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Flying Tigers and Yunnan
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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