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The History of the Flying Tigers

6/15/2018

2 Comments

 
Flying Tigers
The Flying Tigers, officially known as the First American Volunteer Group, were American pilots who fought in the Chinese Air Force during World War II between 1941 and 1942. They are best known for popularizing the shark’s-mouth design frequently painted American military aircraft. In addition, their now-famous unit insignia of a winged Bengal tiger was designed by the Walt Disney Company.
The commanding officer of the Flying Tigers, Claire L. Chennault, was a retired captain from the Army Air Corps who was working in China as an advisor to the Chinese Air Force when the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937. The Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek quickly hired Chennault to lead the training of Chinese fighter pilots.

Chennault was able to resist Japanese attacks for two years with planes donated from the Soviet Union, but at last in 1939 Japanese forces overwhelmed Chinese defenses and destroyed most of the Chinese Air Force. In 1940 Chennault traveled to Washington, D.C. to buy aircraft and recruit pilots to fight for the Chinese. Realizing the potential dangers of China being defeated by the Japanese, President Roosevelt agreed to allow American pilots to resign from the military in order to go serve in the Chinese Air Force—at this point the United States had not officially entered the war against the Japanese and wanted to maintain an appearance of neutrality.

Lured by the promise of better pay, ninety-nine pilots and one hundred eighty four support troops sailed to Burma, where they arrived in the middle of the monsoon season and were forced assemble their own aircraft before beginning training. Imitating a British Royal Air Force design, the volunteers painted shark’s mouths on their aircraft to make them more threatening. This was not known to their supporters in Washington, who gave them the nickname the Flying Tigers in the spring of 1941.

Over the next few months, Chennault put his men through highly realistic combat training, which resulted in multiple accidents and fatalities, but ultimately prepared the pilots for the stress of combat. Chennault trained his men to avoid one-on-one dogfights and plan their attacks in pairs, and also prepared them to face Japanese maneuvers, which he had learned between 1937 and 1939.
​

The Flying Tigers were divided into three squadrons and a headquarters unit composed of support staff. The squadron’s were the Adam and Eve squadron, led by Robert Sandell, the Panda Bears, led by Jack Newkirk, and the Hell’s Angels, led by Arvid Olson. In addition, they received extensive help from the native Chinese who helped house the men, construct and store the planes, rescue downed pilots, and provide early warning against Japanese attacks.
Flying Tigers Symbol
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and simultaneously destroyed most of the United States’ forces in the Philippines. In an attempt to seize control of the only land route for goods traveling to China, Japan invaded Burma, and raided the city of Rangoon. The Hell’s Angels squadron of the Flying Tigers fought alongside the British Royal Air Force for months in defense of the city, and was eventually relieved by the Panda Bears squadron. The Hell’s Angels and Adam and Eve squadrons retreated into China, where they continued to launch attacks throughout 1942 against Japanese ground forces and airfields as the invading forces took control of Burma and prepared an attack on Southeast China.

The famous Flying Tiger unit insignia was designed around this time as well. In the spring of 1942, Roy Williams, an artist for Walt Disney Studios, created the image of a cartoon winged Bengal tiger flying in a blue ā€˜V’ for the Flying Tigers. The design was used by the group after they were incorporated into the United States Army, and similar designs are still in use today in the Air Force.

Thanks to the Flying Tigers’ defense, the Japanese were unable to successfully invade China, and over the next two years the United States was able to defeat the Japanese army and liberate the region. The Flying Tigers continued to fight until July 4th, 1942 they were absorbed into the American Army Air Forces and renamed the 23rd Fighter Group. In theory, most pilots were to continue fighting, but in reality most left China and returned to the United States.[2] Those who did remain in China, such as Tex Hill continued their missions against the Japanese, while many who returned home eventually returned to combat as pilots in other services, most notably Jim Howard and Greg Boyington, who were awarded Medals of Honor. Chennault himself remained in China, first as the commanding officer of the China Air Task Force, then as a major general in charge of the Fourteenth Air Force. He eventually retired in 1945.

During their short existence, the Flying Tigers only lost twelve planes and ten pilots in battle, while destroying almost three hundred Japanese aircraft. Even though they were always outnumbered, the Tigers were able to put up a strong resistance to the attacking Japanese, inflicting heavy casualties and slowing down the invasion. Without the resistance of the Flying Tigers and the British Royal Air Force, the Japanese Imperial Army would have swept through Burma and possibly been able to successfully establish a foothold in China. Despite their eventual defeat in and withdrawal from Burma, the Flying Tigers’ delay of the advancing Japanese was crucial to the Allied war effort.

References
  1. Eisel, Braxton. The Flying Tigers: Chennault's American Volunteer Group in China. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program, 2009. https://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo66524/AFD-101028-007.pdf.
  2. Elder, Robert. "American Volunteer Group (AVG)." In Encyclopedia of Chinese-American Relations, edited by Yuwu Song. McFarland, 2009. http://libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/mcfcham/american_volunteer_group_avg/0?institutionId=1724
  3. Ference, Greg. "Chennault, Claire L. 1893-1958." In Encyclopedia of Chinese-American Relations, edited by Yuwu Song. McFarland, 2009. http://libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/mcfcham/chennault_claire_l_1893_1958/0?institutionId=1724

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2 Comments
teófilo link
7/18/2021 10:47:12 pm

der ulkigen Krieg zwischen Japan und China hat grosser Ähnlichkeit mit Spanischen Bürgerkrieg nur geographisch aber sonst es ist sehr ähnlich schwer zu vergleichen nicht desto trotzt eines war gleich und zwar die internationalen Verschwörung das uns als neu mode schaut

Reply
Joe Publica
4/10/2022 01:19:12 pm

so it was these american pilots in american made plans attacking the Japanese forces that might have been the start of the conflict and not the battle of dec 7th as the 'story goes'

Reply



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  • Home
    • About >
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        • Distributing Books
        • Presenting at 112th Annual Meeting of Pacific Coast Branch
        • Summer Research Relocation Fund
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      • Black Hearts (2021)
    • Blog
    • Podcast: Forgotten History
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      • Unit 731 - Guide >
        • Background of Biochemical Warfare Development
        • Imperial Japan's Chemical Warfare Development Program
        • Map of Unit 731
        • Personnel of Unit 731
        • Duties of Unit 731
        • Human Experimentation
        • [GRAPHIC] Germ Warfare Attacks
        • Cover Ups After the War
        • [OLD] Cover Ups After the War
      • Philippines' Resistance - Guide >
        • Philippines World War II Timeline
        • The Japanese Invasion & Conquest of the Philippines
        • Bataan Death March
        • Formation of Underground Philippines Resistance
        • Supplies of the Guerrilla Fighters
        • The Hukbalahap
        • Hunter's ROTC
        • Marking's Guerrillas
        • United States Army Forces in the Philippines of Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL)
        • The Aetas
        • Chinese and Filipino-Chinese Nationalist Guerrilla Units
        • The Female Faces of the Philippine Guerrillas
      • Rising Sun Flag - Guide >
        • History of the Rising Sun Flag
        • Atrocities Committed Under the Flag
        • Rising Sun Flag in Pop Culture
      • Pinay Guerrilleras - Guide >
        • Japanese Occupation of the Philippine Islands: Pinays Answering the Call to Arms
        • The Fierce Heneralas and Kumanders of the Hukbalahap Guerrillas
        • Amazons of the Pacific Theater
        • Filipina American Veterans: Recovering the Extraordinary Feats of the Ordinary Pinays
        • The Legacy of the Asian Women Soldier
      • Fall of Singapore - Guide >
        • Singapore World War II Timeline
        • History of World War II in the Pacific
        • History of Singapore
        • Japan's Conquest in Asia
        • Japan's Invasion of the Malay Peninsula
        • Sook Ching Massacre
        • Double Tenth Incident
        • Social Changes and Challenges in Singapore
        • Voices from Syonan
        • Return to British Rule
      • Three Years and Eight Months - Guide >
        • Hong Kong before WW2
        • Buildup to World War 2
        • The Battle of Hong Kong
        • Life during 3 Years and 8 Months
        • East River Column Guerrilla Fighters
        • Prisoners of War Camps
        • End of Japanese Occupation
        • War Crimes Trials
      • Siamese Sovereignty - Guide >
        • The Land of Smiles
        • The Thai-Japanese Relationship
        • Phibun’s Domestic and International Policies
        • The Free Thai Resistance Movement
        • Post WW2 Aftermath of Thailand
      • The Khabarovsk War Crimes Trial - Guide >
        • Defendants of Khabarovsk War Crime
        • The Japanese Empire and USSR in WW2
        • The Employment of the Bacteriological Weapon in the War
        • Planning of Japan invasion to USSR
      • Unit 731 Cover-up : The Operation Paperclip of the East - Guide >
        • Establishing Manchukuo
        • The Development of Unit 731
        • Plan Kantokuen and Bacteriological Warfare
        • The Downfall of the Japanese WW2 Era
        • Three Stages of Interrogations
        • Lasting Impacts
      • Marutas of Unit 731 - Guide >
        • How did Ishii Shiro start unit 731?
        • A Beta Testing Site
        • Establishing Pingfan
        • Experiences at the Human Experimentation Complex
        • Vivisection at the Unit 731
        • Anta Testing Grounds
        • Overall Advance from the Laboratory Creations
        • The End of the War
      • Prince Konoe Memoir - Guide >
        • Who is Prince Konoe?
        • Preparation to Tripartite Pact
        • Emperor Hirohito and Prince Konoe
        • The End of Prince Konoe
      • Competing Empires in Burma - Guide >
        • What was the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • When did the China-Burma-India Theater Happen?
        • Who Fought in the China-Burma-India Theater?
        • The Second Sino Japanese War
        • Japan in the South
        • Operation U-Go
      • Battle of Shanghai - Guide >
        • The Battle of Shanghai. Background
        • Shanghai Before War
        • The First Battle of Shanghai 1932
        • Battle of Shanghai 1937
        • Aftermath of Battle for Shanghai
      • Ishi Shiro - Guide >
        • History of Biological Weapons and The Young Ishii Shiro
        • Establishment in Manchuria
        • Pingfang District - Harbin
        • Failures and Corruption
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      • Taiwan The Israel of the East - Guide >
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        • Industrialization of Japan
        • China During WWII
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      • Seeking Justice for Biological Warfare Victims of Unit 731 - Guide >
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        • Colonel Memorandum
        • The Beginning of Biological Warfare
        • The Bacteriological Warfare on China
        • Victims in Zhejiang’s Testimonies
        • After the War
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        • The French Colonial Period
        • Anti-Colonial Resistance
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        • Imperial Japan’s Entry into Indochina
        • The Portents of Famine
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        • Legacy of the 1944-45 Vietnam Famine
      • Clash of Empires - Guide >
        • Japan’s Imperialist Origins
        • Japan’s Competition against the West: Nanshin-ron and Hokushin-ron
        • Japanese Imperialism Through the Lens of French Indochina
        • The U.S.-Japan Relations and the Pearl Harbor Attack
      • Hunger for Power and Self-SufficiencyI - Guide >
        • The Influence of War Rations on Post-War Culinary Transformations
        • How World War II Complicated Food Scarcity and Invention
        • American Military Innovations
        • Government-Sponsored Food Inventions in Europe during World War II
        • Feeding the Army: The Adaptation of Japanese Military Cuisine and Its Impact on the Philippines
        • Mixed Dishes: Culinary Innovations Driven by Necessity and Food Scarcity
    • Lesson Plans >
      • Reparations
      • Ethics in Science
      • Writing the Narrative of a Pinay Fighter
      • Privilege Journal
      • Environmental Injustices
      • Female Guerrillas
      • Hunter's ROTC
      • Scientific Advancements
      • Seeking Justice: A Humanities Lesson Plan
      • The Hukbalahap
      • Trading Immunity
      • Bataan Death March
      • Biochemical Warfare Development
Contribute