{"id":29389020,"date":"2026-10-24T17:48:57","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T15:48:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/"},"modified":"2026-10-24T17:49:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T15:49:11","slug":"sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/","title":{"rendered":"Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: The Raid That Blacked Out North Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\r\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\r\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\r\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\r\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\r\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:30px;padding:0 8.9px;font-size:13px}\r\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta svg{width:16px;height:16px}\r\n.mfsh-overlay{position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(15,23,32,.55);z-index:99999;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;justify-content:center;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s}\r\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open{opacity:1;pointer-events:auto}\r\n.mfsh-sheet{width:100%;max-width:520px;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;padding:18px 20px 28px;transform:translateY(24px);transition:transform .22s;box-shadow:0 12px 32px rgba(15,23,32,.25);font-family:inherit;max-height:92vh;overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch}\r\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open .mfsh-sheet{transform:none}\r\n@media (min-width:640px){.mfsh-overlay{align-items:center}.mfsh-sheet{padding-bottom:20px}}\r\n.mfsh-head{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin:0 0 14px}\r\n.mfsh-head strong{font-size:18px;font-weight:800;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;line-height:1}\r\n.mfsh-head strong svg{width:18px;height:18px}\r\n.mfsh-close{background:none;border:0;padding:6px;margin:0;cursor:pointer;color:#0F1720;line-height:0;box-shadow:none}\r\n.mfsh-close svg{width:18px;height:18px}\r\n.mfsh-preview{display:grid;grid-template-columns:96px 1fr;gap:12px;border:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:#F5F7FB;padding:10px;margin:0 0 12px;align-items:center}\r\n.mfsh-preview img{width:96px;height:72px;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0}\r\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-kicker{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5C91FF;margin:0 0 4px;line-height:1.2}\r\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-title{font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;margin:0;display:block}\r\n.mfsh-list{display:grid;margin:0;padding:0}\r\n.mfsh-item{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:14px;height:50px;width:100%;border:0;border-top:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:none;padding:0 4px;margin:0;text-align:left;font-family:inherit;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;color:#0F1720;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;line-height:1}\r\n.mfsh-item:hover,.mfsh-item:focus-visible{background:#F5F7FB;outline:none}\r\n.mfsh-item svg{width:20px;height:20px;color:#5C91FF;flex-shrink:0;display:block}\r\n.mfsh-item small{margin-left:auto;color:#5B6674;font-weight:500;font-size:12px}\r\n.mfsh-item.mfsh-done svg{color:#1E9E5A}\r\n.mfsh-toast{position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:32px;transform:translate(-50%,10px);background:#0F1720;color:#fff;padding:10px 16px;font-weight:700;font-size:13px;font-family:inherit;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s,transform .2s;z-index:100000}\r\n.mfsh-toast.mfsh-show{opacity:1;transform:translate(-50%,0)}\r\n@media (prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.mfsh-overlay,.mfsh-sheet,.mfsh-toast,.mfsh-trigger{transition:none}}\r\n<\/style>\r\n<svg width=\"0\" height=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-share\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M12 3v12M8 7l4-4 4 4M5 12v8h14v-8\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-close\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"m5 5 14 14M19 5 5 19\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-wa\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 2a10 10 0 0 0-8.6 15.1L2 22l5.1-1.3A10 10 0 1 0 12 2Zm0 1.8a8.2 8.2 0 1 1-4.2 15.3l-.3-.2-3 .8.8-2.9-.2-.3A8.2 8.2 0 0 1 12 3.8Zm-3 4.4c-.2 0-.5 0-.8.4-.3.3-1 1-1 2.4s1 2.8 1.2 3c.1.2 2 3.2 5 4.4 2.5 1 3 .8 3.5.7.5 0 1.7-.7 2-1.4.2-.7.2-1.3.1-1.4l-.5-.3-2-1c-.3 0-.5-.1-.7.2l-.9 1.1c-.2.2-.3.2-.6.1-.3-.2-1.3-.5-2.4-1.5-.9-.8-1.5-1.8-1.7-2-.2-.4 0-.5.2-.7l.4-.5.3-.5v-.5l-.9-2.2c-.2-.5-.4-.5-.6-.5H9Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-x\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M17.8 3h3l-6.7 7.7L22 21h-6.2l-4.8-6.3L5.4 21h-3l7.2-8.2L2 3h6.3l4.4 5.8L17.8 3Zm-1.1 16.2h1.7L7.4 4.7H5.6l11.1 14.5Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-fb\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M13.5 22v-8h2.7l.4-3.2h-3.1V8.8c0-.9.3-1.6 1.6-1.6h1.7V4.4c-.3 0-1.3-.1-2.5-.1-2.5 0-4.1 1.5-4.1 4.2v2.3H7.4V14h2.8v8h3.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-li\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 8.5H3V21h3.5V8.5ZM4.8 3a2 2 0 1 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0-4ZM21 13.4c0-3.4-1.8-5.2-4.5-5.2-1.6 0-2.7.8-3.2 1.7V8.5H9.9V21h3.4v-6.4c0-1.7.6-2.8 2.1-2.8 1.4 0 2 1 2 2.8V21H21v-7.6Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-rd\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M22 12.1a2.4 2.4 0 0 0-4.1-1.7 11.7 11.7 0 0 0-5.5-1.7l1-4.5 3.1.7a1.7 1.7 0 1 0 .2-1l-3.6-.8a.5.5 0 0 0-.6.4l-1.1 5.2a11.8 11.8 0 0 0-5.8 1.7A2.4 2.4 0 1 0 3 14.3v.5c0 3.4 4 6.2 9 6.2s9-2.8 9-6.2v-.5a2.4 2.4 0 0 0 1-2.2ZM7.5 13.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 3.4 0 1.7 1.7 0 0 1-3.4 0Zm8.9 4.5c-1.2 1.2-3.4 1.3-4.4 1.3s-3.3-.1-4.4-1.3a.5.5 0 0 1 .7-.7c.7.8 2.4 1 3.7 1s2.9-.2 3.7-1a.5.5 0 0 1 .7.7Zm-.6-2.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 0-3.4 1.7 1.7 0 0 1 0 3.4Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-tg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.9 4.6 18.7 19.9c-.2 1-.9 1.3-1.7.8l-4.9-3.6-2.3 2.3c-.3.3-.5.5-1 .5l.4-5 9-8.2c.4-.3-.1-.5-.6-.2L6.4 13.5 1.6 12c-1-.3-1.1-1 .2-1.5l18.8-7.2c.9-.3 1.6.2 1.3 1.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-mail\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"M3 6h18v12H3z\"\/><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"m3 7 9 6 9-6\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-link\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M10 14a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 0l3-3a4 4 0 0 0-5.7-5.7l-1.5 1.5M14 10a4 4 0 0 0-5.7 0l-3 3a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 5.7l1.5-1.5\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-more\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"19\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/symbol>\r\n<\/svg>\r\n<span class=\"mfsh-top-slot\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger\" data-mfsh-placement=\"top\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button><\/span>\r\n<script>\r\n(function(){\r\n  if (window.__mfsh) return; window.__mfsh = true;\r\n  var SECTION = 'afterburner';\r\n  function meta(p){ var m=document.querySelector('meta[property=\"'+p+'\"]'); return m ? m.getAttribute('content') : ''; }\r\n  function pageUrl(){ var c=document.querySelector('link[rel=\"canonical\"]'); return (c && c.href) || (location.origin + location.pathname); }\r\n  function pageTitle(){ var h=document.querySelector('h1.entry-title'); return (h && h.textContent.trim()) || meta('og:title') || document.title; }\r\n  function slug(){ return location.pathname.replace(\/\\\/+$\/,'').split('\/').pop() || 'home'; }\r\n  function kicker(){ var c=document.querySelector('.et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category tag\"], .et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category\"], a[rel=\"category tag\"]'); return 'Afterburner' + (c && c.textContent.trim() ? ' \u00b7 ' + c.textContent.trim() : ''); }\r\n  function shareUrl(ch, placement){ return pageUrl() + '?utm_source=share&utm_medium=' + ch + '&utm_campaign=' + SECTION + '&utm_content=sheet_' + placement; }\r\n  function track(ch, placement, extra){\r\n    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\r\n    var ev = { event:'share', share_channel:ch, share_variant:'sheet', share_placement:placement, page_section:SECTION, content_id:slug() };\r\n    if (extra) for (var k in extra) ev[k]=extra[k];\r\n    window.dataLayer.push(ev);\r\n  }\r\n  var CH = [\r\n    ['whatsapp','WhatsApp','mfsh-i-wa',''],\r\n    ['x','X','mfsh-i-x',''],\r\n    ['facebook','Facebook','mfsh-i-fb',''],\r\n    ['linkedin','LinkedIn','mfsh-i-li',''],\r\n    ['reddit','Reddit','mfsh-i-rd','r\/aviation, r\/WarplanePorn'],\r\n    ['telegram','Telegram','mfsh-i-tg',''],\r\n    ['email','Email','mfsh-i-mail',''],\r\n    ['copy','Copy link','mfsh-i-link',''],\r\n    ['native','More','mfsh-i-more','Instagram, Signal, AirDrop']\r\n  ];\r\n  var overlay, toastEl, toastT, placement = 'top';\r\n  function build(){\r\n    overlay = document.createElement('div'); overlay.className = 'mfsh-overlay'; overlay.setAttribute('role','dialog'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-modal','true'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-label','Share');\r\n    var img = meta('og:image');\r\n    var items = CH.filter(function(c){ return c[0] !== 'native' || !!navigator.share; }).map(function(c){\r\n      return '<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-item\" data-mfsh-ch=\"'+c[0]+'\"><svg><use href=\"#'+c[2]+'\"\/><\/svg>'+c[1]+(c[3]?'<small>'+c[3]+'<\/small>':'')+'<\/button>';\r\n    }).join('');\r\n    overlay.innerHTML = '<div class=\"mfsh-sheet\"><div class=\"mfsh-head\"><strong><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share<\/strong><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-close\" aria-label=\"Close\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-close\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>'\r\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-preview\">' + (img ? '<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"'+img+'\" alt=\"\">' : '<span><\/span>') + '<div><div class=\"mfsh-kicker\">'+kicker()+'<\/div><span class=\"mfsh-title\">'+pageTitle()+'<\/span><\/div><\/div>'\r\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-list\">'+items+'<\/div><\/div>';\r\n    document.body.appendChild(overlay);\r\n    toastEl = document.createElement('div'); toastEl.className = 'mfsh-toast'; document.body.appendChild(toastEl);\r\n    overlay.addEventListener('click', function(e){\r\n      if (e.target === overlay || e.target.closest('.mfsh-close')) { close(); return; }\r\n      var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-item'); if (b) act(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-ch'), b);\r\n    });\r\n    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ if (e.key === 'Escape') close(); });\r\n  }\r\n  function open(p){ placement = p || 'top'; if (!overlay) build(); overlay.classList.add('mfsh-open'); track('open', placement); }\r\n  function close(){ if (overlay) overlay.classList.remove('mfsh-open'); }\r\n  function toast(m){ toastEl.textContent = m; toastEl.classList.add('mfsh-show'); clearTimeout(toastT); toastT = setTimeout(function(){ toastEl.classList.remove('mfsh-show'); }, 1600); }\r\n  function act(ch, btn){\r\n    var url = shareUrl(ch, placement), t = pageTitle(), enc = encodeURIComponent;\r\n    if (ch === 'copy') {\r\n      var done = function(){ toast('Link copied'); btn.classList.add('mfsh-done'); setTimeout(function(){ btn.classList.remove('mfsh-done'); close(); }, 900); };\r\n      track(ch, placement);\r\n      if (navigator.clipboard && navigator.clipboard.writeText) navigator.clipboard.writeText(url).then(done, done); else done();\r\n      return;\r\n    }\r\n    if (ch === 'native') {\r\n      track(ch, placement, { share_result:'opened' });\r\n      navigator.share({ title:t, text:t, url:url }).then(function(){ track('native', placement, { share_result:'completed' }); close(); }).catch(function(){});\r\n      return;\r\n    }\r\n    var target = {\r\n      whatsapp: 'https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=' + enc(t + ' ' + url),\r\n      x:        'https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=' + enc(t) + '&url=' + enc(url) + '&via=MiGFlug',\r\n      facebook: 'https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=' + enc(url),\r\n      linkedin: 'https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=' + enc(url),\r\n      reddit:   'https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=' + enc(url) + '&title=' + enc(t),\r\n      telegram: 'https:\/\/t.me\/share\/url?url=' + enc(url) + '&text=' + enc(t),\r\n      email:    'mailto:?subject=' + enc(t) + '&body=' + enc('Thought you would like this, from Afterburner, MiGFlug\\'s magazine:\\n' + t + '\\n' + url)\r\n    }[ch];\r\n    track(ch, placement);\r\n    if (target) { if (ch === 'email') location.href = target; else window.open(target, '_blank', 'noopener,width=680,height=560'); }\r\n    close();\r\n  }\r\n  var mq = window.matchMedia('(min-width:981px)');\r\n  function place(){\r\n    var t = document.querySelector('.mfsh-trigger[data-mfsh-placement=\"top\"]'), slot = document.querySelector('.mfsh-top-slot');\r\n    var meta = [].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.et_pb_title_meta_container, .et_post_meta_wrapper .post-meta, .single .post-meta')).filter(function(m){ return m.offsetParent !== null; })[0];\r\n    if (!t || !slot) return;\r\n    if (meta && mq.matches) { meta.classList.add('mfsh-meta'); t.classList.add('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== meta) meta.appendChild(t); var a = meta.querySelector('a'); if (a) { var pr = document.createElement('span'); pr.style.cssText = 'display:inline-block;width:0;height:0;vertical-align:baseline'; a.appendChild(pr); var base = pr.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; pr.remove(); var fs = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(a).fontSize) || 14, mb = meta.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; t.style.bottom = Math.max(0, mb - (base + fs * 0.12)) + 'px'; } }\r\n    else { t.classList.remove('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== slot) slot.appendChild(t); }\r\n  }\r\n  if (document.readyState === 'loading') document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', place); else place(); window.addEventListener('load', place); if (document.fonts && document.fonts.ready) document.fonts.ready.then(place); window.addEventListener('resize', place);\r\n  if (mq.addEventListener) mq.addEventListener('change', place); else mq.addListener(place);\r\n  document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-trigger'); if (b) { e.preventDefault(); open(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-placement') || 'top'); } });\r\n})();\r\n<\/script><!-- \/mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<p>Just before four o&rsquo;clock on the afternoon of 23 June 1952, US Navy Skyraiders tipped into their dives over the Yalu River. Below them sat the Sui-ho Dam, one of the biggest hydroelectric plants on earth. Across the river, less than 40 miles away, were the MiG-15 bases of Manchuria.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>For almost two years, Washington had forbidden anyone to touch it. That afternoon, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines and a South African squadron hit Sui-ho and a dozen other power plants together. Within four days North Korea was in the dark.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The next morning, American newspapers called it the largest air raid of the Korean War. It was a stunning military success. Politically, it nearly brought down a British government.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Target:<\/strong> Sui-ho (Supung) hydroelectric plant on the Yalu, plus 12 other North Korean power plants<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Dates:<\/strong> 23&ndash;24 and 26&ndash;27 June 1952<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Forces:<\/strong> US Air Force, US Navy (Task Force 77), US Marine Corps and South African Air Force<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Carriers:<\/strong> <em>Boxer<\/em>, <em>Princeton<\/em>, <em>Philippine Sea<\/em>, <em>Bon Homme Richard<\/em><\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Sorties:<\/strong> 1,514 in four days, including 238 F-86 top-cover sorties<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Result:<\/strong> 11 of 13 plants knocked out; about 90% of North Korean power capacity lost; two-week blackout<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>UN losses:<\/strong> Five aircraft lost or written off, all pilots rescued<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Follow-ups:<\/strong> B-29 night raid 12 September 1952; further strike February 1953<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The forbidden target<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Japan completed the Sui-ho Dam on the Yalu in the early 1940s. It was a concrete wall more than 850 metres long, and its six 100,000-kilowatt generators made it the fourth-largest hydroelectric plant in the world at the time. Its power ran much of western North Korea and reached industry and ports in northeast China.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/sui-ho-dam-power-station-construction-1942.jpg\" alt=\"The Sui-ho Dam on the Yalu River with its power house at the base, photographed during construction in 1942\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The Sui-ho Dam and its power house at the foot of the wall during construction in July 1942. The power house and transformer yards, not the dam wall, were the targets in 1952. Photographer unknown \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>That cross-border role made it politically radioactive. On 6 November 1950, at the State Department&rsquo;s direction, the US banned attacks on the dam to avoid giving China a reason to enter the war. China entered anyway a few weeks later, but the ban stayed. When truce talks began in July 1951, it was repeated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>By spring 1952 the talks at Panmunjom had stalled over prisoners of war, and the rail interdiction campaign was going nowhere. Far East Air Forces commander General Otto P. Weyland pressed to hit the power grid. General Matthew Ridgway refused.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;Create psychological and political effects to our advantage.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Gen. Otto P. Weyland<\/strong> &mdash; Commander, Far East Air Forces, recommending the power plant strikes in March 1952 (via Wikipedia, citing the USAF official history)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Then the cast changed. General Mark Clark took over the UN Command on 12 May, followed by new commanders at the Seventh Fleet, Fifth Air Force and Naval Forces Far East. All of them wanted the power plants. On 19 June, with President Truman&rsquo;s approval, the Joint Chiefs lifted the Sui-ho ban.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Every air arm at once<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The plan threw nearly everything in the theatre at 13 power plants: Sui-ho in the west, and the Chosin, Fusen and Kyosen systems in the mountains north of Hungnam. Task Force 77 brought four carriers: <em>Boxer<\/em>, <em>Princeton<\/em>, <em>Philippine Sea<\/em> and <em>Bon Homme Richard<\/em>, which rushed from Japan to arrive on the morning of the strike.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Thick cloud over the Yalu delayed the launch. When the weather moved south, Weyland ordered the attack for 16:00. Propeller aircraft took off up to an hour before the jets so that everyone would arrive over the targets together. Carrier aircraft crossed the coast and flew low over the mountains to stay under enemy radar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ad-4-skyraider-va-75-bon-homme-richard-1952.jpg\" alt=\"A fully armed US Navy AD-4 Skyraider of Attack Squadron 75 taking off from the carrier USS Bon Homme Richard off Korea in 1952\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A fully armed AD-4 Skyraider of VA-75 launches from USS <em>Bon Homme Richard<\/em>, the fourth carrier rushed in for the June 1952 hydroelectric strikes. US Navy photo \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Eighty-four <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-86-sabre\/\">F-86 Sabres<\/a> got to Sui-ho first, to hold off the MiGs. Then 35 Navy <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f9f-panther\/\">F9F Panthers<\/a> went down on the anti-aircraft guns, and 35 <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/a-1-skyraider\/\">AD Skyraiders<\/a> from <em>Boxer<\/em>, <em>Princeton<\/em> and <em>Philippine Sea<\/em> dropped about 81 tons of bombs on the generating plant in a little over two minutes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mczNEPnJYUM\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">British Movietone newsreel from 1952 on the carrier jets that joined the big air strike on the Yalu River power plants.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Right behind them came the Air Force: 79 <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-84-thunderjet\/\">F-84 Thunderjets<\/a> and 45 <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/p-80-shooting-star\/\">F-80 Shooting Stars<\/a>, adding some 145 tons of bombs. Across the river, the Manchurian airfields were packed with MiGs. Not one tried to intercept.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In the east, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/p-51-mustang\/\">F-51 Mustangs<\/a> of the 18th Fighter-Bomber Group and No. 2 Squadron of the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/south-african-air-force\/\">South African Air Force<\/a> hit the Fusen plants. <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/united-states-marine-corps-aviation\/\">Marine<\/a> Skyraiders, Corsairs and Panthers struck Chosin, and more than 130 carrier aircraft, most of them <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f4u-corsair\/\">F4U Corsairs<\/a>, worked over Fusen and Kyosen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/f-84e-thunderjet-136th-fighter-bomber-group-korea-1952.jpg\" alt=\"A USAF F-84E Thunderjet of the 136th Fighter-Bomber Group on a ramp in Korea in 1952, with a refuelling probe on its tip tank\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">An F-84E Thunderjet of the 136th Fighter-Bomber Group in Korea in 1952. F-84s of the 136th and 49th groups flew 79 sorties against Sui-ho on 23 June. US Air Force photo \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Lights out<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Most targets were hit again on 24 June, and Fusen and Chosin once more on 26 and 27 June. Over the four days, land-based fighter-bombers flew 730 sorties and carrier aircraft 546, while Sabres added 238 sorties of top cover: 1,514 in total.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The results were staggering. Eleven of the 13 plants were put completely out of action and the other two were left doubtful. Roughly 90 percent of North Korea&rsquo;s power capacity was gone, and the country endured a total blackout for two weeks. China lost an estimated 23 percent of the electricity used in its northeast.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mFwKjwa_y5s\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">Indy Neidell&rsquo;s week-by-week Korean War series on the week of 23 June 1952, when the UN finally targeted North Korea&rsquo;s power plants.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The cost was remarkably low. A handful of aircraft were damaged by flak, and over the four days five aircraft were lost or written off, among them two F-80s that crash-landed back at base and two Navy Corsairs that ditched at sea. Every pilot was rescued.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A storm in Westminster<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>In London, the raid landed like a bomb of its own. Britain had troops, ships and aircraft in Korea, and its Minister of Defence, Lord Alexander, had just visited General Clark without being told. The Labour opposition feared the strikes could widen the war with China.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;This bombing attack on the Yalu electrical stations, which has been described as the biggest air raid of the war, came to us all as a considerable surprise.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Clement Attlee<\/strong> &mdash; Leader of the Opposition, House of Commons, 25 June 1952 (Hansard)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Labour tabled a censure motion against Winston Churchill&rsquo;s government. It survived narrowly after US Secretary of State Dean Acheson publicly accepted that Washington should have consulted the British, as a courtesy. A British deputy chief of staff was later appointed to Clark&rsquo;s headquarters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>In Washington the mood was the opposite. Congressmen asked why such an obvious target had been left alone for two years. The Communist negotiators complained about the bombing but did not walk out of the talks, and the truce was still a year away.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/sui-ho-dam-power-house-rf-80-recon-1953.jpg\" alt=\"Low-level US reconnaissance photo of the Sui-ho Dam on the Yalu River and the bomb-scarred power house at its base, February 1953\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A low-level RF-80 reconnaissance photo of the Sui-ho Dam and its power house, taken by the USAF 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in February 1953 after the 1952 strikes. US Air Force photo \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Back to Sui-ho<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Chinese and Soviet technicians rushed in to rebuild, so the power plants stayed on the target list. Sui-ho was hit again on 12 September 1952 by B-29 Superfortresses at night, and once more in February 1953. By September the defenders were ready, with far more guns and searchlights around the dam.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;From that point at the I.P. to the target and &lsquo;Bombs Away,&rsquo; there were continuous flak bursts around us, perhaps thousands within sight like a very long string of firecrackers going off in your face&hellip;&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Bud Farrell<\/strong> &mdash; B-29 gunner, on the 12 September 1952 night raid on Sui-ho (via Avgeekery)<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The dam wall itself was never the target, and it survived the war. Rebuilt and upgraded in the 1950s, it still generates power on the Yalu today, shared between China and North Korea.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_c4eqtLZtNk\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">Military Heritage Institute&rsquo;s <em>Jets Over Korea<\/em> episode on the Sui-ho Dam strikes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Sui-ho did not end the Korean War. What it proved was that the Navy, Air Force and Marines could plan and fly one massive joint strike against a single objective, right under the noses of the MiGs. For a war remembered for stalemate, the afternoon of 23 June 1952 was a rare day when everything went to plan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Wikipedia (Attack on the Sui-ho Dam; Sup&rsquo;ung Dam), Walter G. Hermes, <em>Truce Tent and Fighting Front<\/em> (US Army Center of Military History), US Department of State (Foreign Relations of the United States 1952&ndash;1954), Hansard (25 June 1952), The Charlotte News \/ AP (24 June 1952), Avgeekery<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What was the attack on the Sui-ho Dam?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The attack on the Sui-ho Dam was a series of UN air strikes on North Korea&rsquo;s hydroelectric plants on 23&ndash;24 and 26&ndash;27 June 1952. US Air Force, Navy, Marine and South African aircraft flew 1,514 sorties against Sui-ho and 12 other plants, knocking out about 90 percent of North Korea&rsquo;s power capacity.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why was the Sui-ho Dam not bombed earlier in the Korean War?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The US banned attacks on the Sui-ho Dam on 6 November 1950, at the State Department&rsquo;s direction, because it also supplied power to northeast China and planners did not want to provoke Chinese intervention. The ban was kept after China entered the war and was only lifted on 19 June 1952 with President Truman&rsquo;s approval.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Which aircraft attacked the Sui-ho Dam in June 1952?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">On 23 June 1952, 35 Navy F9F Panthers suppressed the guns and 35 AD Skyraiders bombed the Sui-ho generating plant, followed by 79 USAF F-84 Thunderjets and 45 F-80 Shooting Stars. Eighty-four F-86 Sabres flew top cover against MiG-15s based across the Yalu in Manchuria.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Did the bombing destroy the Sui-ho Dam itself?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. The targets were the power house and transformer yards at the base of the Sui-ho Dam, not the concrete wall. The dam survived the war, was repaired and upgraded in the 1950s, and still generates electricity on the Yalu River, shared between China and North Korea.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What were the results of the June 1952 hydroelectric strikes?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The June 1952 strikes put 11 of North Korea&rsquo;s 13 targeted power plants totally out of action and left the other two doubtful. About 90 percent of the country&rsquo;s power capacity was lost and North Korea suffered a two-week blackout. Five UN aircraft were lost or written off, but every pilot was rescued.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why did the Sui-ho strikes cause a political row in Britain?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Britain had forces in Korea, and its Defence Minister Lord Alexander had just visited General Mark Clark without being told about the Sui-ho raid. Labour leader Clement Attlee raised it in the Commons on 25 June 1952, and Labour tabled a censure motion that Churchill&rsquo;s government narrowly survived.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Can I fly in a MiG-15?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. The MiG-15 that defended the Yalu in Korea is one of the jets MiGFlug offers to civilians, with flights from the Czech Republic in a type that fought the first jet-versus-jet air war in history. Details and booking: <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/mig-15\/\">MiG-15 flight<\/a>.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the attack on the Sui-ho Dam?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The attack on the Sui-ho Dam was a series of UN air strikes on North Korea\u2019s hydroelectric plants on 23\u201324 and 26\u201327 June 1952. US Air Force, Navy, Marine and South African aircraft flew 1,514 sorties against Sui-ho and 12 other plants, knocking out about 90 percent of North Korea\u2019s power capacity.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why was the Sui-ho Dam not bombed earlier in the Korean War?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The US banned attacks on the Sui-ho Dam on 6 November 1950, at the State Department\u2019s direction, because it also supplied power to northeast China and planners did not want to provoke Chinese intervention. The ban was kept after China entered the war and was only lifted on 19 June 1952 with President Truman\u2019s approval.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which aircraft attacked the Sui-ho Dam in June 1952?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"On 23 June 1952, 35 Navy F9F Panthers suppressed the guns and 35 AD Skyraiders bombed the Sui-ho generating plant, followed by 79 USAF F-84 Thunderjets and 45 F-80 Shooting Stars. Eighty-four F-86 Sabres flew top cover against MiG-15s based across the Yalu in Manchuria.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Did the bombing destroy the Sui-ho Dam itself?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No. The targets were the power house and transformer yards at the base of the Sui-ho Dam, not the concrete wall. The dam survived the war, was repaired and upgraded in the 1950s, and still generates electricity on the Yalu River, shared between China and North Korea.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What were the results of the June 1952 hydroelectric strikes?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The June 1952 strikes put 11 of North Korea\u2019s 13 targeted power plants totally out of action and left the other two doubtful. About 90 percent of the country\u2019s power capacity was lost and North Korea suffered a two-week blackout. Five UN aircraft were lost or written off, but every pilot was rescued.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why did the Sui-ho strikes cause a political row in Britain?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Britain had forces in Korea, and its Defence Minister Lord Alexander had just visited General Mark Clark without being told about the Sui-ho raid. Labour leader Clement Attlee raised it in the Commons on 25 June 1952, and Labour tabled a censure motion that Churchill\u2019s government narrowly survived.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can I fly in a MiG-15?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. The MiG-15 that defended the Yalu in Korea is one of the jets MiGFlug offers to civilians, with flights from the Czech Republic in a type that fought the first jet-versus-jet air war in history. Details and booking: MiG-15 flight.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/mig-alley-where-jet-combat-was-born\/\">MiG Alley: Where Jet Combat Was Born<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/black-tuesday-namsi-1951-b-29-mig-15\/\">Namsi 1951: Black Tuesday and the End of the B-29<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/grumman-f9f-panther-korean-war\/\">F9F Panther: Grumman&rsquo;s Korean War Jet Cat<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 23 June 1952, US Navy, Air Force and Marine aircraft hit the Sui-ho Dam power plant and 12 others, blacking out North Korea for two weeks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":29388928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[666,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29389020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-and-legends","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: Blacking Out North Korea | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sui-ho Dam, June 1952: US Navy, Air Force and Marine aircraft hit North Korea&#039;s power plants in 1,514 sorties and caused a two-week blackout.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: Blacking Out North Korea | MiGFlug\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sui-ho Dam, June 1952: US Navy, Air Force and Marine aircraft hit North Korea&#039;s power plants in 1,514 sorties and caused a two-week blackout.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-24T15:48:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-24T15:49:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ad-skyraiders-cvg-7-bombing-korea-1952.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joseph Duncan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joseph Duncan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joseph Duncan\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85\"},\"headline\":\"Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: The Raid That Blacked Out North Korea\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-24T15:48:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-24T15:49:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1872,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/ad-skyraiders-cvg-7-bombing-korea-1952.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"History &amp; Legends\",\"Military Aviation\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: Blacking Out North Korea | MiGFlug\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/ad-skyraiders-cvg-7-bombing-korea-1952.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-24T15:48:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-24T15:49:11+00:00\",\"description\":\"Sui-ho Dam, June 1952: US Navy, Air Force and Marine aircraft hit North Korea's power plants in 1,514 sorties and caused a two-week blackout.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/ad-skyraiders-cvg-7-bombing-korea-1952.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/ad-skyraiders-cvg-7-bombing-korea-1952.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"US Navy AD Skyraider dive bombers of Carrier Air Group 7 releasing bombs over mountainous North Korea in 1952\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: The Raid That Blacked Out North Korea\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85\",\"name\":\"Joseph Duncan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Joseph Duncan\"},\"description\":\"Joseph Duncan covers breaking defence news \u2014 fast, sharp dispatches on the Pentagon, procurement and the world\u2019s air forces.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/author\\\/josephduncan\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: Blacking Out North Korea | MiGFlug","description":"Sui-ho Dam, June 1952: US Navy, Air Force and Marine aircraft hit North Korea's power plants in 1,514 sorties and caused a two-week blackout.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: Blacking Out North Korea | MiGFlug","og_description":"Sui-ho Dam, June 1952: US Navy, Air Force and Marine aircraft hit North Korea's power plants in 1,514 sorties and caused a two-week blackout.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/","og_site_name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-10-24T15:48:57+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-24T15:49:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ad-skyraiders-cvg-7-bombing-korea-1952.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Joseph Duncan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joseph Duncan","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/"},"author":{"name":"Joseph Duncan","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85"},"headline":"Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: The Raid That Blacked Out North Korea","datePublished":"2026-10-24T15:48:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-24T15:49:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/"},"wordCount":1872,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ad-skyraiders-cvg-7-bombing-korea-1952.jpg","articleSection":["History &amp; Legends","Military Aviation"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/","name":"Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: Blacking Out North Korea | MiGFlug","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ad-skyraiders-cvg-7-bombing-korea-1952.jpg","datePublished":"2026-10-24T15:48:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-24T15:49:11+00:00","description":"Sui-ho Dam, June 1952: US Navy, Air Force and Marine aircraft hit North Korea's power plants in 1,514 sorties and caused a two-week blackout.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ad-skyraiders-cvg-7-bombing-korea-1952.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ad-skyraiders-cvg-7-bombing-korea-1952.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"US Navy AD Skyraider dive bombers of Carrier Air Group 7 releasing bombs over mountainous North Korea in 1952"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/sui-ho-dam-strikes-1952-korean-war-hydroelectric-air-raid\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sui-ho Dam Strikes 1952: The Raid That Blacked Out North Korea"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","description":"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/b969321b26faa21775f0c40e141cdf85","name":"Joseph Duncan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cd6d4cc4c63e8c05a1f5db9308c285d6dd9753e6d076a39f8c5ed9a7d9f7c523?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Joseph Duncan"},"description":"Joseph Duncan covers breaking defence news \u2014 fast, sharp dispatches on the Pentagon, procurement and the world\u2019s air forces.","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/author\/josephduncan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29389020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29389020"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29389020\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29389071,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29389020\/revisions\/29389071"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29388928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29389020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29389020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29389020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}