US AAF CATF Early WW2 Flying Tiger Bullion Patch . USP1071

USAAF (U.S. Army Air Force) CATF (China Air Task Force) Pre-14th AAF Flying Tiger Bullion Patch. Very nice quality patch that is a Chinese (CBI Theater) made patch. Very nice early variation patch, probably the nicest variation and quality workmanship of this patch that I have seen. Worn condition.

Additional Notes: The China Air Task Force (CATF) was a combat organization of the U.S. Army Air Forces created in July of 1942 under the command of Brig. Gen. Claire Chennault, after the Flying Tigers of the 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force were disbanded in July of that year. It consisted of the 23rd Fighter Group with four squadrons, the assigned 74th, 75th, 76th, and attached 16th Fighter Squadrons, plus the 11th Bombardment Squadron. It was a subordinate unit of the 10th Air Force in India, commanded by Brig. Gen. Earl Naiden and (from August of 1942) by Maj. Gen. Clayton Bissell.

In March of 1943, the CATF was disbanded and replaced by the 14th Air Force, with Chennault, now a major general, in command. In the nine months of its existence, the China Air Task Force had been credited with shooting down 149 Japanese planes, plus 85 probables, with a loss of only 16 P-40s. It had flown 65 bombing missions against Japanese targets in China, Burma and Indochina, dropping 311 tons of bombs and losing only one B-25 bomber.

The 14th AAF adopted the “Flying Tiger” that had been previously used by the “AVG” (American Volunteer Group); a volunteer force of American Army pilots serving in China against the Japanese before the U.S. entered the war. The 14th AAF was an active combat unit mainly serving in China during WW2.

See Additional Information for shipping dimensions.