Hells Angels and Flying Tigers
The Flying Tigers were airmen and maintainers who volunteered their service to the Chinese Air Force, who fought the Japanese Imperial Air Forces in China. They were preparing for combat before the US even entered World War II. The unit’s 3rd Pursuit Squadron, which consisted entirely of Marine Corps aviators, liked to call themselves the Hell’s Angels.
Photo by Northcliffe Collection/ ANL/ Shutterstock.com
The squadron first saw combat against Japan several days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Flying Tigers’ downed almost 300 Japanese aircraft between December 20, 1941, and July 4, 1942.
The Hell’s Angels have become such a part of American pop culture that they were the inspiration for a very popular and equally successful TV series. Do you know which series I’m talking about?