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US/Western Advisors and volunteers in China?

Article about: During the 2nd Sino-Japanese war, and then into WW2 - did foreign volunteers from the west join any of the Chinese factions? I'm aware of Otto Braun operating with the Communist leadership,

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    Question US/Western Advisors and volunteers in China?

    During the 2nd Sino-Japanese war, and then into WW2 - did foreign volunteers from the west join any of the Chinese factions? I'm aware of Otto Braun operating with the Communist leadership, Edgar Snow going around (in a non-combat Journalist role) as well as western missionaries. But did foreigners volunteer to fight in the armies of China? (as they did in Spain).

    Once the US entered WW2, did US advisors get incorporated into Chinese combat formations? or were they purely in a support/training/command support role?

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    That is a great question. I know we supported china with fly supplies over the Hump of the Himalayas. I would think there was some behind the lines advisors. But with the communist fighting the Nationalist it would be a Step Lightly type of move. There was the American Volunteer Group (AVG) Flying tigers. And Lt. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell, But ground troops, Not sure.
    We did drop OSS into France.

    I'll be watching this thread
    Semper Fi
    Phil
    Last edited by AZPhil; 04-04-2020 at 05:16 AM. Reason: Added comment

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    Here's an a not famous secret wasted Australian mission!

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    I had never heard of this operation, that's fascinating!

    Thank you for the contribution.

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    Quote by FinMC View Post
    I had never heard of this operation, that's fascinating!

    Thank you for the contribution.
    Not a problem Mate.

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    Not US advisors, but I have some information about German and Soviet advisers. I've been reading Richard B. Frank's new book, Tower of Skulls, and am about halfway through it. It focuses very heavily on the Second Sino-Japanese War and its context for the Asia-Pacific War. I highly suggest it. It really goes into the nuances of the world powers trying to figure out how to deal with China pre-WWII.

    About German advisers, here's from page 76: "Among the soldiers, the most significant development in 1938 was the displacement of Chiang's German military advisers by a Red Army mission. Japanese pressure prompted Hitler to overrule his Sinophile Army General Staff and recall Chiang's German advisers. Among several Germans who chose to remain privately was Walther Stennes, a former intelligence officer who claimed to have been the former Berlin Brown Shirt leader who led a failed putsch against Hitler in 1931. He charmed his way into Madame Chiang's trust to become the head of Chiang's bodyguard, but he also was a Soviet agent. Following the signing of a Sino-Soviet nonaggression pact on 21 August 1937, a body of Red Army officers arrived to replace the Germans."

    From there it talks a little about the Soviet advisers coming in to replace the Germans, as well as Soviet pilots and aviation personnel, and how the Soviets flew with the Japanese over Wuhan to defend agains the Japanese. In a footnote on p. 78, it states at during the whole conflict: "About 3,000 Soviet officers served as advisers, including such later luminaries as Georgiy Zhukov and Vasiliy Chuikov. About 2,000 Soviet pilots served in China." Like I said, I'm not finished with the book yet, so there might be more mention of advisers and troops listed, but I haven't gotten to it yet. The book is also going to be a 3 volume set extending over the entire Asia-Pacific War.

    As far as US advisers and troops, it's mainly only mentioned politicians/ambassadors dancing around the China Incident, and mostly trying to funnel some money and equipment their way, while also trying to sway US public opinion pro-China with journalists being filtered into the country, like you mentioned with Snow, among others. To get around helping-but-not-officially-helping, as AZPhil mentioned, the American Volunteer Group (of 99 pilots) was shipped out to China in July 1941 with Claire Chennault being an aviation adviser to Chiang. I find it interesting that those pilots had to "leave" the US Air Corps to "volunteer" for China so that the US wasn't officially in the war. But, as mentioned above, they turned into the Flying Tigers.

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