chance to bring it home—or vanish into the sea.

The Oriskany and Air Group 102

The USS Oriskany, an Essex-class carrier, had been operating off Korea’s coast since October 1952. Its Air Group 102 flew nonstop missions, strafing enemy convoys, wrecking trains, and dropping bombs on bridges to strangle supply lines.

Among those pilots was Lt. Royce Williams, a South Dakota native flying the Grumman F9F-5 Panther—the Navy’s first real carrier jet. Armed with four 20mm cannons, the Panther was built for both dogfighting and ground attack, tough enough to take punishment and keep flying.

Intercept over Korea

On November 18, 1952, Williams launched into a blizzard alongside three other Panther pilots. Their mission: intercept a flight of seven Soviet MiG-15s spotted south of Vladivostok.

At 12,000 feet, they spotted the MiGs—far above them at over 50,000 feet. One American jet had to turn back with fuel issues, and its wingman followed. That left just two U.S. Panthers against the incoming Soviets.

Then the MiGs attacked.

One Against Six

Though ordered not to engage, Williams replied, “It’s too late now.” He fired first, knocking a MiG out of the sky. His wingman gave chase, leaving Williams alone—six MiG-15s versus one Navy Panther.

For nearly 30 minutes, Williams twisted and turned through the sky in a fierce dogfight. He pulled so many high-G maneuvers his neck blistered from the strain. By the end, he had shot down four MiGs and escaped a fifth by diving into a snowstorm.

Bringing It Back

His Panther was hit 263 times. Controls were sluggish. He pushed the throttle wide open and pointed the jet toward the carrier group.

As he approached, the nearby destroyer mistook his damaged jet for enemy, opening fire and missing him by inches. Another Navy pilot finally identified him over the radio as friendly.

With barely enough control left, Williams managed to plant his Panther on the deck of the Oriskany.

Buried for 40 Years

Vice Admiral Robert Briscoe met Williams on deck and gave him one direct order: never speak of what happened. Because the MiGs were Soviet, public knowledge could have risked dragging Russia deeper into the Korean War.

For 40 years, Williams kept silent. He never told a soul—not even family.

It wasn’t until the records were declassified that the truth came out: a lone Navy pilot had gone up against six Soviet jets and won.

Now 97, Royce Williams was finally recognized for his actions. In January 2023, he was awarded the Navy Cross—the second-highest military honor. Some say it should’ve been the Medal of Honor. Either way, his place in history is now secured.