China Operations

Published April 29, 2015

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 1 of 3

Chinese soldiers and AAF armorers clean the guns on a 23rd Fighter Group P-40 in Kunming, China, February 1943. (U.S. Air Force photo)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 2 of 3

P-40s of the 16th Fighter Squadron as a base in China, October 1942. (U.S. Air Force photo)

PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 3 of 3

Brig. Gen. Claire Chennault, commander of the 14th Air Force, at the plate. (U.S. Air Force photo)

In China, the Flying Tigers were inducted into the AAF's 23rd Fighter Group on July 4, 1942, at which time Brig. Gen. Claire Chennault's force had an effective strength of about 35 P-40s and seven B-25 medium bombers. Designated originally as the China Air Task Force, less than a year later, in March 1943, Chennault's unit gained independent status as the 14th Air Force. However, the scope of the 14th Air Force operations throughout the war was limited by the tonnage that could be carried over the Hump and fuel shortages, which at times severely restricted fighter and medium bomber operations.

Small in size, even by Pacific standards, the 14th Air Force fought against heavy odds defending the Chinese end of the Hump route and supporting the Chinese ground army. The arrival of B-24s enabled the 14th Air Force to begin heavy bomber raids in May 1943 against Japanese shipping off the Chinese coast. Much of the bombers' available flying hours, however, were spent hauling their own supplies over the Hump in support of bombing missions.

Click here to return to the War on the Asian Mainland Overview.

Find Out More

Related Fact Sheets

14th Air Force in China: From Volunteers to Regulars

Consolidated B-24D Liberator

North American B-25B Mitchell

Curtiss P-40E Warhawk

Note: The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the National Museum of the USAF, the U.S. Air Force, or the Department of Defense, of the external website, or the information, products or services contained therein.

China Operations

Featured Links