Chennault, Claire Lee, 1893-1958

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1893-09-06
Death 1958-07-27
Birth 1893-09-06
Death 1958-07-27
Birth 1893
Death 1958
Gender:
Male
Americans,
English

Biographical notes:

Claire Lee Chennault (September 6, 1893 – July 27, 1958), sometimes known as Old Leatherface, was an American military aviator best known for his leadership of the "Flying Tigers" and the Republic of China Air Force in World War II.

Chennault was a fierce advocate of "pursuit" or fighter-interceptor aircraft during the 1930s when the United States Army Air Corps was focused primarily on high-altitude bombardment. Chennault retired from the United States Army in 1937, and went to work as an aviation adviser and trainer in China.

Starting in early 1941, Chennault commanded the 1st American Volunteer Group (nicknamed Flying Tigers). He headed both the volunteer group and the uniformed U.S. Army Air Forces units that replaced it in 1942. He feuded constantly with General Joseph Stilwell, the U.S. Army commander in China, and helped China's Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek to convince President Roosevelt to remove Stilwell in 1944. The China-Burma-India theater was strategically essential in order to fix many vital elements of the Imperial Japanese Army on the Chinese mainland to limit their use against Allied forces advancing towards Japan in the two Pacific campaigns.

Links to collections

Comparison

This is only a preview comparison of Constellations. It will only exist until this window is closed.

  • Added or updated
  • Deleted or outdated

Information

Permalink:
http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gr7n7d
SNAC ID:

Subjects:

  • Floods
  • Aeronautics
  • Generals
  • Military bases
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945
  • World War, 1939-1945

Occupations:

  • Army officers
  • Aviators

Places:

  • LA, US
  • TX, US
  • Burma (as recorded)
  • China (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • Chennault Air Force Base (La.) (as recorded)
  • Louisiana--Lake Charles (as recorded)
  • Louisiana--Calcasieu Parish (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • China (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • Burma (as recorded)
  • China (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • Lake Charles (La.) (as recorded)
  • Louisiana (as recorded)
  • China. (as recorded)
  • Taiwan (as recorded)
  • Lake Charles Air Force Base (La.) (as recorded)

SNAC Cooperative Logo

Social Networks and Archival Context

SNAC is a discovery service for persons, families, and organizations found within archival collections at cultural heritage institutions.

Sponsors

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services
National Endowment for the Humanities

Hosts

University of Virginia Library
National Archives and Records Administration