At a maddening pace, Chennault conveys his experience, knowledge, and fighting insight to these men who discover a surprisingly young boss, awfully dynamic and demanding as well as appealing.
But the all-out intensive training wears men and material, and some major events.Three deadly accidents occur during the training. The mechanical wear and lack of spare parts are such that it's decided to cannibalise irreparable planes.
The most experienced pilots aren't free of accidents. One funny pilot actually painted jokingly five American flags on the body of his plane ; one for each machine lost, he was flying his sixth almost with the spirit of a Japanese ace.

After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese assailed the Philippines and Singapore. Now, they unleashed their offensive in Burmese territory from the Thaï frontier, particularly menacing the city of Rangoon.
December 20, 1941, Chennault's warning system reported enemy planes approaching from HanoÏ, 500 km southeast of Kunming. Immediately, Chennault made most machines of the "Panda Bears" group take off, while the others remained in reserve, along with the "Adam & Eve" group. For a year the Japanese bombed Kunming unopposed, so they didn't expect any resistance this time too. Quite a surprise for them when they found themselves, at 50 km from the town, against planes with menacing shark jaws.
Profiting from their impressive diving speed, the American P-40 attacked the ten twin-engined Mitsubishi ki-21, spitting fire from all their machine-guns.
Supported by the reserve forces they downed nine Japanese bombers ; the last one staggering, shifted course back to Hanoï, closely followed by Edward F. Rector. In the heat of the action he pursued the bomber till his tank raw dry and then he crashed, but he saved his life in this and only accident of the squadron's fight.

The gratefull Chinese named the valourous American mercenaries "fei Hou" or "Flying Tigers".

December 23, three days after the victory of the tigers over Kunming, the battle of rangoon started with a heavy attack of the Japanese air force. Led by Arvid Olson, the "Hell's Angels" group hurriedly took off from Mingaladon airfield to face the Japanese machines. In the first wave there were 18 Nakajima bombers, folowed by 30 other bombers escorted by 20 Nakajima ki-27 fighters. Facing them, the A.V.G. disposed of 16 P-40 and the R.A.F. of 20 Brewster Buffalos. In the tropical sky and over the majestic spire of the Shwe dagon pagoda a full-scale battle developed.
Hidden by bananas, under the verandas of bungalows, in the rose-bushes or on the promenade along the Strand Hotel, thousands of bystanders, a drink in their hands, watched the tiny machines - power diving planes made a deafening noise. No one could tell the score.

As ordered by Claire Chennault, the Flying Tigers made their first passes two at a time. Kenneth Jernstedt downed a bomber with the first shots of his machine-guns. A Japanese shot Henri Guilbert down, thereby initiating the list of victims among the A.V.G. - Charles Older rapidly finished with two bombers,but one of them, exploding, threw off balance the P-40 of Neil Martin which plunged straight to the muddy river. Edward Overend and Robert Smith added two victories to the A.V.G. score. Paul Greene, chased by two ki-27, had to jump under

This quiet and self-affacing pilot teamed up with Charles Older and Thomas Haywood charged with intercepting the first bomber wave, the three man downed one machine each. Joining the fight, the "Flying Tigers" reduced five more opponents to nothing. Then Hedman assaulted the second wave and downed a Ki-27 fighter, two bombers and another fighter, awarding himself with five victories in a single sortie.
Hence, a mercenary became the first American ace of the war in Asia.

From twenty Nakajima fighters and sixty bombers employed that day, the Japanese lost nine and fifteen machines respectively. At the other side, nine Brewster Buffalos and only 2 P-40 were destroyed. Bill Pawley, the C.A.M.C.O. president, among thousands of onlookers, had been present at the battle.
He put on a feast for the Flying Tigers with ham, chicken, cool beer and scotch whisky. The pilots roared with laughter when two of their comrades reappeared safely, after being shot down that day. Ed Overend had been recovered by peasants after crashing in a pond, and Georges McMillan had returned with an ox-cart after an unfortunate chute landing wounded his ankle.

After their December defeats, the Japanese abstained from bombing Kunming, Chine. But Rangoon was another thing. The Japanese infantry wiped out the British forces on the banks of the Sittang and now prepared for invading the Burmese capital. Daily aerial attacks on the town followed one upon the other. Valourously, the A.V.G. intervened during two months helped by the R.A.F. or rather its remmants. But the Japanese had developed tactics for countering the Flying Tigers. Henceforth, victories of the mercenaries required very tough fighting, and they were insufficient to win the battle of Burma. Rangoon finally ceded under the strokes of the Japanese forces. The end of February, 1942, hordes of soldiers camped at the city gates ready for the final assault.

Chennault realised the game was over. War-weary, waiting for an elusive leave, refusing orders from Bissel, most Tigers preferred to quit. Only five of them stayed. July 4, 1942, the A.V.G. ceased to exist.

In seven months fighting, the Flying Tigers had destroyed 296 planes at a loss of 24 of theirs (14 in action and 10 by accident or bombing). For further information on the Flying Tigers aces, click here.

Extract from "The air mercenaries" Time-Life Editions - The French magazine "le Fana de L'aviation n°136 and 137 - The magazine" Wing Master" Juanuary 2002.