Flying Tigers and Zhijiang Air Force Base

During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, Zhijiang was famous as a mountain city at home and abroad, which was closely related to owning an airport. At that time, this airport was not only the second largest airport in China, but also one of the most important air bases of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression Allies.

This airport was not built in the early days of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, as people say, but landed here in 1933 when Li besieged Chen and Wa. Li and Chen are two small warlords entrenched in Zhijiang, and they annexed each other. Li surrounded Chen in the city, and the wall was high and thick, which was easy to defend but difficult to attack. Provincial President He Jian sent a biplane to support Li. The plane landed at Jiaochangping 1 km outside the east gate. This place, where soldiers were trained from the Qing Dynasty, temporarily played the role of an airport. Therefore, there is an airport behind the plane at Zhijiang Airport.

1937, Chennault was hired as an adviser to Song Meiling, Secretary General of China Aviation Committee (that is, the general adviser of China Air Force). His proposal of "opening several large-scale military secret airports in the southwest provinces of China" has been highly valued by officials of the National Government such as Jiang Zhongzheng and Song Meiling. At Chennault's initiative, China Aviation Commission recruited 1938 migrant workers from Xinhuang, Zhijiang, Mayang and Qianyang counties to expand and repair Zhijiang Airport. 1942 Recruit 30,000 migrant workers to expand Zhijiang Airport again. The runway of the expanded Zhijiang Airport is 1600 meters long and 50 meters wide, covering an area of 4,282 mu. It is the second largest airport in the Allied Far East during the Anti-Japanese War.

Chennault flew to Zhijiang on 1938, and founded the first American aviation school in Zhijiang on 10, which trained a large number of outstanding pilots for the China Air Force and supervised the expansion of Zhijiang Airport.

1938 Winter Solstice 1945, 10 Winter, Soviet Volunteer Air Squadron (194 1- 1942), US Army Air Force 14, China.

1After the full-scale outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in July, 937, China Air Force was in trouble because the aircraft lost in combat could not be replaced. Chennault suggested to the American government many times and finally got the support of President Roosevelt. Roosevelt signed a secret order in April 194 15, and the US government provided 100 P-40 fighter planes to the China government. 1 941August1day, the American Volunteer Air Force was established at Kaide Airport in Tonggu Town, Myanmar, with Chennault as the captain and three fighter squadrons under its jurisdiction.

At the end of 1943, General Chennault and his Flying Tigers pilots (120) and technicians (420) entered Zhijiang Airport. Taking advantage of Zhijiang's superior geographical position, they constantly took the initiative to attack, not only frequently engaged in air combat with the Japanese invaders, but also shouldered the responsibility of covering the heavy bombers taking off from the airport to carry out strategic bombing on the Japanese stations in North China and Central China, cutting off the Japanese logistics supply lines and blocking the railway traffic in Changsha, Xiangjiang and Beijing-Guangzhou. However, at that time, Zhijiang Airport was the focus of military secrecy. All the reports about the air force's operations and achievements at this airport were called "Hongyan Airport", "an airport in western Hunan", "Xiangxi Basin Airport" and "Almighty King", which cast a thick mystery on Zhijiang Airport. The plane departing from Zhijiang Airport directly participated in the air combat against the Japanese invaders, directly cut off the Japanese supply lines, directly participated in long-range operations and bombed Japan many times. It played an extremely important role in the eight-year anti-Japanese war and dealt a devastating blow to the Japanese aggressors. At that time, there were more than 400 planes of various types parked at Zhijiang Airport, mainly including American P-40 pirate fighter, B-25 Eagle medium bomber, P-5 1 Mustang fighter and P-6 1B Black Widow fighter. After the U.S. troops stationed in Zhizhi, there were Chinese and American air force clubs, the second aircraft repair shop, hospitals, guest houses, restaurants, bars and so on. It's everywhere around the airport. There are more than 20 troops and military and political institutions, including Zhijiang Aviation School, the US Air Force Command in Chile, the US Logistics Command in China, the US Air Force 14 Air Force, and the wartime logistics force. There are only 6,062 US Air Force personnel. 194 1 year1October-1August, 945, the flying tigers made great achievements in supporting War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in China, * * * shot down and destroyed 2,600 Japanese planes, sank and injured 44 enemy ships, and destroyed 2.23MT million tons (22.3 mt) of military merchant ships.

Zhijiang Airport witnessed the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. Zhijiang's air power has greatly deterred the Japanese invaders and Japan. The Japanese army regarded Zhijiang Air Force Base as a thorn in the side and a thorn in the flesh, and formulated the No.1 operational plan of leveling Zhijiang Air Force Base, opening up the mainland traffic lines, occupying Chongqing as the capital and conquering China. So, in April of 1945, the last offensive war against Hunan and China was launched-the Xiangxi battle for the purpose of capturing Zhijiang airport. From April 9, 65438 to June 7, 0945, the Chinese and American air forces led by General Chennault frequently attacked during the defense of Zhijiang, which caused great lethality to the Japanese army. According to incomplete statistics, in the Battle of Xiangxi, only the Fifth Brigade of the Sino-American Mixed Air Force Brigade dispatched 31kloc-0/sorties, with an average of 60 sorties per day. * * * fired 3.6 million rounds of ammunition, and medium bombers dispatched 183 sorties, with an average of bombs 1000 pounds per sortie, killing a large number of enemies. The Battle of Xiangxi was a turning point for China and War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression from stalemate to strategic counterattack. Since then, the Japanese army can no longer carry out large-scale operations, which played a key role in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's victory. Chinese and foreign media called it "the Battle of Stalingrad in China".