Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Story of the Flying Tigers” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/story-of-the-flying-tigers/.
Story of the Flying Tigers
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
BassCliff
Professional
Hi,
Cool. That was a great read, lots of good history. Thanks!
I used to enjoy the "Black Sheep Squadron" on TV starring Robert Conrad. (I liked "Wild Wild West" too.) I find it ironic (is that the right word?) that China is now considered an enemy (perhaps a "cold war" type) and Japan is an ally. Who knows what this world will be like in 20 years?
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
Cool. That was a great read, lots of good history. Thanks!
I used to enjoy the "Black Sheep Squadron" on TV starring Robert Conrad. (I liked "Wild Wild West" too.) I find it ironic (is that the right word?) that China is now considered an enemy (perhaps a "cold war" type) and Japan is an ally. Who knows what this world will be like in 20 years?
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
The Night Rider
Professional
The two books on top are the story of the AVG and the 14th Air Force.
The bottom two are Boyington's Autobiography and the Truth.
Boyington claimed to have shot down 6 Japanese planes in the AVG. According to their records he shot down 2 and destroyed 4 on the ground.
He also quit the AVG nominally over a pay dispute but in reality just ahead of being kicked out. He had joined the AVG to try to pay off his debts. He was supposed to receive $650 for every plane shot down and he put in a claim for the 4 destroyed on the ground and the AVG split the money between 4 pilots.
He was never asked to join The Flying Tigers Association.
He left the USMC after being passed over for promotion for indebtedness. He knew he was going to be passed over again and Cashiered out, so he resigned. His separation papers had a notification on them that he should never be reinstated into the USMC. That's why he had such a hard time getting back in.
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The Night Rider
Professional
It's an accurate enough depiction with out the unnecessary adult content.I too was introduced to the Flying Tigers by that Landmark/John Toland book when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. I too still have mine.
Snake45
Professional
I suppose so--I haven't read it again in about 60 years or so, but I still have it and even know where it is. Back in the day, of course, I didn't know that the P-40 in the cover painting isn't a Flying Tiger, either, but a much later airplane.
Grumpybloke
Alpha
Dear Sirs,
In 1941 my wife's grandfather, Ezra Paul was working as a carpenter on the set of the John Wayne film Flying Tigers. There were several "Tigers" on set at various times and they would often spend time chatting to Ezra as his son, my wife's uncle, Lt Lesley Paul was a Bomber pilot, (later shot down over Italy and helped to safety by Partisans). My mother in law was a starstruck 14/15 year old at the time and was visiting her father on set when one of the Tigers gave her his scarf saying it was a gift to him from a Chinese princess and that it was now being given to a California princess, my mother in law Lovina Paul. I understand that these scarves are rare so I'm attaching photographs of it here. Can you please give us any more information about it?
Regards,
Thomas Halloran,
Snowdonia
North Wales
United Kingdom.
In 1941 my wife's grandfather, Ezra Paul was working as a carpenter on the set of the John Wayne film Flying Tigers. There were several "Tigers" on set at various times and they would often spend time chatting to Ezra as his son, my wife's uncle, Lt Lesley Paul was a Bomber pilot, (later shot down over Italy and helped to safety by Partisans). My mother in law was a starstruck 14/15 year old at the time and was visiting her father on set when one of the Tigers gave her his scarf saying it was a gift to him from a Chinese princess and that it was now being given to a California princess, my mother in law Lovina Paul. I understand that these scarves are rare so I'm attaching photographs of it here. Can you please give us any more information about it?
Regards,
Thomas Halloran,
Snowdonia
North Wales
United Kingdom.
Attachments
John3TTexas
Alpha
China was considered an enemy when Black Sheep Squadron was televised in the '70's, and Japan was our ally. I was in college back then and my roommate, who was a wanna-be military aviator, watched every episode.
John3TTexas
Alpha
I, too, read the Landmark book when I was a kid in the '60's. It was a great read for a kid who loved everything about WWII.
John3TTexas
Alpha
Trivia question: who designed the AVG emblem with the flying tiger on it?
Snake45
Professional
I used to know this. Was it somebody at Disney studios?
BassCliff
Professional
Hi,
Pardon me if I was unclear. I was speaking of our World War II era enemies/allies vs. today.
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
Pardon me if I was unclear. I was speaking of our World War II era enemies/allies vs. today.
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
The Zero was withdrawn from the Chinese theater prior to the engagement of December 20, 1941 according to historical sources. The aircraft engaged by the Tigers was the Oscar according to official records. The A6M was a fighter of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and the Oscar was Army.
Japanese pilots had very rigorous training, and their aircraft at this stage of the war were highly maneuverable. The tactics employed by the Tigers allowed them to be successful. The armament of the P-40's of the Tigers were .30 cal in the wings (4 total) and two .50 cal in the nose. The same tactics were employed in the European Theater by the P-47 against more agile German fighters. The dive speed of the two planes were superior to its foes.
As I recall that John Wayne film, the unit was portrayed as engaging Japan prior to Pearl Harbor.
The article states $500 bounty for each aircraft destroyed whether it was in the air or on the ground, but elsewhere in comments some lists Boyington claiming $650. The $500 is the amount I have always read.
Japanese pilots had very rigorous training, and their aircraft at this stage of the war were highly maneuverable. The tactics employed by the Tigers allowed them to be successful. The armament of the P-40's of the Tigers were .30 cal in the wings (4 total) and two .50 cal in the nose. The same tactics were employed in the European Theater by the P-47 against more agile German fighters. The dive speed of the two planes were superior to its foes.
As I recall that John Wayne film, the unit was portrayed as engaging Japan prior to Pearl Harbor.
The article states $500 bounty for each aircraft destroyed whether it was in the air or on the ground, but elsewhere in comments some lists Boyington claiming $650. The $500 is the amount I have always read.
I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story. What a great piece of family history! Wish I could help with your inquiry.
Grumpybloke
Alpha
My wife's stepfather told me that the AVG was recruited pretty openly at Army Air Corps and Naval Aviation bases. This leads one to wonder if they were truly mercenary type soldiers of fortune or agents of the US using the cover of serving as foreign volunteers for the Chinese.
Regardless, they were there and ready to fight while the most of the rest of America was gearing up.
Regardless, they were there and ready to fight while the most of the rest of America was gearing up.
Grumpybloke
Alpha
Very good point. I remember chatting with a US Marine who had been at Khe San. The conversation got around to "Hanoi Jane" and my Marine friend said that he didn't see her as a traitor and finished by saying "who else could wander around NVA areas and return to the US with all the information gathered still fresh in her mind?"
Phubar
Alpha
Although not in the same vein there was also a Flying Tiger Line, an early airlines group, they were the airline that flew some of us from LAX to Anderson Air force base in Guam in January 1980, I was a 18 YO kid and was on a big honking 747,the photo is not the plane we flew on but pretty much what they looked like at the time. Great read though!!
