Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...
Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...
Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...
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<strong>Air</strong>men of <strong>the</strong> 14th <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong> and <strong>the</strong>ir Chinese allies fig'-t ,al'inst <strong>the</strong> advancing Japanese<br />
Lake in powered landing barges, sampans, double and triple<br />
decked river st c.uncr« supported In' gllllho;lts and hght<br />
destroyers, On l.nul. alollg <strong>the</strong> eastern Ibllk of <strong>the</strong> drive<br />
c.iv.rlrv spearheads led <strong>the</strong> attack, supplied b:' motor convovs<br />
and pack horse tr.uux. The: Japs avoided tllc good rO;lds<br />
wh ich Cluur:«: h.id hlocked .mcl wcr« prepared to defelld,<br />
Iuxtc.«]. tltel' strclIllld dO\11I ncglectec! xccoud.nv roads alld<br />
over Ilmdillg patlts tltrollgh hil!x .mcl hetlleell rice p.r.klic-,<br />
Durinr; tlte tlrst mouth <strong>the</strong> we.it her II'~LSso hid t lr.it Japs<br />
relied upon it for protection ag~lIl1St .nr attack and moved<br />
freeh .mr] opcllh' dmillg cLnlight. I'::,cept for <strong>the</strong> OpClllIIg<br />
d.ivx of <strong>the</strong> .rttuck , wc.it lnr grolllldeel <strong>the</strong> ]~lp~lnesc uir force,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> ellelll:' conuu.mdcrx expected <strong>the</strong> Amcric.m air forcc<br />
t o vutl cr ;1 simil.u bte, I II th.it error thcv rcckouccl wi t huuf<br />
<strong>the</strong> tlghter-bomhers of Co!. l r.ivicl ('(ex) l Iill, LlllllJll\<br />
fIghter grollp, For \\eeL Oil cllel <strong>the</strong>se IIICII f1lW throllgh<br />
uou-opcr.it ioual wc.rt lic-r. tOIJk off ill r;limtonm t li.it SnlCIIl'C1<br />
<strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong> rI1ll1l;IIS, hlttkel fog ;llICI frollts and I ()()foot<br />
ceilmgs, a nd twisted <strong>the</strong>ir \1:11' IIp rivcr s .uid l;ilklS to filld<br />
and slallgltter cncmv COlll111m, Tlie l'--f()s .iur] \lllst:Jllgs of<br />
this grollp Hc'\\' l'lgllt to tell IIlis',iolls a cl.iv from LIIII-SIJ:lkl'C1<br />
fielels, with m;ln:' pilots aleLlgillg t h nc :llld fom missl(llls a<br />
cJ:II' for a week at a stretcll. Oi«: squ.ichou lc:lder fll'll -f-:lilisslOm<br />
in less titan t hrc«: Ilecks, II:IS sltot dO\11I hI icc, LIII<br />
!Jack to safetl ;Inoss tlte h:lttletleld wit]: J;IP p:ltrols 011 lils<br />
heels. <strong>the</strong>n sllOt clown t lucc J:lp pLlIIes in ;1 sillgle flgbt (II .r<br />
I kng"ang, ,\11 of thcse IlIISSIOIl, wcr« fl0111l 011 <strong>the</strong> delk<br />
and in <strong>the</strong> teetli of hCIII' ~rollnd fire, ()II nl:III\' ri ,.r<br />
S\ICCP" ccilillg .mc] ,isihilit'" l~lTe so hid tb.it pilot~ cIJlild<br />
sec nei<strong>the</strong>r b.nik of t lu: stream .u«] tluir props l.icl.cd SpLII'<br />
off <strong>the</strong> wut cr.<br />
The sLillghtlT dming this plr.i-.c of t hc Cllllp:ligll 11:1'<br />
terrific, Tillie .tf hr timc <strong>the</strong> Amnic:ms CIIl[!ht (';n ;iln<br />
CO]lIIIII1S of 'i()n to :::,()()() nu-n .nn] ]J()Lses strtlllg out :ilollg<br />
roads in narrow \;I]]els, ]':ILlfr;lgS .md rockets tore gre:lt g;lps<br />
ill <strong>the</strong> colum n-, ill tlie first xurpri«: attack, thcn <strong>the</strong> flgllters<br />
rct nrucd ill pass after p:ISS to xtr.ifc <strong>the</strong> survivors. The nl:111I<br />
truck road ruuu ius; sonthwcst from <strong>the</strong> YaugtIe River hlse,<br />
was combed repc:ltl'Cll:' .md it soon \\'as dotted with burned<br />
;1IIc! wrcol.c«] trucks. l lcuvy ut t.icks were uurclc OIl <strong>the</strong> hllc;e<br />
HotilLis and hGllih' belen tr:!llSport fleets 1ll00illg clil\\ II<br />
'luIIgting LIke alld <strong>the</strong> rilers south of thc Like, Rockets<br />
glltted <strong>the</strong> big tr;III'ports, cliH'-holllhing knockcd Ollt gllllhoats<br />
\I'hilc parafr:lgs and ,tr:l!illg lII:!de a hloOlh' sh:llnhks<br />
of troop-loaded h;nges and g:ls-clrrl'ing s;nnp:lns, Pilots<br />
dUlllpeel tllcir helly tllnks into <strong>the</strong> !llass of l\Tcckcd l)(};lts,<br />
troops anc! horscs, and tIle nl'Xt pilots set <strong>the</strong> g;ls ;lhLIlC \\ith<br />
/ra ec'!', , Close li;lison bet\lCLn Chinese grOlllld forcc"<br />
Alllericm field LldlO k:1l11S ;llId ;lir force units resulted in<br />
1ll;II1\' dC\';lstating strikcs elming <strong>the</strong> earh, ph:lses of <strong>the</strong> CIl1I-<br />
Jnign, In olle serics of tI\ e Illissions ;lg:lillSt }ap:lIlcsc bllelings<br />
on <strong>the</strong> SOllth shore of 'lungting Llkc, <strong>the</strong> Al1Icricln<br />
fighter-hOlnhlTs blkel I,:;(I() troop,. :;()() horscs ;lIld S;1I1);<br />
IlGlrh 2()O hO:lts<br />
B,: Juh' I ().\ll1lTiclll pbncs had sUl1k :;,C)C,(I bn:lts. in-<br />
cludlllg on large steamers and file glllll)():lts; killed S,()()O<br />
trr)()j)s ;llIeI nc.rrlv 3,000 her-ex ;md h;leI I\Teckeei or blIlllcd<br />
S()() t nul.». \l:Jrslt:11 Hseuh Yo, couun.uidcr of tIle Chinese<br />
flcld .mnic-, lTcdited tIle AlilniC:llI pblll's with kIllIlIg .uul<br />
\\'ollllelmg 1-f,(J()() J:lp troops .md elestro:illg 2() field sllpply<br />
dcpots,<br />
Bv thc tin u- ]:lp;lllcse forccs h.id rcached Heng\'