- Image via Wikipedia
US government has organized various types of volunteering programs in order to help the governmental agencies in an effective functioning during hard times. One such volunteer unit organized to help the Chinese government during the II Sino Japanese war is the American Volunteers Group (AVG). It is also known as the flying tigers as it was successful in attacking numerous Japanese aircrafts. Due to this success Chinese called this unit as Fei Hou which means flying tigers.
This clandestine unit was created with the authorization of the then US president, Franklin Roosevelt in 1941. It was created with the idea of the then Chinese Air advisor, namely Claire Lee Chennault. Due to the success of the AVG, Chennault became popular both in the US and in the China. Personnel from the US army, navy and Marine Corps were selected for this unit along with few expert technicians. These personnel wore their previous military uniform with the Chinese Air Force (CAF) buttons and insignia. Even their cap resembled the crusher style visor cap with the golden emblem of CAF.
AVG was formed in three batches since 1941 but later the unit was abandoned because of the Second World War. First AVG was started in the summer of 1941 and it defended Burma and China with its base in Burma. The British Royal Air Force also joined with the AVG in combat operation against the Japanese. The combat operations became intense after the surprising attacks of the Japanese aircrafts near Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941. Second AVG was formed in the fall of 1941 with 33 Lockheed Hudson and 33 Douglas DB-7 bombers. Third AVG was commissioned in the early period of 1942.
In those days itself, AVG formed an aircraft communication network with the help of radio sets. They had arranged two strand wire communication between various field stations and the central hub, the air force base in Burma.
