The Flying Tigers - Incredible Full Documentary - America's Greatest Pilots of World War II
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2021
- This video is a full documentary on the American Volunteer Group, or the Flying Tigers - some of America's greatest pilots of World War II. These brave pilots flew P-40 fighters over China and defended a foreign nation from the invading Japanese. This was made using the World War II flight simulator IL-2 Sturmovik Great Battles series and War Thunder. Hope you enjoy! Please like, comment, and subscribe.
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Hey Tj3 make another historic video like cpt.Jesus villamor the first Philippine flying ace during ww2 please tj3?
Your background music screwed up the vid.
First off I have to admit I like the way you did your videos you got a lot of good information but you also made a few mistakes like you kept saying that the flying tigers were taking from the army Navy Marines and Air Force the Air Force did not become the Air Force until 1947 so it was army Air corps wow. There were other mistakes in your research but that was one of the biggest ones don't get me wrong I still like you videos and I still watch them thank you very much for all your hard work
I want to thank you for the documentary. My dad was one of the Flying Tigers. the Flying Tigers would have a reunion every year and I met quite a few of them including Tex Hill. I heard a lot of stories at the reunions. I still have my dad's military records and a 16mm film (gun camera) of his flying and shooting training. He started out in a P-40 then went to a P-51.
Glad you enjoyed it!
was he in the same squadron as cliff groh within the avg? cliff's son, charlie, was one of my marching instructors in sr drum corps (and a 'nam vet flying scout choppers).
@@samsignorelli
He was assigned to 76th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group at Luichow, China.
Outstanding soldier.cary on.💪✌️💯😎👍
You might not know this but they are national heroes in China. Their exploits are taught since elementary school and growing up in the 90s all the boys wanted to be like them.
I'm proud to say that I'm related to Chenault. He was an uncle I think. My father served in the Air Corp during WW2. I've served in the Air Foce during and in Vietnam. Proud of my military heritage. God bless America!
Thanks for the service! Salutes from Brazil
I too am related to one of flying tiger on my grandma's side of family.
Lol you too huh? He's my great uncle, I think he passed about 20 years before I was born. All the second hand info I had on him I received from my grandmother. I was enjoying watching the show Black Sheep Squadron until I caught the first episode which made him look like some douche bag tightwad.
I ended up being quite popular with all the Taiwanese exchange students we had on campus when I was using my GI bill.
When I was 11 my dad took my mom and I to ping tung Taiwan. And I went to Chenalt school and went to dinner with president Chiang Kai-shek my dad was also a flying tiger and a mesqueto squadron in Korea and was a pilot in the Berlin airlift at the end of ww2 his name was hank hansen
Bill Littlejohn, I'm proud to say that I'm related to santa claus he's my grandfather I think.
I met and grew up around many of the former Flying Tigers. They were contract pilots for Air America at the time. For reasons I never did fully appreciate, they loved my dad to death and respected him greatly.
Yes as chinese descendants we all need to say million thanks to the Flying Tiger and Chennault. God bless.
we built statues of him, and his flying tigers, we already thanked them
Once more; showing the History Channel how it's done!
Aviators were always my celebrities and my step-dad, Col. Norman Walker (USAF Ret) knows a lot of them. That's why I have an inscribed and autographed book by "Tex" Hill. He picked up the phone and asked him to inscribe it to me. If you haven't already, read Hill's book, it'll take you along for the ride.
My favourite plane ever, it sure as hell saved Australia when the Japanese were knocking on our doorstep. As one general commented "the P-40 was damned by words but flown to glory."
P40 is the most underrated plane...that and the Hawker Hurricane (which ACTUALLY saved Britain).
Great job! This makes me want to watch John Wayne in the "Flying Tigers"...which I haven't watched for 40 years
Like his flying a special made for Hollywood one-off twin engine "converted" civilian aircraft to perform a fake bombing mission dropping home-made bombs that the highly skilled Chinese pilots would have done with their He-111A's.
Excellent. They we're tomahawks early on. 4 x 30 cals, 2 x 50 cals.
Technically, H-81 and originally in a British order so they were in British day camouflage pattern. The engines were unacceptable to the USAAF as they were not in the rpm range designated by contract, they were higher.
Not all of the Chinese pilots were poorly trained. Before Germany and Japan became close, the Germans supplied and trained Nationalist troops. A select group of pilots including future ace Art Chin of Portland were sent to Germany for advanced fighter training. Both Art Chin and John “Buffalo” Wong of Los Angeles became aces prior to the arrival of the AVG
Salute to heroes. Brave flying tigers. Thanks for their service and sacrifice.
Although I know more or less about the famous AVG Flying Tigers I throughly enjoyed watching this video as I consider the people of AVG group who flew and maintained the P-40 one of the best groups during the war. Good job and looking forward to see your new 👍👍
Brilliant. You’ve came a long way TJ. I Love the new way you are conducting research and editing to a perfection. You have a long road of success providing these mini documentaries and your live streams are great also. Still waiting for the 1440P lol
Thank you! And I'm working on it lol
Hey Tj3 make another historic video like cpt.jesus villamor the first Philippine flying ace during ww2 please tj3?
I was a day late catching this, if you are still reading posts this was excellent. I look forward to your historic videos every time, this one I believe you went above and beyond what most you tubers would have done. Stellar editing, great cut scenes and smooth narration. Professional quality all the way. Your channel sir is underrated and under subbed. Cheers, amazing.
Thanks for creating this documentary on the Flying Tigers. Well-done!
Great video on what is one of the the most interesting stories of WW2.
That was awesome brother; I really enjoy your little documentaries. Ooh Rah!
Top quality video, great re-enactment. Loved it.
Thanks to the Flying Tiger pilots during the most desperate time in China, Col, Scott, Gen, Claire Chennault The USA government decided to request a recall under Hap Arnold. Some veterans of this famous club still have deep empathy for Chinese they had sacrificed for in 2000. Deep respects for General Claire Chennaults Chinese wife, Madam Rose Sun Tchang granddaughter of Dr Sun Yat Sen who has sadly passed away who were Patrons of the Flying Tigers Commemorations that were held in Hawaii.
Americans themselves did not fly in Flying Tigers.
There was also a Pole, a Pole known from the Battle of Great Britain, commander of the 303rd Polish Squadron Witold Urbanowicz. Witold Urbanowicz was an experienced pilot. He even wrote a book on Flying Tigers.
Urbanowicz fought in aerial combat over Poland, in the Battle of Britain and in China with the Flying Tigers of Gen. Claire L. Chennault. General Urbanowicz was credited with destroying 28 German and Japanese and one Soviet planes.
For those exploits he earned Poland's highest decoration for valor, the Order of Virtuti Militari. Among his many other Polish, British, American and Chinese decorations were the British Order of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Witold Urbanowicz was born near Augustow in northeastern Poland and joined the Polish Air Force in 1930. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, he was an instructor at the Deblin Air Academy, where he had received his own flight training.
Once in Britain he was assigned to the 145th Squadron of the R.A.F. and took part in the Battle of Britain.He then transferred to the Warsaw 303 Squadron, or Kosciuszko Squadron, flying Hawker Hurricanes, and commanded it for a time in 1940 when the previous commander was wounded in action.
Later that year he took command of the Polish 11th Fighter Group, and in 1941 he organized and commanded the First Polish Fighter Wing. Having endured his share of dogfights, he was posted to Canada and Washington, where he served the Polish Government in Exile as assistant air attache.
But the desk jobs soon bored him and, intrigued by what was going on in China, he went through some refresher training with the American 14th Army Air Force and turned up in China in October 1943.
He was the first foreign volunteer pilot to report to Chennault's Flying Tigers. At 36 he was also the second oldest pilot in the unit after General Chennault, and distinguished himself in the battle for Changteh.
Flying a P-40 Warhawk, he escorted bombers and transport planes, dropped food and ammunition to Chinese troops and sank 15 Japanese river boats. Once he found himself alone battling six Japanese Zero fighters deep in enemy territory and made it to a friendly airfield with not a drop of fuel to spare.
He returned to Washington in 1944 as air attache with the rank of colonel. After the war, he settled in the United States and worked for American Airlines, Eastern Airlines and, most recently, Republic Aviation as an executive in production control.
mighty fine work man!
Very well done and thorough presentation of these fascinating and dauntless aviators.
Nice video. Learned a lot.
This is the first time I've ever seen this video 📸. thank you very much for your help and great knowledge
My grandfather was a flying tiger . There's a flying tiger badge on his WW2 shirt
Fantastic! Thank you!
Fantastic, thanks
Great work!
Only God can create something as beautiful as the AVG.
another great video!!!
Proud to be apart of the production job well done.
Well done mate, you've done well
Great video!! There's a history of the Flying Tigers on the Dark Skies channel. While the Flying Tiger pilots volunteered, they were very well paid; $600 per month plus $500 for each plane shot down. Military pilots started at $125 per month. As another comparison; a good job for a working guy in 1940 would have paid about $25 a week. The pay factor is a huge part of your story. The bounty on shot-down aircraft probably explains why the pilots hated ground attack missions -- it wasn't part of their deal -- they were paid to shoot down planes -- not drop bombs. It also may explain why many of the Flying Tigers did not readily rejoin the military; they saw the disbanding of the Flying Tigers as a breach of their deal. It certainly was a giant pay cut. Keep up the good work!!
Some of them quit altogether when the USAAF insisted on absorbing the group, since they enjoyed a "free-wheeling" lifestyle, with all the Chinese women they wanted to go with their rate of pay.
Also, this author did not mention that the ROCAF (Republic of China Air Force) had it's own He-111A bombers that they could have used instead of pressing the AVG guys into bombing with single engined fighters. It must have been a thing Chennault wanted to do for Uncle Chang to justify his pay and perks (like the opium he needed to feed his addiction).
The John Wayne movie conversion of a civilian aircraft (it was a special one-off model plane made special for Hollywood productions) with home-made bombs was total bag of rubbish.
@@tomt373 Please cite your source about Chennault and an opium addiction
@@mr.gadfly6249 Well put, but there didn't seem to be alternatives at the time. Sometimes we just have to do what we can. Here's a fun fact: Charles Lindbergh consulted with the Fly Tigers and gave them advice on tweaking the fuel/air mixture to increase altitude and flying time (very lean -- the engine wouldn't last nearly as long as designed for, but these were fighters planes -- they're not going to last 15 years no matter what!). FDR would not let Lindbergh in the military because of his initial opposition to going to war, so Lindbergh flew where he could. He shot down at least one Japanese airplane.
I'm proud of my uncle, Oswin Elker, who was one of the Flying Tigers. He was in the 75th squadron, and received two people hearts. His memorabilia is in the Minot Air Museum in Minot, ND.
My uncle was in the Royal Observer Corps in ww11. They did great work.
Great Documentary!!
Looks good tj good job
I watch the show Pawn Stars on the History channel and they have items from the Flying Tigers on the show often. They should teach the younger generation about the Flying Tigers in history class. I appreciate this documentary and the history lesson.
You should feature WW2’s Cactus Air Force.It was based at Guadalcanal,Solomon Isles.
The flying Tigers was one of the first books I ever read, in 2nd or 3rd grade.
This is important history. Robert Scott is a hero just like many others. I have an appreciation for his written accounts. I always think of those just as talented who went away while serving the 8th army air force. I SALUTE you all
Great video
Incredible production man, well done
Much appreciated!
Hey Tj3 make another historic video like cpt.jesus villamor the first Philippine flying ace during ww2 please tj3?
Most Excellent!
I really enjoyed this video. I ike your story telling style. Your videos are very well done. I have seen a LOT of WWII documentaries, as well as all the WWII movies in the 1950's, when I was a kid. I am told that my uncle served with Chenault in China.
Despite obvious Macchi 202's,Ju 88's,La 5 disguised as "Japanese" planes,the video is well done. Good effort.
There was a volunteer force of US pilots during the Battle of Britain as well. I think they were called Eagle Squadron, might also be a good subject to cover.
The Battle of Britain ended 31 October 1940.
"The first Eagle Squadron, No. 71 Squadron, was formed in September 1940 as part of the RAF's buildup during the Battle of Britain,[2] and became operational for defensive duties on 5 February 1941."
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Squadrons
Four Americans lied and said they were Canadians, and fought with other (Canadain) squadrons in the Battle of Britain. And those four men were recognized for fighting in the Battle of Britain. There is an official list on Wikipedia.
Great vídeo !!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks!
My father in law flew missions over the Burma's hump his plane went down and his body was never recovered along with the other crew members
my grandfather was fighter ace Joe Rosbert of the flying tigers, this was an awesome video!
10/10 amazing
Very Cool!!!
How about something on Pappy Gunn and his B-25s?
kool , thanx
Chenault is a legend....
awesome
just one of so many amazing (but unknown to / forgotten by most people) stories of our history
Isn't it amazing what men can accomplish when bureaucracy and upper management doesn't get in the way?
FDR lied this, the Navy escorted Dutch passenger liner carrying "missionaries" to Burma.
Flying Tigers never shot down a Zero. At least while Chinese.
Excellent. I always enjoy the John Wayne 'Flying Tigers'.
More of a briefing, but adequate and good.
I just saw the movie God is My Pilot. Thanks TJ3 History
man CZcams doc are better then the old history channel dog fights, just lacking the pilots giving interviews.
The Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club started with discharged Flying Tigers after the war.
cool stuff - thx! did i see right that u used Ju-88 for re-enacting the Ki-48?
Yep!
Great video bro! My grandfather flew the Hump in the Air Transport Command 1346th Army Air Force Division. They flew supplies, ammunition, planes ,etc. to the Flying Tigers and China so they could fight the Japanese
Very cool! The airmen in China were very interesting. Love their stories
Buen video
The first of my heroes since I was born in1942. Flying Tiger Lines as a cargo carrier was a client when I was in insurance. Bought by Fed Ex.
You should do some ww1 content. Great stories to there too.
Built a few models of the avg flying tigers p40
My dad flew in WWII in China and later in the Korean War. All my life I’ve been told he was Army Air Corp and flew with the flying tigers, but I can’t find any hard evidence. The military records “burned in a wear house fire” when we tried to get copies. I’ve seen his pictures through China and in planes and one of the guys in your video kinda looks like him! Any ideas how I might be able to find records?
Go to Monroe, LA to see the Claire Chennault Military Museum. Monroe is General Chennault's home and the museum is managed by his granddaughter.
Ironic the resignation letter was PAPPY'S!!!
Speaking as a retired security contractor that worked us military contracts...
Amazing that the flying tigers were in fact government sponsered security contractors and that they were heros while the hundreds of of other modern contractors that were killed in Afghanistan (where i primarily worked) are seen as villains and criminals today.
An interesting point!
the history channels should hire you
Did you build custom campaigns or missions to make you videos? How did you get Japanese planes and B-17's into the game? Am I missing something here? Thank you for the videos by the way, you channel is by far my favorite for WW2 Aviation History! Keep up the amazing work!
For this one I used War Thunder custom games.
@@TJ3 Awesome! Makes sense, looks great thank you!
will there ever be jet content? like the F4
I would love it if you could do a detailed video of the Flying Tigers attack on the Japanese when Japanese army tried to enter Southern China via the Burma Road. I've heard that these attacks were pivotal in protecting China's capital city. During these attacks, the Flying Tigers even willing to make their own bombs because the missions were so critical.
Thanks
It's probably best to stick with the War Thunder plane set and visuals for content during these mini-docs on the pacific theater - due to the obvious limitations of the Il-2 plane inventory outside the European theater of operations during WWII.
There was a white Russian who flew for the Tigers. His name was Voskresnye, Christmas. His widow was my to instructor at at the Defense Language Instute.
What about Gregory Boyington? He's who I think of when I think Flying Tigers.
Strange how I would have never known about these pilots if i had not read buck danny comics as a kid. Handed down to me by my father.
Did the Japanese operate Junkers 88s? I didn't know that (timepoint 12.42 - a row of Ju-88s bearing Japanese insignia). And at 13.43 an early production model Lavochkin La-5 comes into view just running up.
There’s no Japanese aircraft in IL2 Sturmovik Great Battles (the game used for their footage) as of yet, so they’re reusing existing assets that were skinned to look like Japanese craft.
Crash compilation again please
Here's an idea for another movie:
Everyone must have watched the King Kong movie from 1933. The screenwriter and co-director of the film was Merian Caldwell Cooper. It was he who played the pilot who shoots a giant monkey.
He entered the military pilot school in Atlanta, where he graduated with the best result, and then left for France in October 1917. There he also suffered a serious accident - after a strong blow to the head and loss of consciousness during the flight, his aviation career was put into question. Due to the shock, Cooper had to practically learn to fly again.
He managed to recover to full health and form, then landed on the front lines as a pilot on an Airco DH.4 bomber, sometimes derisively referred to as the "fire coffin" due to its alleged tendency to self-ignite. Soon Merian Caldwell Cooper faced death face to face.
On September 26, 1918, on a return flight from the mission, a group of seven DH-4s, including a Cooper machine, were attacked by German fighters over Dun-sur-Meuse. Cooper's bomber was hit and burst into flames. The pilot was in a tragic situation - he had no parachute, and the cockpit in which he was sitting was on fire. Cooper, struggling dramatically with the centrifugal force and the flames, saved himself by spinning himself through the air to smother the fire.
The plane fell into enemy territory, and the pilot was captured with severe burns. However, his colleagues considered him dead - his death certificate was signed by General Pershing himself. Years later, this documentary became a kind of trophy for Cooper and a source of pride.
After the end of the war in France, he joined the Polish Army as a volunteer.
During the Polish-Bolshevik war 1919-1920 he served as a pilot of the Polish Army. Fighting as part of the 7th Fighter Squadron Tadeusz Kościuszko. In this squadron fought American volunteers. Cooper shot down in one mission, he is captured by the Soviets, from which he escapes. Awarded with many high Polish decorations. He helped the Polish cause so much that in the interwar period, monuments were erected for them, and even the film "Gwiaździsta Eskadra" was made in their honor, which was the most expensive Polish film production of its time. At that time, the famous sign of an escort of American volunteers was established. Poles fought under this sign in the famous 303 Squadron in the battle for Great Britain. When Cooper came to visit Squadron 303, Polish pilots prepared a royal welcome for him (14.03.1941).
Extremely colorful character.
Didn't bother to read the whole thing lol
I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE FLYING TIGERS WERE P-51 MUSTANGS.
Awesome job........ glad you did the "Fei Hou" proud...... always upset me when every pilot who flew in China (even bomber pilots), called themselves "Flying Tigers", there is a difference in flying as a mercenary and being drafted..... just my thoughts......
One of the tigers and his mechanic ended up on bora bora and worked as cargo pilot's in a grumman Goose.
They also tried to find the "gold monkey" but ended up just telling tales about it...
Ok so I already googled and couldn’t find much. For those pilots leaving the military to fight with the allies, how did they leave? Since your military service is in terms. Did they have to leave with a dishonorable discharge. Or did they have to go awall in order to volunteer or we’re they allowed honorable to go right?
It was an honorable temporary leave of absence (like when a professor takes a sabbatical from teaching to do research in another country for a year).
They signed a contract that spelled out the terms. I got all this information using Google, but I watched many CZcams videos with actual pilots interviewed.
-----
"They" = The First (or 1st) American Volunteer Group (A.V.G.)
----
By signing the contract, the following things happened per pre - arranged agreements:
1. They agreed to resign from the military of the U.S.A.
2. They agreed to become employees of the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) that had an office in the city of Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar) and an airplane repair facility in Loiwing (now a storage yard in Ruili, China).
3. The contract did not start sooner than 4 July 1941, and the contract for all of them would end on 4 July 1942.
4. They were to return to the military of the U.S.A. at whatever rank they had on 4 July 1941 when the contract ended on 4 July 1942.
5. They were not to lose disability benefits.
Behind the scenes, the War Department of the U.S.A. approved it, and the Department of the Treasury of the U.S.A. funded it (perhaps, with a loan). The money made its way to CAMCO, and then CAMCO paid everybody per Claire Chennault's approvals. CAMCO purchased the airplanes, with the approval of both the Department of State of the U.S.A. and the British Purchasing Commission of the U.K. The 100 airplanes were "sectioned off" or "diverted" from a purchase order of 930 airplanes to be built for the R.A.F. because U.S.A.A.C. General "Hap" Arnold did not agree to let go of any airplanes either from U.S.A.A.C. or to be built for the U.S.A.A.C. (until about February 1942 when U.S.A.A.C. was U.S.A.A.F. and U.S.A. had finally declared war on Japan).
So, the initial 100 1st A.V.G. airplanes had British camouflage paint scheme until six U.S.A.A.F. P-40E arrived 22 March 1942.
In trade, the R.A.F. got 100 newer models at a latter date.
---
Because people think the money originated at the Government of the Republic of China, people incorrectly think the 1st A.V.G. were mercenaries.
Since the money and approval came from the Government of the U.S.A., they were not mercenaries. Tex Hill made this point clear in one of his interviews.
Awesome man I live in Warner robins next time you come hit me up I'll show you around
Warner Robins is where I am from! Haha
@@TJ3 that's awesome man
The P-40 that is on display at Warner Robins is NOT a P-40E, it is a P-40N.
This video was made using War Thunder and the P-40N is not in the tech tree. The only P-40s available are the P-40, all the E variants and the F
A Great Tribute To A Great Fighter Group. What Mod Did You Use For IL2 Sturmovik? All Those Interested Should Read, 'Into The Teeth Of The Tiger' By Don Lopez. I Know He Was There AFTER The AVG Disbanded.
I just used some user made Japanese skins for the Ju-88, Mc202, and Lags8 that can be found on the IL-2 forums.
RIP ALL U GREAT MEN AMEN LORD AMEN 🙏
The background "music" becomes minopolis.
The resignation letter shown
- Greg Boyington.
I dnt know if others realised this facts or even agree with me on this facts i personally felt about the famous flying tiger air force..
From my POV..
Claire Chennault were the first man in history who succesfully created worlds first INTERNATIONAL MERCENARY (GUNs FOR HIRE) GROUP & all 'THE FLYING TIGERS' pilots and all its own personal staff members,such as mechanics,cooks etc were also the worlds first Professional mercs!
My great uncle buzz Wagner fought with the flying tigers. Theirs a p 40 that is a replica of his.. He to was a ace hope to see his name on this show.. He crashed flying after returning to America. He crashed I think by the gulf.
"Gung Ho!"
-- John Wayne (1943)
I wish i had il 2 moscow and kuban...
Boyington of bah, bah black sheep fame, flew with the tigers.
The AVG did not see action until after Pearl Harbor. Also they never fought any Zeroes. They fought primarily Nates and Oscars along with various bomber types.
Pappy from black sheep was member an p-40 pilot. Could show his connection. An maybe his controversy in counting two of his ground attacks as kills!then using them when he gets back to States.
Gregory "Pappy" Boyington was definitely the most famous of the AVG.
ROLE OF DEFENSIVE PURSUIT....his Book.