"Clifford" Louie Yim-qun (Chinese: 雷炎均; Jyutping: leoi4 jim4 gwan1; pinyin: Léi Yánjūn; Taishanese: lui3 yiam5 gun1; 1914–1999), also known as Louie Yen-chung (Chinese: 燕中; pinyin: Yànzhōng), was a Chinese-American pilot and military officer in the Republic of China. Louie's father was from Taishan county, Guangdong, China, but Louie was born in Seattle, Washington. He obtained a private pilot's license at the Portland Flying School, Oregon, and went to China in 1933. One of the other pilots in Portland was Hazel Ying Lee, who later became his wife. She was the first Chinese American to volunteer for the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Louie died in 1999 in Taipei, Taiwan.
Lei Yanjun | |
|---|---|
 Family photograph of "Clifford" Louie Yim-qun | |
| Native name | 雷炎均 |
| Birth name | Clifford Louie Yim-qun (Chinese: 雷炎均) |
| Nickname(s) | Clifford "Long-Legged" Louie |
| Born | 1914 Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Died | October 19, 1999 (aged 84–85) Taiwan, ROC |
| Allegiance |  Republic of China United States of America |
| Service |  Republic of China Air Force |
| Years of service | 1933–74 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit | 28th PS/5th PG |
| Commands | 28h PS/5th PG |
| Battles / wars | War of Resistance/WWII |
| Spouse(s) | Hazel Ying Lee (李月英) † Pearl Lowe |
Military career
editLouie Yim-qun traveled to China to participate in the Second Sino-Japanese War. He became Deputy Commander of the 28th Fighter Squadron of the 5th Fighter Group in 1937, equipped with the Curtiss Hawk II, and first saw combat while stationed at Jurong Airbase in the Nanjing defense sector as the War of Resistance-World War II broke out,[1] and then transferring to the northern front of the war in China at the Battle of Taiyuan with Captain Chan Kee-Wong on September 16, 1937,[2] he shot down a Nakajima Ki-4 on September 18.[3] Louie would then be sent to the southern-front of the war in Guangdong province while transitioning into the Gloster Gladiator beginning in 1938; Louie shot down three Japanese aircraft during the war, while some sources credits Louie with five victories, but this cannot be verified.
While the wartime capital of China was pushed back to Chongqing following the Fall of Wuhan, both sea and land routes for badly needed war supplies and high-octane aviation fuel were mostly cut off, especially after the loss of Nanning in the Battle of South Guangxi and increasing threat of the Japanese invasion of French Indochina, Major Louie Yim-qun's 28th Fighter Squadron, now equipped with Polikarpov I-15 fighters, has been reassigned with the defense of Sichuan. On September 13, 1940, in what would be the introduction and first aerial combat engagement for the state-of-the-art new A6M "Zero" fighter, Maj. Louie led six I-15bis to join a formation 19 I-15bis and nine I-16s commanded by Major Cheng Hsiao-yu, Captain Yang Meng-ging and Captain Zhang Hong; they were engaged in a 1/2-hour long dogfight with 13 Zero fighters led by Lieutenant Saburo Shindo of the 12th Kokutai on an escort mission for 27 G3M "Nell" medium-heavy bombers on a raid against Chongqing. In the ensuing melee, Maj. Louie was seriously wounded, but managed to safely land his bullet-riddled I-15bis back in base, while Lt. Gao Youxin claimed a "Zero shot down", but in fact all Zeroes safely returned to base, with four damaged.[4][5][6]
In the fall of 1942, Major Louie was sent to the United States and entered Staff and Command College. In 1945 he was sent to Karachi in British India as an instructor to Allied pilots. After the Japanese surrender, he went to Japan as a member of China's Military Commission in Japan. In the 1950s and 1960s, General Louie served as Chief Liaison Officer to the U.S. Garrison Command in Taiwan, Chief of Air Intelligence, and Chief of Operations, CG of the Combat Command, and Deputy C-in-C of the Chinese Air Force. In 1967 he became Deputy Chief of General Staff in the Ministry of National Defence. He was promoted from lieutenant general to general (2nd grade) in 1970.
Business career
editHe retired from the military in 1974, and became CEO and then chairman of the board of China Airlines until 1978.
Personal life
editHis first wife, Hazel Ying Lee, was killed in a flying accident at Great Falls, Montana, on November 23, 1944, while ferrying a P-63 from Buffalo, New York. In 1946 he wed Pearl Lowe in Shanghai's Holy Trinity Cathedral. They had two daughters and a son together: Eleanor Louie Piatt, Katherine Louie and Clifford Louie.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Sun, Lianggang. "Shanghai 1937 – Where World War II Began". SHANGHAI 1937: WHERE WORLD WAR II BEGAN. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
When did World War II begin? Shanghai 1937: Where World War II Began answers that question in a way most audiences will find surprising. Americans might say December 7, 1941… The day the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. For Europeans, it was September 1, 1939… When Nazi Germany invaded Poland. But in China, people will tell you a different date. August 13, 1937.
- ^ Gustavsson, Hakans. "Chinese biplane fighter aces - Chan Kee-Wong". Biplane Fighter Aces - China. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
Chan Kee-Wong grew up in the United States and learned to fly there before joining the Chinese Air Force in the 1930's... as commander of the 28th PS of the 5th PG deployed to Chuyung Airfield by Nanking, the unit took part in the fierce combat over the city on 15 August 1937... Chan recalled that he had shot at two of the Kisarazu Ku G3Ms that went down over Nanking... with pressing demands for air defense in both Northern and Southern China, the 28th PS was split into two: one group of four 28th PS Curtiss Hawk IIs, reinforced by three others from the Air Force Academy, went sent north to Taiyuan under the command of Capt. Chan and Lt. Louie, the remaining four Hawk IIs led by Capt. Chin Shui-Tin, were sent south to protect Shaokwan (Airbase and Aircraft Factory) in Canton Province.
- ^ Gustavsson, Hakans. "Chinese biplane fighter aces - 'Clifford' 'Long Legged' Louie Yim-Qun". Biplane Fighter Aces - China. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
Louie Yim-qun was born in Seattle in 1914, Washington... his father from Toyshan, Guangdong, China. He obtained a private pilot's license at the Portland Flying School, Oregon, and went to China in 1933. One of the other pilots in Portland, and volunteering for the Chinese Air Force was Lee Ah-Ying (Hazel Ahying Lee), who later became his wife. She was the first Chinese-American WASP pilot. After further training he became attached to the 28th Fighter Squadron of the 5th Fighter Group, and promoted to Deputy Squadron Leader in 1937.
- ^ Chen, C. Peter. "Gao Youxin". WW2DB. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
13 September 1940 - 27 Japanese G3M bombers escorted by 13 A6M Zero fighters attacked Chongqing, China; the Chinese scrambled nine I-16 and 25 I-15bis fighters. At least three A6M fighters were damaged in this engagement, one of which was credited to Lieutenant Gao Youxin whilst flying in an I-15bis fighter.
- ^ Gustavsson, Hakans. "Chinese biplane fighter aces - Cheng Hsiao-Yu". Biplane Fighter Aces - China. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
On 13 September 1940, Major Louie Yim-Qun was commander of 28th PS, stationed at Wenjiang... he took off with six I-15bis and refuelled at Suining (150 km NW of Chungking), joining a formation with 19 I-15bis and nine I-16s commanded by Major Cheng Hsiao-Yu of the 4th PG... Liu Chi-Han, CO of Suining airbase received a report that Japanese planes were flying towards Chungking and ordered the planes to take off... the enemy aircraft sighted were 13 Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero' fighters from the 12th Kokutai led by Lieutenant Saburo Shindo, which escorted twenty-seven G3M2s to Chungking...
- ^ Cheung, 2015, pp. 74-75. Fighting for his life, Lt. Gao Youxin shot A6M Zeroes of the tails of three Chinese fighters... he was able to close-in to 160 ft and score hits as the Zero-sen chased another I-15bis... Gao was probably responsible for at least one of the three or so damaged Zeroes in this aerial combat action...
Bibliography
- Cheung, Raymond. OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES 126: Aces of the Republic of China Air Force. Oxford: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2015. ISBN 978 14728 05614.
- Sino-Japanese Air War 1937-45, Chinese Aces, General 'Clifford' 'Long Legged' Louie Yim-Qun