Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China Mission Eight - The Hump

A semi-historical mission, flying "The Hump", the aerial resupply line from India to China, was the most dangerous cargo route of World War II.




When Japanese military success in the SBI effectively closed the only land resupply route into China, American forces had to find another way to supply operations in China. The only option was a long, dangerous flight over the Himalayan mountain range. The game mission suffers from a bit of an anachronism, in that the C-46 Commando transports did not begin operating on the route until 1943, while the mission is clearly intended to have taken place in 1942 when the AVG was still operating.

Details, what are you going to do?

An additional note of interest is the quote at the end of the mission. While it may sound a bit corny to modern ears, this is very close to a direct quotation from Dayne Kline, an engineer on the C-87 transports which also flew The Hump. His direct quote is as follows:
"Let there be no question about it! Flying the Hump was risky business. The air route led first over the Himalayan foothills and finally to the mountains, between north Burma and west China, airspace where turbulence and abominable weather was the norm. Judge for yourself: one of the peaks they flew over translated into English as "Elephant Head Gouge Mountain," because "when elephants use a game trail on its side, at one place they have to turn such a sharp corner that their tusks scrape grooves into the rock."