Page 70 - History of War - Issue 30-16

THE FLYING TIGERS

The recruits sailed to China and maintained AVG pilots and their ground crew shared the
their cover. Some of them posed as employees Kyedaw airi eld near Toungoo, Burma, with
of the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company units of the RAF.
(CAMCO), which operated a facility in Burma Some of the AVG pilots heard that RAF
that assembled planes for the Chinese. By the personnel of No 112 Squadron, l ying P-40s
summer of 1941, Chennault was putting them based in North Africa, had painted the mouths
through their paces at an airi eld in Loiwing, of fearsome tiger sharks on their engine
China, near the border with Burma. cowlings, probably copying the design from
A remedial training school was established a unit of the German Luftwaffe they had
after it was discovered that some of the encountered over the Mediterranean Sea. The
recruits had lied about their experience in artists among the Americans went to work
‘pursuit planes’ and had only l own bombers replicating the razor-toothed jaws, and soon
or transports. Chennault lectured the aviators the Chinese began referring to the mercenary
regularly, often using a chalkboard to illustrate pilots as ‘Flying Tigers’. The nickname stuck,
his points, and shook his head in despair and a cartoonist from Walt Disney Studios
when one of his precious P-40s was damaged complemented the gaping sharks’ mouths with
in training. The young pilots embraced the image of a stylish Bengal tiger wearing
Chennault’s teachings and began referring to wings and leaping through a ‘V’ for victory
Above: A ‘blood chit’ given to the Flying Tigers by the
the commander as ‘Old Leatherface’. emblazoned on the fuselages of many P-40s.
Nationalist Chinese government. It would be used as
The AVG’s P-40s were shipped in crates identii cation so that downed airmen could get aid from Although they l ew as a combat unit for
from New York, but even before they were any Chinese civilian they came across. only seven months, from December 1941 to
assembled and took light, one of the planes Rangoon. Test lights took place at a nearby July 1942, the Flying Tigers gained lasting
met an unfortunate fate. The i rst of the crates airield, and the P-40s were then delivered to fame in the skies of the CBI during World
was being loaded into the hold of a freighter the AVG. War II. Training mishaps, mechanical failures
when the cable snapped, sending the entire Chennault organised his planes and pilots – particularly with the P-40’s Allison engine –
load into the Hudson River below. The engine into three squadrons of equal size. The 1st and combat damage continually reduced the
and all the cockpit controls were damaged Squadron, with fuselage numbers 1-33, number of operational aircraft, and Chennault
beyond repair – and just like that the AVG was was nicknamed the Adam and Eves. The never had more than 55 planes and 70 pilots
down to 99 planes. If Chennault considered 2nd Squadron, fuselage numbers 34-66, at his disposal. Still, the Flying Tigers compiled
the accident a bad omen, he shrugged it was dubbed the Panda Bears, and the 3rd a remarkable record, debunking the myth of
off and kept that sentiment to himself. The Squadron, fuselage numbers 67-99, was Japanese aerial invincibility in the process.
remaining planes were shipped to Burma, called the Hell’s Angels. For a time, the During those frenetic days, the AVG claimed
where they were assembled at the CAMCO 299 enemy planes – destroyed both in the
factory outside the port city and capital of air along with scores on the ground – shot up

CHRIST COMBAT

PERHAPS THE MOST DRAMATIC ENGAGEMENT OF THE FLYING TIGERS’ BRIEF COMBAT HISTORY TOOK PLACE ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 1941
On 25 December 1941, the Japanese launched roared upward in a near-vertical climb, opening enemy planes, while Tommy Haywood and
their second heavy air raid against Rangoon, the i re at 200 yards and tearing an enemy plane Overend each claimed a pai
Burmese capital, in 48 hours. At Mingaladon apart with his six .50-calibre machine guns. As Robert ‘RT’ Smith pul
airield, north of the city, Christmas Day was a Executing a l awless ‘boom and zoom’, he broke second kill against the bom
muggy muggy 46 degrees Celsius, smothering away in a power dive and made another pass. This an Oscar slicing toward him
the pilots of the Flying Tigers’ 3rd Squadron, the time, a second bomber fell to his guns. blazing. Smith held steady. H
Hell’s Angels. Suddenly, the air raid siren wailed. When the Japanese turned toward home, Older as bullets from its guns raked
13 Hell’s Angels pilots sprinted to their Curtiss pounced on an escorting Nakajima Ki-43 ‘Oscar’ a l ash, the Japanese plane pa
P-40 Tomahawk ighters, joined by 16 pilots of i ghter and sent it spiralling earthward for his i fth billowing smoke before rolling
No 67 Squadron RAF lying the Brewster Buffalo. kill. He had become an ace. plunging into the Gulf of Marta
Just past noon, the characteristic Flying Tiger Robert P ‘Duke’ Hedman was Tigers and their RAF allies claim
V-formations of 71 enemy bombers and at least credited with four Japanese bombers and a victories in the swirling Christma
30 ighters appeared. Charles Older, who had i ghter, attaining the coveted status of ace in while only two P-40s were shot d
lamed two enemy bombers on 23 December, a single day. George McMillan shot down three four Buffaloes.

“FLYINGTIGERROBERT P ‘DUKE’ HEDMAN, WAS Ki-43 Oscar
The Japanes
CREDITEDWITH FOUR JAPANESE BOMBERS AND against
AFIGHTER,BECOMING AN ACE IN A DAY”

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