What National Markings Did Chinese Gladiators Carry?

[Old Man]

The combat debut of the Gladiator was in southern China early in 1938.

 

The Chinese government ordered the machines in October, 1937, paying a premium for quick delivery. The first crated Gladiators arrived at Hong Kong at the end of November, and were assembled by January, after which they were dispersed into the interior of Kwangtun province.

 

Judging by the usual popular sources, and decal makers, there is a much uncertainty about what form of National marking CNAF Gladiators displayed, and where they were marked. It is commonly asserted the 'white sun' of the Nationalist emblem was applied without blue background, and on upper port wing and lower starboard wing only. I've a decal sheet showing four such 'white suns' and directing they be applied in the usual manner, and other decal sheet shows four standard 'white sun in blue sky' cockades, again applied in the usual manner.

 

I am interested in the delivery scheme, as I want to do a 'combat debut' Gladiator, alongside a IJNAF Type 95 float-plane. Usually machines were finished on the production line, emerging in whatever colors, and with whatever national markings, suited the customer. So far as I am aware, standard CNAF practice at the time the Gladiators were ordered was 'white sun in blue sky' in all four wing positions. As time went on, the CNAF did try to mark its machines less obviously, tactical numbers ceased to be marked large in white on fuselage sides, and the upper wings often lost the national emblem. As the white was the 'break' in camouflage, it is hard to see removing the blue as a measure to increase concealment, and while over the course of the Gladiator's service in China national marking presentation likely changed, is there any reason to believe the Gladiators were ordered with markings not standard in the CNAF when the order as placed?

[modelldoc]

Have a look here:

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/print-scale-72-063-gloster-gladiator--206811

 

and this is interesting too:

 

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/the-raf-and-china-a-forgotten-alliance-part/

 

modelldoc

[Old Man]

On 5/2/2023 at 8:23 AM, modelldoc said:

Have a look here:

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/print-scale-72-063-gloster-gladiator--206811

 

and this is interesting too:

 

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/the-raf-and-china-a-forgotten-alliance-part/

 

modelldoc

 

 

Thanks for the tip to ScaleMates. I looked to see if BestFong had a Gladiator sheet (I've got their Polikarpov sheet) and they do. Theirs includes 2909, and calls for it to carry 'white sun' markings without blue on the upper wing, and

white sun' on blue markings for the lower wing. That's how I'll do mine.

 

2909 owes its popularity to this photograph:

 

 

 

 Gladiator 2909 was grounded for repairs when Japanese floatplanes attacked the airfield in February, and took some damage from the bombing. It was repaired, and later flown by 'Buffalo' Wong, the 5th Pursuit Group's commander.

 

Hakan's Aviation Page

 

http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/index.html

 

Has a great deal about aerial operations in the Sino-Japanese War

 

http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/sino-japanese.htm

 

 

One of my 'someday' projects is to do a Kwangsi Air Force Wapiti Mk VIII from an old Frog Wallace. The Mk VIII had the 'missing' fuselage bay of the standard Wapiti restored, and so shared a fuselage with the later Wallace. They operated against the Reds in the early stages of The Long March, I believe.

Edited May 5 by Old Man

[JWM]

Here is another poor quality photo, hard to conclude the details from it, but interesting is small number on tail instead of large on fuselage

Regards

J-W

 

[Old Man]

4 hours ago, JWM said:

Here is another poor quality photo, hard to conclude the details from it, but interesting is small number on tail instead of large on fuselage

 

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

Thank you.

 

That picture is on the CW Lam 'Early China Aircraft' site. After some years I am beginning to suspect there really aren't more than half a dozen of so photos of these things.

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20160312215810/http://cwlam2000.0catch.com/index.htm

 

This picture is from later service. I don't know enough to give particular dates, but as the fighting went on, the markings on Chinese aircraft became more and more inconspicuous. Some units still marked tactical numbers in white on the fuselage, but no  more than a foot or so high, and still others marked them small on the fin, as in this Gladiator picture. By 1940, at least one squadron at Chungking was marking the tactical number in black on one of the white stripes on the tail.

 

 

(yes, I did a model....)

 

 

 

James

 

 

Edited May 13 by Old Man

[28ZComeback]

http://cwlam2000.byethost17.com/caf34.htm

 

i found this page. 

[JWM]

On 5/18/2023 at 4:42 AM, 28ZComeback said:

http://cwlam2000.byethost17.com/caf34.htm

 

i found this page. 

This is a very interesting page which was quoted here on BM but I lost the link someway, so many thanks for recalling it! 

BTW, if you explore it you may find some unique information (with help of google translator from Kantonian... 🤩 )

Thank for sharing!

Regards

J-W