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The First American Volunteer Group (AVG), known as the Flying Tigers, was a unit of American volunteer pilots formed in 1941 to help China resist Japan during World War II. Officially part of the Republic of China Air Force and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault, the group flew Curtiss P-40B Warhawks marked with Chinese insignia. Though recruited before Pearl Harbor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the AVG entered combat shortly after the U.S. declared war on Japan, achieving notable success with 296 credited enemy aircraft destroyed while losing only 14 pilots in combat. Their victories boosted Allied morale during a difficult early period of the war. The unit was disbanded on July 4, 1942, and replaced by the 23rd Fighter Group of the U.S. Army Air Forces, which continued its legacy.
The First American Volunteer Group (AVG), known as the Flying Tigers, was a unit of American volunteer pilots formed in 1941 to help China resist Japan during World War II. Officially part of the Republic of China Air Force and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault, the group flew Curtiss P-40B Warhawks marked with Chinese insignia. Though recruited before Pearl Harbor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the AVG entered combat shortly after the U.S. declared war on Japan, achieving notable success with 296 credited enemy aircraft destroyed while losing only 14 pilots in combat. Their victories boosted Allied morale during a difficult early period of the war. The unit was disbanded on July 4, 1942, and replaced by the 23rd Fighter Group of the U.S. Army Air Forces, which continued its legacy.