Erik Shilling: Flying Tiger
Who were the Flying Tigers ? Why were we so successful? What was the most
important knowledge Chennault imparted to the men of the AVG? Also answers to
many other questions.
There are many people today who don't know who the Flying Tigers were.
Many erroneously think that anyone who served in China during the war was a
Flying Tiger.
Seven months before Pearl Harbor, less than 300 personnel from the
military volunteered for an undercover mission in China. Their assignment was
to help the Chinese defend their cities and the Burma Road. Except for the old
"Marco Polo Silk Route over the "Roof of the World," that took a Camel Caravan
almost one year to traverse, the Burma Road was China's only remaining supply
route. Even this route had been closed by the British because of Japanese
pressure, but was reopened at the insistence of the United States.
The original plan included three groups of volunteers. There were to be
two fighter groups and one bomber group. The first group flying Curtiss P-40s,
the next fighter group would have Seversky P-43s, and the third, a bombardment
group, were to fly bombers made by Lockheed. The first group to arrive in
Burma was of course dubbed "The First American Volunteer Group." However,
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor forced the cancellation of the second two
groups.
Since the American Volunteer Group was an undercover military operation,
no civilians were considered. Military pilots, and ground personnel had to be
on active duty to be acceptable. Every man in the American Volunteer Group, as
the name implies, was a volunteer.
The original intent was to recruit only pilots who had flown the Curtiss
P-40. Finding it impossible to get the necessary number of experienced P-40
pilots, the initial requirements for fighter pilots were dropped. The final
make-up of the AVG was a third from each service, the Army, Navy, and Marines,
regardless of types of planes they had flown.
A state of emergency had been declared in early 1940, which prevented
anyone from leaving the armed forces. To get around this, an executive order
was signed by President Roosevelt in May 1940, allowing men in the armed
forces to resign from the military, specifically for this undercover mission
in China.
After being accepted for this secret mission, as a cover, the men were
required to:
1. Resign from the military.
2. Sign a contract with a company operating in China by the name of Central
Aircraft Manufacturing Company.
3. Voluntarily join the Chinese Air Force upon arriving in the Far East.
According to Chennault joining the Chinese Air Force would give the volunteers
belligerency status. Meaning that if anyone of the volunteers happened to be
captured by the Japanese, he would be treated as soldiers, not as civilian. As
a civilian, he could be tried for murder if it was proven he had killed a
Japanese national.
Although the Japanese were not signatories to the Geneva convention, it
was hoped that if any of us was captured, we wold be treat as a prisoner of
war rather than tried in a criminal court.
On December 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the
American Volunteer Group had approximately 260 men, 82 of whom were pilots,
two of these men refused combat, and were assigned to ground jobs.
I think credit for the name "Flying Tigers" was first used by a United
Press Correspondent by the name of McGrath, whose news report was datelined,
Rangoon December 26, 1941, and referred to our group as "Flying Tigers,"
should get the credit for being the first to use it. the name "Flying Tiger"
eventually became synonymous with AVG and later replace the name AVG. There
are others who may disagree of my contention, but I have copies of the
original newspaper clipping.
How successful was the
undercover mission?
From the
time the American Volunteer Group first fought the Japanese on December 20,
1941, until deactivation on July 4, 1942, the A.V.G. racked up a kill ratio
never equaled.
Chennault's small group of volunteers destroyed 297 Japanese aircraft,
which were confirmed by British and Chinese Intelligence and accomplished
within a seven-month period.
Incredulously, verbal reports by the Japanese pilots claimed they shot down
544 AVG planes. Perhaps this is why their large losses were acceptable to
them.
As a result of Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States lost
most of its fleet. Our troops on Guam and Wake had surrendered. The
Philippines succumbed to a ruthless enemy. Ten-thousand American POW's died
during the Bataan death march, as a result of the inhumane treatment they
received.
The British had lost Singapore, and Hong Kong. The Japanese navy had sunk
Britons battleships Repulse, and Prince of Wales off the Malayan Peninsular.
American's Flying Tigers were shooting Japan's war planes out of the sky in
large numbers. Even though the Flying Tigers were greatly outnumbered at times
as much as twenty to one, we were able to inflict massive casualties on
Japan's Air Force at an incredible rate of more than 50 Japanese killed for
each American lost.
During this somber period in our history, the only success the allies were
having was with this small group of Americans fighting under Claire Lee
Chennault.
To accomplish this, the Flying Tigers lost 4 pilots in aerial combat, seven
killed by ground fire as a result of strafing missions, three became prisoners
of war, 11 were killed in accidents unrelated to enemy action, 3 men succumbed
to injuries suffered as a result of Japanese bombing raids, and one missing in
action presumed dead.
Even today Daniel Ford still claims that the AVG Flying Tigers was a
mercenary group and refuses to believe we were actually on an undercover
mission. Therefore the cover for this mission must have been quite convincing.
Why were we so
effective?
|
Click on Picture to enlarge |
 |
First, we had all
graduated from American Military Flying Schools, I feel was the best in the
world, where students that didn't meet the strict standards of pre-war
military pilots were eliminated. Second, the knowledge Chennault imparted to
pilots of the American Volunteer Group contained detailed information on all
the Japanese aircraft including performance, type of aircraft, size of
armament, strength and weakness of the Japanese planes and crew. He pointed
out the vulnerable spots from which to attack, and their blind spots, type of
attacks to make, and those to avoid, strong points of the P-40 and its
weaknesses.
The third reason for our overwhelming success is overlooked. We only
attacked when we had the advantage over the Japanese, avoided combat if we
didn't. Chennault was an advocate of hit and run tactics, that some commanders
considered acts of cowardice. Even though Erich Hartman, Germany's leading Ace
had 352 confirmed victories and used this same tactic exclusively. We were on
the defensive, our only objective was to shoot down as many enemy bombers as
possible with the smallest possible loss to ourselves.
The Japanese fighter's job was to defend their bombers. They couldn't run
even when in difficulty. Leaving the bombers defenseless would have been
considered cowardice on their part, and their pilots would probably be shot
for such action. Our primary job was to destroy the bombers in their attempt
to destroy ground installations. However, if we were in trouble, we were free
to leave the area having sufficient speed to escape, they didn't. We would
return to the fracas only when we had the advantage. Japanese fighter pilots
didn't have the luxury of such tactics.
The fourth reason was that all of Japan's aircraft, including the much
vaunted Zero, were inferior in every respect to ours with one exception: the
ability to turn in a small circle. However this was of little military value,
if the pilot avoided the so called dogfight, or turning combat, but used hit,
and run tactics which Chennault had taught us in the AVG.
Frustrating aspects
encountered in the AVG?
More gunnery practice
could have made every one of our pilots one hell of a lot better in destroying
the enemy. Pilots with insufficient gunnery skill exposed themselves to more
danger than a marksman, because it required many more passes at a bomber
formation to get results. The best pilot in the world cannot have the success
of an average pilot if the average pilot is an excellent marksman.
Lack of replacement parts for the aircraft, and poor radio equipment, which
were identical to an off the shelf item that could be purchased at any Piper
Cub dealer in the states.
Our attitude toward those men who fortunately left for home:
Attitudes were mixed among the AVG. We
thought that it was good riddance for one, and the other was anger. They had
signed up to do a job, and with their leaving, made our jobs more dangerous.
Our
Living conditions:
Heat, humidity, myriads of insects could be hard to bear. There
wasn't much to be said about our living conditions that would be considered
enjoyable, especially the frequent bouts of dysentery. I was able to overlook
all of these since I had a voracious appetite for excitement and adventure.
There were many enjoyable experiences afforded me that otherwise I would never
have been able to have seen. There were many men that were able to laugh at
their discomfort. I would be willing to relive that period in my life over
again.
What did I
miss the most?
Mail
from home, close friends and family left behind, although I later considered
many in the AVG to be family. Ice- cream, fresh vegetables, milk and decent
meat. Water Buffalo was the only meat available and extremely tough,
slaughtered only after the end of its useful life, and too old to plow the
fields or pull carts. One thing I wish I had brought with me was a good camera
and lots of color film.
Thoughts on official Washington:
When
we were escorted by the cruisers North Hampton and Salt Lake, I felt that
officially Washington cared, and wanted us to get there safely. Later, as the
American military presence was increasing in China, I had the feeling that it
was the War Department that didn't give a damn and would have preferred to see
Chennault fail, even at the expense of losing American lives. The amount of
supplies given to the AVG were no longer under the direction of the White
House, but subject to the dictates of the War Department. Supplies were
reluctantly released to us at Chiang's insistence, and only when Generalissimo
Chiang Kai Shek threatened to surrender. Even then, supplies intended for us
were often short stopped and released to other units, though they were not in
a combat zone.
The
Burma Road:
The
Burma Road was the roughest and most dangerous damn road I have ever driven,
but I enjoyed the adventure very much. The difficulties of driving the Burma
Road can best be understood by describing some of the challenges facing those
who drove the road. For example, the approach to the bridge over the Salween
River was awesome to see from the top of the mountain that overlooked the
salween gorge and the suspension bridge that spanned the river. A direct line
distance of one mile, but a distance of 20 miles to get there by road. Airline
distance from Lashio to Kunming was 330 miles, by the Burma Road it was over
one thousand miles, and traveling by truck took the better part of a week.
Most significant contribution the AVG made to the war effort:
The Chinese army, that had
been under General Stillwell's command, was in disorganized retreat, going
back to China. Stillwell had abandoned his command, and left the Chinese army
to fend for themselves.
"Vinegar Joe" Stillwell was retreating in the opposite direction on his way
to India. The only thing that stood between China and Japan's Red Dragon
Division was Chennault's Flying Tigers. Had the Japanese army been successful
in crossing the Salween river, it was most likely that the entire country of
China would have fallen.
Although the allied world was crumbling, the unparalleled success of the
Flying Tigers over the Japanese was an answer to fervent prayers of the free
world. This taste of victory against Japan was a light at the end of a long
dark tunnel, and a ray of hope in face of the disasters befalling the allies
throughout the rest of the world. Our successes against unbelievable odds,
left no doubt in the minds of the American people as to the eventual outcome
of the war. Oddly enough we were flying a fighter plane the British didn't
want, and by U.S. Army Air Corps standards, was considered obsolete, yet we
were making aviation history with the Curtiss P-40.
From a military standpoint, the most important, but seldom referred to, and
overlooked concerning its importance to the war effort, was that the Flying
Tigers alone stopped the rapidly advancing crack Japanese army, known as, "The
Red Dragon" at the Salween River Gorge.
How do
I believe history will look upon the AVG:
If
the revisionist have their way as they re-write history, we will not be looked
upon kindly. It appears that the prestigious Smithsonian Museum is just the
start of what appears to be the start of a revisionist's movement. This
includes the Smithsonian's original intent to display the Enola Gay, the
aircraft that dropped the first Atomic bomb, showing the horrors of the bomb
without mentioning that it shorted the war considerably, and very likely saved
more than a million Japanese and American lives. Many Japanese still will not
accept the truth of their debacle, instead blame the Americans for causing the
war. Some of the younger Japanese say we forced their hand making them attack
first.
The subtle propaganda has already started. The spiel given by the guides in
Hawaii, to those visiting the USS Arizona War Memorial, hear that Pearl Harbor
was possibly the fault of the Americans. This is because quite a number of
visitors to the memorial are Japanese tourists, and we are afraid they will be
offended.
Some revisionists see the Japanese as harbingers of peace, since their
peace envoys were in Washington at the time. They feel we should have
continued the peace talks, and that our Far East policy goaded them into
attacking Pearl Harbor. Japan called their take-over of all of Asia as the
"Greater East Asia Co- prosperity Sphere." Forgotten is Japan's often repeated
slogan, "Asia for Asians," when in actuality it was, "Asia for the Japanese."
The AVG's main gripe:
Almost total lack of
support by the American military. The AVG flying aircraft in combat that
training schools in the states would have grounded as being unsafe for flight.
The same feeling that the Viet Nam Vets had of being forgotten by the American
people back home. The difference being that we were looked upon by the
American people as heroes, but despised by many high ranking military men.
T
The
AVG's single most significant mission:
I
believe it is the Christmas day battle over Rangoon, that caught the
imagination of the entire free world, especially the United States. It lifted
our own morale in the face of pronouncements by such notable war
correspondents as Leland Stowe and others, claiming once war started the AVG
would be lucky to survive two weeks.
How
did the name "Flying Tigers" originate?
American Newspaper
headlines, on December 26, 1941, read FLYING TIGERS SHOOT DOWN 30 ENEMY
PLANES. Sub headline, "American Volunteer Group downs 23 Japanese planes over
Rangoon Without Loss!" By Robert L. McGrath, Special Features correspondent.
(Note the discrepancy in the headline and the sub-headline). (AVG claimed 24
Japanese aircraft shot down, but British intelligence could only confirm 17.
Therefore the official count credited to the AVG was 17.)
The origin of the name Flying Tigers, seems to have faded into obscurity,
and there are many versions told by the Tigers themselves, explaining its
origin. For what it's worth, through research I have come up with the
following: Included in a news release date line Rangoon, Burma, Dec. 25, 1941
by Robert McGrath - Quote, "In a Rangoon pub after the battles had subsided, a
news correspondent remarked that "That the Americans flew like tigers up
there," a lady reporter for LIFE magazine responded with, "Yeah-Flying
Tigers!" the name certainly seemed appropriate, given the results of their
December 25 skirmishes." Unquote.
The most disastrous occurrence
for the AVG:
Possibly Loiwing, when quite a few new P-40E on their way to Kunming to be
delivered to the AVG, caught on the ground and burned. Or the potential
disaster by insistence of General Stillwell trying to use us to pull his
chestnuts out of the fire. He ordered Chennault to have the AVG patrol over
the Chinese front line in Burma. We were told that we had to fly low enough
for Chinese to recognize our airplanes as friendly aircraft. In the opinion of
many, it could have been a disastrous mission that most all AVG refused to
fly. It was later flown by volunteers, but actually a revised mission. Some
referred to this as the Loiwing revolt. I would also put on this list that
General Chennault, although deserving to be aboard the Battleship Missouri
during the surrender of Japan, wasn't invited. The only mention of his absence
was by General MacArthur when he asked, "Where's Chennault?" The Old Man had
been relieved of his command a few short weeks before the end of the war.
Would I do
it over?
Yes, in a moment, but with
two minor revisions. I would have made an attempt to participate in more
aerial combat. I feel that I was better than any Japanese pilot. On the other
hand, I never desired to participate in ground strafing. If I had my choice, I
would have wanted to limit the attacks to two strafing runs at the most. Any
more than that, with the element of surprise gone, chances of survival
diminished drastically. The other would have been more gunnery practice and
less formation flying, except for rudimentary formation practice, since I feel
it was a waste of valuable flight time. I enjoyed the flight training the
most.
Have my impressions of the Japanese changed?
Only
slightly. They do not appear as fanatical, but have become more cunning. They
would be more difficult for us to prevail against in another war.
Our
most significant hardship:
Lack of desirable food or
lodging could be overlooked. Therefore it had to be our lack of spare parts.
The lack of adequate warning in many cases.
Why
did we survive as a unit?
e
had a leader that we liked and trusted. American military pilots were superior
to, and better trained than the Japanese and we knew it. Our equipment was
superior to Japan's. Their airplane design sacrificed pilot protection for
lightness of construction, and the antiquated tactic of the turning combat in
mind. The zero had earned an undeserved reputation before our involvement in
the war. The Japanese thought the airplane was so outstanding, it remained
virtually unchanged throughout the war. Human life in the Orient was cheap,
therefore their pilots were expendable. The Zero lacked armor plate and self
sealing fuel tanks which our aircraft had and a factor that saved many of our
pilots.
ur planes were designed with pilot protection uppermost, which included
ruggedness and ability to withstand great punishment and still bring the pilot
back. Next was speed in both dive, straight and level, and roll rate. Without
these combinations Chennault's superb leadership and tactical know how would
have been frustrated. Last reason we survived was because we were
non-military.
have read many books written by pilots and crews in military outfits,
that seemed to have an underlying dislike, distrust and at times down right
hatred for some men in their squadron. This was not so in the AVG, Chennault
eliminated the undesirable, which couldn't be done in the military. I have
read some books claiming the Jews were discriminated against. I had Jews both
in the flight school and in the AVG. None were discriminated against to my
knowledge, actually the opposite was true in the AVG. Most had a great sense
of humor, and were able to defuse tense moments during times of hardships.
Whose
death hit me the hardest?
Lacy Mangleburg's death
hit me the hardest. For a time I had given some thought of returning home.
 |
|
The Curtiss Tomahawk IIA |
Thoughts on the
attributes of the P-40:
A different approach may
convince some of the readers the reason why our successes against the Japanese
was so outstanding. After reading the following, don't feel sorry for
Japanese, they started the damn war.
All of the aircraft listed below are
contemporaries of the P-40. As an added comment and question, why do many
insist upon comparing apples and oranges. Surely there can be no doubt in
anyone's mind that the F8F was superior to its forerunners, but it wasn't
flying in combat in December of 1941. Why compare it to earlier fighters?
Makes as much ense as comparing the F-16 with Germany's Fokker triplane.
The P-40's contemporary fighter aircraft, were the Japanese AM62 21, and
the Hayabusa Ki-43. Germany's Messerschmidt the Me. 109 E-3, Briton's Spitfire
Mark I as well as the Hurricane.
The P-40B (Tomahawk IIA)
flown by the Flying Tigers had. . .
Self
sealing fuel tanks. . . Japanese aircraft had none. Armor plate that would
stop any bullets fired from a Japanese fighter or bomber encountered over
Burma. Bullet proof windshield that would stop any Japanesefighter or bomber's
machine gun bullets. Very much stronger than the flimsily constructed Japanese
aircraft. A number of Zero's shed their wings at speeds slightly over 350 IAS
mph. Japanese would not even attempt a dive that approached 350 IAS. None of
Japan's aircraft could even stand up to P-40's .30 and .50 caliber guns. It
only required a few incendiary bullets, even from our .30 cal. guns, to set
fire to, or explode their aircraft.
|
Click on Picture to enlarge |
 |
Although subsequent model P-40s did fall
behind the newer model Me.109s and British Spitfires, however in every
case, each new model Zero that came out remained inferior to its
contemporary model P-40.
Now why in the hell would anyone consider the Zero to be the best fighter
of the war?
Hell, it didn't even start out that way. . .
The above is not just my opinion, but garnered from available facts, and
flying the P-40 in combat.
What was truly obsolete happened to be the turning or dogfighting combat
that had been used during of WW I.
The most dangerous problem:
Although avoidable, possibly the tumble the P-40
would get into if stalling in an extreme nose high attitude. It would start a
tail slide, finally swapping end for end and go into a tumble taking as much
as 12,000 feet to recover. Frank Shield got into a tumble while we were having
a dog fight. Frank had to bail out. He had not recovered control while only a
scant 2000 feet still in a vertical dive. He entered the tumble at 10,000
feet. I believe another couple thousand feet would have given him sufficient
altitude to recover. Once understood, the tumble was easily avoided.
Thoughts on the Japanese pilots:
Japanese pilots were highly disciplined. I observed
them holding a close formation even when their leader was burning fiercely and
could have exploded any moment. Damn few were up to the standards of our
pilots graduated from the American military school in the states, especially
prior to Pearl Harbor. However, most Americans were using the wrong tactic
through no fault of their own. Combat in all theaters turned in our favor,
improving considerably once this was overcome.
How did the P-40 compare to the Japanese Zero:
Of all the fighter planes flown against the
Japanese, the P-40 was the most under-rated airplane and the Japanese Zero was
the most overrated. Contrary to popular belief, the P-40's larger turning
radius did not present a problem when understood, and proper tactics were used
against the Japanese fighters. Also its lower rate of climb could easily be
overcome. The P-40 which was more than 40 mph faster than the zero, could
still climb at a speed that the zero was incapable of attaining. Pilots that
tried to dogfight lost their lives. Whereas the hit and run tactic with a
faster plane was the only way to fight the Hayabusa or Zero.
Erich Hartman, Germany's leading Ace with 352 victories said, "I always
avoid the turning combat when ever possible. "In half of my victories,"
Hartman said, "the pilot was unaware he was under attack until he was being
hit." He was also an extremely good marksman. Erich Hartman averaged 70
victories a year. Therefore, why is it so difficult for some Americans to
believe that 82 AVG pilots destroyed 297 Japanese in a seven month period?
To put our victories in their proper prospective: If all the AVG pilots had
been of Eric Hartman's caliber, we would have destroyed 3,052 airplanes in
this 7 month period. Provided there had been enough Japanese airplanes
available to shoot down. Now, 296 doesn't seem so terribly outstanding, as a
matter of fact somewhat shabby.
The AVG encountered 4 types of Japanese aircraft in their fight over Burma
and southeast China. Two were fighters, the Hayabusa we called the I-97 and
the Mitsubishi*, an obsolete fixed geared fighter, the I-96. The only Japanese
bomber was the I-97, which I think was called the Sally, and an occasional
Japanese photo-recon plane.
The P-40s was 50 mph faster than the Hayabusa we called the I-97.
The P-40's top speed was 70 mph faster than the I-96, an early fixed geared
Mitsubishi*.
The P-40 was 130 mph faster than the Japanese bomber, and 130 mph faster in a
dive than any fighter the Japanese had.
The P-40's pilot protection was in the form of self-sealing fuel tanks. Almost
two - inch thick bullet proof armor plate windshields, and 9 mm and 7 mm armor
plate protecting the pilot from behind. Also the P-40's armor plate could stop
the bullets from any military aircraft the Japanese had in the China - Burma
theater.
*Editor's Note: The more common fixed gear fighter encountered
over China and Burma was manufactured by Nakajima and designated as the
Ki-27. The Mitsubishi fighter, the A5M, did see service in China, but were
generally withdrawn by December of 1941 and were pulled from any combat in
mid 1942. The Mitsubishi was a Naval fighter (IJN) and the Nakajima served
with the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF). The Ki-27 also offered performance
greatly inferior to the Curtiss P-40B/Tomahawk IIA.
The most irritating:
One author, writing for the Smithsonian's Air &
Space magazine claims, "The Zero to be the most fabulous fighter to come out
of the war." Those making such statements are ill informed. They either never
flew the Zero, never fought the Zero as it should have been, and most likely
are not pilots, nor aeronautical engineers, so how the hell do they know.
Aviation buffs always come up with the statement that the Zero was more
maneuverable than the P-40. Emphatically not true. Flown properly the P-40 was
an outstanding fighter, especially in the Chinese theater of war.
Actually the P-40 was more maneuverable than the Zero. Unfortunately, those
that claim otherwise do not know the definition of maneuverability as defined
by Webster's dictionary.
1. To perform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to secure an
advantage.
2. An intended and controlled variation from a straight and level
flight path in the operation of an aircraft.
3. To make a series of changes in direction and position for a specific
purpose.
4. Evasive movement or shift of tactics.
5. To manage into or out of a position or condition.
6. To bring about or secure as a result of skillful management.
Interesting comments by Saburo Sakai about the Zero:
In a short but informative interview with Saburo
Sakai, Japans leading living Ace, I asked, "Commander, what was the Zero's top
speed?" His answer amazed me when he said, "The A6M2 had a top speed of 309
mph. and a maximum allowable dive speed of 350 mph. It became extremely heavy
on the controls above 275 mph, and approaching 350 mph, the Zero's controls
were so heavy it was impossible to roll. A further comment by Sakai was that
the skin on the wings started to wrinkle, causing the pilot great concern,
since a number of Zero's had shed their wings in a dive." A captured Zero
tested by Americans military, showed its top speed to be 319 mph, this was a
later model, the AM6M5, and was tested without guns or ammunition. Therefore
Saburo Sakai's statement that the top speed of the A6M2 and A6M3 of 309 mph
would seem to be correct.
Saburo Sakai, in an interview made on August 11, 1996, admitted that, after
flying the P-51 he had changed his mind and now rated the Zero as number two,
where as before he thought it was the best. He said, "the P-51 could do
everything the Zero could do and more." My comment to him would have been that
it's too bad you never got the opportunity to fly the P-40.
Compare this to the P-40's 355 mph, and he the maximum allowable dive speed
of 480 mph, (occasionally our pilots dove as fast as 510 mph) 130 mph faster
than the Zero. The P-40's roll rate at 260 mph was 96 degrees per second,
three times that of the Zero's mere 35 degrees at the same speed.
Japanese pilots were taught the antiquated importance of Dogfighting, or
turning combat as used in WW I. Unfortunately our military pilots were taught
the same thing, dogfighting. But the Americans didn't have the equipment with
which to be successful. When the Japanese encountered Chennault's hit and run
tactics, they were at loss. It wasn't in their book, and they didn't know how
to handle the situation.
What was the impact of Japanese propaganda:
"Tokyo Rose" during one of her many English
broadcasts, admonishing AVG pilots saying, "Why won't you stay and fight?
You're cowards, always running away. Are you afraid of our courageous pilots?"
Undoubtedly our hit and run tactics were obviously hurting and the Japanese
were too stupid to realize the information she was giving us.
On December 24, 1941, Tokyo Rose announced over the radio that Japan had a
Christmas present for the AVG. How utterly stupid, we were ready and waiting.
The AVG were confirmed to have shot down 13 fighters and 4 bombers. The
British got 6, all confirmed. No losses by AVG or RAF.
What proof is there that the AVG, in the beginning of the war,
was the only outfit using proper tactics?:
The Americans were still using the suicidal
"Dogfight," or turning combat. When the Lockheed P-38s were first introduced
into the Pacific theater in 1943. Saburo Sakai says, "The Zeros were shooting
them down in large numbers." Although the Lockheed had a 100 mile per hour
speed advantage, this is what happened when the airplane wasn't being used
properly. Saburo further states, "When the Americans changed their tactic, the
Zero pilots became fearful of the P-38, because they were decimating the
Zeros."
As early as September 1941 Chennault was teaching us to hit and run,
requiring speed, which was the P-40's forte against the Japanese. When
properly used, it outclassed the Japanese Zero in every respect. It took the
American Military 2 more years, and the loss of several hundred American
pilots, before they stumbled on the secret of successfully fighting the
Japanese in the air.
Another misconception given us by revisionist:
According to revisionists, the weave was first used
during the battle of Midway, giving credit to Commander Thatch for inventing
it, and referred to it as the "Thach Weave."
An article in the Smithsonian magazine, Air & Space, said that Lt.
Commander Thach had developed the weave which he said contributed in a large
part, "...To the success of the Battle of Midway...." However, Commander
Thatch admits he had heard it was used in China. Incidently this weave was
used, during our training at Toungoo, and was part of a combat report when the
AVG first encounter the Japanese on December 20, 1941.
A controversy developed about the invention of the Thach "Weave" and later
it was discovered that Commander never called it a weave but a "Beam Defence,"
which incidently was not a "Weave" as every one seemed to think.
In 1992, on our fiftieth anniversary of the deactivation of the Flying
Tigers, we finally received the long over due recognition from the military in
the form of a Presidential Unit Citation for our group, and a promise of
Honorable discharge from the United States Air Force was forth coming. The
wording of the Citation acknowledged that we were members of the U. S.
military on a covert secret mission. The unit citation specifically named the
AVG as Flying Tigers.
Air Force regulations prohibit the use of the name of any unit that had
been deactivated. Since the AVG, Flying Tigers were deactivated on July 4,
1942, the name Flying Tigers, by Air Force regulation, prevented any Air Force
unit using this name.
These are the reason why we guard our name and record so vehemently. This
small group set a record in military aviation that no outfit has ever come
close to equaling, and undoubtedly never will.
Chennault was fully aware that it was the Flying Tigers that gave him the
opportunity to prove his tactics, and said so in his biography. He knew it was
because of the AVG's outstanding combat record that forced the military to
reluctantly accept him as a force to be reckoned with, in the makeup of a
fighter force in China. Due to world-wide publicity of his Flying Tigers, made
it impossible for the military to ignore Chennault and the accomplishments of
Flying Tigers which he commanded.
|
Click on Picture to enlarge |
 |
As great a tactician as Chennault was, it was highly unlikely that
the Air Force would have even considered returning Chennault to active
duty. Even so, with his leadership established, there was a great deal
of opposition to Chennault's appointment as a General by many high
ranking military. Without the AVG, Chennault would have never been made
the Commanding General of the 14th Air Force, much less being recalled
to active service. Chennault needed the Flying Tigers to prove his
tactics. As a result of his knowledge of the Japanese military that was
imparted to the AVG, and using the tactics learned from him they became
famous. The 14th's record alone would never have made him world famous.
I wonder, beside Chennault and LeMay, both controversial figures, how
many other Air Force commanders can the average person name?
Three days after my 80th birthday, I finally received my discharge from the
USAAF dated July 4, 1942, and the following awards: The Distinguished Flying
Cross with oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, Asiatic Campaign
medal with four battle stars, WW II victory medal, and Presidential Unit
Citation with oak leaf cluster.
The true legacy of the AVG:
I believe, the lesson that everyone could learn is
that a few dedicated men, with proper leadership, can accomplish greatness
even in the face of adversity and hostile opposition.
*Editor's Note: The fixed gear fighter that Mr. Shilling refers to was not
manufactured by Mitsubishi. It was manufactured by Nakajima and designated
as the
Ki-27.
