Aces of the Republic of China Air Force

by Raymond Cheung, Mark Postlethwaite (Illustrator)

Overview

A unique, detailed account of the aces that flew in the bitter air fighting during the protracted eight-year war against Japan and the subsequent civil war against the Chinese Communists

The ace pilots of the Republic of China Air Force have long been shrouded in mystery and obscurity, as their retreat to Taiwan in 1949 and blanket martial law made records of the RoCAF all but impossible to access. Now, for the first time, the colourful story of these aces can finally be told. Using the latest research based on released archival information and full-colour illustrations, this book charts the history of the top scoring pilots of the RoCAF from the beginning of the gruelling, eight-year Sino-Japanese War to the conclusion of the Civil War against the Chinese Communists.

Beginning as a ragged and very disparate group of planes and pilots drawn from various provincial air forces, the RoCAF gradually became standardised and was brought under American tutelage. Altogether it produced 17 aces who scored kills whilst flying a startling variety of aircraft, from biplanes to F-86 Sabres.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472805638
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	05/20/2015
Series:	Aircraft of the Aces , #126
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Raymond Cheung served as a correspondent for a number of well-known defence journals in the United Kingdom, writing mainly on naval matters. However, his 'first love' is research in the history of the Chinese Air Force during the Sino-Japanese War 1937-45. In pursuit of this research, he has visited the archives of the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) and the Japanese Defence Department on numerous occasions. Some of this research has been published in Chinese publications. This is his first work on the subject in English.

Artist Chris Davey has illustrated more than 30 titles for Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces, Combat Aircraft and Elite Units series since 1994. Based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, and one of the last traditional airbrush artists in the business, he has become the artist of choice for both USAAF fighters and RAF subject matter.
Raymond Cheung served as a correspondent for a number of well-known defence journals in the United Kingdom, writing mainly on naval matters. However, his 'first love' is research in the history of the Chinese air Force during the Sino-Japanese War 1937-45. In pursuit of this research, he has visited the archives of the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) and the Japanese Defence Department on numerous occasions. Some of this research has been published in Chinese publications. This will be his first work on the subject in English.
Mark Postlethwaite was born in Leicestershire in 1964 and has developed a lifelong passion for aviation history. He first worked as a photographer before turning his attention solely to artwork, and is now highly regarded in his field for the quality and accuracy of his work. He became the youngest elected member of the Guild of Aviation Artists in 1991. Mark is a valued Osprey artist and has contributed to more than 100 of its books.

Table of Contents

Background to the RoCAF
Early phases of the Sino-Japanese War
Retreat inland
Retreat further inland
Outbreak of World War 2
Latter part of World War 2&epilogue
Appendices