Retreat into China Flying Tigers

the nakajima ki-43 hayabusa single-engined land-based fighter used imperial japanese army air force in world war ii

reinforced new p-40e kittyhawks , repaired aircraft avg s excellent maintenance group, 12 p-40s based @ loiwing on 8 april. despite long retreats, losses , incessant air combat, avg still retained abilities. day, 12 oscars 64th sentai raided base. in ensuing series of dogfights, 4 ki-43s downed in exchange 1 p-40e destroyed on ground. during period, chinese , american commanders pressured chennault order pilots undertake so-called morale missions . these overflights , ground attacks intended raise morale of hard-pressed chinese soldiers showing getting air support. avg s pilots seethed resentment @ these dangerous missions (which considered useless), feeling culminated in so-called pilot s revolt of mid-april. chennault suppressed revolt , ordered ground attack missions continue. despite efforts, allied situation in burma continued deteriorate. on 29 april avg ordered evacuate loiwing , relocate baoshan in china.

like avg s other bases, baoshan repeatedly bombed japanese army air force. still, avg scored against jaaf tormentors, bringing down 4 nates of 11th sentai on 5 may , 2 anns . 4 may, successful japanese burma offensive winding down, except mopping actions. 1 of these attempt regiment of japanese 56th division drive kunming, effort stopped chinese army operating strong air support avg. on 7 may japanese army began building pontoon bridge across upper salween river, allow them move troops , supplies china , drive towards kunming. stem tide, 2nd squadron leader david lee tex hill led flight of 4 new p-40es bombing , strafing mile deep salween river gorge. during next 4 days, avg pilots flew continuous missions gorge, neutralizing japanese forces. prevented japanese advance on kunming , chungking; japanese never advanced farther west bank of upper salween. claire chennault later wrote of these critical missions, american volunteer group had staved off china s collapse on salween. despite being on defensive thereafter, avg continued harass jaaf raids on vietnamese bases.

with burma campaign over, chennault redeployed squadrons provide air protection china. doolittle raid had prompted japanese launch offensive seize avg air bases used attacks on japanese homeland. 1 june, personnel form nucleus of new usaaf 23rd fighter group (the avg s replacement) beginning trickle theater. of last missions avg flew defending guilin against raids jaaf nates, lilys, , new kawasaki ki-45 toryu ( nick ) heavy fighters. avg s last combat on hengyang on day disbanded, 4 july 1942. in final action, avg shot down 4 ki-27s no avg losses.