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Model dogfight simulates battle with Japan Two US P-51 fighters flew through thick smoke and opened fire on two bomb-dropping Kawasaki Ki-61 fighters of Japan. In seconds, 16 Zero fighters from Japan and eight P-51s had joined the battle. After 20 minutes of fierce fighting in the air, 10 Japanese aircraft were either "shot down" or seriously damaged, while the others had fled to the cheers of the audience. This dogfight was part of a simulated air battle at a height of up to 60 metres above Beijing Aviation Museum on Saturday. Made to a scale of 1/16 and 1/8 of the original aircraft, the models taking part in the battle were operated by amateurs as part of China's commemorations to mark the 60th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, as well as the end of World War II. Several thousand people, including 127 American veterans who fought in the China Burma India Theatre (CBI) and were in Beijing, witnessed the air combat. "The performance was fine. I wished I could fly the plane myself," said Mac Mccrea, 84, who served in the 14th Air Force as a combat cargo pilot between 1943 and 1945 in China. But he agreed with most of his compatriots that they seldom experienced such "fierce" air battles during their time in the air. CBI was the name used by the United States Army for its forces in China, Burma, and India during World War II. Well-known US units in this theatre included the Flying Tigers, who were transport and bomber units flying the "Hump," the engineers who built Ledo Road, and Merrill's Marauders. A group of Chinese veterans who fought side by side with their American counterparts also took part in the event. Meanwhile, millions of Chinese religious followers began a week-long prayer for peace session yesterday. "To seek peace and eradicate the roots of war is the common pursuit of different religions in the world," said Ting Kuang-hsun, chairman of the China Committee on Religion and Peace. He made the remark at a seminar attended by 80 religious leaders. Prayers will be held by hundreds of thousands at Buddhist and Taoist temples, mosques and churches around the nation. "Through the rites, people of different religions will also enhance exchanges and communication." A proclamation was issued during the seminar asking all religious groups to participate in the event. More than 35 million Chinese people were killed during the war six decades ago. Losses amounted to US$560 billion. "Mass will be held in more than 6,000 Catholic churches around the nation to commemorate the dead during the war, as well to allow later generations to remember the past humiliation," said Father Liu Bai-nian, vice-chairman of the Catholic Patriotic Association of China. Representatives of Buddhist followers from the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao will attend a Buddhist service at the Lingguang Temple, in the western suburbs of Beijing, today, said Monk Shenghui, chairman of the Buddhist Association of China. A similar prayer was held 10 years ago to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. There are five major religions in China - Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism. (China Daily 08/15/2005 page1)
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