Incidente de Kweilin

Um avião de passageiros DC-2 semelhante ao Kweilin

O incidente de Kweilin ocorreu em 24 de agosto de 1938, quando um avião Douglas DC-2 chamado Kweilin transportando 18 passageiros e tripulantes foi abatido por aeronaves japonesas na China. Houve quatorze mortes. Foi o primeiro avião civil da história a ser abatido por aeronaves hostis. O piloto era norte-americano e a tripulação e os passageiros chineses. Como não havia precedentes para uma aeronave civil ser atacada, houve indignação diplomática internacional sobre o incidente. Nos Estados Unidos, ajudou a solidificar a visão de que o Japão estava moralmente errado em sua guerra contra a China, mas o incidente não foi suficiente para estimular os Estados Unidos a entrar em ação contra o Japão, apesar das súplicas chinesas. O Kweilin foi reconstruído, renomeado como Chungking e destruído pelos japoneses em um segundo ataque dois anos depois.[1][2][3]

Referências

  1. ↑ Crouch, p. 158. Quote: "No civilian airliner in history had ever been shot down by hostile air action."
  2. ↑ Crouch, p. 168. Quote: "Fifteen months of blatant aggression had evaporated whatever goodwill most Americans felt toward Japan. It had become obvious which side held the moral high ground, and why, and although the overwhelming majority of Americans had absolutely no interest in fighting for China, if a few of their compatriots were willing, the average citizen was quite prepared to allow them to do so."
  3. ↑ Crouch, p. 167. Quote: "in relating the shoot-down and Madame Sun's address, an editorial in Hong Kong's South China Morning Post noted that:
    one of these days, the Great Democracies may find out that there is something, after all, for which no price can be fixed, they may learn that the only proper and wise way to deal with the aggressors is to demand an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. In short, there will be a time when the peace-loving nations will be compelled to meet force by force. Until then, nothing can check Japan from her career of truculent destruction."

Fontes

  • Gregory Crouch (2012). «Chapter 13: The Kweilin Incident». China's Wings: War, Intrigue, Romance and Adventure in the Middle Kingdom during the Golden Age of Flight. [S.l.]: Bantam Books. pp. 155–170 (In EPub version 3.1: pp. 172–189). ISBN 978-0345532350 
  • Gregory Crouch (2012). «Chapter 17: Ventricular tachycardia». China's Wings: War, Intrigue, Romance and Adventure in the Middle Kingdom during the Golden Age of Flight. [S.l.]: Bantam Books. pp. 218–220 (In EPub version 3.1: pp. 240–242). ISBN 978-0345532350 

Ligações externas

  • ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-2-221 32 Wangmoon – Aviation Safety Network
  • ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-2-221 39 Changyi – Aviation Safety Network
  • Pictures da recuperação de Kweilin no site de Gregory Crouch
  • Hugh L. Woods - CNAC.org
  • Kweilin accident report - CNAC.org
  • Chungking affair newspaper clippings - CNAC.org