America's Guerilla Airforce - Claire Chennault & The Flying Tigers

Go unlock me and Demo Matt in World Of Warships at: https://wo.ws/tfe Use Code: VETS4VETS

Huh! back in the 80s I was stationed at Fort Ord, CA (No longer a thing) On the beach was Stillwell 'theater'? I think. crappy place to run by during PT in the sand. Even then, I heard it was named after an A**hole.

I lived on McGuire AFB for a year or two as a child(i was an AF brat) and no shit i lived on Chennault Ln. I had no idea it was named after a ww2 vet.

Dude! I can't believe I missed this video? I just watched it months after it was put out. I never miss your videos? Good work! I know it's your style, and you're really good at what you do, but man if you could cut the f bombs down just a bit so I could watch your videos with my sons....

That FDR joke though 😂😭

I’m probably related to Him on my Papa’s side of my family

"...According to legend, one of the more well-known AVG pilots, Tex, enjoyed going up into the sky in nothing but his cowboy boots and underwear, and Claire didn't give a shit.....because the man got results". Wouldn't it have sucked to arrive in the afterlife and find out you got got downed by some dude who was in his underwear on a Sunday morning? I mean, that's as bad as if a Tank Commander had to report his losses being at the hand of someone driving one of those Vespa Scooters that was armed with a recoilless rifle.....

I recommend to you the book, "God Is My Copilot" by Robert Lee Scott (it was made into a popular film). Scott retired as a Lt General in the USAF.

This channel rules!! I'm inspired nightly as I watch them all. I hope the kids today are watching and into this stuff... Stories and lessons of fortitude.

Lets be real, even after the Chinese offered him the grand a week he decided to go talk it over w the wife when he told her about the 1000 a week she said " mf you're going to China"

So glad you made this vid- I've been a huge fan of Clair Chenault since I read The Flying Tigers as a teen. Then we stood by and gave not a shit about the Communist takeover and the decades of atrocities that followed. But we rarely seem to get it. Unintended rant, thank you for the great video!

All them amazing pilots that cheated on the eye test is crazy😂😂😂

just like our current missile that comes down from above and just opens up like a cluster

YouTube has to many fucking Karens, both male and female, running the admin scene. the only downside is Pepperbox T.V. isn't free.

Well ya know what they say, all good things must be ended by the government.

Defend Taiwan!🇺🇸🫡

We, the “US”, was still selling stuff to japan until they bombed Oahu.

Stillwell I known Ku Klux klansman and one of Biden's best friends when he got into politics. At least according to Joe Biden

We never should have stuck our nose in the World War I and allowed the Western Front to fight to a draw and come up with an equitable solution for the two sides. By sticking our nose in World War 1 where we didn't have any place sticking it. We caused World War II

This was a better storytelling of the Tigers than the John Wayne movie. 😂

I propose the acronym F.R.E.E. Flammable Rapidly Expanding Equipment.

I’m fairly sure China isn’t an island nation

Almost all correct. The P40 was ABSOLUTELY faster than the Japanese fighters of the day. About 30mph faster than the fastest Zero variant. That is a major factor in the AVGs success. They could hit and run, and the Zekes couldn't catch them. Couple that with the fact they had a bit of armor and self sealing tanks that made it hard for the bomber gunners to shoot them down. Made for a pretty formidable unit! A lot more successful than most people realize.

I've read the book, The Flying Tigers, a very action packed history of Chennault. If this vid inspires you, I recommend reading it. Cheers.

That was a good story

You ignore that he started AIR AMERICA in Asia. It supported War supply efforts in Asia.

Chinaaaaa

ZAP! well done.

We need a John Chapman video. He was a 1 man army

if someone told me in 10-20 years i could fly a warhawk in my drawers. id give results too LOL

I was walking around a park in Taishan, Guangdong in China and there's a nice memorial to the Flying Tigers there. It was really cool to see that piece of history being remembered there as that city is known for having the most of their people to have emigrated around the world.

Chennault & Billy Mitchell... Air Force literature swoons they were pioneers, visionaries, and leaders in shaping air power. While they were alive the hierarchy did nothing but fuck with them. One of the common statements I saw, in reading up on them since I was a teenager, regarding them both: "Too abrasive". Sounds like the "mission oriented" individual has always had the same fill the square marking time waffle asses to deal with throughout history.

The more I listen to you the more I believe we won WWII despite the Generals and Admirals. Which leads me to wonder how bad our Generals and Admirals are today?

Chenault was a certified badass. I imagine he's rolling in his grave right now, seeing the impending war with communist China; and he's thinking "I f^cking told you so."

Flying Tigersharks rather !

Lol. Bad vison. My Grandpa in WWII was deny becoming a pilot in the Army Air corp. So what did he do? He became a aircraft mechanic. Was still able to fly planes. Just not officially in a combat role. Did he ever fly in combat? Not that i know of. He never talked about the war to us. Another of my Grandfathers ( i had 4) i didnt find out until after he died. Was a POW to the Japanese for a couple years. My grandfathers. One was Navy in Pacific. One was Army Air Corp. Europe. One was AirForce. Meet him once before he died. Dont know where he was And one was a Army Engineer Europe. He and the Army Air Corps were stationed together and friends. He waa killed in Europe. After the war his friend came home and married his friend's wife. They had two more kids.

Funny to me yale elitists were picked for pilots. When I’m fact it was country boys who knew how to lead a target (think bird hunting) that made ace the most. Reminds me of making rich westpoint graduates officers in Vietnam. When it makes more sense to put someone in westpoint who already had combat experience and showed promise. Instead we got lieutenants with no combat experience whatsoever. Baffling.

As a Japanese American... That propaganda was completely right! Shine a light at me and I squint so hard I cant see 🤣

Vinegar Joe video when?

Claire Chenault was a habitual line stepper.

Fat Electrician, not a Neema Parvini fan

Yet another story that deserves to be a movie or series.

I have better bad drivers jokes in the 70s nothing was off limits . Our parents were children of ww2 veterans or Korean war and told us sticks and stones can break your bones words can’t hurt you

The pilots weren't that good, and the gunners were offended by being in the rear seat, so they refused to fire their guns. Yep.

I rode from Okinawa to South Vietnam in 1968 on a Flying Tiger Airline 747.

As a rule, dont piss off America.

I'm glad you are doing videos like this. I know of many of the WWII histories you present, buy for years, I've been one of few that new about people like Chennault, Mush Morton, Terry Allen, etc. Your videos are excellent with the facts and fun to watch. Nice to know the heroes from our past are going to be better known. Keep it up!!!

As a zoomer I grew up watching History channel show Dogfights on Netflix, the flying tigers was a great episode

A correction. The US did enter WWII prior to Pearl Harbor. US military mostly didn't, but US sent shitload of military and humanitarian aid to Europe, without which Soviets and Brits wouldn't survive. Yeah, it was mostly us, Europeans, that did the fighting for most of the war in Europe, but it was US industry that made it possible. And to be perfectly intellectually honest, yeah, it was Soviet industry later in the war too, but it could have never been transferred to the Urals in the first place if it wasn't supported by the US and GB at the beginning of Barbarosa.

Great stories interestingly told

Brilliant narration

23:26 Giving yourself the nickname "Flying Tigers", cringe. Getting that nickname bestowed upon you by a grateful foreign population, *_Fucking badass_*

Ah yes, Japan! Where war crimes is a sport and post-war accountability is a fantasy

This is so cool to learn, I live like 30 minutes from the Chenault Air museum here in Louisiana.

Pappy Boyington was one of the Flying Tigers. Story idea!!!

I live in Monroe Louisiana which is home to the Chenault aviation museum! Love going there and seeing the history of these guys and so many others! Thank you for sharing this heritage and legacy!

Love your commentary. Your story telling is next level. This is how education should be done. Bravo Zulu!

As a USN carrier sailor & WW 2 historian I think Fat Electrician's videos are great! Vinegar Joe really FUBAR'd the Flying Tigers along with other non traditional units like Merrill's Marauders! He looked down on all other leaders in the SE Asian Theater including Chang Kai Shek, Mao se Dung, Admiral Louis Mountbatten, Claire Chennault, Frank Merrill, and any local politician. It's surprising how well those units succeeded in spite of his command.

I wonder why America is so good at war.

Always a good show😎👍

17:45 That's not dumb, it's funny.

Great point about the "Fly By" attack! It's how you use that heavier but slower and less agile fighter than the enemy's. Col. Zemski repeated the tactic with the Jug- the P47, against the FW190 and Me109.

Dude! FDR sitting joke tho'! HA!🤣

17:42 not the blue hair 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Wholly Shit … that was awesome . 💯

@the_fat_electrician I have the book "The Flying Tigers," written in the '40s, with the tiger flying through the Victory "V." It also tells about the Flying Tigers' drawing! Hint... Walt Disney.

There’s a Clair Chenault air museum in Monroe, Louisiana that’s pretty neat

29:45 In fairness to Stilwell - in order to take & keep territory you need boots on the ground. Chenault promised Chiang Kai Shek that he could defeat the Japanese solely through airpower which of course is not feasible

16:50 The Fat Electrician made a verbal gaffe when he said China vs Japan

9 words everyone should be afraid of: "I'm from the government and, I'm here to help." Ronald Reagan said those words in the 1960's!!! Kinda fitting for this video, too, don't ya think??

My Grandfather was in China from 1940-43 with the Navy attached to the SACO Group (sino American Coop Organization) Basically Navy radio cryptographers and direction finders helping Chiang kai-sheks army fight the Japanese. I know they had a hand in giving intel to the flying tigers.

Tocayo, if it were a vote I’d vote for the old property but I see the huge dilemma being far from family. Hard decision to make. Strength and Honor

I've watched about 700 History Channel shows on the Flying Tigers and never knew half this shit and find myself laughing to boot....

I’m learning about him Beacause I’m related to him so it’s very cool to see this I had no clue about him til this video thank you

As a Chennault, thank you so much for pronouncing in the Cajun. Preciate oh boyo

Bro, the fact that you resurrect forgotten heroes who fought on the good side at the time when the world is in turmoil is in it's self a heroic act. 💪

I grew up with harry bratty he lived in our town grew up with my mom and met pappy boyington once

@21:48- now there is something I have never seen before- testing that each piston is firing by touching the exhaust pipe!

Chennault AFB in Lake Charles,La. where I’m from still has military training exercises. Sowela Tech the College that sits on the grounds there they’re called the Flying Tigers.

I gotta remember that this is the one where he holds the piece of wood up.

When I have kids I’ll absolutely be raising them in crushing poverty. They’ll be Hero’s!!! 🇺🇸

17:00 you meant JAPAN, don't you?

Baa baa Black Sheep should be your next Ariel master video

5:28 and thus, the marine corps was formed

I NEED a video about Vinegar Joe. YESTERDAY

They were not P40 Warhawks ,according to Bob Scott author of God is My Co-Pilot and who flew with the AVG they were the earlier Tomahawk model of the P-40. Colonel Bob Scott said the P-40 1st model was the Tomahawk 2nd model Kittyhawk and 3rd model was the Warhawk.

No mention of pappy boyington?

4:54 video insertion - hilarious.

Love this guy's storytelling! I think this is my new main entertainment/history source!

love your stuff but the music is distracting from your voice for some of us... i cant help it.. i am trying to adapt..lol figured it out..just turn the volume really low...sorry

Dude one of your best stories yet... Thanks

Real shit, not providing military aid to South Korea and Nationalist China post-war was one of the biggest strategic blunders in US history. The Korean War happened exactly because the commies sensed weakness in how conciliatory Western post-war policy was towards them, and Commie China became the newest superpower level threat to the USA because commies gonna commie. With how much WW2 equipment was scattered around the post war Pacific, the US would probably have even saved money dropping it off in China and Korea instead of shipping it to the US on the other side of the planet, and none of that shit would have happened. But instead we ended up shipping a lot of that equipment all the way _back_ to Korea anyways, _after_ the war had started, instead of just deterring it from happening by shipping it there in the first place.

Im from West Monroe Louisiana. We have the Chenault museum in Monroe. Never been, but after hearing you explain it I don't want to lol.

>Nobody's really sure if he actually did rack up 30+ kills and he never admitted it Remember kids, it's only a warcrime if you get caught. So don't be a snitch.

I am sorry to say this, but the end of this video is verifiably, historically inaccurate. It's a common misconception that the Flying Tigers completely ceased to exist after the American Volunteer Group (AVG) was disbanded. The transition from the AVG to the U.S. Army Air Forces' 14th Air Force was more of a formalization than an end. The AVG, known as the Flying Tigers, operated as a "civilian volunteer" group under Claire Chennault from late 1941 to July 4, 1942, flying for China against Japan. When the U.S. entered World War II, the AVG was officially disbanded, as the U.S. military took over operations. Many AVG pilots transitioned into the U.S. Army Air Forces, specifically the China Air Task Force (CATF), which later became the 14th Air Force in March 1943, still under Chennault’s command. The 14th Air Force inherited the Flying Tigers' nickname, spirit, and iconic shark-nosed aircraft (initially P-40s, later other models). While the "civilian volunteer" aspect ended, the unit carried forward the legacy, tactics, and reputation of the Flying Tigers in the China-Burma-India theater. Chennault was never directly replaced by Lt. Gen. Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell. Claire Chennault commanded the American Volunteer Group (AVG, or Flying Tigers) until its disbandment in July 1942. He then led the China Air Task Force (CATF) and, from March 1943, the 14th Air Force. Chennault remained in command of these air units throughout the war, reporting to higher theater commanders but not being replaced in his role as air commander. Joseph Stillwell was the overall commander of U.S. forces in the CBI theater and Chiang Kai-shek’s Allied chief of staff. Appointed in 1942, Stilwell was primarily responsible for ground operations, training Chinese troops, and overseeing the broader U.S. military effort in the region, including the Burma campaign. He was not a general directly commanding air forces, so he didn’t take over Chennault’s role. Yes, there was significant friction between Stilwell and Chennault, as they had clashing priorities. Chennault advocated for prioritizing air power to disrupt Japanese operations, believing it was the most effective way to support China. Stilwell focused on ground operations, particularly retaking Burma and building a Chinese army capable of fighting the Japanese. He was skeptical of Chennault’s air-centric strategy, fearing it diverted resources from ground efforts. There was no period where Chennault was removed from command of the air forces (CATF or 14th Air Force) in favor of Stilwell or anyone else. Chennault maintained continuous command of his air units from the AVG through CATF through the 14th Air Force until his retirement in 1945. Stilwell’s authority over Chennault was as a superior in the theater command structure, not as a direct replacement for air operations. So, while the original AVG as a volunteer entity was disbanded, the Flying Tigers' identity and mission continued under the CATF and then the 14th Air Force, still under Chennault's command the entire time. This is why Takahashi's quote references the significant accomplishments of the 14th Air Force.

Everyone lined up, stops at the guy in the cowboy hat and whiteys, "lemme guess, Texas?" 😂

TeAmo Gordo

I own one of the OG blood chits

My uncle was a Flying Tiger , then joined his brothers as a US Marine pilot , those were the days , I was but a young lad with s Tommy gun & two 1911s ,

I have read so many of the biographies of these men. The AVG was such a different unit. I actually met one in high school and have an autographed copy of his book to this day.