December 20, 1941: WWII

The American Volunteer Group  (A.V.G.) Flying Tigers, American Pilots in China, enter combat against the Japanese over Kunming.

The Shark Mouthed P-40 Warhawk fighters of the Flying Tigers remain among the most recognizable of any individual combat aircraft of World War II.  The Flying Tigers demonstrated innovative tactical strategies designed and perfected by General Clair Chennault.

The group first saw combat on 20 December 1941, 12 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor (local time). The Flying Tigers achieved notable success during the lowest period of the war for U.S. and Allied Forces, giving hope to Americans that they would eventually succeed against the Japanese. The Tigers were credited with destroying almost 300 aircraft while losing only 14 pilots on combat missions. In July 1942, the AVG was replaced by the U.S. Army 23rd Fighter Group, which was later absorbed into the U.S. 14th Air Force with General Chennault as the commander. The 23rd Group went on to achieve similar combat success, while retaining the nose art and nickname of the volunteer unit.

 WWII – Flying Tigers Bite Back