Original American volunteer group Flying Tigers

3rd squadron hell s angels, flying tigers, on china, photographed in 1942 avg pilot robert t. smith



p-40 warhawk painted flying tigers shark face @ national museum of united states air force

of pilots, 60 came navy , marine corps , 40 army air corps. (one army pilot refused passport because had earlier flown mercenary in spain, 99 sailed asia. ten more army flight instructors hired check pilots chinese cadets, , several of these join avg s combat squadrons.) volunteers discharged armed services, employed training , instruction private military contractor, central aircraft manufacturing company (camco), paid them $600 month pilot officers, $675 month flight leaders, $750 squadron leaders (no pilot recruited @ level), , $250 skilled ground crewmen.

some of pilots orally promised bounty of $500 each enemy aircraft shot down, no 1 knew if happen until returned home , found funds deposited in bank.

resignation letter u.s. marine corps, used accept position central aircraft manufacturing co.

although considered mercenary unit, avg closely associated u.s. military. histories of flying tigers on 15 april 1941, president roosevelt signed secret executive order authorizing servicemen on active duty resign in order join avg. however, flying tigers historian daniel ford find no evidence such order ever existed, , argued wink , nod more president s style. in event, avg organized , in part directed out of white house, , spring of 1942 had been brought u.s. army chain of command.

during summer , fall 1941, 300 men carrying civilian passports boarded ships destined burma. based @ british airfield in toungoo training while aircraft assembled , test flown camco personnel @ mingaladon airport outside rangoon. chennault set schoolhouse made necessary because many pilots had lied flying experience, claiming pursuit experience when had flown bombers , less powerful airplanes. called chennault old man due older age , leathery exterior obtained years flying open cockpit pursuit aircraft in army air corps. believed had flown fighter pilot in china, although stories combat ace apocryphal.

the avg created executive order of generalissimo chiang kai-shek. did not speak english, however, , chennault never learned speak chinese. result, communications between 2 men routed through soong mei-ling, madame chiang known americans, , designated group s honorary commander.