11-4-13
The 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) was a branch of the Army, Navy and Air Force seconded to the Chinese Air force during World War II. Although they only existed from 1941 to 1942, this group, known as the “Flying Tigers” made a lasting impression upon air combat during the war.
The Flying Tigers were formed by President Franklin Roosevelt to help the Chinese against the superior air forces of the Japanese (Chennault, pp. 24) The idea for the group came largely from its first commander, retired U.S. Army Air Corps Colonel Claire Chennault. (Chennault, pp. 26) Col. Chennault was working in China in from 1937, aiding the Chinese in the Sino-Japanese War. Until 1940, the aircraft with which the Chinese were fighting came from the Soviet Union. (Chennault, pp. 26) That country withdrew its support from China in 1940 after signing a non-aggression pact with the Germans, who were allies of the Japanese. (Chennault, pp. 27) At that point the leader of the Chinese Nationalists, Chiang Kai-Shek, asked Chennault for aid for their air corps. (Chennault, pp. 30)
Because in 1940, the United States was not yet at war with the Japanese, the 1st American Volunteer Group had to be formed in secret. (Chennault, pp. 35)The group was organized by Lauchlin Currie, a White House economist, and supplied under the 1939 Neutrality Act. (Chennault, pp. 35) Chinese Defense Supplies, which was financed by the United States, paid for the unit. (Chennault, pp.37) Chennault bought about 100 P-40’s from a Royal Air Force order of the British, and recruited experienced pilots who had gotten blooded in the Spanish Civil War against the Nazis and the Italian Fascists. (Chennault, pp. 44) The recruits included 100 pilots and 200 ground crew members. (Chennault, pp. 44)
The P-40s that comprised the AVG were not missed by the Royal Air force; they considered the model to be obsolete. (Chennault, pp. 62) They were, however, put to excellent use by the Flying Tigers. (Chennault, pp. 65) They were painted with the faces of sharks and cut an intimidating figure in the skies over China. (Chennault, pp. 67) The biggest asset of the Flying Tigers, though was the pilots themselves. (Chennault, pp. 68) The Flying Tigers were to receive the P-40B, or Tomahawk, which had some tactical advantages over Japanese aircraft in China. (Chennault, pp.73) Although slower in close combat, the P-40s were able to dive faster than their Japanese counterparts. (Chennault, pp. 74) They utilized this advantage by using the “boom and zoom’”maneuvers taught to the pilots by Chennault. (Chennault, pp. 75) As Chennault recalled himself in his book about the Flying Tigers, in a demonstration to Chinese delegates of the P-40 conducted by 2nd Lt. John Allison in 1940, Allison
"got more out of that P-40 in his five-minute demonstration than anybody I ever saw before or after When he landed, the Chinese pointed at the P-40 and smiled, 'We need 100 of these.' 'No,' I said, pointing to Alison, 'you need 100 of these.' "(Chennault, pp. 80)
The volunteer pilots came from all branches of the United States Military. (Chennault, pp. 86) Sixty of them came from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and thirty-nine came from the army Air Corps. (Chennault, pp. 88) The number was rounded out by pilot-instructors who were training the Chinese pilots. (Chennault, pp. 89) These pilots were then discharged from the Military and hired by the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company as members of the private military contractor’s company. (Chennault, pp. 90) They were paid very well by this company. Pilot officers received $600 per month, $675 per month for flight leaders, and $750 a month for squadron leaders. (Chennault, pp. 100) Ground crewmen received $250 per month, which was much more than their former military salaries. (Chennault, pp. 101) Pilots also reported a “bounty” of $500 for every enemy plane shot down. (Chennault, pp. 102)
Though not formally recognized as part of the U.S. Military, the Flying Tigers were, by 1942, part of the U.S, Military’s chain of command. President Roosevelt was said to encourage pilots to “resign” from the military to join the Flying Tigers. In the summer and early fall of 1941, these 300 people, carrying civilian passports, reported to Burma to be trained for the Flying Tigers. The military was not happy with the idea civilian pilots fighting combat missions in China, and some military leaders were 100% opposed to the whole idea.
Chennault’s fighter tactical doctrine was very different from the norm in the Army Air Corp at the time. (Chennault, pp. 116) Because of their small force and unique position in China, different tactics had to be developed. (Chennault, pp. 117) Because Chennault only had sixty-two flight-ready planes at any given time, he adopted many tactics used by Soviet pilots in China. (Chennault, pp. 118)With limited offensive weapons and planes that could be out-turned by their Japanese counterparts, Chennault trained his pilots to attack from above, employing a “dive-and-zoom” Techniques that was contrary to what was practiced by the RAF and US Air Corps at the time. (Chennault, pp.120)Other unconventional tactics rumored to be used by the Flying Tigers was that of using the wings of their aircraft to snap off the wings of the enemy aircraft. (Chennault, pp. 121) Use of this method, according to some pilots did happen, but only accidentally, as the AVG could not afford the loss of planes such a tactic would entail. (Chennault, pp. 122) In fact, despite official reports saying that the AVG had 62 planes combat-ready at any given time, accounts from the pilots put that number at twenty-two. (Chennault, pp. 123) According to the pilots, the repairs were too hard and replacements too rare to have more units ready at a time. (Chennault, pp. 124)
Repairs to the planes were done in a primitive, improvised manner. (Chennault, pp. 130) If a plane had to be jacked up, the crew would do so using a tree and a system of pulleys to accomplish the feat. (Chennault, pp.131) The Chinese crafted replacement parts by hand when necessary. (Chennault, pp. 132)
Chennault’s AVG also benefitted from what Chennault referred to as the “best air raid warning system in existence.” (Chennault, pp. 135) Free China had a maze of alarm stations with radios and phones to warn of raids by the Japanese air force. (Chennault, pp. 136) The AVG also had to contend with other problems, Their aircraft sis not come equipped with reflector gun sights, government radios or wing guns. (Chennault, pp. 138) On the other hand, the P-40’s did have pilot armor, self-sealing fuel tanks, sturdy construction, heavy armament, and a higher diving speed than the Japanese Planes. (Chennault, pp. 140)
On December 20th, 1941, only thirteen days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor which brought the United States into the War, the Flying Tigers saw their first air combat mission. (Bond, pp. 56) Over southern Yunnan Province, China, the first and second squadron of the Flying Tigers faced ten Japanese bombers. (Bond, pp. 57) The Flying Tigers were able to shoot down nine out of ten bombers while sustaining the loss of only one plane. (Bond, pp. 58) Despite these successes, the bombing of the Chinese cost 1000 lives and four AVG and RAF planes were lost on the ground Three days later, the third squadron of the Flying Tigers joined the Royal Air Force in an air battle over Rangoon. (Bond, pp. 60) This combat resulted in the downing of six Japanese bombers and four fighters. (Bond, pp. 61) This came with the loss of five RAF planes along with four AVG planes and two pilots. (Bond, pp. 62) Additionally, the airfield was damaged and the RAF lost eight more fighters on the ground. (Bond, pp. 63)
On Christmas of 1941, the Flying Tigers recorded their greatest victory over Japanese forces. (Bond, pp. 75) The Japanese sent 80 bombers escorted by forty-eight fighters to attack Rangoon. (Bond, pp. 76) The Flying Tigers were able to down twenty-three enemy planes without sustaining a single loss of their own fighters. (Bond, pp. 77) Additionally, the Tigers were able to shoot an additional four Japanese bombers down over the Gulf of Martaban. (Bond, pp. 78)
Three days later, the Japanese attacked again, this time with twenty bombers and twenty-five fighters. (Bond, pp. 81) The AVG shot down ten enemy planes without losing a single one of their own. (Bond, pp.82) The very next day, the Japanese came back with another forty bombers and twenty fighters. (Bond, pp. 83) These were met by the Flying Tigers. The result: eighteen Japanese planes shot down. The AVG lost only one. (Bond, pp. 85)
New Year’s Eve saw no reprieve from the Japanese assault. They came on with eighty planes in a massive assault, but were thwarted by the Flying Tigers. The AVG downed fifteen enemy planes without losing a single one of their own. Over eleven days of air combat over Rangoon, the AVG was able to shoot down seventy-five (confirmed) enemy aircraft at a total loss of six planes and two pilots.
On January 23rd, 1942, the Japanese again attacked Rangoon in force. (Bond, pp. 92) They brought seventy-two planes, losing twenty-one of them against the loss of one single American pilot. (Bond, pp. 94) The air battles continued through February. (Bond, pp. 96) Unfortunately, these air victories became Pyrrhic in late February, when Japanese ground forces came and captured Rangoon. (Bond, pp. 100)
During this final battle, the Flying Tigers were able to execute a strafing raid on a Japanese airfield in Thailand. (Bond, pp. 101) The AVG were able to destroy sixty planes on the ground, scoring their largest ground victory of the war. (Bond, pp. 102) Despite these victories, the Japanese eventually drove the AVG out of Rangoon, past Burma and into the interior of China. (Bond, pp. 104)
Chennault was reinstated into the military with a rank of Brigadier General and retained command of the military version of the Flying Tigers, The Air Task Force. (Bond, pp. 158) The remainder of the AVG was offered the opportunity to reenlist (at commensurate rank) and join the Army Air Corps. (Bond, pp. 160) The men were not given much of a choice. (Bond, pp. 161) They were told that if the elected not to reenlist, they would be met at home by their draft boards and forced back into duty. (Bond, pp. 162) They were also denied military transportation back to the US, having to make the trip by boat and at their own expense. (Bond, pp. 164) Because the pilots felt they needed rest after six months of continuous combat, only five reenlisted on the spot. (Bond, pp. 167)
As a group, the Flying Tigers were a decorated and successful element of the Chinese Air Defense in 1941-1942. (Bond, pp. 190) Thirty-three pilots and three ground crew members received the Chinese Order of the Cloud and Banner. (Bond, pp. 191) Many pilots also received the Chinese Air Force Medal. (Bond, pp. 192) Aces and double aces also received five- and ten- star medals. (Bond, pp. 193) In the United States, the Flying Tigers received praise from President Roosevelt himself in 1942 writing,
"The outstanding gallantry and conspicuous daring that the American Volunteer Group combined with their unbelievable efficiency is a source of tremendous pride throughout the whole of America. The fact that they have labored under the shortages and difficulties is keenly appreciated . . .” (Bond, pp. 198)
In 1996, the pilots were all awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by the US Air Force, and the ground crews were all awarded Bronze Stars by the US army. (Gore, np.)
Some of the individual pilots of the AVG had great careers beyond their time in China. (Gore, np.) Gregory “Poppy” Boyington, in addition to being awarded the Medal of Honor, he commanded the Marine VMF-214 group, otherwise known as the ‘Black Sheep” squadron. In that capacity, he shot down over 50 enemy planes in less than two years. (Gore, np.) Boyington was eventually shot down and spent twenty months as prisoner of the Japanese. (Gore, np.) He was never granted POW status by the Japanese, so his capture was not reported to the allied forces. (Gore, np.) He was released in late August of 1945, after the Japanese surrendered, and he was promoted to Lt. Colonel by the marines. (Gore, np.)
Another AVG pilot who would go on to some fame in his future career was Charles “Chuck” Older. (Gore, np.) After being the third-highest scoring e Flying Tigers, he eventually retired from the military and obtained a degree in law. (Gore, np.) He became a judge, and his most famous trial was that of Charles Manson, the notorious killer who masterminded the murder of Sharon Tate and five others. (Gore, np.)
Even the women of the AVG were highly motivated and successful. (Gore, np.) A registered nurse with the group, Emma Foster, eventually became the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Health Counsel. (Gore, np.)
A final example of a pilot from the Flying Tigers who became renowned after the war was David Lee “Tex” Hill. (Gore, np.) Hill remained in the US Army Air Corps after his time with the AVG. He would eventually command the illustrious USAAF 23rd fighter group, which had many successes. (Gore, np.)
The AVG pilots and crews faced poor conditions and tremendously bad odds. Despite being stationed in an area known for malaria and cholera, the AVG had only “four doctors, three nurses, and a bottle of iodine.” (Bond, pp. 194) The food was notoriously bad, and the slow mail delivery and lack of women was extremely bad for morale. Additionally, Chinese maps of the region were so poor that experienced pilots had to draw their own and make copies for the rest of the crews. (Bond, pp. 195) While in Burma, the constant movement of their own air bases frustrated pilots, who would go four or five days without seeing the enemy. (Bond, pp. 196) Some resorted to flying out to find the enemy themselves. In the end, the takeover of the unit by the US Air Corps was not received well and only five of the pilots stayed on in the group once it became military again. (Bond, pp. 196) The AVG Group was also facing a poor overall situation in China. Although they acquitted themselves well against the Japanese Air Force, they were unable to do significant damage to Japanese Ground Forces, who took over the portions of China that the Flying Tigers were sent to protect. (Bond, pp. 199) Despite these disadvantages the AVG had a higher-than-average kill ratio, and did admirable work under very bad conditions.
Today, only four of the AVG’s volunteer pilots still survive. (Gore, np.) The AVG disbanded 71 years ago, and most of the participants have since died of old age. (Gore, np.) Still, those who survive remember the Flying Tigers with fondness and nostalgia. (Gore, np.) In Huntsville Alabama, three out of the four remaining AVG members gathered for the 72nd reunion. (Gore, np.) While only together for a relatively short time, these men and women shared a bond that has lasted for almost three-quarters of a century.
Work Citied
Bond, Charles, Jr. A Flying Tiger’s Diary. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press. 1984. Print.
Chennault, Claire Way of A Fighter. Tuscon, AZ: Thorvardson & Sons. 1949, 1991. Print.
Gore. Leda. ” Three of four surviving Flying Tigers, who trained Chinese pilots in WWII, in Huntsville for reunion.” All Alabama .Electronic Media.
