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

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

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    DAYTON, OH, 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.

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    AUDIO INFO

    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, OH, US

    Web Views: 9
    Downloads: 1
    High-Res. Downloads: 1

    PUBLIC DOMAIN