Cold War

In 1961 C-46 squadrons of the CAF 6th Transport Wing were assigned to retreat thousands of anti-communist guerilla (two remained regiments of the ex-8th and 26th Armies) fighting within China-Burma borders to Taiwan. Defeated humiliate in eliminating guerilla sanctuaries, Burma threw the issue into the United Nations in Mar 1953. Under the international pressure after the Four-Power Conference, full accord on an evacuation plan was reached. The procedure called for the Nationalist guerrillas to cross over into Thailand for removal to Taiwan. The action was known as operation Guo-Ray (國雷演習), named after Chiang Chin-Guo and Ray Cline, the intelligence chiefs of Taiwan and the United States, respectively.

The mission was very formidable for the World War II vintage C-46. Two thirds of the 1,500 mile air route from Pingdong to Chiang Mai, Thailand, was over open sea, then over primeval virgin jungle. While the new Flyingboxcars had not accomplished FOC status, the obsolete Commandos were the leading work horse at the time. The C-46’s automatic direction finder worked only within 200 miles from a radio station, maritime navigation would be critical from 200 miles away Pingdong to 200 miles off the Thailand coast. Furthermore, the nearby Communist fighter bases and primitive jungle strips all caused problems. However, from Mar 17 to Apr 13 the proficient CAF pilots overcame all difficulties and did a great job. After 2,130 flight hours of C-46 (321 sorties) and C-119 (35 sorties), 4,296 tough jungle fighters and their families returned to Taiwan, many sorties in this airlift took off overloaded.

From the 1950s the durable C-46s also deep-penetrated behind enemy lines and electronic surveillance over the Taiwan Straight. Meanwhile, counted on various support from the CAF, a full CIA-backing Civilian Air Transport’s C-46s flew anti-Sukano guerilla transport duties in Indonesia. The Filipino island of Sanga Sanga, South-West of Zamboanga, was used as a discreet refueling stop for CAT C-46s and was scheduled to be the secret forward operating base for CIA operations.

With the start of the Korean War, the attention of Red China was turned away from Taiwan, and for the next four years there were no additional clashes, while the Free China was able to consolidate the island defense via martial and para-military operations. Aircraft types used foremost then were Curtiss C-46A/D Commando and Consolidated PBY-5A/OA-10A Catalina.