Page 65 - History of War - Issue 30-16

MICHAEL E HASKEW

d i ghter aces of the American
ed Imperial Japan in war-torn China

ected a routine mission. escalate the simmering conlict into what
e planes owned the became known as the Second Sino-Japanese
er China, but the pilots War. The Chinese resisted bravely on land
wmen who boarded the and in the air. However, the resources of the
ubishi Ki-21 twin-engine Nationalist government of Generalissimo
ning of 20 December Chiang Kai-shek were few and often ineffective
over the 300 air miles in the face of the Japanese onslaught.
anoi to the Chinese Nowhere was the military contest more unequal
p their incendiaries and than in the air. The Japanese lew modern
and return unscathed. planes, their pilots were well trained, and with
or a ighter escort. each mission their conidence grew. Japanese
e armed forces of Imperial ighter pilots regularly shredded the defending
en at war on the Asian planes of the Republic of China Air Force, most of
They staged the Mukden which were obsolete American-designed Curtiss
ent in 1931 as a pretext BF2C Goshawk biplanes along with a few British,
to seizing the northern Italian, and Soviet types. Chinese pilots were
province of Manchuria often the sons of wealthy, inluential families who
from China and graduated from light training with wings pinned to
another so-called their chests regardless of proiciency.
‘incident’ in 1937 at These ill-prepared liers were often killed,
the Marco Polo Bridge, their valuable aircraft destroyed in takeoff and
r the city of Peking, to landing incidents, while those who managed
RE WAS THE MILITARY CONTEST MORE UNEQUAL THAN

THE JAPANESE FLEW MODERN PLANES, THEIR PILOTS
AND WITH EACH MISSION THEIR CONFIDENCE GREW”

Chinese soldiers and
armourers of 74th Fighter
Squadron inspecting a
Curtiss P-40 in Kunming,
China, 1 February 1943

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