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| On May 29, 1941 the US Army created the Air Corps Ferrying Command. Out of this small organization grew the US Air Transport Command, under the command of Maj. Gen. Harold L. George. "It seems almost incredible," Gen. William H. Tunner remarked in his memoirs, "that up until three o'clock in the afternoon of May 29,1941, there was no organization of any kind in American military aviation to provide for either delivery of planes or air transport of materiel." When the Japanese closed the Burma Road, the US devised an initial plan that called for sending 5,000 tons of supplies each month over the Hump into China as soon as possible. American C-47s delivered the first, small load of supplies in July 1942. It was a meager beginning. If the resupply effort was to be greatly expanded, airfields would have to be built, pilots would have to be trained, and transports would have to be manufactured and ferried to the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater. The air transport task in the CBI fell first to Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, commander of Tenth Air Force. The Ferrying Command was to deliver seventy-five C-47s to the CBI, but some were diverted to support British forces in North Africa. Of the sixty-two that finally reached the theater, about fifteen were destroyed or lost, and many of the rest were out of service for long periods due to a shortage of parts and engines. It was obvious that the theater air commander should not be responsible for a supply route reaching from factories in the US to destinations in China. On October 21, 1942, Air Transport Command (ATC) officially took over the task. Operations under ATC began in India on December 1. The original small air transport unit was established as ATC's India-China Wing. As air transport activity increased, it became the India-China Division, comprising several wings. "Every drop of fuel, every weapon, and every round of ammunition, and 100 percent of such diverse supplies as carbon paper and C rations, every such item used by American forces in China was flown in by airlift," General Tunner said later. "The distance from Dinjan to Kunming is some 500 miles. The Brahmaputra valley floor lies ninety feet above sea level at Chabua, a spot near Dinjan where the principal American valley base was constructed. From this level, the mountain wall surrounding the valley rises quickly to 10,000 feet and higher. "Flying eastward out of the valley, the pilot first topped the Patkai Range, then passed over the upper Chindwin River valley, bounded on the east by a 14,000- foot ridge, the Kumon Mountains. He then crossed a series of 14,000-16,000-foot ridges separated by the valleys of the West Irrawaddy, East Irrawaddy, Salween, and Mekong Rivers. The main 'Hump,' which gave its name to the whole awesome mountainous mass and to the air route which crossed it, was the Santsung Range, often 15,000 feet high, between the Salween and Mekong Rivers." Pilots had to struggle to get their heavily laden planes to safe altitudes; there was always extreme turbulence, thunderstorms, and icing. On the ground, there was the heat and humidity and a monsoon season that, during a six-month period, poured 200 inches of rain on the bases in India and Burma. The success of the Hump operation under ATC became apparent from statistics released on August 1, 1945. On that day, the command had flown 1,118 round trips, with a payload of 5,327 tons. A plane crossed the Hump every minute and twelve seconds; a ton of materiel was landed in China four times every minute. All of this was accomplished without a single accident. When the war was over, Air Force historians added up the figures. The peak month was July 1945, when 71,000 tons of cargo were carried. Some 650,000 tons of gasoline, munitions, other materiel, and men had been flown over the Hump during the airlift, more than half of the tonnage delivered in the first nine months of 1945. Besides helping to defeat Japan, the Hump operation was the proving ground for mass strategic airlift. The official Air Force history comments: "Here, the AAF demonstrated conclusively that a vast quantity of cargo could be delivered by air, even under the most unfavorable circumstances, if only the men who controlled the aircraft, the terminals, and the needed materiel were willing to pay the price in money and in men." |
| "The Heroic Pilots & Copilots Who Flew The Hump" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Capt. John K. Alexander AAF | Capt. Raymond Allen AAF | Lt. Ernest M. Allison AAF | Capt. Dean Anderson AAF| Capt. Geo. H. Anderson AAF | Lt. H. E. Anderson, Jr. AAF | Capt. Robert E. Anderson AAF | Capt. Robert S. Angle AAF | Capt. Samuel Anglin AAF | Capt. T. E. Applegate AAF | Capt. Leo Atwater AAF | Capt. Wm "Bill" Atwood AAF | Maj. Orvon Gene Autry AAF | Capt. Sherwin T. Ball AAF | Capt. Paul F. Baer AAF | Capt. W. E. Bartling AAF | Capt. Samuel Belieff AAF | Capt. Harry J. Bennett AAF | Capt. John P. Billon AAF | Capt. Lewis Bishop AAF | Capt. P. Russell Bivens AAF | Lt. Bob Black AAF | Capt. Jack M. Blackmore AAF | Lt. Carey Bowles AAF | Capt. Casey Boyd AAF | Capt. Charles B. Branen AAF | Capt. Hiram Broiles AAF | Capt. Carl K. Brown AAF | Capt. Harold Brown AAF | Capt. Jack Brown AAF | Capt. Les Brown AAF | Capt. James S. Browne AAF | Capt. Stephen Bruck AAF | Capt. Gifford Bull AAF | Maj. Howard L. Buller AAF | Capt. Donald E. Bussart AAF | Capt. Howard Butts AAF | Capt. J. Vincent Byrne AAF | Lt. Glenn H. Carroll AAF | Capt. Allan Chambers AAF | Capt. James Charville AAF | Capt. Lester Chin AAF | Capt. Moon Fun Chin AAF | Capt. Donald Codree AAF | Capt. R. W. Coldren AAF | Capt. Robert Cole AAF | Capt. K. G. Colthorpe AAF | Capt. Charles Cook AAF | Lt. William R. Cooper AAF | Capt. Ursel E. Coulson AAF | Capt. Lynn Crapuchettes AAF | Capt. Carl Cummins, Jr. AAF | Capt. Doug Cunningham AAF | Capt. Perry B. Cutburth AAF | Capt. James Dalby AAF | Capt. Bill Davis AAF | Capt. John J. Dean AAF | Capt. V. DeSalvatore AAF | Capt. R.I. Dever AAF | Capt. Wm Carter Dill AAF | Capt. Joseph A. Dionne AAF | Capt. Wm "Bill" Dotson AAF | Lt. William A. Dudding AAF | Capt. Ralph Du Vze AAF | Capt. Robert Erne AAF | Capt. Bill Ewing AAF | Maj. Roy Farrell AAF | Capt. Wyly Flint AAF | Capt. Jack Foltz AAF | Capt. James R. Fox, Jr. AAF | Capt. Joe Frampton AAF | Capt. James A. Frick AAF | Lt. Everett Gardner AAF | Capt. Robert Gast AAF | Capt. Norm Geiger AAF | Capt. J. Gen Genovess AAF | Capt. Robert Gentry AAF | Capt. Russell A. Gibson AAF | Capt. Raymond Gilliland AAF | Capt. Aleck Gingiss AAF | Capt. Oliver Glenn USN | Capt. Peter J. Goutiere AAF | Lt. Richard Green AAF | Capt. Roan J. Green AAF | Capt. James Gregg AAF | Capt. Clifford G. Groh AAF | Capt. Les J. Hafferkamp AAF | Maj. Barton N. Hahn AAF | Capt. Burton Hall AAF | Capt. Lester Hall AAF | Capt. Charles Hammel AAF | Capt. Jeff Hanan AAF | Capt. Fletcher Hanks AAF | Capt. Henry J. Hardin AAF | Capt. Hugh W. Hash AAF | Lt. Donald K. Hassig AAF | Capt. Ray Hauptman AAF | Capt. Frank J. Havelick AAF | Capt. Ken W. Healy AAF | Capt. Robert P. Hedman AAF | Capt. Robert B. Heilig AAF | Capt. William Helling AAF | Maj. Earl T. Hemminger USMC | Capt. Hugh Hicks AAF | Capt. Frank Higgs AAF | Capt. Raymond Hilgert AAF | Capt. Arthur Hing AAF | Capt. Robert G. Hinkle AAF | Lt. T. R. Hockswender USMC | Capt. Fred Hodges AAF | Capt. R.S. Holmes, Jr. AAF | Capt. R. Hoyer AAF | Capt. George Huang AAF | Capt. James Hubbard AAF | Capt. Harvey Hughs AAF | Capt. James Hurst AAF | Capt. Robert W. Jenkins AAF | Capt. Birger Johnson AAF | Lt. Russell Johnson AAF | Capt. Henry R. Johnston AAF | Capt. Glenn W Jones AAF | Capt. Dennis Kelly AAF | Capt. John W. Kenehan AAF | Capt. Walter C. Kent AAF | Col. Paul W. Kessler AAF | Capt. Arthur R. Kidder AAF | Capt. Arthur Kininmonth AAF | Capt. Jay Kirkman AAF | Maj. Enos C. Kirkpatrick AAF | Capt. Frank A. Knapke AAF | Capt. Richard V. Krupke AAF | Capt. Joe Kurzman AAF | Capt. Stephen A. Kusak AAF | Capt. Henry Lambert AAF | Capt. James Lane AAF | Capt. C. H. Laughlin USMC | Lt. Edward Leatherbury AAF | Capt. Royal Leonard AAF | Capt. K.Y. Liang AAF | Capt. Anson Lisk, Jr. AAF | Capt. Howard Littlefield AAF | Capt. Ernest W. Loane AAF | Lt. Andrew Longbotham AAF | Capt. Thomas Loomis AAF | Capt. Howard G. Loux AAF | Capt. H.R. Lucas AAF | Lt. K. R. Lundberg AAF | Capt. W.W. Lundy AAF | Capt. William J. Maher AAF | Capt. David P. Majors AAF | Capt. Richard Marchant AAF | Lt. James H. Maupin AAF | Capt. Donald McBride AAF | Capt. Robert B. McCaleb AAF | Capt. Lloyd C. McClellan AAF | Capt. J. R. McCleskey AAF | Lt. Howard C. McCracken AAF | Lt. Bill C. McDonald, Jr. AAF | Capt. James H. McDivitt AAF | Capt. Victor B. McHenry AAF | Lt. Thomas McKinney AAF | Capt. E.A. McLlwain AAF | Capt. Edward Meyer AAF | Maj. Francis J. Michiels AAF | Maj. Einar I. Mickelson AAF | Maj. Robert P. Miller AAF | Capt. Sam A. Miller AAF | Capt. Stanley A. Miller AAF |
Maj. Hewitt F. Mitchell AAF |
Capt. Ralph Mitchell, Jr. AAF |
Capt. James Monahan AAF |
Capt. Ladnor M. Moore AAF |
Capt. Preston Moore AAF |
Capt. Richard Moore AAF |
Col. Ogburn L. Morgan AAF |
Lt. Paul R. Morton AAF |
Capt. Robert C. Moss AAF |
Capt. Richard C. Mulloy AAF |
Capt. Millard K. Nasholds AAF |
Capt. Floyd Nelson AAF |
Lt. Richard C. Newmeyer AAF |
Capt. Archie E. Newton AAF |
Capt. Earl R. Norman AAF |
Capt. T.A. Nosalik AAF |
Capt. Howard Norris AAF |
Capt. Jack O'Brien AAF |
Capt. William Odom AAF |
Capt. Byron O'Hara AAF |
Lt. Joseph J. O'Hare AAF |
Capt. John S. Papajik AAF |
Capt. Leonard L. Parish AAF |
Capt. Harry A. Peattie, Jr. AAF |
Capt. Bert H. Pollock AAF |
Capt. Gordon Poon AAF |
Maj. R. W. Pottschmidt AAF |
Capt. Eugene J. Powers AAF |
Capt. Robert W. Prescott AAF |
Capt. Rolf B. Preus AAF |
Capt. A. J. Privensal AAF |
Lt. Eddie Quinn AAF |
Capt. Walter Quinn AAF |
Capt. Robert J. Raine AAF |
Capt. Donald C. Reece AAF |
Capt. Robert Rengo AAF |
Maj. Roger M. Reynolds AAF |
Capt. Ace Richards AAF |
Capt. David C. Robb AAF |
Capt. Leon F. Roberts AAF |
Capt. David F. Robbins |
Lt. George A. Robertson AAF |
Capt. Camille J. Rosbert AAF |
Capt. John R. Rossi AAF |
Capt. George Rummel AAF |
Maj. Eddie R. Russell AAF |
Capt. Tom Sailer AAF |
Lt. Arnold Schilperoot AAF |
Capt. C.R. Schofield AAF |
Capt. Michael Schroeder AAF |
Capt. William H. Schuler AAF |
Lt. Stephen W. Schuster AAF |
Capt. James Scoff AAF |
Lt. Emil Silvan Scott AAF |
Capt. Cecil G. Sellers AAF |
Capt. Van Shapard, Jr. AAF |
Capt. Charles L. Sharkey AAF |
Capt. Charles L. Sharp, Jr. AAF |
Capt. Robert B. Sherwood AAF |
Col. Eriksen E. Shilling AAF |
Capt. John Shoemaker AAF |
Maj. Gerald R. Shrawder AAF |
Capt. Richard Simmonds AAF |
Capt. Felix T. Smith AAF |
Capt. Gordon Smith AAF |
Capt. Henry A. Smith AAF |
Capt. Oakley M. Smith, Jr. AAF |
Capt. V. Edward Smith AAF |
Lt. William Smith AAF |
Capt. Richard Snell AAF |
Capt. Wayne P. Snyder AAF |
Col. Nelson R. Stewart AAF |
Capt. Richard Stratford AAF |
Capt. Richard Stuelke AAF |
Capt. Charles M. Sundby AAF |
Capt. Harold A. Sweet AAF |
Maj. Clyde T. Tarbet AAF |
Capt. James Tate AAF |
Capt. Joey Thom AAF |
Capt. Warren Thornley AAF |
Lt. Albert Thorwaldson AAF |
Capt. John R. Tucker AAF |
Capt. Weldon Tutwiler AAF |
Capt. Charles Uban AAF |
Lt. L. H. Vancelette AAF |
Capt.J. A. VanderVoorde AAF |
Lt. Charles S. Vaughn AAF |
Capt. John Vivian AAF |
Capt. Jules H. Watson AAF |
Capt. Jeff Weiner AAF |
Lt. Orin Welch AAF |
Capt. Charles T. Wellsted AAF |
Capt. Charles B. West AAF |
Capt. Sidney Wilson AAF |
Capt. Tommy S. Wing AAF |
Capt. Carl Wiss AAF |
Capt. Donald S. Wong AAF |
Capt. George Wong AAF |
Capt. Thomas S. Wong AAF |
Capt. Young G. Wong AAF |
Maj. Allen M. Wright AAF |
Capt. Wilson York AAF |
Capt. Austin Young AAF |
Capt. J. Young AAF |
Capt. Robert F. Zalusky AAF |
Lt. D. R. Zimmerman AAF |
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