General Claire Lee Chennault

Author: Li Jianfeng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Claire Lee Chennault, originally named Clair Lee Chennault, was born on September 3, 1893, in a small farming family in Texas, USA. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in the Curtiss Aviation School and achieved excellent results. When World War I broke out, Chennault entered the officer training school in Bennington, Harrison, Indiana, and became a reserve second lieutenant after three months, transferring to the Army Air Service. In the autumn of 1918, Chennault was appointed as an aide to the 46th Fighter Squadron at Mitchel Field in Long Island. He used his spare time to learn flying, overcoming many difficulties and obstacles, and finally mastered the skills. In 1920, he obtained a pilot position, thus transitioning to regular flying and forging an unbreakable bond with the blue sky. In 1923, Chennault was transferred to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii to serve as the commander of the 19th Pursuit Squadron. In 1930, Chennault was selected to study at the Air Tactical School in Langley, Virginia. After graduation, he served as a fighter tactics instructor at the Air Tactical School in Maxwell Field, Alabama. In the 1930s, the theory of "bombing supremacy" by the Italian military theorist Giulio Douhet was popular in the world of aviation, and fighters were largely ignored. Chennault was skeptical of this theory. He firmly believed that modern air combat could not do without fighters and that, in future wars, fighters would play as important a role as bombers. In 1935, he published the book "The Role of Defensive Pursuit,"ing his views. After its publication, his tactical theories had some influence in the U.S. Army Air Corps, but they did not attract the attention of the military leadership. Chennault was technically skilled, but his career was fraught with obstacles. His fellow officers were promoted to field-grade ranks, yet he, at the age of 46, still wore the insignia of a captain. For a highly competitive person like him, his emotions were. At the time, his health was also poor. Therefore, his superiors took advantage of the situation and retired him from active duty in April 1937 with the rank of captain. Just then, his friend Hap Arnold wrote to him from China, asking if he would be willing to take a position in China. He agreed. In early April, he left San Francisco for China. On May 29, 1937, Chennault set foot on Chinese soil. On June 3, Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling met with him. Soong Mei-ling had studied in Georgia, USA. Chennault struck up a friendship with her immediately. At the time, Soong Mei-ling served as the secretary-general of the Aviation Committee, effectively leading the Chinese Air Force. She asked him to serve as her professional advisor and provided him with two T-13 trainer aircraft to assess the current state of the Chinese Air Force. Through his investigation, Chennault learned that the Nationalist government officially had 500 aircraft, but only 91 were capable of combat. When Chennault was about to complete his investigation of the Chinese Air Force, the War of Resistance against Japan broke out. The war was the perfect opportunity to test his air combat theories, and he was determined to realize his ambitions in the sky. He immediately wired Chiang Kai-shek, offering to serve in any capacity where he could be of use. Chiang accepted his volunteer request and ordered him to "report to Nanchang immediately to take charge of the fighter squadron's final combat training." According to Chiang's request, Chennault recruited some American pilots to form the 14th Volunteer Bombardment Squadron. On August 13, 1937, the Battle of Shanghai began. The next day, Chennault sent aircraft into combat. Although the bomber squadron's bombing runs missed their targets, the Chinese fighters achieved victory in the air that day. By October 1937, China had only over 10 aircraft left, and many Chinese pilots had been killed. Chennault managed to hire four Frenchmen, three Americans, one Dutchman, and one German, along with six surviving Chinese bomber pilots, to form an "international squadron." They successfully attacked several Japanese-occupied targets, causing panic among the Japanese. However, one afternoon, Japanese aircraft attacked the airport, destroying all the international squadron's aircraft. According to the three-month contract between Chennault and the Chinese Aviation Committee, his advisory term was set to expire in October. Afterward, Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling invited him to stay in China to continue the war effort, and he reluctantly agreed. They did not discuss extending the contract but paid him a monthly salary. At the time, the U.S. government maintained a policy of "neutrality" regarding Japan's invasion of China. The Japanese, knowing that American advisors were helping China, demanded that the U.S. government order all American air personnel in China to leave. When the State Department relayed this situation to Chennault, he replied firmly: "I will be happy to leave China when the last Japanese leaves." On December 12, 1937, Nanjing fell, and Chennault withdrew with his troops to Hankou. At this point, the Chinese Air Force had been almost completely destroyed and had to rely on Soviet-aided aircraft to defend the city. On April 29, 1938, which was the birthday of the Japanese Emperor, Chennault and the air force commanders of China and the Soviet Union decided that the Japanese would not launch air raids that day and resolved to punish the Japanese invaders. To lure the Japanese aircraft into attacking, Chennault ordered Chinese and Soviet aircraft to feign withdrawal from Hankou and fly to Nanchang. After takeoff, they circled in the airspace above Wuhan to make it appear as though they were withdrawing, only to return to the airport that night. On the morning of the 29th, Japanese aircraft took off from Wuhu Airport, flying toward Wuhan under the cover of fighters. Chennault had obtained intelligence that the Japanese aircraft had only enough fuel for one round trip from Wuhu to Hankou. He sent 20 fighters to hold up Japanese fighters in the southern suburbs, forcing them to consume a large amount of fuel. Meanwhile, 40 Soviet aircraft were hidden in the high sky around the city. When the Japanese aircraft turned back to Wuhu, the fighters and bombers were separated. The Japanese fighters, low on fuel, dared not protect the bombers. The Soviet and Chinese aircraft attacked the bombers and fighters separately, shooting down 36 of the 39 Japanese aircraft, with only 3 escaping. This was the of the Emperor's birthday. In August 1938, at Soong Mei-ling's request, Chennault went to Kunming to set up an aviation school to train Chinese pilots. Under extremely primitive conditions in Kunming, he conducted rigorous training for the students, and many wereed. After 1940, Soviet air force personnel assisting China gradually withdrew, and the Chinese Air Force was at a severe numerical disadvantage, especially in terms of aircraft. At this time, the ratio of Chinese aircraft to Japanese aircraft was 1:53, and Japan completely controlled the air over China. On May 20, 1940, Chiang Kai-shek summoned Chennault and asked him to go to the United States to secure as many combat materials as possible. After returning to the U.S., although he had little influence in the U.S. military and political circles, he traveled extensively to promote the Chinese resistance and seek support from various quarters. Roosevelt's two assistants were moved by his lobbying and convinced him in front of Roosevelt to support the plan to establish an air force. Roosevelt decided to provide military aid to China to keep Japan bogged down in the war. After several twists and turns, Chennault finally secured 100 P-40 fighter aircraft. On April 14, 1941, President Roosevelt signed an order allowing reserve officers and former soldiers from the Army and Navy Air Forces to join the American Volunteer Group in China. In mid-July 1941, when Chennault returned to China, 68 aircraft, 110 pilots, 150 mechanics, and other logistics personnel had already arrived in China. On August 1, 1941, Chiang Kai-shek issued an order formally establishing the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, appointing Chennault as the commander of the group. Chennault immediately began specialized training for the volunteer group members. The conditions were extremely harsh, and a few eventually resigned. After several months of training, the volunteer group's combat skills and tactics had greatly improved. In November 1941, Chennault reorganized the American Volunteer Group into three squadrons. The first squadron was named the "Adam and Eve Squadron," with its aircraft adorned with the image of Adam chasing Eve with an apple. The second squadron was the "Panda Squadron," with its aircraft featuring cartoon images of pilots instead of pandas. The third squadron was the "Hell's Angels," with its aircraft painted with various poses of naked angels. On December 7, 1941, Chennault led the first and second squadrons to Kunming. On the 20th, a batch of Japanese aircraft flew toward Yunnan, and all the aircraft at the Kunming airport took off to intercept them, achieving a quick victory. Ten Japanese aircraft were involved in the attack, six were shot down, and three were wounded. The volunteer group suffered no aircraft losses. The initial victory of the volunteer group greatly boosted the morale of the people of Kunming, who had endured relentless Japanese bombing. That evening, a victory celebration was held for the American Volunteer Group by various sectors of Kunming. Newspapers featured the battle on their front pages, calling the American Volunteer Group's aircraft "Flying Tigers," and the name stuck as the group's moniker. On December 23, Chennault sent the third squadron to Rangoon to coordinate operations with the British army. In the two-month air campaign, American and British aircraft fought 31 battles against Japanese forces, shooting down 217 Japanese aircraft. On February 3, 1942, Soong Mei-ling wired Chennault, asking him to assume the position of Air Force Chief of Staff in China with the rank of brigadier general. Chennault, a little-known retired Army Air Corps captain, suddenly became a world-famous figure. In the United States, after the outbreak of the Pacific War, the news from the various battlefields was not favorable, and the war was at its darkest. Suddenly, the news of Chennault leading a small group of "tough guys" to achieve glorious victories immediately caused a sensation and excitement among Americans. Chennault became an overnight hero in the U.S., earning the title of "General Flying Tiger." In May 1942, Japanese forces occupied Myanmar and then advanced into Yunnan. To prevent the Japanese from crossing the Nujiang River, Chennault commanded the volunteer group to launch continuous attacks. They raided Japanese transport units in Baoshan, Tengchong, and Longling, and almost annihilated a Japanese force attempting to cross the Nujiang River under the volunteer group's bombing. In June, Chennault led his headquarters and two squadrons to Guilin. On the 12th, the volunteer group shot down eight Japanese aircraft in the airspace over Guilin, with only one of their own aircraft damaged. The people of Guilin were overjoyed and raised 20,000 yuan to comfort the American pilots. After suffering these setbacks, Japanese pilots became hesitant to fly, and they demanded more aircraft. On July 3, 1942, following orders from the U.S. Army and Chiang Kai-shek, Chennault disbanded the American Volunteer Group and formed the 23rd Fighter Group, subordinate to the U.S. Army Air Forces in the Tenth Air Force, primarily composed of members of the volunteer group. The American Volunteer Group had been fighting in China, Myanmar, and Indochina for over seven months, achieving the feat of shooting down about 150 enemy aircraft and destroying 297 enemy aircraft at the cost of 12 aircraft lost in the air and 61 on the ground. The American Volunteer Group lost 26 pilots. After the dissolution of the volunteer group, the aircraft and personnel were merged into the 23rd Fighter Group under the U.S. Army Air Forces, which was combined with the 16th Fighter Squadron stationed in China to form the U.S. Air Force Detachment in China, subordinate to the U.S. Army Tenth Air Force. Chennault was appointed as the commander of the U.S. Air Force Detachment in China, retaining the rank of brigadier general. Upon learning of the dissolution of the volunteer group, the Japanese moved the Third Air Division from Southeast Asia to China, aiming to annihilate the newly formed American air force. In July, the Japanese Air Force, leveraging their numerical superiority, launched an offensive against the American air force bases in Central China. Facing forces several times their own, Chennault still adopted the guerrilla tactics of the volunteer group, using surprise attacks and mobile operations to strike the Japanese. By the end of July, they had destroyed two Japanese fighters and 12 bombers, while losing five fighters and one bomber. The detachment made its mark, foiling the Japanese plan to annihilate the American air force in China and demonstrating its ability to engage the Japanese air force, which was several times larger. On March 10, 1943, the U.S. Army Air Forces reorganized the Air Force Detachment in China into the Fourteenth Air Force, and Chennault was promoted to major general and appointed as its commander. After taking office, Chennault strongly demanded that President Roosevelt strengthen the air force in China to regain air superiority and seize the opportunity to attack Japan. He clashed with General Stilwell, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff in China Theater, over operational plans and command authority. Chiang Kai-shek was also dissatisfied with Stilwell, and thus Chennault received Chiang's support. To free Chennault from Stilwell's command, Chiang wired Roosevelt on July 12, asking to promote Chennault to the position of Chief of Staff of the Air Force in China. Roosevelt adopted a compromise approach, agreeing to let Chennault serve as the Chief of Staff of the Chinese Air Force (rather than the China Theater Air Force). The expanded command authority allowed Chennault to launch the planned offensive operations. From late July, fierce air battles broke out between the U.S. and Japanese forces in Central China over air superiority. Chennault commanded the U.S. Air Force, relying on a "precise intelligence and communication network," to shoot down 62 Japanese aircraft in just eight days of air combat in late July, with only three of their own aircraft lost. Once the U.S. Air Force gained air superiority, they began bombing Japanese ships in the Yangtze River and the Beibu Gulf, and repeatedly attacked airports and docks in Wuhan, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou, dealing the Japanese a heavy blow. On November 25, 1943, Chennault commanded the U.S. Air Force to launch a raid on Japanese airfields in Taiwan, shooting down 15 Japanese fighters and destroying 42 Japanese aircraft on the ground. In the autumn of 1944, the conflict between Chiang Kai-shek and Stilwell intensified. On October 18, President Roosevelt decided to recall Stilwell and replace him with General Marshall as the U.S. Army Chief of Staff in China. After Stilwell left China, Marshall and others began to consider reorganizing the air force in Asia, planning to transfer all air forces in Myanmar and India to China, to be unified under the command of the Air Force Headquarters in China. Chennault strongly opposed this reorganization plan, but he did not receive support from Washington or Chiang Kai-shek. On July 6, 1945, Chennault submitted his resignation, and Stilwell and others immediately approved, appointing General Stone to take command of the Fourteenth Air Force. On August 1, 1945, Chennault left China with a sense of disappointment. Chennault spent eight years in China, assisting the Chinese in their resistance and contributing significantly to the defeat of the Japanese invaders. Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling hosted a farewell banquet for him and awarded him China's highest honor, the Order of the Blue Sky and White Sun. A few days after Chennault returned to the U.S., Japan surrendered. He was deeply disappointed that he could not participate in the surrender ceremony. He said, "For eight years, my only ambition was to defeat Japan. I really hope to see the Japanese formally declare their defeat." In December 1945, Chennault returned to China. In October 1946, the Civil Air Transport was established to transport emergency supplies for the Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Commission of the Executive Yuan. In 1947, Chennault married Chinese journalist Chen Xiangmei. After 1948, as Chiang Kai-shek's army suffered repeated defeats in the civil war, Chennault's Civil Air Transport helped transport troops and supplies by air. In 1949, Chennault's memoir, "The Way of a Warrior," was published in New York. In June 1950, the Civil Air Transport was reorganized into a holding company, with Chennault serving as its chairman. On July 15, 1958, President Eisenhower requested that Congress promote Chennault to the rank of lieutenant general. On the 18th, the U.S. Congress passed a bill promoting him to the rank of Air Force Lieutenant General. On July 27, Chennault died of illness in Washington at the age of 67. This book chronicles the life of the American Flying Tiger general—Claire Lee Chennault.