[sci.military] WWII Chinese airmen flying for the AAF in China ?

anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee) (10/23/90)

From: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee)

Many years ago I read about how some Chinese pilots flew obselete
biplanes to intercept Japanese bombers in WWII.  I was wondering if any
of them ended up flying with the US AAF in China, e.g. flying P40s ?

Thanks in advance

--
Anthony Lee (Michaelangelo teenage mutant ninja turtle) (Time Lord Doctor) 
ACSnet:	anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz	TEL:+(61)-7-371-2651
Internet: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au	    +(61)-7-377-4139 (w)
SNAIL: Dept Comp. Science, University of Qld, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia

msmiller@gonzoville.East.Sun.COM (Mark Miller - OpenWindows Contractor) (10/25/90)

From: msmiller@gonzoville.East.Sun.COM (Mark Miller - OpenWindows Contractor)
|>From: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee)
|>
|>Many years ago I read about how some Chinese pilots flew obselete
|>biplanes to intercept Japanese bombers in WWII.  I was wondering if any
|>of them ended up flying with the US AAF in China, e.g. flying P40s ?
|>
|>Thanks in advance

Yes. They formed a unit of Chinese pilots, trained by Americans. I forget
the actual name of this unit, but from accounts I've read their landings
were quite amusing. I also think there was a joint Chinese/American
squadron in operation, but I'd have to do some checking. In any event,
all these units flew the P-40.
____________________________________________________________________________
Mark S. Miller      UUCP: msmiller@Sun.COM      "In a nation ruled by swine,
                                                all pigs are upward mobile."
Disclaimer: I work for me, so do my words.             - Hunter S. Thompson

raymond%europa@uunet.UU.NET (Raymond Man) (10/29/90)

From: raymond%europa@uunet.UU.NET (Raymond Man)

I met a Chinese flyer whose name is Jack Lee. He was the owner of
the Golden Dragon Restaurant in San Francisco in China Town. He
told me that they flew Hawk biplane and P-40 was just something
they dreamed of.

Just call me `Man'. 
"And why take ye thought for "    --   Matt. 6:28
raymond@jupiter.ame.arizona.edu

jem3@bellcore.bellcore.com (John E McKillop) (10/30/90)

From: pyuxf!jem3@bellcore.bellcore.com (John E McKillop)

In article <1990Oct23.005925.3098@cbnews.att.com> anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee) writes:
>
>Many years ago I read about how some Chinese pilots flew obselete
>biplanes to intercept Japanese bombers in WWII.  I was wondering if any
>of them ended up flying with the US AAF in China, e.g. flying P40s ?
>
In 1943 or 1944 (I think), the Fourteenth US Air Force joined
with the Chinese Air Force to form the Chinese American
Composite Wing (CACW) which included a medium bomber squadron
(B-25 Mitchells) and I believe P-40s and/or P-51 Mustangs. The
above is off the top of my head. If you would like additional info,
I will have to check my references at home and get back to
you.

ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) (11/01/90)

From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib)
*>I met a Chinese flyer whose name is Jack Lee. He was the owner of
*>the Golden Dragon Restaurant in San Francisco in China Town. He
*>told me that they flew Hawk biplane and P-40 was just something
*>they dreamed of.

The book about Saburo Sakai (Japanese Navy ace) mentions
that they faced (and made short work of) Russian built
airplanes called the N.15 and N.16. What were these?

[mod.note:  I think these must have been Polikarpov I-15's and I-16's.
The latter was a stubby little monoplane reminiscent of the Gee Bee racer,
and knicknamed "Rat" by its pilots; the former was the same thing as a
biplane. - Bill ]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iskandar Taib                        | The only thing worse than Peach ala
Internet: NTAIB@AQUA.UCS.INDIANA.EDU |    Frog is Frog ala Peach
Bitnet:   NTAIB@IUBACS               !
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)

jih@seismo.CSS.GOV (Rong-Song Jih) (11/06/90)

From: jih@seismo.CSS.GOV (Rong-Song Jih)

In article <1990Oct25.145744.169@cbnews.att.com>, msmiller@gonzoville.East.Sun.COM (Mark Miller - OpenWindows Contractor) writes:
> 
> 
> From: msmiller@gonzoville.East.Sun.COM (Mark Miller - OpenWindows Contractor)
> |>From: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee)
> |>
> |>Many years ago I read about how some Chinese pilots flew obselete
> |>biplanes to intercept Japanese bombers in WWII.  I was wondering if any
> |>of them ended up flying with the US AAF in China, e.g. flying P40s ?
> |>
> |>Thanks in advance
> 
> Yes. They formed a unit of Chinese pilots, trained by Americans. I forget
> the actual name of this unit, but from accounts I've read their landings
> were quite amusing. I also think there was a joint Chinese/American
> squadron in operation, but I'd have to do some checking. In any event,
> all these units flew the P-40.
> ____________________________________________________________________________

Yes or no... It seems that Bill's original inquiry was whether
those pilots who flew the biplanes (such as Hawk 3) at the
beginning of the war did get a chance to fly P40s...
As I know, most of those pilots didn't survive that long ---
particularly those famous ones, such as Kao Chiharng, Yao
Yiichin... 

Also, before CAF got P-40 and P-51, the fighter squadrons flew 
Sovit-made I-15 and I-16 for quite a while. I-15 was a biplane
too.

Rongsong Jih
jih@toto.CSS.GOV