imported>MediaKyle: Adding local short description: "American military aviator (1913–1997)", overriding Wikidata description "American World War II flying ace (1913–1997)"

2025-05-03T16:29:54Z

Adding local short description: "American military aviator (1913–1997)", overriding Wikidata description "American World War II flying ace (1913–1997)"

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{{Short description|American military aviator (1913–1997)}}
{{refimprove|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Arthur Chin
| image = Arthur Chin.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Arthur Chin
| nickname = Art
| birth_date = {{birth date|1913|10|23}}
| birth_place = [[Portland, Oregon]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1997|9|3|1913|10|23}}
| death_place = Portland, Oregon, U.S.
| placeofburial =
| allegiance = Republic of China<br>United States
| branch = [[Republic of China Air Force]]
| serviceyears = 1933–1945
| rank = [[Major (rank)|Major]]
| unit = Canton Provincial Air Force
| commands =
| battles = [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]/[[World War II]]
*[[Battle of Shanghai]]
*[[Battle of Nanking]]
*[[Canton Operation|Battle of Canton]]
*[[Battle of Wuhan]]
*[[Battle of South Guangxi]]
*[[Burma campaign|Burma Campaign ("The Hump")]]
| awards = [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br/>[[Air Medal]]
| relations =
| spouse = Eva Wu{{KIA}}<ref>Cheung, 2015, p. 51. After Art Chin was badly burnt in the 27 December 1939 battle over Kunlun Pass, Ms. Chin (Eva Wu) took care of him in their quarters next to Liuzhou Airbase (Guangxi), in a heroic effort worthy of a Hollywood script, Ms. Chin sacrificed her life to protect her husband and two sons during an air raid... she took her children down to the basement bomb shelter, and then went back up to help her husband who was unable to move or see because of burn injuries and heavy bandaging... as Art Chin heard the shrieking of falling and exploding Japanese bombs moving closer to their quarters, Ms. Chin threw herself over her husband, as their surroundings exploded and collapsed, Ms. Chin took a fatal shrapnel... During an interview many years later Art said simply “I held her dead body to mine until help came.”</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://disciplesofflight.com/world-war-2-flying-ace-arthur-chin/|title = World War 2 Flying Ace Arthur Chin's Amazing True Story|date = 7 October 2015}}</ref><br/>Frances Murdoch<br/>Vivienne Yang
| laterwork = Airline pilot, [[China National Aviation Corporation]]
}}
'''Arthur Tien Chin''' ({{zh|c=陳瑞鈿|p=Chén Ruìdiàn}}, [[Cantonese]]: Chan Sui-Tin; October 23, 1913 – September 3, 1997) was a fighter pilot from the [[United States]] who became the country's first [[flying ace]] in [[World War II]].

After [[Mukden Incident|Japan invaded China]] in 1931, Chin felt compelled to defend his father's homeland. He was part of the first group of U.S. volunteer combat aviators and fought in the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sun, Shen, Vlasova, Harmsen, Einreinhofer, Drea, Kuan...|date=|title=Shanghai 1937 – Where World War II Began|url=http://www.shanghai1937.tv/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022035335/http://www.shanghai1937.tv:80/ |archive-date=2018-10-22 |access-date=2020-12-21|website=SHANGHAI 1937: WHERE WORLD WAR II BEGAN|language=en-US|quote=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.}}</ref>

==Early life and military career==
Chin was born in [[Portland, Oregon]], to Fon Chin, who was from [[Taishan, Guangdong]], and Eva Wong, who is of Peruvian background. Despite his name, Chin's birth certificate listed him as being "mulatto".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://disciplesofflight.com/world-war-2-flying-ace-arthur-chin/|title=World War 2 Flying Ace Arthur Chin's Amazing True Story|date=2015-10-07|website=Disciples of Flight|language=en-US|access-date=2016-05-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=czvSBgAAQBAJ|title=Aces of the Republic of China Air Force|last=Cheung|first=Raymond|date=2015-05-20|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=9781472805614|language=en}}</ref> Motivated by the [[Mukden Incident|Japanese invasion of China]], Chin enrolled in flight school at the [[Chinese Flying Club of Portland]] in 1932. Along with 13 other [[Chinese Americans]], including [[John Huang Xinrui|John "Buffalo" Huang Xinrui]] and [[Hazel Ying Lee]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalaviation.org/images/nominees/2016/Chin,%20Arthur.pdf |title=Arthur Chin, Nominee |date=2008 |website=National Aviation Hall of Fame |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603063419/http://www.nationalaviation.org/images/nominees/2016/Chin%2C%20Arthur.pdf |archivedate=2016-06-03 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.xuite.net/tom1958/joy/304821596-%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF%E6%B0%91%E5%9C%8B%E7%A9%BA%E8%BB%8D%EF%BC%9A%E9%BB%83%E6%96%B0%E7%91%9E|title=中華民國空軍：黃新瑞|date=20 February 2015}}</ref> he left for China and joined the [[Guangdong|Canton]] Provincial Air Force under General [[Chen Jitang]] as the first and original group of American volunteer combat aviators. From there, he was sent to aerial-gunnery training with the [[Luftwaffe]] at [[Lechfeld Air Base|Lagerlechfeld]], Germany, then returned to China to see the Guangdong Provincial Air Force integrated into the [[Development of Chinese Nationalist air force (1937–45)|central government's air force]] under the [[Kuomintang|KMT]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=940|title = John Wong}}</ref>

As war broke out with the 1937 [[Battle of Shanghai]], Chin flew in combat with the 28th Pursuit Squadron of the 5th Pursuit Group of [[Curtiss F11C Goshawk|Curtiss Hawk II]]s led by Capt. Chan Kee-Wong, based in [[Jurong airfield|Jurong airbase]] (known to Cantonese-speaking pilots as ''Chuyung''). He first engaged Japanese aircraft in the air on 16 August 1937. As [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service|IJN]] [[Mitsubishi G3M|G3M]] medium-heavy bombers began their attack on Jurong airbase, Chin and Chan managed to take off in their antiquated Hawk IIs. Barely able to keep up with the fast G3Ms, Chin scored nevertheless scored many hits on what was likely the lead bomber of ''Buntaicho'' (flight leader) Lt. Osugi of Lt. Cmdr. Nitta's second Shotai of the Kanoya Kokutai, puncturing its fuel tanks and wounding a crewmember. Unfortunately for Chin, his slow Hawk II was an easy target for the G3M tail-gunners. After multiple hits from [[Type 92 machine gun|Japanese machine gun]] fire, his [[Wright R-1820 Cyclone|Curtiss-Wright Cyclone]] engine stopping two bullets, Chin broke off pursuit at the mouth of the [[Yangtze]] and made a forced landing on an airfield in [[Jiaxing]] (Chia-hsing). Osugi's G3M was hit 58 times with a gunner wounded. Realizing he could not make it back to Matsuyama airbase in Taiwan, Osugi considered turning back to land at the Japanese legation in Shanghai. Instead, he lightened the G3M by jettisoning equipment and anything that could be pried loose and headed for [[Jeju Island|Cheju-do]] between the Chinese mainland and the southwestern coast of [[Korea]], landing or crashing just as his fuel ran out. The G3M bomber was credited as Chin's first air-to-air "kill".

The 28th PS, 5th PG was split into two smaller squadrons to fight the Imperial Japanese advances on northern and southern fronts: Capt. Chan and half of the 28th went to [[Battle of Taiyuan|Taiyuan]], while Lt. Chin took the other half to [[Guangzhou]]. He would soon switch to the more powerful and much faster [[Gloster Gladiator]] fighter plane. He was credited with destroying nine enemy aircraft between 1937 and 1939.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.century-of-flight.freeola.com/Aviation%20history/WW2/aces/Wong%20Sun-Shui.htm |title = Major 'Buffalo' Wong Sun-Shui}}</ref>

In 1939, while flying a Gloster Gladiator, the fighter in which he scored 6.5 of his 8.5 aerial victories, he was hit by enemy fire and forced to bail out of his burning aircraft, and although he parachuted to safety, he suffered serious burns. After several years of surgery and recovery, and an escape from the [[Japanese occupation of Hong Kong]],<ref>''Air Enthusiast'' #121 January/February 2006 article by Thomas, Andrew ''Oriental Gladiators The combat debut for the Gloster biplane'' pp73-75</ref> he returned to China in 1944 to fly supplies over the [[Himalayas]], a route known as [[The Hump|the "Hump"]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.faa.gov/about/history/pioneers/media/Arthur_Chin.pdf
|title=An American-Born Ace|publisher=Federal Aviation Administration}}</ref>

==Later life and legacy==
Chin is recognized as America's first ace in World War II. A half-century after the war ended, the U.S. government recognized Chin as an American veteran and awarded him the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] and [[Air Medal]]. About a month after Chin died, on October 4, 1997, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the [[American Airpower Heritage Museum]] in Midland, Texas, as the first American ace of World War II.

After his aviation career, Chin became a postal worker in his hometown of Portland. On January 29, 2008, Congressman [[Member of Congress|Representative]] [[David Wu]] (D-[[Oregon]]) introduced House Resolution 5220 to name a [[United States Post Office]] in [[Aloha, Oregon]], after Chin: the "Major Arthur Chin Post Office Building". It was unanimously approved by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. President [[George W. Bush|Bush]] signed it into law on May 7, 2008.<ref>[http://www.aapress.com/nationalnews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1204849948&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1& Congress honors Chinese WWII Hero]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-5220 GovTrack: H.R. 5220: Text of Legislation]</ref><ref>[https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2008/05/20080507-2.html White House News Release]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
'''Bibliography'''
{{Refbegin}}
* Cheung, Raymond. ''OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES 126: Aces of the Republic of China Air Force''. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2015. {{ISBN|978 14728 05614}}.
* 徐 (Xú), 露梅 (Lùméi). ''隕落 (Fallen): 682位空军英烈的生死档案 - 抗战空军英烈档案大解密 (A Decryption of 682 Air Force Heroes of The War of Resistance-WWII and Their Martyrdom)''. 东城区, 北京，中国: 团结出版社, 2016. {{ISBN|978-7-5126-4433-5}}.
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/china_chin.htm Biplane Fighter Aces: China: Major 'Arthur' 'Art' Chin Shui-Tin ] a more detailed history of his military career.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120523055141/http://colimited.blog.163.com/blog/static/18009800820114240515175/ Blog entry in Chinese detailing his life and service]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chin, Arthur}}
[[Category:1913 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:American World War II flying aces]]
[[Category:American aviation pioneers]]
[[Category:Military personnel of the Republic of China in the Second Sino-Japanese War]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Republic of China Air Force personnel]]
[[Category:Chinese aviators]]
[[Category:American aviators of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:Aviators from Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Chinese World War II flying aces]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II]]
[[Category:American military personnel of Chinese descent]]

Arthur Chin - Revision history

imported>MediaKyle: Adding local short description: "American military aviator (1913–1997)", overriding Wikidata description "American World War II flying ace (1913–1997)"