Museum Audio Tour 11: Air Power Gallery: Taking the Offensive – China-Burma-India

DAYTON, OHIO, UNITED STATES

12.31.1969

Audio by NMUSAF PA 

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Early in 1942, Japanese forces cut the Burma Road. For the next three years, the only means of getting supplies from India to U.S. and Allied forces in China was by air over the rugged Himalayan Mountains. Known as the “Hump”, this air route crossed some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain. Treacherous weather, freak winds and violent turbulence over mountain ranges as high as 16,000 feet were as much of a threat to fliers as were Japanese fighters. The C-46 Commando is best remembered as a mainstay in the air supply of U.S. forces in China. The Commando’s large cargo volume and better performance made it well suited for this area of operations. The diorama at the C-46 depicts an Engineer Aviation Battalion – or EAB. Many African Americans served in segregated support units during World War Two, such as EABs. With their skilled engineers and construction workers, they were one of the more significant support units. The self-contained EAB became the core of aviation engineering efforts during the war. Far from centers of civilization, Air Transport Command personnel who flew or supported Hump operations found few opportunities to boost their morale. More than 1,000 men were killed flying over the Hump and almost 600 aircraft were lost. Despite these hardships, some 650,000 tons of cargo were carried over the air route. The experience in delivering mass cargo by air paid dividends for future missions, even after World War Two, such as the Berlin Airlift and the buildup of American forces at the beginning of the Korean War.

• Date Taken: 12.31.1969
• Date Posted: 09.02.2015 12:13
• Category: Newscasts
• Audio ID: 41905
• Filename: 1509/DOD_102704062.mp3
• Length: 00:01:50
• Album: Museum Audio Tour
• Track #: 11
• Location: DAYTON, OHIO, US