The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total …
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has many of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. The Himalayas include over fifty mountains exceeding 7,200 m i…
What is hump Pilots Association?
Source: CBI Hump Pilots Association. "The Hump" was a high altitude military aerial supply route between the Assam Valley in northeastern India, across northern Burma, to Yunnan province in southwestern China, flown during World War II.
What was “the hump”?
“The Hump” was the nickname Allied pilots gave the airlift operation that crossed the Himalayan foothills into China. It was the Army Air Force’s most dangerous airlift route, but it was the only way to supply Chinese forces fighting Japan — and things weren’t going well for China. World War II began in 1937 for Chiang Ki-Shek’s nationalist China.
What was it like to fly the hump?
But when the planes landed at Shangdu, they would often have to take on fuel to ensure they could make the flight home, as recounted by then-Army Air Forces officer and later Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in the film The Fog of War. Beyond the inefficiency of flying the Hump, it was incredibly dangerous.
What is the best book about the Air Force flying hump?
Fate Is The Hunter. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-63603-0. Glines, Carroll V. (1991). "Flying the Hump". AIR FORCE Magazine. 74 (March): 102–105. Retrieved 13 November 2013. Hanson, LTC (USAF) David S. (2008). " ' When You Get a Job to Do, Do It': The Airpower Leadership of Lt. Gen. William H. Tunner" (PDF). U.S. Air Force.
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What does it mean to fly the hump?
"The Hump" was the nickname Allied pilots gave the airlift operation that crossed the Himalayan foothills into China. It was the Army Air Force's most dangerous airlift route, but it was the only way to supply Chinese forces fighting Japan — and things weren't going well for China.
How many Hump Pilots were there?
They became quite simply the world's biggest international airline—750 aircraft and more than 4,400 pilots. Between August 1944 and October 1945, the Hump delivered almost 500,000 tons of material from India to China. Chiang got less than 20,000 tons of it—three pounds of every 100 that crossed the Hump.
What is hump in military?
The definition can be as simple as walking around with a backpack on a hike or as difficult as moving fast with all your military gear, loaded for bear, over rugged terrain, infiltrating to your objective. But the terms ruck, hump or forced march all really mean getting your gear from A to B in a backpack.
How many planes crashed flying the hump?
As a logistics operation, Hump flights were a failure. The cost in aircraft and crews was enormous. Loss estimates vary between 468 and 600 plus airplanes (the AAF did not record every crash), but the more probable estimate is 590 aircraft lost along with 1,314 crewmen.
Where did Hump Pilots fly?
These World War II Army Air Corps pilots are the few remaining survivors of the "Hump," pilots who flew across the Himalayan Mountains, the highest and most dangerous mountain range in the world.
What was the hump and Mission 75?
The mission, designed to supply otherwise isolated Chinese forces and civilians after the Japanese cut off the only land-based supply route through Burma, was called "Flying the Hump." Sometimes scientific and technological advances can win a war.
Why do Marines call it a hump?
In Marine speak a hike is known as a “hump,” and to carry a soldier's load on your back while hiking is known as “humping” whatever gear it is.
What does hump mean in Vietnam?
hump. 'Hump' is American military slang for march or patrol, often while carrying a rucksack or heavy equipment.
What does do not hump mean on train cars?
"DO NOT HUMP" is a command that tells railroad employees in a freight yard not to send a freight car so labeled over a railroad hill called a "hump," a man-made structure for sorting freight cars by gravity.
How many pilots died flying over the hump?
The HumpDateApril 8, 1942 – November 1945Executed byTenth Air Force, India-China Division, XX Bomber CommandOutcomeAllied operation successfulCasualties594 aircraft lost, missing, or written off 1,659 personnel killed or missing6 more rows
Who will finally lift the hump?
Answer. Explanation: The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the .... The air route led first over the Himalayan foothills and finally to the mountains, between north Burma ....
What was the nickname given to the best known Allied transport in World War II?
What was the nickname given to the best-known Allied transport in WW2? The Douglas C-47 Skytrain nicknamed as Dakota.
Who will finally lift the hump?
Answer. Explanation: The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the .... The air route led first over the Himalayan foothills and finally to the mountains, between north Burma ....
What was the flying unit of American volunteers in China called?
the Flying TigersTheir mission was unusual: They were mercenaries hired by China to fight against Japan. They were called the American Volunteer Group and later became known as the Flying Tigers.
What was the nickname given to the best known Allied transport in World War II?
What was the nickname given to the best-known Allied transport in WW2? The Douglas C-47 Skytrain nicknamed as Dakota.
Where were the Flying Tigers based?
The group consisted of three fighter squadrons of around 30 aircraft each that trained in Burma before the American entry into World War II to defend the Republic of China against Japanese forces. The AVG were officially members of the Republic of China Air Force.
What was the purpose of the Hump?
The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the United States Army Air Forces (AAF) based in China. Creating an airlift presented the AAF a considerable challenge in 1942: it had no units trained or equipped for moving cargo, and no airfields existed in the China Burma India Theater (CBI) for basing the large number of transports that would be needed. Flying over the Himalayas was extremely dangerous and made more difficult by a lack of reliable charts, an absence of radio navigation aids, and a dearth of information about the weather.
How high is the Hump?
The main "Hump", which gave its name to the whole awesome mountainous mass and to the air route which crossed it, was the Santsung Range, often 15,000 feet (4,600 m) high, between the Salween and Mekong Rivers.
How many men did Project 7 fly?
The severe shortage of crews led to pleas from Alexander for additional personnel. "Project 7" was set up by ATC at the end of June to fly nearly 2,000 men, 50 transports and 120 tons of materiel from Florida to India. Despite this, July's tonnage was less than half of its goal.
Who was the first Chinese pilot to fly over the Himalayas?
Chinese Air Force Major General Mao Bangchu was tasked with leading the exploration of suitable air-routes over the dangerous Himalayas in 1941, and CNAC pilot Xia Pu recorded the first flight from Dinjan, Burma, to Kunming, China, during November of that year in what was to become the route now known as "the Hump ".
When was the last Hump Express?
The Hump Express, in its last edition on 15 November 1945, reported:
When was the first mission over the hump?
The first mission "over the hump" took place on 8 April 1942. Flying from the Royal Air Force airfield at Dinjan, Lt. Col. William D. Old used a pair of the former Pan Am DC-3s to ferry 8,000 U.S. gallons (30,000 liters) of aviation fuel intended to resupply the Doolittle Raiders.
What airfield did the 308th use?
The 308th used Chabua airfield, already crowded with more than 80 ICW transports, and its lightly constructed runway was soon "going to pieces" under the weight of the bombers. Jorhat had stronger runways but its taxiways were still unpaved, making it unsuitable for four-engined aircraft.
NEAL AIRCRAFT – 75 YEARS IN AVIATION
In 1945 Roy Neal joined the U. S. Army Air Corps 4th Ferry Group flying 48 missions in the China-Burma-India theatre during April15, 1945 – July 18,1945.
THE FORMATIVE YEARS
Roy Neal was born in Philadelphia on March 1917, as a young child his family moved to Plainview, Texas. He was a young man who was always seeking adventure and was curious by nature. At a young age he began building his legacy.
THE CHINA-BURMA THEATRE
As the U.S. became more engaged in the War, Roy was selected to fly in the China-Burma-India Theatre, becoming what were known as “Hump Pilots”. Aircrews flew C-46’s, C-47’s and other aircraft over “The Hump”, the nickname the pilots gave the airlift operation that crossed the Himalayan foothills into China.
ENTERING OF A NEW ERA
Larry Neal; the middle child of Roy and Emma Nell, enjoyed his time working at the airport. At the young age of 10, he worked at the airport driving the fuel truck, cleaning the aircraft and learning all of the odds and ends at the airport.
SLATON AIRPORT SEEKS NEW FBO MANAGER
Neal Aircraft began selling Air Tractors in 1986, and that same year the city manager and mayor asked Larry to move to Slaton. The Lubbock FAA tower was preparing to take the ability to clear non comm aircraft. At that time there were many ag planes that did not have radios.
LOOKING FORWARD
Robert Neal now carries on the family legacy of aviation; you can find Robert stepping into the big shoes that his father and grandfather have left him. He has grown into them quite well. Robert and his wife Cory are busy parents of 4 beautiful children ages 4-13. Cory is a true Texas woman, full of energy, fierceness and cuteness.
Why were the Hump flights important?
These flights over “the Hump” were indispensable to China’s war effort against the Japanese, and thus a major factor in the Allies’ ultimate victory.
Who suffered the most in the Hump operation?
But the aircrews arguably suffered the most of all the people involved in the Hump operation. “There was an approximately one in three chance of being killed,” Pike writes — one of the worst wartime survival rates ever.
Why were the Hump flights important?
These flights over “the Hump” were indispensable to China’s war effort against the Japanese, and thus a major factor in the Allies’ ultimate victory.
Who suffered the most in the Hump operation?
But the aircrews arguably suffered the most of all the people involved in the Hump operation. “There was an approximately one in three chance of being killed,” Pike writes — one of the worst wartime survival rates ever.
When was the Hump first used?
The first supply mission over the Hump occurred in April 1942, when the U.S. Army 10th Air Force in India contracted with the African Division of Pan-American Airways to handle the transport of 30,000 gallons of gasoline and 500 gallons of lubricants to China for use by the B-25s of the Doolittle Raiders.
What was the mission of the C-47s?
Army 10th Air Force and flying C-47s, entered the theater in January 1943. Their primary mission was to support combat and supply operations in the Theater. They flew the Hump routes irregularly as required by their primary mission.
What aircraft did the B-25 fly?
Equipped initially with C-47 aircraft and later with B-25 aircraft, this group swept the mountains and jungles of Burma and the mountains of western China at low altitudes in search of downed aircraft. This group proved very successful in finding and helping downed crews return to safety.
Who was the first commander of the Air Transport Command?
The first Wing commander was Colonel (later Brigadier General) Edward H. Alexander.
Why were Douglas C-54s added to the operation in the fall of 1944?
This move increased the efficiency of the operation. Douglas C-54 aircraft were added to the operation in the fall of 1944 for further efficiency . The C-54s were based in the Calcutta area and crossed the Hump on the south end. This reduced the need to haul materials by rail to the Assam Valley for transport.
Overview
Airlift history
Tenth Air Force was hampered by a constant diversion of men and aircraft to Egypt, where Nazi Germany was threatening to seize the Suez Canal. Its Air Service Command was still en route by ship from the United States, forcing it to get aircraft and personnel for the India-China Ferry from any available source. Ten former Pan American World Airways DC-3s and flight crews were sent fro…
Background: the China supply dilemma
Success of the "Europe first" strategy of the Allies entailed keeping China in the war, tying down more than a million Japanese troops who might otherwise threaten the Allied strategic offensive in the Pacific. The Japanese invasion of French Indochina closed all sea and rail access routes for supplying China with materiel except through Turkestan in the Soviet Union. That access ended following the signing of the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact in April 1941, and the Burma Road be…
Operations on the low hump and in China
The first significant diversion of India-China Wing resources to operations in the region other than the Hump airlift began in February 1944. The Japanese attack in Arakan, followed by an offensive against Imphal in March and April, resulted in assistance to the British that Hardin estimated reduced hump deliveries by 1,200 tons. The ICW also had a stake in resistance to the offensive because the thre…
Operational difficulties
The task facing the Tenth Air Force of creating an airlift was daunting at minimum, emphasizing all that the Army Air Forces lacked in April 1942: no units tasked for moving cargo, no experience in organized airlift by the USAAF or its predecessor Air Corps, and no airfields for basing units. In addition, flying in the region was made more difficult by a lack of reliable charts, an absence of radi…
Statistical summary of operations
ATC operations accounted for 685,304 gross tons of cargo carried eastbound during hostilities, including 392,362 tons of gasoline and oil, with nearly 60% of that total delivered in 1945. ATC aircraft made 156,977 trips eastbound between 1 December 1943, and 31 August 1945, losing 373 aircraft. Though supplemented by the opening of the Ledo Road network in January 1945 and by the recapture of Rangoon, the airlift's total tonnage of 650,000 net tons dwarfed that of the Ledo …
Notable Hump airlift participants
• Col. Harry L. "Red" Clark (former Eastern area flight manager for American Airlines and vice president-flight for Seaboard World Airlines), commanding officer 1st Ferrying Group
• Col. Robert L. Scott, Jr., pilot and commanding officer
• Col. Merian C. Cooper (movie producer), liaison officer
See also
• Fort Hertz covered an airstrip in Northern Burma which served as an emergency landing ground for planes flying the Hump.
• Hengduan Mountains
• South-East Asian Theatre of World War II
Neal Aircraft – 75 Years in Aviation
- In 1945 Roy Neal joined the U. S. Army Air Corps 4th Ferry Group flying 48 missions in the China-Burma-India theatre during April15, 1945 – July 18,1945. Roy had been chasing his dreams of aviation and now he was flying on a daily basis in an aircraft that was not built to fly the missions he was carrying out, flying supplies at an altitude unheard of for a C-47. Neal Aircraft has proudl…
The Formative Years
- Roy Neal was born in Philadelphia on March 1917, as a young child his family moved to Plainview, Texas. He was a young man who was always seeking adventure and was curious by nature. At a young age he began building his legacy. Rumor has it that when he graduated from Plainview High in 1923 the sheriff was kindly awaiting him for a personal escort; as he walked across the st…
The China-Burma Theatre
- As the U.S. became more engaged in the War, Roy was selected to fly in the China-Burma-India Theatre, becoming what were known as “Hump Pilots”. Aircrews flew C-46’s, C-47’s and other aircraft over “The Hump”, the nickname the pilots gave the airlift operation that crossed the Himalayan foothills into China. It was the Army Air Force’s most dangero...
Entering of A New Era
- Larry Neal; the middle child of Roy and Emma Nell, enjoyed his time working at the airport. At the young age of 10, he worked at the airport driving the fuel truck, cleaning the aircraft and learning all of the odds and ends at the airport. He would ride his bike from his home to the airport to fuel the jets flying into the Lubbock Municipal Airport. One day while he was standing on the wing of …
Slaton Airport Seeks New FBO Manager
- Neal Aircraft began selling Air Tractors in 1986, and that same year the city manager and mayor asked Larry to move to Slaton. The Lubbock FAA tower was preparing to take the ability to clear non comm aircraft. At that time there were many ag planes that did not have radios. After some thought Larry came back with a twopage list of things the City of Slaton needed to get done befo…
Looking Forward
- Robert Neal now carries on the family legacy of aviation; you can find Robert stepping into the big shoes that his father and grandfather have left him. He has grown into them quite well. Robert and his wife Cory are busy parents of 4 beautiful children ages 4-13. Cory is a true Texas woman, full of energy, fierceness and cuteness. She has the family running in precision – on schedule, on ti…