Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-01-06
BY LELAND STOWE,
Foreign Correspondent of The Star and
Chicago Daily News.

bN LfIAND S1ONL,
Foreign Correspondent of The Star and
Chicago Daily News.
/ RANGOON, Jan. 6.-Flying and
fighting alongside their comrades Of
/ the Royal Air Force here, pilots Of
the American Volunteer Group in
the Chinese Air Force played a
very considerable, perhaps histori-
cally important, role on Christmas
Day in dealing the japanese air
force its first great defeat. knocking
out at least one out Of every four
! Nipponese planes.
Since this is an established fact
and since they are still holding
the first joint Anglo American
/ aerial front formed in the Second
World War. the folks at home may
wonder just how the flying Yanks
happened to be here and in China
at the moment the japanese blitz
was launched.
Olllll llOW VIC SOhlHiSNS otoAN AAoo
not been told. yet if those Yanks
had not been on the spot. the
damage inflicted by the japanese
in this vital Far Eastern sector
certainly would have been much
more serious BY what seems well
nigh providential. Burma was the
one place where British and Ameri-
can aviation together first met jap
anese aerial attacks. And, oddly
enough. the American pilots who
shared this accomplishment were
virtually struggled across the Pacific
and into the Chinese Air Force
months ago.
The Yankee flyers are known here
as the "A. v. G's.' abbreviatiOn for
the American Volunteer Group in
the Chinese air force. The word
volunteer however. is misnOmer
in a sense since they came to the
Far East as mercenary pilots as
sured of incomes of approximately
5000 a month and promised bonus
of $500 for every japanese plane
they shot down.
Arrangement Still Holds.
This arrangement still holds de-
spite the United States involvement
in the war simply because they are
under contract to the Chinese gov
eminent. 1t is a curious situation.
but nonetheless fortunate that these
squadrons, equipped with good
planes and first-class American
ground crews, are here and in China.
These members of the A. V. G.
had resigned their commissions as
pilots or enlistments as mechanics
and other ground personnel in the
/ United States Army, Navy and Ma
rine Corps late last spring when
offered privately an opportunity to
earn big money by joining the Chi
nese air force.
That appeared to be the only way
to get experienced mechanics and
combat pilots who would require
absolute minimum training when
they reached the Far East, espe-
cially since so many Americans were
still .blindly confident that the
United States would not be involved
in an actual fighting war for long
time. Likewise the Chinese urgently
needed expert pilots and no time
could be lost in protracted training
of ordinary volunteers
The original idea of the A. v. G.
was Matched by two Americans, who
had long co-operated in supplying
the Chinese with fighting planes.
They were William Pawley of Miami,
Fla. president of the Central Air
craft Manufacturing Co. and its
Chinese subsidiary, the Interconti-
nent Corp, and his associate. Comdr
B. G. Leighton. Intercontinent al
ready had an airplane plant in
China. so Mr.. Pawley, in answer to
Chinese requests. worked out plan
to obtain experienced American
pilots from our defense forces and
bring them to China.
Plan Was Common Sense.
This probably could never have
been worked out had not the Amer
lean Government committed itself to
the greatest possible aid to China
and prepared to appropriate hun
dreds of millions of dollars worth OF
lease-lend materials for that pur-
pose. But with Washington pledged
to bolster Chinese resistance to pre-
vent her subjugation by Japan. it
was common sense to build up the
Chinese air force which greatly
needed reinforcements.
Accordingly. Mr.. Pawley's Central
Aircraft Manufacturing Co. assumed
private responsibility for recruiting
aviators and transporting them to
China, expanding air fields and pro-
viding such equipment as lease-lend
could not furnish-in any case, being
responsible for all the material needs
of the A. v. G. plus handling its pay
I'll.
That took care of the admins
trative side OF the A. v. G. and for
its professional military direction
Col. c. L. Chennault. retired, United
States Army Air Force ofiicer, was
already available. since he had
trained and directed the Chinese
air force for the last four years.
Col. Chennauult, who recently was
promoted to brigadier general Of
the Chinese Air Force, was quail
fled by experience as the command
ing ofiicer of American s0-called
volunteers. He had studied Japan's
aviation methods for years. knew
all its aircraft, was familiar with
its tactics and equally familiar with
Chinese requirements and mentality.
Called "Old Fox"
Officers who have long served
with Col. Chennault call him the
s"Old Fox" because Chinese pilots