Overview

Flying Tigers Logo, From Rossi

The Flying Tigers were a very successful military unit that fought in support of China in the years prior to the United States entrance into World War II, who are famously known for their shark head paintings on the front of their planes. This unit was known as the American Volunteer Group, but they eventually became nicknamed the Flying Tigers. It was led, and for the most part, created by Claire Chennault at the request of Chiang Kai-Sheik who was in need of help during the Sino-Japanese war. Chennault used personal knowledge and captured Japanese files to train these pilots into an organized and effective fighter unit.  This was the first and only group of its kind. They fought under the guise of employees of a Chinese company and received salaries and bonuses for the confirmed Japanese planes they shot down. The pilots were recruited from US Army Air Corps and the Marine and Navy air services to fight in china. The level of success attained by the Flying Tigers is remarkable due to the disadvantages they faced and numbers they fought against. The Japanese planes were more advanced planes than the Curtiss P-40B used by the Tigers. On top of this, the planes they received lacked many of the basic things they needed to fight effectively. The American Volunteer Group fought in defense of Rangoon and the Burma Road, which was a vital pipeline of supplies for the Chinese.  This group was eventually adopted into the USAAF as the 14th Air Force.

Relevant Maps:

Map of SW Pacific Air and Sea Lanes, from ILN, p.118

Burma map of Japanese attack - threat to Burma Railroad to Lashio and Burma Road to Chungking - (bottom), from ILN, p. 265

Map of China, from ILN, p.242