“The ROC air force performed with immense bravery and tenacity against a highly-trained enemy operating larger numbers of more modern planes,” Ma said. “There is no question that the air crews and ground staff were an integral part of the country’s resistance against Japanese aggression.”
Ma made the remarks at the inauguration of the Air Force Academy’s Aviation Education Hall in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City. Comprising 11 exhibition areas, the facility showcases 34 military aircraft once flown by the ROC.
According to the president, the air force was established by ROC Founding Father Dr. Sun Yat-sen in 1920. “The opening of the hall honors this accomplishment and commemorates 2015 as the 70th anniversary of the nation’s victory in the eight-year conflict,” he said.
“From the start of hostilities, the ROC air force clinched several major battles that helped turn the tide of the war,” Ma said, citing the breaking up of the Aug. 14, 1937, Japanese attack on Hangzhou’s Chienchiao airbase. “This early success boosted the people’s morale and is celebrated today as national air force day.”
The air force also played a vital role in building bridges with the Allies, Ma said, praising the efforts of U.S. volunteer pilots serving with the legendary Flying Tigers. Operating under the auspices of the ROC air force from 1941 to 1942, the outfit flew Curtiss P-40 fighters and chalked up an impressive number of victories against the Japanese.
“After the war, the air force ably embarked upon a new mission of upholding Taiwan’s peace and prosperity,” the president said. “Such units as the Black Bat and Black Cat squadrons carried out extremely hazardous operations from the 1950s to the 1970s.”
According to Ma, the ROC armed forces suffered 3.2 million casualties during the war, with the civilian death toll estimated at over 20 million. “Such heroics succeeded in tying down 800,000 Japanese troops armed with the latest weapons and enabled the Allies to eventually prevail in World War II,” he said. (YHC-JSM)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw