B24 use by Red Chinese ?

[bearoutwest]

Alex,
I suspect that they didn't use them very much at all - lack of trained crews perhaps being just one significant reason.

Lennart Andersson's book "A History of Chinese Aviation" notes a US Intelligence report indicating the Chinese Communist Forces had control/access of the following on 1-April-1949:
- three B-24s, three B-25s, nine Mosquitos, one P-47, eight P-51s and a number of transports and trainers.

The first Chinese Communist unit was formed in July 1949, consisting of:
- six P-51Ds, two Mosquitos and two PT-19s.

Soviet aircraft (Po-2, Yak-18 trainers, Yak-12, La-9 and La-11) would arrive in late 1949.

It would be interesting to see when each of the B-24 defections occurred. Some of the aircraft may have been sitting around for some years and not in serviceable condition by the time anyone on the Communist side even considered using them. (Not really in the Peasant Revolution manner to bomb cities; and not sure if 1 B-24 would have much effect on a large widespread army in the field?)


...geoff

[bearoutwest]

http://russiancouncil.ru/upload/avianoak111.jpg


No B-24s in the linked photo, but most of the other types on the list are present. Anyone's guess, though, as to how many of these aircraft are actually serviceable or operational.


...geoff