Chinese Airforce

[techumseh]

Does anyone have any info on the types of aircraft used by the Chinese airforce between WWI and the Japanese invasion in 1937?

[Jimmywax]

I remember reading once that they had some P-36's and some I-15's or 16's don't remember which. I am not sure on the numbers though and unless someone confirms what I say I wouldn't use it.

[Alinestra Covelia]

I think most of their air force was American made. I remember there being a few elite US Pilots flying for the Chinese air force back in the days when they were best friends.

[Jimmywax]

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
I think most of their air force was American made. I remember there being a few elite US Pilots flying for the Chinese air force back in the days when they were best friends.

Yes, the AVG (american volunteer group) flew P-40's in defense of China, but that was after the war with Japan had started. From the chinese side anyways.

[techumseh]

Thanks for your help guys (and gal). I have been able to find out a little more too. I'm mainly interested in the Warlord period from 1916 until the full scale Japanese invasion in 1937.

A large number of types were used by the various warlords, though many records have not survived. British, American and Soviet types were most common, although German, Italian and French planes were also used. They ranged from ex-WWI aircraft, through many interwar biplane types up to the early stressed-wing monoplanes.

I'll try to post some pics here as I go. Here's one good site I found: http://www.geocities.com/cwlam2000hk/part1.htm If anyone finds anything of interest, please feel free to add it. Thanks.

[DarthVeda]

Mostly B-10's, I-15's, and a mix of foreign aircraft.

[techumseh]

DV, thanks. The Martin B-10 didn't show up on the (admittedly incomplete) list I did find: http://www.worldairforces.com/Countr...awarlords.html

I'd love to include it, and one of the Martin sites does list it as being in the CAF. Do you know when it was in Chinese service and in what numbers?

[Case]

Were there some Italian planes as well? From memory, Italy sent a large contingent of advisors to China during this period, and this included a fair amount of equipment.

All up though, the Chinese military's equipment was a real dog's breakfast of odds and ends. I think that they were even operating some early model German panzers at one stage!

[Panag]

hi ,

http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch21.htm

http://member.nifty.ne.jp/kaba-maru/biblio/af-china.htm

http://users.accesscomm.ca/magnusfamily/ww2chi.htm

http://www.cosgrave.com/courses/hi3065/OldWW2Notes7.htm

http://www.geocities.com/siafdu/triviac.html

http://www.fsfreeware.com/dcd/FS2002/Aircraft/

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/reviews/aces-jaaf.html

http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMM02770.html

http://sites.ecosse.net/investor/amazon/aviation.htm

http://www.diecasthobbies.com/specials.htm?273

have a nice day

[Panag]

hi ,

some other great links ;

http://www.dalnet.se/~surfcity/sino-...se_sources.htm - this site lists all the aces also and has a huge amount of pictures from that period

http://www.skytamer.com/roundels/c.htm - if you need the original country markings

http://www.insigniamag.com/blue.html - more markings and insignia


http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/taiw...hist.htm#begin - short history

http://home6.inet.tele.dk/ron/intel/tiger.htm - nice short history

http://www.341stbombgroup.org/intel/14hist_pg1.htm - complete history of the 14th airforce , the best site on the internet on this subject

http://www.talesofoldchina.com/shanghai/t-bombs.htm - tales of china

http://www.flyingtigersavg.com/ - the official homepage of the flying tigers and the second best page on the net

http://yunnan.travel-to-china.net/yu...lyingtiger.htm - nice shots and short history with links to regional info

http://www.orgsites.com/ca/caf-socal/ - wwII museum in california with info about china

http://www2.powercom.net/~rokats/aaf_eu.html - the insignia

http://www.danford.net/japan.htm - great info about the whole conflict from 1931 to 1945

http://world.std.com/~Ted7/altcamp5.htm - another great info site


have a nice day

[techumseh]

Panag: Thanks for the sites.

Case: Yes, there were Italian aircraft, including the Fiat BR 3 bomber, the CR 30/31 fighter and the Caproni 101 bomber.

It was indeed a "dog's breakfast" of various types, including many exotic planes from the 20's and 30's. Biplanes, triplanes, parasol (wing on top) monoplanes, flying boats, etc. The armour was more limited, but was also pretty exotic, including WWI left overs, interwar 1/2 tracked armoured cars and so on. I've attached a pic of a model of a Schneider tank (French, WWI) in Warlord service.

[curtsibling]

A charming vehicle!

[Panag]

Originally posted by techumseh
Panag: Thanks for the sites.

Case: Yes, there were Italian aircraft, including the Fiat BR 3 bomber, the CR 30/31 fighter and the Caproni 101 bomber.

It was indeed a "dog's breakfast" of various types, including many exotic planes from the 20's and 30's. Biplanes, triplanes, parasol (wing on top) monoplanes, flying boats, etc. The armour was more limited, but was also pretty exotic, including WWI left overs, interwar 1/2 tracked armoured cars and so on. I've attached a pic of a model of a Schneider tank (French, WWI) in Warlord service.

hi ,

the italians send loads of free lance pilots and crews over , more like hired guns , ......

one particular era of pre WWII is the italians fights in horn of africa , they also managed to bomb some british oil industry in modern day Iraq , one of the links above has some details on that aswell , ......

many of the warlords used whatever they could lay hands on , but most of those warlords where nothing else then a bunch of thugs with a license to kill from the gov , .......

have a nice day

[:) Smiley]

which insignia is that tank painted with?

[techumseh]

This was the Chinese republican symbol used by Warlord armies in the '20s. The 5 colors represent the 5 nationalities of China. In 1925 the Koumintang (Nationalists) adopted the more familiar white sun on a blue roundel, but the 5 colored star was retained by the Warlords until their defeat by the Nationalists in 1926-28.