"The ace pilots of the Chinese Air Force (CAF) have long been shrouded in mystery, as their retreat to Taiwan in 1949 and a blanket martial law made records of the CAF all but impossible to access. In this study, the fascinating story of these pilots can finally be told. Using the latest research based on recently released archival information and full-colour profile artwork, this book charts the history of the top scoring pilots of the CAF from the beginning of the grueling, eight-year Sino-Japanese War to the conclusion of the Civil War against the Chinese Communists. Beginning as a ragged and very disparate group of aeroplanes and pilots drawn from various provincial air forces, the CAF gradually became standardised and was brought under American tutelage. Altogether it produced 17 aces who scored victories while flying a startling variety of aircraft, from biplanes to F-86 Sabres." --Back cover.

Includes index.

Introduction -- Creation of the Republic -- Shanghai and Nanking Campaigns -- Sino-Soviet Pact -- Chinese-American Aces -- Combined Pursuit Group -- Chinese-American Combined Wing -- Appendices.