The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Claire Chennault & "The Flying Tigers" - Mar. 14th, 2003

http://www.acepilots.com/misc_tigers.html ^

[SAMWolf]

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General Claire Chennault & "The Flying Tigers"

The Flying Tigers were a group of American fighter pilots that flew for China in the early part of 1942. Led by a controversial American, Colonel Claire Chennault, they were actually called the "American Volunteer Group" (AVG), and achieved good success in their aerial battles against the Japanese.

They were a relatively small group of pilots, and never had more than 100 Curtis Warhawk P-40's (decorated with the famous red shark mouth) available. But at the time they were flying (early 1942), they were the only Americans doing ANYTHING against the Axis. With an American public reeling from Pearl Harbor and anxious to strike back "NOW!" the Flying Tigers were "the only game in town" at that point. Thus they received a lot of favorable press coverage, from reporters anxious to write about the only only Americans doing ANYTHING ANYWHERE against the Japanese.

The Flying Tigers comprised three squadrons:

1st Squadron - "Adam and Eves"
2nd Squadron - "Panda Bears"
3rd Squadron - "Hell's Angels"

The top aces of the Flying Tigers were: David Lee "Tex" Hill, Robert Neale, and Chuck Older. James Howard flew with the AVG; he later earned the Congressional Medal of Honor while flying P-51s for the 354th Fighter Group (Ninth Air Force) in Europe. Pappy Boyington was another Tiger who went on to greater fame; he had a falling out with Chennault, who gave him a Dishonorable Discharge. The mercurial Boyington never forgave him.



"Colonel" Claire Lee Chennault had been in China since the mid-Thirties; he called himself "Colonel," though his highest rank had been Major. An outspoken advocate of "pursuit" (as fighter planes were called then), in an Army Air Force dominated by strategic bomber theorists, he alienated many of his superiors. But in China, equipped with P-40's, he developed the basic fighter tactics that American pilots would use throughout the war. The Japanese planes used over China were much more maneuverable than his Warhawks, whose advantages were: speed in a dive, superior firepower, and better ability to absorb battle damage. Chennault worked out and documented the appropriate tactics that capitalized on the relative strengths of the American fighters: intercept, make a diving pass, avoid dogfighting, and dive away when in trouble. This remained the fundamental U.S. fighter doctrine throughout the Pacific War. My appreciation of the pilot's bravery and Chennault's tactical skills, however, doesn't change my assessment of the unfortunate and perhaps distracting role they played. The Chinese politics and Chinese-American relations at the time were quite complicated. The titular leader of China, Generalissimo Chiang Kai Chek, of the Kuomintang, was engaged in an endless three-way war: his Kuomintang vs. Mao's Communists vs. Japan. And his own power within the Kuomintang was dependent on balancing various warlords, cliques, and factions. Given the understandable problems posed by this situation, he always wanted more and more American aid, which he and his generals then wanted to use against internal enemies as well as Japan, or perhaps, not to use at all, but to hoard as symbols of their power.

General Chennault, got the Generalissimo's ear, and persuaded him that air power could sweep the Japanese from China, almost effortlessly and painlessly, just a few score American B-17 bombers would do the trick. Thus Chiang Kai Chek, General Chennault, Madame Chiang Kai Chek, and the powerful China Lobby used their combined influence with the American government to push Chennault's air power scheme.



Unfortunately, the adressing real issues in Nationalist China -- development of democratic or at least stable institutions, the rooting out of corruption in the Kuomintang, the training and deployment of useful Chinese infantry forces against Japan, improving the life of the ordinary villagers, etc. -- had no priority with the Generalissimo. Chennault's proposals seemed to offer such a promising way out.

The American government had its own problems, and couldn't scrape up the numbers of bombers envisioned. But keeping China in the war against Japan was understood to be in America's strategic interest (even before Pearl Harbor). What could be offered to Chiang was about 100 Curtis P-40 Warhawk fighter planes with volunteer military pilots to fly them. They fought with distinction, largely in the defense of Burma, and were absorbed into the United States Army Air Force's 23rd Fighter Group in July, 1942.

[SAMWolf]

1958 RIAA (Recording Industry Association of American)is created and certifies 1st gold record (Perry Como's Catch A Falling Star)

Perry Como, he had some pretty good songs.

[SAMWolf]

Chennault Field

There a museum there?

[SAMWolf]

Morning Cote.

I just KNEW you'd find something aboot the Flying Tigers or Chennault.

[SAMWolf]

My favorite is "Round and Round"

Find a wheel, and it goes round, round, round,
As it skims along with a happy sound,
As it goes, along the ground, ground, ground,
‘Till it leads you to the one you love!

Then your love, will hold you round, round, round,
And your heart’s a song with a brand new sound,
And your head, goes spinnin’ round, round, round,
‘Cause you found what you’ve been dreamin’ of!

In the night you see the oval moon,
Goin’ round and round in tune.
And the ball of sun in the day,
Makes a girl and boy wanna say:

Find a ring, ( find a ring . . . ) and put it round, round, round,
And with ties so strong the two hearts are bound,
Put it on, ( put it on . . . ) the one you found, found, found,
For you kno’ that this is really love! ( . . . this is really love! )

Find a wheel, ( find a wheel . . . ) and it goes round, round, round,
As it skims along with a happy sound,
As it goes, ( as it goes . . . ) along the ground, ground, ground,
‘Till it leads you to the one you love! ( . . . to the one you love! )

Then your love, ( then your love ) you’ll hold her round, round, round,
And your heart’s a song with a brand new sound,
And your head, ( and your head ) goes spinning round, round, round,
‘Cause you found what you’ve been dreamin’ of! ( . . . you've been dreamin' of! )

In the night you see the oval moon,
Goin’ round and round in tune ( going round and round! )
And the ball of sun in the day,
Makes a girl and boy wanna say: ( wanna say, wanna say! )

Find the ring, ( find the ring . . . ) and put it round, round, round,
And with ties so strong your two hearts are bound,
Put it on, the one you found, found, found,
For you kno’ that this is really love!

Find a ring, put it on,
For you kno’ that this is really love,
Really love . . . really love . . . hmmm!

[Jen]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

To be removed from this list, please send me a blank private reply with "REMOVE" in the subject line! Thanks! Jen

[SAMWolf]

Morning Jen.

[TADSLOS]

FLYING TIGERS BUMP!!

My Favorite Screen Saver

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the bump.

[Jen]

Oh Sam!!!!! The Flying Tigers are my favorite AF unit. My first duty station when I joined the Air Force was England AFB, La., home of the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing Flying Tigers.

Darn, wish I had more time today to spend on this thread, but my mom is here and we are doing girl stuff today. Maybe I'll have some time tonight to FReep and enjoy this wonderful thread. Three generations of Patriot women in my family are going to the Atlanta Support Our Troops rally!!! WooHoo! It's gonna be fun!

See y'all later, I hope.

[colorado tanker]

Bump for the Air Force! (Remember the way Andy Griffith pronounced "Aiyer Foorce" in No Time For Sergeants?)

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!

[SAMWolf]

[Johnny Gage]

Great theme for today's foxhole!

While not the about "AVG" I first read "God is my co-pilot" as a kid and loved it.

GOD BLESS
OUR MILITARY
MEMBERS!

[SAMWolf]

Afternoon Johnny, I read that one as a kid too.

[HighRoadToChina]

Super duper awesome BUMP!!!!

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the bump, HighRoadToChina.

[t4texas]

Bump to the 14th Air Force!!! Jing Bao!!!

One my very best friends in the world (and coincidentally my father-in-law) was a Tiger, a WWII Ace, and a real life hero. He passed away in 1995 and was buried with full honors at Ft Sam Houston in San Antonio.

There aren't a lot of them left and I honor the memories of those who have passed on as well as the ones I have had the extreme privilige to meet. The "gang" used to have "pow-wows" at the Golden Palace in San Antonio and the stories, the stories, THE STORIES! Into the wee hours!! OMG!!!

When my father-in-law first got to China he saw a fellow wearing cowboy boots outside a shack where people were steadily coming and going. Thinking maybe he was a Texan too he went up and introduced himself and began to get acquainted. Before long the man excused himself and left. Soon thereafter the new arrival heard his name from inside the hut. Upon entering the "newbie" was asked about his orders and when he replied he had no specific orders he was told he'd been requested by Col. (Tex) Hill. When he asked where he could find Col. Hill he was told, "Hell, you've been talking to him for nearly an hour!"

I have a picture of my compadre sitting in his plane in China. Plainly visibible are five meatballs for each kill he had made. When the picture was taken he was 19 years old. As I consider myself at that age I am flabbergasted. The picture hangs just inside the door we come and go through and I acknowledge it everyday.

It was quite a party.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for sharing your memories with us.

I thank your Father-in-law for his service. Please accept my condolances on his passing.