Claire Chennault: Difference between revisions

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He was born in Commerce, Tex., the son of John Stonewall Chennault, a farmer, and Jessie Lee. He grew up in rural northeastern Louisiana and was a bright though reluctant student. In 1909-1910, while at Louisiana State University (where he took ROTC training), he decided against a military career and became a school teacher. On Dec. 25, 1911,
He was born in Commerce, Tex., the son of John Stonewall Chennault, a farmer, and Jessie Lee. He grew up in rural northeastern Louisiana and was a bright though reluctant student. In 1909-1910, while at Louisiana State University (where he took ROTC training), he decided against a military career and became a school teacher. On Dec. 25, 1911,
he married Nell Thompson; they had eight children.   
he married Nell Thompson; they had eight children.   
==Airman==
==Pursuit versus bombers==
When the U.S. entered the World War in 1917 he became a lieutenant in the infantry, and learned to fly at Kelly Field in San Antonio; he won his rating as a fighter pilot in 1919, and in 1920, was commissioned a first lieutenant in the new Army Air Service.
When the U.S. entered the World War in 1917 he became a lieutenant in the infantry, and learned to fly at Kelly Field in San Antonio; he won his rating as a fighter pilot in 1919, and in 1920, was commissioned a first lieutenant in the new Army Air Service.  After duty in Hawaii, Texas and Virginia, he was promoted to captain (1929) and became an instructor in the highly influential Air Corps Tactical School, in Montgomery, Alabama.  While gaining national publicity for his acrobatic exhibition team ("Three Men on a Flying Trapeze"), he developed the theories of air tactics he later applied against the Japanese in China; in1935 he published them in a textbook, ''The Role of Defensive Pursuit''. Unlike the mainstream air power view, to the effect that strategic bombing was a war-winning weapon, and the bombers could always get through, Chennault argued that fast, agile pursuit (fighter) planes could shoot down the bombers.  He  perfected team combat tactics, experimented with airdrop supply and paratroop techniques, and crusaded for greater firepower and range in fighter aircraft. His vigorous public advocacy angered the high command of the Army Air Corps, which was committed to long range bombers like the [[B-17]].  A deal was made and in April 1937, suffering from overwork, chronic bronchial trouble, and partial deafness, Chennault retired with a disability pension at the rank of captain.


==Flying Tigers==
==Flying Tigers==
 
The success of the Flying Tigers, with fewer that 100 fliers, was to interdict Japanese river and coastal traffic enough to stall its military advances and perhaps even reduce its industrial production.  The Flying Tigers, discovered that Japanese air tactics were as predictable as those of the army. If something worked, it was constantly repeated, and the Tigers learned to deal with it.  Praising the accomplishments of the Chinese-American Composite Wing (CACW) commanded by Chennault, Guangqiu Xu  concludes that Chinese strategic planning for the use of Allied air power against the Japanese was correct, and that the United States should have given China even more support.<ref>Guangqiu Xu,  "The Issue of U.S. Air Support for China During the Second World War, 1942–1945," ''Journal of Contemporary History'' 36 (July 2001): 459–84. </ref> 
==World War II==
==World War II==
Chennault, although nominally subordinate to General [[Joseph Warren Stilwell]],  had the ear of [[Chiang Kai-shek]], who disregarded the advice of his Stilwell, his chief of staff.  Stillwell wanted to build up large infantry forces to attack China. Chiang realized theat fighting the Japanese with his numerous but underequipped and poorly led and motivated army was hopeless. He wanted American funds to feed his soldiers and prop up the government, so that it cvould later fight [[Mao Zedong]] and the Communists who were building up a base in northern China.  Chennault believed that air power would defeat the Japanese, and he succeeded in building up a strategic air force built around very long range [[B-29]] bombers, whose supplies were brought in "over the Hump from India. It took 50 gallons of gasoline to deliver one gallon the B-29  could use.  Raids did begin and they were ineffective. The Japanese response was to use its ground army to overrun Chennault's airfields. The B-29's were moved to the Pacific.
Chennault, although nominally subordinate to General [[Joseph Warren Stilwell]],  had the ear of [[Chiang Kai-shek]], who disregarded the advice of his Stilwell, his nominal chief of staff.  Stillwell wanted to build up large infantry forces to attack China. Chiang realized theat fighting the Japanese with his numerous but underequipped and poorly led and motivated army was hopeless. He wanted American funds to feed his soldiers and prop up the government, so that it cvould later fight [[Mao Zedong]] and the Communists who were building up a base in northern China.  Chennault believed that air power would defeat the Japanese. He won the support of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and succeeded in building up a strategic air force built around very long range [[B-29]] bombers, whose supplies were brought in "over the Hump from India. The airlift was extraordinarily expensive; it took 50 gallons of gasoline to deliver one gallon the B-29  could use.  Raids did begin and they were ineffective. The Japanese response was to use its ground army to overrun Chennault's airfields.<ref> Chiang refused to allow the shipment of weapons to defend these airfields. SeeRiley Sunderland, "The Secret Embargo," ''The Pacific Historical Review,'' Vol. 29, No. 1 (Feb., 1960), pp. 75-80; [http://www.jstor.org/pss/261007 in JSTOR]</ref> The B-29's were moved to the Pacific.
==Postwar==
==Postwar==
In August 1950, the [[CIA activities in Asia-Pacific|CIA]] secretly purchased the assets of Civil Air Transport (CAT), an airline that had been started in China after 1945 by Chennault and Whiting Willauer.
In August 1950, the [[CIA activities in Asia-Pacific|CIA]] secretly purchased the assets of Civil Air Transport (CAT), an airline that had been started in China after 1945 by Chennault and Whiting Willauer.
Line 17: Line 17:
* Byrd, Martha. ''Chennault: Giving Wings to the Tiger'' (1987) 451 pp., the standard biography
* Byrd, Martha. ''Chennault: Giving Wings to the Tiger'' (1987) 451 pp., the standard biography
* Ford, Daniel. ''Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and the American Volunteer Group'' (1991).
* Ford, Daniel. ''Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and the American Volunteer Group'' (1991).
* Xu, Guangqiu. "The Issue of U.S. Air Support for China During the Second World War, 1942–1945," ''Journal of Contemporary History'' 36 (July 2001): 459–84.
* Plating, John D.  "Keeping China in the War: The Trans-Himalayan `Hump' Airlift and Sino-US Strategy in World War II."  PhD dissertation Ohio State U. 2007. 397 pp.  DAI 2007 68(4): 1627-A. DA3262108  Fulltext: [[ProQuest Dissertations & Theses]]
* Romanus, Charles F. and Riley Sunderland. ''Stilwell's Mission to China'' (1953), official U.S. Army history [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-CBI-Mission/index.html online edition];  ''Stilwell's Command Problems'' (1956) [http://www.ibiblio.net/hyperwar////USA/USA-CBI-Command/index.html online edition]; ''Time Runs Out in CBI'' (1958) [http://www.ibiblio.net/hyperwar////USA/USA-CBI-Time/index.html online edition]. Official U.S. Army history
* Schaller Michael. ''The U.S. Crusade in China, 1938-1945.'' (1979).  [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-us-crusade-in-china-1938-1945-by-michael-schaller.jsp online edition]
* Thorne Bliss K. ''The Hump: The Great Military Airlift of World War II.'' (1965).
* Tuchman, Barbara. ''Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45,''  (1972), 624pp; Pulitzer prize (The British edition is titled ''Against the Wind: Stilwell and the American Experience in China 1911-45,'') [http://www.amazon.com/Stilwell-American-Experience-China-1911-45/dp/0802138527/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214005449&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Xu, Guangqiu. "The Issue of U.S. Air Support for China During the Second World War, 1942–1945," ''Journal of Contemporary History'' 36 (July 2001): 459–84. [http://www.jstor.org/pss/261007 in JSTOR]
* Xu, Guangqiu. ''War Wings: The United States and Chinese Military Aviation, 1929–1949'' (2001).
* Xu, Guangqiu. ''War Wings: The United States and Chinese Military Aviation, 1929–1949'' (2001).
===Primary Sources===
===Primary Sources===
* Chennault, Anna. ''Chennault and the Flying Tigers.'' (1963).
* Chennault, Anna. ''Chennault and the Flying Tigers.'' (1963).
* Chennault, Claire Lee. ''Way of a Fighter: The Memoirs of Claire Lee Chennault.'' ed. by Robert Horz. (1949.
* Chennault, Claire Lee. ''Way of a Fighter: The Memoirs of Claire Lee Chennault.'' ed. by Robert Horz. (1949.
 
* Klinkowitz, Jerome. ''With the Tigers Over China, 1941–1942'' (1999), memoirs and oral histories
* Klinkowitz, Jerome. ''With the Tigers Over China, 1941–1942'' (1999).


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 12:58, 24 June 2008

Claire Chennault (1890-1958 ), was an Americans military pilot and leader of the "Flying Tigers" in World War II, an American operation that aided China.

Career

He was born in Commerce, Tex., the son of John Stonewall Chennault, a farmer, and Jessie Lee. He grew up in rural northeastern Louisiana and was a bright though reluctant student. In 1909-1910, while at Louisiana State University (where he took ROTC training), he decided against a military career and became a school teacher. On Dec. 25, 1911, he married Nell Thompson; they had eight children.

Pursuit versus bombers

When the U.S. entered the World War in 1917 he became a lieutenant in the infantry, and learned to fly at Kelly Field in San Antonio; he won his rating as a fighter pilot in 1919, and in 1920, was commissioned a first lieutenant in the new Army Air Service. After duty in Hawaii, Texas and Virginia, he was promoted to captain (1929) and became an instructor in the highly influential Air Corps Tactical School, in Montgomery, Alabama. While gaining national publicity for his acrobatic exhibition team ("Three Men on a Flying Trapeze"), he developed the theories of air tactics he later applied against the Japanese in China; in1935 he published them in a textbook, The Role of Defensive Pursuit. Unlike the mainstream air power view, to the effect that strategic bombing was a war-winning weapon, and the bombers could always get through, Chennault argued that fast, agile pursuit (fighter) planes could shoot down the bombers. He perfected team combat tactics, experimented with airdrop supply and paratroop techniques, and crusaded for greater firepower and range in fighter aircraft. His vigorous public advocacy angered the high command of the Army Air Corps, which was committed to long range bombers like the B-17. A deal was made and in April 1937, suffering from overwork, chronic bronchial trouble, and partial deafness, Chennault retired with a disability pension at the rank of captain.

Flying Tigers

The success of the Flying Tigers, with fewer that 100 fliers, was to interdict Japanese river and coastal traffic enough to stall its military advances and perhaps even reduce its industrial production. The Flying Tigers, discovered that Japanese air tactics were as predictable as those of the army. If something worked, it was constantly repeated, and the Tigers learned to deal with it. Praising the accomplishments of the Chinese-American Composite Wing (CACW) commanded by Chennault, Guangqiu Xu concludes that Chinese strategic planning for the use of Allied air power against the Japanese was correct, and that the United States should have given China even more support.[1]

World War II

Chennault, although nominally subordinate to General Joseph Warren Stilwell, had the ear of Chiang Kai-shek, who disregarded the advice of his Stilwell, his nominal chief of staff. Stillwell wanted to build up large infantry forces to attack China. Chiang realized theat fighting the Japanese with his numerous but underequipped and poorly led and motivated army was hopeless. He wanted American funds to feed his soldiers and prop up the government, so that it cvould later fight Mao Zedong and the Communists who were building up a base in northern China. Chennault believed that air power would defeat the Japanese. He won the support of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and succeeded in building up a strategic air force built around very long range B-29 bombers, whose supplies were brought in "over the Hump from India. The airlift was extraordinarily expensive; it took 50 gallons of gasoline to deliver one gallon the B-29 could use. Raids did begin and they were ineffective. The Japanese response was to use its ground army to overrun Chennault's airfields.[2] The B-29's were moved to the Pacific.

Postwar

In August 1950, the CIA secretly purchased the assets of Civil Air Transport (CAT), an airline that had been started in China after 1945 by Chennault and Whiting Willauer.

Image, memory and controversy

Chennault (and his widow Anna) were unusually effecting in creating favorable publicity in the U.S. They were especially championed by the "China Lobby" and the conservative wing of the Republican party who denounced President Truman and George Marshall for "losing" the friendship and support of China by not adequately supporting Chiang.

Bibliography

  • Byrd, Martha. Chennault: Giving Wings to the Tiger (1987) 451 pp., the standard biography
  • Ford, Daniel. Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and the American Volunteer Group (1991).
  • Plating, John D. "Keeping China in the War: The Trans-Himalayan `Hump' Airlift and Sino-US Strategy in World War II." PhD dissertation Ohio State U. 2007. 397 pp. DAI 2007 68(4): 1627-A. DA3262108 Fulltext: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
  • Romanus, Charles F. and Riley Sunderland. Stilwell's Mission to China (1953), official U.S. Army history online edition; Stilwell's Command Problems (1956) online edition; Time Runs Out in CBI (1958) online edition. Official U.S. Army history
  • Schaller Michael. The U.S. Crusade in China, 1938-1945. (1979). online edition
  • Thorne Bliss K. The Hump: The Great Military Airlift of World War II. (1965).
  • Tuchman, Barbara. Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45, (1972), 624pp; Pulitzer prize (The British edition is titled Against the Wind: Stilwell and the American Experience in China 1911-45,) excerpt and text search
  • Xu, Guangqiu. "The Issue of U.S. Air Support for China During the Second World War, 1942–1945," Journal of Contemporary History 36 (July 2001): 459–84. in JSTOR
  • Xu, Guangqiu. War Wings: The United States and Chinese Military Aviation, 1929–1949 (2001).

Primary Sources

  • Chennault, Anna. Chennault and the Flying Tigers. (1963).
  • Chennault, Claire Lee. Way of a Fighter: The Memoirs of Claire Lee Chennault. ed. by Robert Horz. (1949.
  • Klinkowitz, Jerome. With the Tigers Over China, 1941–1942 (1999), memoirs and oral histories

See also

Online resources

notes

  1. Guangqiu Xu, "The Issue of U.S. Air Support for China During the Second World War, 1942–1945," Journal of Contemporary History 36 (July 2001): 459–84.
  2. Chiang refused to allow the shipment of weapons to defend these airfields. SeeRiley Sunderland, "The Secret Embargo," The Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Feb., 1960), pp. 75-80; in JSTOR