Xu Huansheng (Chinese: 徐焕升; pinyin: Xú Huànshēng; Wade–Giles: Hsu Huang-sheng; 1906 – March 4, 1984) was a combat aviator of the Republic of China Air Force. He was from the first graduating class of the Huangpu (Whampoa) Military Academy's aviation school. Xu Huansheng helped further develop the curriculum at the Central Army Academy Aviation Corps as it transitioned into the Central Aviation Academy based at Jianqiao Airbase, accepting training of officers and new pilots as well as integrating experienced pilots from the various warlord air forces as conflict loomed between China and the Empire of Japan.[1][2][3]
Xu Huansheng | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | 徐焕升 |
| Birth name | Xu Huansheng (Chinese: 徐焕升) |
| Born | 1906 Chongming, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Qing China |
| Died | March 4, 1984 (aged 77–78) Taipei, Taiwan, ROC |
| Allegiance |  Republic of China |
| Service |  Republic of China Air Force |
| Years of service | 1926–67 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | 14th Bomber Squadron, 8th Bomber Group |
| Commands | 8th BG |
| Battles / wars | Second Sino-Japanese War |
Xu Huansheng had pursued advanced studies at the Jiangsu Medical University, aviation academics in Germany and Italy, and then serving as a medical flight officer and pilot training at the Central Aviation Academy. He also served as a pilot for the transport of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.[4][5] Major General Tang Duo of the PLAAF and General Wang Shuming of the RoCAF were both student-interns along with Xu Huansheng in the inaugural class of military aircraft studies at the site of the Guangzhou Dashatou Aircraft Factory at the Dashatou Aerodrome in 1925, of which Hawaiian-born Sen Yet Young was the founding director.[6][7][8][9][10]
Raid over Japan in 1938
editIn March 1938, then-Captain Xu Huansheng was leading the training at Fenghuangshan Airbase (凤凰山空军基地) for a long-range strategic bombing into the Japanese home islands, choosing the Martin B-10 bomber (a.k.a. Model 139W) as the ideal aircraft in the Chinese Air Force inventory to take-on the transoceanic mission; specifically with the targeting of Sasebo Naval Base and Yawata (steel works). As training progressed it was decided that the limited strategic bombing of such targets would be of little value in the effort to stem the Imperial Japanese aggressions and war crimes, and thus it was decided that dropping massive amounts of anti-war leaflets in a humanitarian mission to "raise the conscience of the Japanese people against the atrocities committed by the Imperial Japanese warmongers in China" would be more effective.
On 19 May 1938, Capt. Xu Huansheng and Lt. Tong Yanbo started their long-planned "strategic bombing" mission into Japan with their B-10 bombers of the 14th Bomber Squadron, numbered "1403" and 1404", flying out from Wuhan Wangjiadun Airbase (武汉王家墩空军基地), and landing at the forward-auxiliary Ningbo Lishe Airbase (宁波栎社空军基地) for refueling, before proceeding on the 885 kilometres (550 mi) flight towards southern Japan through inclement weather which cleared up as the Chinese airmen approached the coast of Kyushu, Japan. The Chinese bombers entered the airspace over Nagasaki at 0245, 20 May 1938, without any response from Japanese defenses, reducing altitude and dropping a flare bomb to help with the payload release, and starting their "bombing" of Nagasaki before splitting up and proceeding to other civilian centers including Fukuoka, Saga, among other cities, reconnoitering Japanese commercial, military and industrial assets. The Japanese defenses in Nagasaki eventually determined the intrusion and blacked-out the lights in the city, nonetheless, a clear moonlight provided good illumination for the Chinese aircrews of the landscape and terrain below. The two B-10 bombers rendezvoused at 0332 and reconnoitered for another half-hour before proceeding back to mainland China. As scheduled, radio direction finding signals for Capt. Xu and Lt. Tong were starting transmission from Changsha and Hankou at 0452 and 0550 respectively, and at 0712 the Chinese bombers were flying over Sanmenwan off the coast of Zhejiang when Imperial Japanese warships moored below started firing Anti-aircraft artillery at the Chinese B-10s, without any effect. The two bombers reaching separate refueling points: B-10 #1404 landed at Yushan Airbase (玉山空军基地) at 0848 and B-10 #1403 landed at Qingyunpu Airbase (青云谱空军基地) at 0932; both Capt. Xu and Lt. Tong and their crews returned to Wangjiadun Airbase by midday, where they were greeted with fanfare by top dignitaries including Premier Kung Hsiang-hsi and chief CCP-KMT liaison Zhou Enlai.[11][12][13] It is said that Xu Huansheng was featured among the "12 most notable aviators" in a 1944 issue of Life magazine, and in it he is described as the first man who led an air raid on Japan, before Doolittle.[citation needed][14]
See also
edit- Air Warfare of WWII from the Sino-Japanese War perspective
- Aircraft inventory of China both civil and military use from 1937 and before
- Development of the Nationalist Air Force of China during the War of Resistance-World War II; the combined effort of overseas Chinese volunteer pilots and former warlord air force units joining the central authority of the Republic of China Air Force for the unified effort in the War of Resistance/World War II against the Imperial Japanese invasion and occupation from 1937 to 1945
References
edit- ^ "第八大隊大隊長 徐煥升". www.flyingtiger-cacw.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
- ^ "徐焕升：轰炸日本第一人 当选"二战"闻名于世飞行员 - 中国军网". www.81.cn. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
- ^ "史海钩沉：纸片轰炸日本本土中国第一人--徐焕升". news.sohu.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
- ^ "史海钩沉：纸片轰炸日本本土第一人--徐焕升(图)". news.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
- ^ "徐焕升简介_淘名人". m.taomingren.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
- ^ "广东紫金抗战英雄钟学栋将军 ,爱国救亡者全国同胞永远敬佩怀念您! - 第8页 - 军政人物 - 客家风情——客家人·客家网 HakkaOnline.com". www.hakkaonline.com. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ "未被遺忘的歷史：澳洲華人參軍同日軍作戰" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ sina_mobile (2015-11-05). "92年前 大沙头造出首架国产机 87年前"广州号"率先环飞全国". finance.sina.cn. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ "中華民國空軍軍官學校第學生名冊". www.flyingtiger-cacw.com. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ "中國空軍". www.flyingtiger-cacw.com. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ Chai, George. "第八大队大队长 徐焕升". www.flyingtiger-cacw.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
就在人們為轟炸機一事發愁時，美、英、法、荷等國的多名志願飛行員來到中國參戰，同時帶來了馬丁-139WC(B-10)轟炸機4架、伏爾梯V-11輕轟炸機7架和剛剛從歐美淘汰的諾斯洛普G2E(Gamma)輕轟炸機數架。國民黨空軍似乎又看到了希望，但外籍飛行員卻稱執行這項任務風險太大，提出了讓國民黨政府無法接受的天價酬金。針對此情況，國民黨政府航委會決定由中方飛行員來執行這一任務。這時，編在委員長侍從室的專機飛行員徐煥升上尉自告奮勇地提出由他負責重新組建遠征轟炸隊的具體事宜。
- ^ "「江西抗戰記憶」第一篇：《玉山：日本差點在這裡投降》" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2020-11-23.
- ^ "Illusive Target: Bombing Japan from China". www.warbirdforum.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
- ^ War of Resistance Memorial. "对日本的战略轰炸纪实 - 纪实图书 - 抗日战争纪念网". krzzjn.com. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
1944年美国《生活》杂志刊登了12名著名飞行员的照片，其中就有徐焕升，并明确指出，他是先于美军杜立特尔轰炸日本本土的第一人。徐焕升也因此战而在国民党空军中青云直上，五十年代出任台湾国民党空军司令。