World War II Database

1.  Alan Chanter says:
11 Oct 2017 06:53:05 AM

The Chinese Government ordered thirty-six Gladiator fighters in October 1937. Delivered by sea to Hong Kong, the aircraft were assembled at Kai Tak by Gloster engineers with a view to flying them to their new base at Tianhe (Tien Ho). But diplomatic pressure was brought to bear, which resulted in the aircraft being crated once more for shipment by train and junk to Canton for delivery. A handful were immediately re-assembled at Tianhe, despite Japanese air attacks, although the remainder of the first twenty machines would not be ready until late 1937/early 1938. These aircraft were then flown some 300 miles out of reach of Japanese bombing, to a new base where training could be undertaken without interruption (although a considerable proportion of these would unfortunately be destroyed in training accidents). Some of the remaining sixteen Gladiators, which eventually arrived at Tanhe, would achieve many successes against the Japanese particularly in the protection of the Chinese Aircraft Factory at Siuchow in late 1938.