Flying Tigers
1st American Volunteer Group | |
---|---|
Claire Chennault |
The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the
The group consisted of three
The Flying Tigers began to arrive in China in April 1941. The group first saw combat on 20 December 1941, 12 days after
Origin
The
Chennault spent the winter of 1940–1941 in Washington, supervising the purchase of 100
Original American volunteer group
Of the pilots, 60 came from the
The first batch, some 300 men, departed
Of the 300 original members of the CAMCO personnel, nine were Chinese-Americans recruited from America's Chinatowns. All nine were trained at Allison Engineworks in Indianapolis, Indiana: all were P-40 mechanics. Upon arrival in Kunming, two other Chinese-Americans were hired, a Ford Motor truck specialist and a doctor, raising the total to 11. Prior to 4 July 1942, three of the P-40 mechanics resigned. The official AVG roster lists the original eight.[citation needed][clarification needed]
The AVG was created by an executive order of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. He did not speak English, however, and Chennault never learned to speak Chinese. As a result, all communications between the two men were routed through Soong Mei-ling, "Madame Chiang" as she was known to Americans, and she was designated the group's "honorary commander."
Chennault fighter doctrine
Chennault preached a radically different approach to air combat based on his study of Japanese tactics and equipment, his observation of the tactics used by
Chennault and the Flying Tigers benefited from the country's warning network, called "the best air-raid warning system in existence":[11]
Starting from areas in Free China, in hundreds of small villages, in lonely outposts, in hills and caves, stretching from near Canton through all Free China to the capital in
Lanchow, far northwest, are a maze of alarm stations equipped with radios and telephones that give instant warning of the approach of Japanese planes.[11]
When Japanese aircraft attacked, Chennault's doctrine called for pilots to take on enemy aircraft in teams from an altitude advantage, since their aircraft were not as maneuverable or as numerous as the Japanese fighters they would encounter. He prohibited his pilots from entering into a turning fight with the nimble Japanese fighters, telling them to execute a diving or slashing attack and to dive away to set up for another attack. This "dive-and-zoom" technique was contrary to what the men had learned in U.S. service as well as what the Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots in Burma had been taught; it had been used successfully, however, by Soviet units serving with the Chinese Air Force.[12]
Curtiss P-40
AVG fighter aircraft came from a Curtiss assembly line which had just started producing Tomahawk IIB models for the Royal Air Force in North Africa. The Tomahawk IIB was similar to the U.S. Army's P-40C, but there is some evidence that Curtiss actually used leftover components when building the fighters intended for China, making them closer to the older P-40B/Tomahawk IIA specification - for instance the AVG aircraft had fuel tanks with external self-sealing coatings, rather than the more effective internal membranes as fitted to the P-40C/Tomahawk IIB, and the aircraft built for China lacked the later Tomahawk's fittings to carry a drop tank and the addition of an armour plate in front of the pilot.[13] The fighters were purchased without "government-furnished equipment" such as reflector gunsights, radios and wing guns; the lack of these items caused continual difficulties for the AVG in Burma and China.
The 100 P-40 aircraft were crated and sent to Burma on third country freighters during spring 1941. At Rangoon, they were unloaded, assembled and test flown by personnel of Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) before being delivered to the AVG training unit at Toungoo.[14] One crate was dropped into the water and a wing assembly was ruined by salt water immersion, so CAMCO was able to deliver only 99 Tomahawks before war broke out. (Many of those were destroyed in training accidents.) The 100th fuselage was trucked to a CAMCO plant in Loiwing, China, and later made whole with parts from damaged aircraft. Shortages in equipment, with spare parts almost impossible to obtain in Burma (along with the slow introduction of replacement fighter aircraft), were continual impediments, although the AVG did receive 50 replacement P-40E fighters from USAAF stocks toward the end of its combat tour.
AVG fighter aircraft were painted with a large shark face on the front of the aircraft. This was done after pilots saw a photograph of a P-40 of No. 112 Squadron RAF in North Africa,[15] which in turn had adopted the shark face from German pilots of the Luftwaffe's ZG 76 heavy fighter wing, flying Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighters in Crete. (The AVG nose-art is variously credited to Charles Bond[16] and Erik Shilling.) About the same time, the AVG was dubbed "The Flying Tigers" by its Washington support group, called China Defense Supplies.[17] The P-40's good qualities included pilot armor, self-sealing fuel tanks, sturdy construction, heavy armament, and a higher diving speed than most Japanese aircraft – qualities that Chennault's combat tactics were devised to exploit.[18] To gain full advantage, Chennault created an early warning network of spotters that would give his fighters time to take off and climb to a superior altitude before engaging the Japanese.[19]
Combat history
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2012) |
The port of
The AVG's first combat mission was on 20 December 1941, when aircraft of the 1st and 2nd squadrons intercepted 10 unescorted Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily" bombers of the 21st Hikōtai attacking Kunming. The bombers jettisoned their loads before reaching Kunming. Three of the Japanese bombers were shot down near Kunming and a fourth was damaged so severely that it crashed before returning to its airfield at Hanoi. Later, Chinese intelligence intercepted Japanese communications indicating that only 1 out of the 10 bombers ultimately returned to base. Furthermore, the Japanese discontinued their raids on Kunming while the AVG was based there. One P-40 crash-landed; it was salvaged for parts. This mission was one of the earliest American aerial victories in the Pacific War.
Defense of Rangoon
The first squadron had flown up to Kunming to defend the terminus of the Burma Road and saw some combat action on 20 December 1941 while defending Rangoon from Japanese bombers, taking down four of them and disrupting their attack on the Burma Road.[21]
At this time, the focus of Japan's offensive efforts in the AVG's coverage area was southern Burma. The 3rd Squadron – 18 aircraft strong – defended Rangoon from 23 to 25 December. On 23 December,
On 25 December, the JAAF returned, reinforced by Ki-21s of 12th Sentai and
After its losses in the 23–25 December battles, the 3rd Squadron was relieved by the 2nd Squadron "Panda Bears", which carried out a series of raids on JAAF airbases in Thailand. The Japanese had moved aircraft to Malaya to finish off Singapore, and its remaining aircraft in the area (the 77th, 31st and 62nd Sentai) launched fighter sweeps and counter raids on the Allied airfield at Mingaladon.
On 12 January, the Japanese launched their
Despite these minor victories and Chennault's reinforcement of the "Panda Bears" with pilots from the "Adam and Eves", by mid-February, only 10 P-40s were still operational at Mingaladon. Commonwealth troops retreated before the Japanese onslaught, and the AVG was pressed into the ground attack role to support them. One unfortunate result of these missions was a prolonged air attack on a suspected Japanese column on 21 February that turned out to consist of Commonwealth troops. More than 100 Allied people died in this friendly fire incident. On 27 February, after hearing that the RAF was retreating and pulling out its radar equipment, the AVG withdrew to bases in northern Burma.
By 24 January, the Flying Tigers had destroyed 73 Japanese aircraft while losing only five themselves – a notable performance, considering the AVG was outnumbered and faced experienced and fully trained Japanese pilots. The main disadvantage of JAAF fighter pilots of this period was the near-obsolescence of their predominant fighter type in the theater, the Ki-27. Though more maneuverable than the P-40, its armament and performance was inferior. Lightly constructed and armed, it could not withstand frontal attacks nor could it out-dive Allied fighters such as the P-40; if it attempted to, it often came apart in the air. In fact, its cruising speed was less than that of the Ki-21 bombers it was intended to escort.[21]
Retreat into China
After Rangoon was lost to the Japanese at the end of February, the AVG relocated to
Reinforced by new P-40E "Kittyhawks" and by repaired aircraft from the AVG's excellent maintenance group, 12 P-40s were based at Loiwing on 8 April. Despite the long retreats, their losses and incessant air combat, the AVG still retained their abilities. That day, 12 Oscars from the 64th Sentai raided the base. In the ensuing series of dogfights, four Ki-43s were downed in exchange for one P-40E destroyed on the ground. During this period, Chinese and American commanders pressured Chennault to order his pilots to undertake so-called "morale missions". These were overflights and ground attacks intended to raise the morale of hard-pressed Chinese soldiers by showing they were getting air support. The AVG's pilots seethed with resentment at these dangerous missions (which some considered useless), a feeling which culminated in the so-called "Pilot's Revolt" of mid-April. Chennault suppressed the "revolt" and ordered the ground attack missions to continue. But despite their efforts, the Allied situation in Burma continued to deteriorate. On 29 April the AVG was ordered to evacuate Loiwing and relocate to
Like the AVG's other bases, Baoshan was repeatedly bombed by the Japanese Army Air Force. Still, the AVG scored against their JAAF tormentors, bringing down four "Nates" of the 11th Sentai on 5 May and two "Anns". By 4 May, the successful Japanese Burma offensive was winding down, except for mopping up actions. One of these was an attempt by a regiment of the Japanese 56th Division to drive for Kunming, an effort that was stopped by the Chinese army operating with strong air support from the AVG. On 7 May the Japanese Army began building a pontoon bridge across the upper Salween River, which would allow them to move troops and supplies into China and drive towards Kunming. To stem this tide, 2nd Squadron Leader
With the Burma campaign over, Chennault redeployed his squadrons to provide air protection for China. The
Assessment of the AVG
The AVG lacked many resources. Despite its location in areas with malaria and cholera, it had only "four doctors, three nurses and a bottle of iodine." Pilots found the food disgusting, and the slow mail from home and lack of women hurt morale. A squadron had 45 maintenance personnel compared to the normal more than 100, and only one base could perform major repairs.[11] Nonetheless, the AVG was officially credited with 297 enemy aircraft destroyed, including 229 in the air.[24] Fourteen AVG pilots were killed in action, captured, or disappeared on combat missions. Two died of wounds sustained in bombing raids, and six were killed in accidents during the Flying Tigers' existence as a combat force.
The AVG's kill ratio was superior to that of contemporary Allied air groups in Malaya, the Philippines, and elsewhere in the Pacific theater. The AVG's success is all the more remarkable since they were outnumbered by Japanese fighters in almost all their engagements. The AVG's P-40s were superior to the JAAF's Ki-27s, but the group's kill ratio against modern Ki-43s was still in its favor. In Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941–1942, Daniel Ford attributes the AVG's success to morale and group
During their service with the Nationalist Chinese air force, 33 AVG pilots and three ground crew received the Order of the Cloud and Banner, and many AVG pilots received the Chinese Air Force Medal. Each AVG ace and double ace was awarded the Five Star or Ten Star Wing Medal.
Members of the AVG
The
- "Black Sheep" Squadron and was one of two AVG veterans (the other being James H. Howard of the USAAF) to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
- David Lee "Tex" Hill later commanded the USAAF 23rd Fighter Group.[27]
- Charles Older earned a law degree postwar, became a California Superior Court judge, and presided at the murder trial of Charles Manson.[28]
- Kenneth Jernstedt was a long-time Oregon legislator and mayor of his home town of Hood River.[29]
- Robert William Prescott,[30] founder of the first scheduled cargo airline in America, named the Flying Tiger Line.
- Allen Bert Christman, who bailed out at Rangoon, was strafed and killed while parachuting to the ground in January 1942, had earlier scripted and drawn the Scorchy Smith and Sandman comic strips.[31]
- Harry R. Bolster had one air-to-air victory with the 2nd Squadron AVG. He returned to the US Army Air Force and was killed flying an experimental Fisher XP-75 at Eglin Field, Florida, October 10, 1944.
- Journalist Joseph Alsop served as Chennault's "staff secretary" while the AVG trained at Rangoon; he was interned at Hong Kong on Christmas Day, 1941.
- Nurse Rebecca Chan Chung served under Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Fred P. Manget in Kunming, China. She was recruited by Colonel Dr. Thomas Gentry.[32]
Aces
Nineteen pilots were credited by the AVG with five or more air-to-air victories:[24]
- Robert Neale: 13 victories
- Ed Rector: 10.5 victories
- David Lee "Tex" Hill: 18.25 victories
- George Burgard: 10 victories
- Robert Little: 10 victories
- Charles Older: 10 victories
- Robert T. Smith: 8.9 victories
- William McGarry: 8 victories
- Roger Pryor: 8 victories
- Charles Bond: 7 victories
- Frank Lawlor: 7 victories
- John V. "Scarsdale Jack" Newkirk: 7 victories
- Gregory "Pappy" Boyington: 6 victories
- Robert Hedman: 6 victories
- James H. Howard: 6 victories (6 more in the European Theater for a total of 12)
- C. Joseph Rosbert: 6 victories
- J. Richard Rossi: 6.25 victories
- Robert Prescott: 5.5 victories
- Percy Bartelt: 5 victories
- William Bartling: 5 victories
- John Garrity: 5 victories
- Edmund Overend: 5 victories
- Robert Sandell: 5 victories
- Robert H. Smith: 5 victories
Legacy
Transition to the USAAF
The success of the AVG led to negotiations in spring 1942 to induct it into the USAAF. Chennault was reinstated as a colonel and immediately promoted to brigadier general commanding U.S. Army air units in China (initially designated China Air Task Force and later the 14th Air Force), while continuing to command the AVG by virtue of his position in the Chinese Air Force. On 4 July 1942, the AVG was replaced by the 23rd Fighter Group. Most AVG pilots refused to remain with the unit as a result of the strong arm tactics by the USAAF general sent to negotiate with them. However, five pilots accepted commissions in China including "Tex" Hill, one of Chennault's most loyal devotees, with others remaining for a two-week transition period. (U.S. airmen and the press continued to use the "Flying Tiger" name to refer to USAAF units in China to the end of the war, and the name continues to be applied to certain air force and army aviation squadrons.) Most AVG pilots became transport pilots in China, went back to America into civilian jobs, or rejoined the military services and fought elsewhere in the war.[33]
One of the pilots drawn to the success of the AVG was
Tributes and memorials
There are several museum displays in the United States honoring the Flying Tigers. The
There are also several memorials to the AVG in Asia. In
The largest private museum in China, Jianchuan Museum Cluster, devotes a wing in its military section to the history of the Flying Tigers, including a tribute wall featuring a thousand porcelain photos of members of the Flying Tigers as well as many historical artifacts from the era.[citation needed]
In March 2015, the Flying Tiger Heritage Park was opened in Guilin in collaboration with the Flying Tiger Historical Organization. The park is built on the site of Yangtang Airfield and includes a museum, aircraft shelters, and relics of a command post located in a cave.[35]
Monroe legacy
General Chennault retired to Monroe, Louisiana. The University of Louisiana at Monroe changed its mascots to the "Warhawks" in his honor, and a micro-brewery named Flying Tiger Brewery opened in downtown Monroe in November 2016.[36]
Flying Tigers wrecks
The wreckage of a P-40 with CAF serial number P-8115 is on display in
The wreck of another AVG P-40 is believed to be in
On 6 October 1944, the Flying Tigers engaged a Japanese squadron over southern Hunan and a P-40N was shot down. The local authorities assembled a rescue team to rush to the spot; upon arrival, the team found that the plane had been torn to pieces and the pilot was dead. A group of locals covered the pilot's body with a red cloth and carried it to the county township. After a mourning ceremony, he was buried and a gravestone erected for the locals to pay respect on
Recognition by the United States
Just before their 50th reunion in 1992, the AVG veterans were retroactively recognized as members of the U.S. military services during the seven months the group was in combat against the Japanese. The AVG was then awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for "professionalism, dedication to duty, and extraordinary heroism." In 1996, the U.S. Air Force awarded the pilots the Distinguished Flying Cross and the ground crew were all awarded the Bronze Star Medal.[41]
Popular culture
A number of feature films have referenced the AVG directly or indirectly, the most famous being
The recent scholar Li Rong argues that during and after the war Americans perceived the Flying Tigers as "proof of U.S. benevolence and superiority" and "helped many Americans regain confidence and assure their identities as racially and technologically superior people", a process that took attention away from AVG flyers' misconduct and minimized Chinese contributions.[42]
The two lead characters of the television series Tales of the Gold Monkey, Jake Cutter and Corky, were formerly members of the Flying Tigers, the former a pilot and the latter a mechanic. Several episodes featured flashbacks or characters from their time with the AVG.
Similarly, the Flying Tigers have been the focus of several novels, including Tonya, by Pappy Boyington; Remains, by Daniel Ford; Spies in the Garden, by Bob Bergin,[43] Tiger Ten by William D. Blankenship,[44] Wings of a Flying Tiger and Will of a Tiger, both written by Dr. Iris Yang.[45] Tiger, Lion, Hawk, a novel for younger readers, was written by Earle Rice Jr.[46] The Star Wars reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare features an X-wing starfighter squadron named the "Lightspeed Panthers". Co-author Paul R. Urquhart confirmed in the book's endnotes that the squadron was intended to be a direct reference to the Flying Tigers.[47] Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China, a 2017 video game developed and published by Ace Maddox, is based on the Flying Tigers.[48]
The Air Force Falcons football team saluted the Chinese military and the United States Navy and Marine Corps by wearing special Flying Tigers uniforms, including sharktooth designs on the helmets, for two games during the 2016 college football season.[49] The team first wore the uniform for its 10 September game against Georgia State, and again for the Arizona Bowl against South Alabama.[50]
The video game Starlancer features the 45th Volunteer Squadron, who after scoring a number of victories is given the name 'Flying Tigers' due to their similar beginning and fighting style.
See also
About China in World War II
- Air warfare in the Second Sino-Japanese War
- Arthur Chin, America's first ace in World War II
- Development of Chinese Nationalist air force (1937–45)
- Soviet Volunteer Group
- Chinese Expeditionary Force (Burma)
- China Burma India Theater
- India China Division, who flew supplies to China over the eastern Himalayas ("The Hump")
- 23rd Fighter Group, a USAF group descended from Flying Tigers
- Eagle Squadrons, American volunteers in the RAF during World War II
- Lafayette Escadrille, American volunteers in the French Air Service during World War I
- Polish-Soviet War(1919–1921).
- Yankee Squadron, American volunteers fighting in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) on the Republican side.
References
Citations
- ^ Ford 1991, pp. 30–34.
- ^ "American Volunteer Group: Claire L. Chennault and the Flying Tigers – HistoryNet". 12 June 2007. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
- JSTOR 2712474
- ^ Ford 2007, pp. 45–45, 249-250.
- ^ Klinkowitz 1999, p. 43.
- ^ Rossi, John Richard. "History: The Flying Tigers - American Volunteer Group - Chinese Air Force". Flying Tigers Association. Fallbrook, California. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018.
- ^ Vartabedian, Ralph (6 July 1991). "One Last Combat Victory : The Flying Tigers tore up the Japanese in World War II. Now, they have won a U.S. admission that they were on 'active duty,' and memos disclose the operation's covert nature". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021.
- ^ Originally written by John Richards Rossi, published on Flying Tigers Association in 1998. Reprinted in: "A Flying Tiger's Story by Dick Rossi, Pilot, American Volunteer Group". Radio Free Asia. 22 July 2005. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021.
- ^ a b c Feltus, Pamela. "Claire Chennault and the Flying Tigers of World War II." Archived 6 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, 2003. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ Scott 1973, p. 7.
- ^ a b c d Belden, Jack (10 August 1942). "Chennault Fights to Hold the China Front". Life. Time Inc. p. 70.
- ^ Scott 1973, p. 21.
- ^ Ford 2007, p. 36.
- ^ Howard 1991, p. 65.
- ^ Rossi, J. R. "A Flying Tigers Story by Dick Rossi, Pilot." Archived 19 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine AFG: American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, 1998. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ Rossi, J. R. "Charles Bond biography." Archived 19 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine AFG: American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, 1998. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ Ford 2007, pp. 82–83, 107.
- ^ Smith, Robert T. "Tale of a Tiger – From The Diary of Robert T. Smith, Flying Tiger, part 4." Archived 24 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Planes and Pilots Of World War Two, 1986. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ Scott 1973, pp. 61–65.
- ^ a b "History of the Flying Tigers." Archived 8 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 26 April 2015.
- ^ a b Sherman, Steven. "The Flying Tigers" Claire Chennault and the American Volunteer Group." Archived 12 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine Acepilots.com, 27 June 2011. Retrieved: 26 April 2015.
- ^ Wambold Jr., Donald A.. "A Flying Tiger's War." World War II 20, no. 2, 2005, pp. 22–25.
- ^ Rossi, J. R. "The Flying Tigers, American Volunteer Group – Chinese Air Force, A Brief History with Recollections and Comments by General Claire Lee Chennault." Archived 5 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine AFG: American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, 1998. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ a b Olynk 1986 [page needed]
- ^ Frillmann, Paul; Peck, Graham. China: The Remembered Life. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 68. Quoted from Klinkowitz 1999, p. 43
- ^ Rossi, J. R. "Complete Roster of the American Volunteer Group, 1941–'42." Archived 19 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine AFG: American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, 1998. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ Rossi, J. R. "David Lee Hill biography." Archived 19 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine AFG: American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, 1998. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ Rossi, J. R. "Charles Older biography." Archived 19 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine AFG: American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, 1998. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ Rossi, J. R. "Kenneth Jernstedt biography." Archived 19 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine AFG: American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, 1998. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ Rossi, J. R. "Robert Prescott biography." Archived 19 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine AFG: American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, 1998. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ Rossi, J. R. "Allen Christman biography." Archived 19 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine AFG: American Volunteer Group, The Flying Tigers, 1998. Retrieved: 5 July 2011.
- ^ http://www.cnac.org/rebeccachan_piloted_to_serve_01.pdf Archived 30 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
- ^ Ford 2007, ch. 17.
- ^ Former 'Flying Tigers' Visit Nanjing Memorial Cemetery. Archived 18 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine china.org (Xinhua News Agency), 25 August 2005. Retrieved: 17 February 2010.
- ^ "Heritage park honoring U.S. 'Flying Tigers' opens in China". news.xinhuanet.com, 29 March 2015. Retrieved: 26 April 2015.
- ^ "Ouachita Life: You'll never forget the Chennault Museum". Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Flying Tigers Curtiss P40." Archived 17 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine thaiaviation.com. Retrieved: 27 October 2007.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "Photo of P-8115 wreck." myaviation.net, 10 January 2007. Retrieved: 12 February 2012.
- ^ "Recovering that P-40 from Lake Kunming". warbirdforum.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ "Biography of Robert Hoyle Upchurch". HMdb.org. Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- ^ Ford 2007, p. 349.
- ^ Li (2020), p. 347.
- ^ Spies in the Garden: A Novel of War and Espionage. Banana Tree Press. 6 January 2016. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ISBN 0399116796.
- ISBN 978-1948598064.
- ISBN 0553208675.
- ^ Fry, Jason and Paul R. Urquhart. "EG to Warfare: Endnotes, pt. 10." Archived 21 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine Jason Fry's Dorkery, 2010. Retrieved: 17 November 2012.
- Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Gamer Network. Archivedfrom the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- ^ "Air Force's new helmets dip into World War II history". 14 August 2016. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
- ^ Kirshner, Alex (30 December 2016). "Air Force finally got to wear awesome fighter plane shark teeth helmets". SB Nation. Archived from the original on 26 May 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
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- Smith, Robert M. With Chennault in China: A Flying Tiger's Diary. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 1997. ISBN 0-7643-0287-6.
- Smith, R[obert] T. Tale of a Tiger. Van Nuys, California: Tiger Originals, 1986. ISBN 0-9618012-0-4.
- Whelan, Russell. The Flying Tigers: The Story of the American Volunteer Group.New York: Viking Press, 1942. OCLC 3531493
External links
- AVG Flying Tigers Assn.
- Extensive documentary with interviews about the Flying Tigers
- Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation
- Annals of the Flying Tigers
- Flying Tigers Heritage Park
- Robert H. Neale Flying Tigers Collection at The Museum of Flight Digital Collections
- "Flying Tigers In Burma", 30 March 1942 Life magazine article, including numerous photographs
- The short film The Air Force Story – The Drawing of the Battle Lines, December 1941 – April 1942 (1953) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
- AVG colour schemes and markings[permanent dead link]