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Article by
Robert Anderson
Photos by
www.flyingtigersavg.com
 The
history of the Flying Tigers and the World War II in Yunnan
begins with the Japanese invasion of China in July 1937. Japan’s
attempt to seize northeast China had provoked a drawn out war
that the Japanese were unprepared to fight. Japan’s advance up
the Yangtze River valley in 1937-1938 halted short of the then
Chinese capital Chongqing. The British and French in Indo-China
sent supplies along the railway from Hanoi to Kunming and then
on to Chongqing. In 1940, however, France surrendered to
Germany, Japan’s ally, and the new French government in Vichy
was forced to transfer effective control of Indo-China to Japan.
This cut the last route into China from western aid. The British
and Americans immediately began the construction of a new land
route into China by
 building
a road from the railhead in Lashio, Burma to Kunming. This road,
known as the Burma Road, was built by hand and took 10 months to
complete.
The
Chinese government asked the United States in October 1940 to
provide them with 500 planes and pilots, as well as provide
loans to cover operating costs. The United States, unable and
unwilling to fill such a large order, eventually agreed to send
100 P-40 fighter planes originally scheduled to be sent to
Britain, as well as allow the Chinese to recruit a volunteer
force of 100 pilots from the U.S. air force. These pilots would
be known as the American Volunteer Group (AVG) and would be led
personally by Claire Lee Chennault, a former Army Air Corps
pilot. The would be mercenaries in the service of the Chinese
Air Force (CAF) and would be paid $750 a month in addition to a
bonus of $500 for every Japanese aircraft shot down. They began
arriving in Rangoon, Burma for training in November 1941.
On December 7, 1941, Japan declared war on and attacked
the possessions of the United States, Great Britain, and the
Netherlands. China now had a host of allies in their war against
Japan, but at first the war went against the new alliance. The
Japanese overran most of the western territory in China by the
end of December. They also destroyed most of the U.S. Pacific
Fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor, as well as destroying most of
the Allies Asiatic fleets. As 1942 dawned, the Japanese had
invaded the Philippines and Malaysia and were advancing
steadily. The kingdom of Siam (Thailand) joined the Japanese and
this seriously threatened the allied position in Burma. The
Japanese invaded Burma on January 15, 1942 and the AVG were
forced into action early in order to defend Rangoon. Although
unsuccessful in holding Rangoon, the city fell on March 7, they
fought well and established a legendary reputation that did a
lot to boost sagging American morale. It was at this time that
they acquired their nickname: Flying Tigers. On April 29, Lashio
fell, cutting the last land supply route into China. On May 8,
the Japanese 29th Infantry Division crossed into Yunnan via the
Burma Road.
With the Burma
Road cut off, the Allies had to create another way of supplying
China to keep them in the war. The solution was to fly supplies
from allied airfields in Assam, India to airfields in China.
Because of the danger of Japanese fighter interception, the
flights had to be flown in a large semicircle to north over the
Himalayas. These flights came to be known as the Hump flights.
Planning for both the Hump flights and another massive project,
the construction of a new road from Ledo, India through north
Burma into Yunnan, began in January 1942. The air route was 550
miles from Assam to Kunming and was flown at altitudes reaching
17,000-20,000 feet. This was extremely dangerous for
un-pressurized aircrafts. New airfields were constructed allover
southwest China to serve the Hump flights.
On
July 4, 1942, the Flying Tigers of the AVG were reincorporated
into the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). They were renamed the
China Air Task Force (CATF), a component of the 10th Air Force,
and were commanded by newly promoted Brigadier General Chennault.
On March 11, 1943, further reorganization placed all American
air units in Yunnan under the command of Major General
Chennault’s 14th Air Forth. This would include all fighter,
bomber and transport units.
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