Aerial Engagements of The Second Sino-Japanese War

Aerial Engagements Of The Second Sino-Japanese War

The Second Sino-Japanese War began on 7 July 1937 with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in the Republic of China. The regional conflict lasted until the end of World War II, when the Empire of Japan surrendered to the Allies in August 1945. By the end of July 1937, fighting had escalated into a full-scale war and both countries deployed their air forces, ground troops, and warships into combat. Japanese heavy bombers also extensively bombed Chinese factories, airfields and conducted the first major air-raids against civilian targets in the war.

At the outset of war, China primarily relied on foreign countries for its military aircraft, but did produce about 100 Hawk II/III fighter-bombers at the Hangzhou-based CAMCO plant. 15 Chinese-American pilots formed the first unofficial volunteer group of pilots and joined front-line air units in China beginning as early as 1932 in anticipation of imminent war with Imperial Japan,. These volunteers included future ace-fighter ace pilots Art Chin and John Wong. Both the Soviet Union and the United States came to China's aid by supplying aircraft and providing training to Chinese pilots. Volunteers from the United States and the Soviet Unioni also participated in China's war against Japan, the most remarkable among them being the American Volunteer Group, better known as the Flying Tigers, which under General Chennault achieved considerable success against the Japanese from late 1941 to mid-1942.