Biography of Ching Shih

The Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy has once again brought forth a new wave of enthusiasm about historical piracy, and once again the likes of Blackbeard and Captain Kidd are romantically viewed figures. Some pirates are still well known, and yet there are countless more whose names have disappeared into the history books, one of these pirates is Ching Shih. Few people will have heard of Ching Shih, hardly surprising as the most famous pirates operated in the Caribbean and off of the Spanish Main, whilst Ching Shih operated in the South China Sea.

The fact that Ching Shih operated in the South China Sea doesn’t belittle the achievement of the pirate, as Ching Shih brought together a fleet more powerful than most nations. Ching Shih indeed became one of the most feared of all pirates, and what is more Ching Shih was a female pirate.
It is of course not unknown for female pirates to prosper in what is seen as a male domain, Anne Bonney and Mary Read where themselves famous and successful. Ching Shih though is unique in the size of her pirate fleet.

Ching Shih - History of the Pirates of all Nations 1836 - PD-life-70

Ching Shih was born, Shih Yang (or Shi Xianggu), in Guangdong, Canton in 1775. Nothing is known about her early life and the first real information that is known about her comes in 1801, mid to late Qing Dynasty, when Shih Yang was known to be one of the prostitutes working on a Cantonese floating brothel. One of the patrons of the brothel was Zheng Yi (or Cheng I), a prominent pirate from a family of pirates. Zheng Yi’s family had been terrorising the Chinese coast since the mid-seventeenth century.

There are conflicting stories about how Zheng Yi came to marry Shih Yang. Zheng Yi was obviously in love with the beautiful prostitute. Some tales say that Shih Yang though was either determined to stay in the brothel, or else she saw piracy as a way out of the brothel. Either way within a year Zheng Yo and Shih Yang was married, and Shih Yang took the name Zheng Yi Sao (or Cheng I Sao), meaning wife of Zheng Yi.

Female pirates were common in Chinese waters, and Zheng Yi and Zheng Yi Sao, soon became a formidable team. Zheng Yi Sao was known to take an equal role with that of her husband in the fighting. Together they managed to bring together a number of ships and pirates under a loose alliance. Zheng Yi and Zheng Yi Sao took their growing fleet to Annam (current day Vietnam) to fight in the Tay-Son rebellion. The couple’s time in the Vietnamese waters was short-lived as their side was defeated in 1802.

Zheng Yi and Zheng Yi Sao returned to Cantonese waters, and started to build up their pirating force. The Red Flag Fleet was born, as the Zheng’s joined forces with Wu Shi’er, another pirate. The Zheng’s brought 200 junks and other ships into the fleet, and using force and the promise of riches, brought all the other local pirates in the Cantonese Pirate Coalition. A force of 600 ships was soon conducting their piracy business all along the South China Sea coast, as far south as Malaysia.
By 1807 the Red Flag Fleet had grown to 1,500 vessels although this included many smaller fishing and river boats. There were an estimated 70,000 pirates operating under the Zheng’s flags. On the 16th November 1807, Zheng Yi died during a severe gale.

It was normal in Chinese society for a widow to withdraw from her husband’s business; piracy though was not a normal business. Zheng Yi Sao took over from her husband. As a widow, Zheng Yi Sao took on the name Ching Shih (or Zheng Shi) meaning widow of Zheng. Ching Shih had bigger things on her mind than traditional piracy, and she went about organising the Red Flag Fleet into a business.

Ching Shih left the naval operations of the fleet to her second-in-command, Zhang Pao, as Captain of the Fleet. Zhang Pao had previously been Zheng’s deputy, as well as adopted son. Zhang Pao had been kidnapped at the age of 15 from his fishing village, but Zhang Pao soon won his place in the fleet as he became known as an intelligent leader and extremely brave when faced with danger. Zhang Pao would become a lover and husband to Ching Shih.

Ching Shih ensured that as ruler, that she gained from any venture. Any pirate within the fleet would have to have a piracy expedition agreed by Ching Shih. Ching Shih would then take the entire haul, and then pay the pirate a fee based on the haul. Ching Shih would have her own purser determine the worth of any haul.

The Red Flag Fleet expanded from piracy on the high seas. The shallow hulled ships of the fleet would travel up rivers to extort money from villages, often demanding the payment of taxes as well as protection money. The most profitable exploits though came about with the extortion of money from local salt merchants. Every ship departing from Canton ports would have to pay a protection fee, which freed them from any threat of attack.

The success of the fleet ensured that Ching Shih could pay for an extensive spy network throughout Canton. The Red Flag Fleet also had financial offices in every major port along the coast of the South China Sea. All in all Ching Shih controlled the whole economy of Guangdong province.

Keeping 70,000 pirates in check was no easy matter, and so Ching Shih instigated a series of rules which all of her fleet were expected to abide by. Discipline was expected and any flouting of the rules was harshly dealt with, normally with beheading. Beheading could be given out if any rules were disobeyed. It was also the punishment for taking money from the loot haul, taking shore leave without permission or raping women unless permission had been given by the squadron leader. Deserters from the fleet, if caught would have their ears removed.

The most famous of Ching Shih’s rules were all about women captives. Any ugly women were promptly set free, whilst the most beautiful were purchased by a member of the pirate crew. Once purchased the pirate and woman were said to be a married couple. If any pirate cheated on his wife he was said to have contravened Ching Shih’s rules and would be decapitated.

With a whole navy behind her, Ching Shih was able to command the whole South China Sea. Ching Shih and Zhang Pao brought together hundreds of ships whenever there was a threat of an engagement. The Chinese government did allow piracy to go on without attempting to stop it. Every attempt at physically stopping the Red Flag Fleet ended in disaster.

In January 1808 the Chinese government sent their navy into the waters of Kwangtung. The ensuing battle though ended in defeat, as instead of depriving Ching Shih of her navy only added 60 government ships to her fleet. There were other attempts by the Chinese navy, and Portuguese and British privateers to stop the navy, without success. The Chinese government even asked the British East India Company to send the British navy to their aide. This request though was turned down, as the British Navy was occupied in blockading France and Spain at the time.

In 1810 Ching Shih brought about an end to her piracy career. Ching Shih was faced with problems of keeping the Red Flag Fleet together; cracks were appearing in the coalition. One of her squadron leaders, O-po-tae, fought an open battle with Zhang Poa’s squadron of ships. Realising that it would be almost impossible to keep 80,000 pirates happy for ever, Ching Shih took up the chance of a government amnesty.

The Chinese government were looking for peace and so a meeting was arranged between Ching Shih and a local official. Ching Shih was in a prime position and in return for the surrender of all of her direct 226 vessels and 17,318 men, Ching Shih arranged many benefits. Out of all of her men only 126 were executed for their crimes and only 250 more received any other sort of punishment. All other pirates were pardoned and offered roles within the Chinese military.

Zhang Pao was given a role as a lieutenant in the Chinese army, and allowed to keep 20 of his finest vessels. Zhang Pao was also given money to ensure that pirates were settled in mainland towns, and would never take up their former career.

Ching Shih also negotiated a rank for herself, against Chinese laws, and she was also allowed to keep all of the loot she had gained. With all of her acquired wealth still intact, Ching Shih retired from the piracy business. With Zhang Pao at her side, she established a brothel and gambling house in Guangzhou, Canton. It was a quite life compared with her previous existence, and with her husband she had at least one son. Ching Shih passed away peacefully in 1844, a grandmother and aged 69. How many other pirates managed such a peaceful end to their lives?

Ching Shih’s life is a remarkable tale of a woman succeeding in a man’s world, becoming so powerful that she could negotiate a deal in her favour with a country’s government. It is a pirate tale that deserves to be mentioned alongside the most famous of privateers, from Blackbeard or Jean Lafitte.

Biography of Ernst Udet

Ernst Udet was one of the German flying Aces’ of World War I, unlike many of his contemporaries though he survived the fighting on the Western Front.

Udet was born in Frankfurt am Main on the 26th April 1896. There are conflicting stories about his childhood. Some sources say Udet’s father was violent, especially with his son, who was not the tall strong son he waned. Other sources say his father and mother, Paula, were loving parents providing their son with gifts as he wished for them.

His schooldays were nothing special, and academically he showed that he possessed a quick and agile mind. He did though lack the eye for detail and became frustrated with routine and the discipline of school. It was during this time that he first became fascinated with flying. Firstly he and his friends constructed model planes, but they soon found themselves hanging around at the Otto Flying Machine Works. There they got to talk to pilots and observe as planes were constructed. One of the pilots even allowed him to accompany him on a test flight in 1913.

Generaloberst Ernst Udet - Wikimedia

Any dreams that Udet may have had of being a pilot though were temporarily halted with the outbreak of the First World War. On the 2nd August 1914, at just over 18 years of age, Udet attempted to enlist in the German Army. At 5ft 4in tall (160cm) Udet found that he was too short and was turned away by the recruiters.

Still wishing to do his part Udet immediately turned to the role of dispatch writer. The German Automobile Club were asking volunteers to join up, if they could provide their own motorcycles. Udet was in the lucky position of owning a motorcycle, a gift from his parents following a school examination. Udet was immediately posted to the 26th Wrttembergischen Reserve Division, along with several of his friends. Being a messenger was a dangerous role, often requiring Udet to right up to the front line. Udet was in fact injured when his motorcycle hit a shell hole. Whilst recovering in hospital the army decided to end the volunteer system of dispatch riders, and thus once again Udet was without a role to play in the fighting.

Udet attempted to get into the German Air Force, he was will to take any role, from mechanic, to observer, to pilot. He was though turned down as every application. Though he did discover that if he were already a trained pilot he could immediately become a pilot in the Air Force. Udet returned to the Otto Flying Machine Works; there he paid Gustav Otto, 2,000 marks to teach him how to fly. Udet was a natural pilot an in April 1915 he had obtained his civilian pilot’s license.

Joining the German Air Force, Udet met success and dismal failure. Udet became a pilot in an observation unit, flying with an observer to range in artillery attacks. Early on he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class for returning from a sortie despite losing the use of one wing. Success though was quickly followed by failure, when Udet was court-martialled for losing his aircraft through his bad judgement.

Albatros D.Va of Ernst Udet, Jasta 37 - B. Huber - CC-BY-SA-3.0

The punishment was fairly minor though, as Udet was placed in the guardhouse for seven days. Before he could take his punishment though, he was asked to undertake another flight to observe a bombing raid. His observer made a mistake when throwing a bomb from their plane. The bomb became jammed in the landing gear of their aircraft, and to shift it Udet was forced to perform the aerobatics. This action prevented him going to the guardhouse and also saw him transferred to fighter command.

In 1916 Udet found himself stationed at Habsheim, flying Fokker D-IIIs. Initially he found it difficult to kill the enemy pilots, although this soon changed when he himself was wounded when a bullet grazed his cheek. On the 18th March 1916 Udet scored his first kill’ as he dived a French formation of 22 aircraft alone. Several more kills followed.

In the latter part of 1916, Udet transferred to Jasta 15. Jasta was the equivalent of the allied flying squadrons. During his time as Jasta 15, Udet claimed five more kills. He was though also fortunate. He had a duel at 5,000 metres, with the French ace, Georges Guynemar. Guynemar flew away from the dogfight though when he saw that Udet’s guns had jammed and was unable to return fire. Such was the chivalry found in the war in the sky.

Udet was forced to move from Jasta 15 to Jasta 17 in June 1917 when the war took its toil. Udet found that he and his commander were the only two pilots left from the whole of Jasta 15. By November 1917 Udet was famed as a triple ace, with fifteen confirmed kills, and was promoted to Jastafuhrer (Squadron commander) at Jasta 37.

As a triple ace, Udet came to the attention of the Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen who invited him to join his Flying Circus’. Udet was given the command of his own Jasta, Jasta 11. Richthofen demanded total loyalty, and Udet was more than willing to give it. A friendship grew between the two, with Udet holding the Baron in total respect. As a member of the Circus, Udet’s victories continued to rise.

Richthofen died in April 1918, whilst Udet was on sick leave, with an infected ear. Leadership of the Flying Circus eventually fell to Herman Gring, a man who would play a role in the future of Germany and Udet. Whilst on leave he fell in love with an old sweetheart, Eleanor “Lo” Zink, from then on he would fly with LO marked on his plane’s fuselage

Despite not having fully recovered from the ear infection, Udet returned to the front line and took command of Jasta 4 in May 1918. The death of his friend and mentor had a profound effect on Udet and in August 1918 alone, Udet claimed a further 20 kills.

The last few months of the war were not without incident though. In June 1918 Udet survived a crash with a French plane. Forced to bail out Udet would become one of the first pilots to use a parachute successfully. Although it came close to failure when the parachute didn’t open until he was only 250 feet above the ground, the resulting impact also caused him to sprain his ankle. Udet was also wounded in September 1918 when a bullet hit him in the thigh.

Udet survived to the end of the First World War, ending up with a confirmed 62 kills. This made him the second highest German ace of the war, behind Manfred von Richthofen, and also the fourth highest overall.

In post-war Germany, there wasn’t much for a war hero to do. Germany had no airforce so Udet joined a travelling show performing stunts for the viewing public. The show travelled all over the world, and Udet even performed in the United States. His lifestyle though soon saw him pigeonholed as a playboy, a regular on the party scene he would entertain other guests with feats of juggling and other party entertainment.

Udet also flew in movies, even appearing with Leni Riefenstahl in SOS Eisberg’, Die weie Hlle vom Piz Pal’, and Strme ber dem Montblanc’. These appearances proved to be good publicity, and Udet was soon invited to start manufacturing aircraft. Udet was interested in building places for the general public, although this was short-lived as the company moved away to more exclusive airplanes.
Udet was known as a playboy with numerous lovers. This was the primary reason that his 1920 marriage to Eleanor “Lo” Zink lasted only three years.

Udet joined the German Nazi party in 1933. This though was not from any political inclination but because his old commander, Gring, bribed him with the purchase of two Curtiss Export Hawk II. These planes had a profound effect on Udet, and the American designed influenced him to become a major pusher for a German dive bomber, which culminated in the Junkers Ju 87 (Stuka) bombers.
Udet became one of the most important individuals in the development of the Luftwaffe. By 1936 he was in charge of T-Amt’ the development wing of the German Air Ministry, with the rank of colonel. He found though that it was as bad as school had been with a daily routine accompanied by bureaucracy. Udet turned to alcohol, especially cognac and brandy, and amphetamines to break up the daily routine.

German industry was ill-equipped to deal with the demand for aircraft when the Second World War broke out. Production was well below what was needed, mainly caused by a lack of raw materials. Gring first lied about the situation to Hitler, but when Battle of Britain went against the Luftwaffe Gring simply blamed Udet.

Udet committed suicide in Berlin in the 17th November 1941, whilst on the phone to his mistress. Whether this was a forced suicide, arranged by the Nazi hierarchy, or a genuine suicide following depression is unconfirmed. Certainly Udet was being blocked from the developments he wished to make, with such planes as the Focke Wulf FW 190. He was also being blamed for the ineffectiveness of the Luftwaffe in general.

The Nazi regime rather than acknowledge the embarrassment of a suicide from one of their nation’s heroes, claimed that Udet had died a hero’s death whilst testing a new fighter plane. As such Udet was awarded a state funeral and was laid to rest in the Invalidefriedhof cemetery in Berlin, the same graveyard as the Red Baron as well as other national heroes.

There was one last ignominy though as a third of the cemetery was destroyed with the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, resulting in the gradual degradation of the cemetery. It is only since reunification that Udet’s grave and others have been maintained.

Udet was a hero on the losing side of the First World War. Joining the Nazi party has never diminished his hero status, as it was obvious that he was totally uninterested in politics, a nationalist he was purely concerned with the development of the Luftwaffe. His bravery and skills deserve to be recorded and recognised.

Biography of RJ Mitchell

No war has every been won due to efforts of just one man, but the inventor and engineer RJ Mitchell came as close to achieving this feat as any man has ever done. It was the work of RJ Mitchell that ensured that the threatened Nazi Invasion of Britain never occurred, Mitchell was after all an inventor, and the man who designed the Supermarine Spitfire, the wonder machine of the Battle of Britain. His designs and creations did much to ensure that the German forces never gained the supremacy needed to cause an end to the war in Europe.

Reginald Joseph Mitchell was born on the 20th May 1895 in the village of Talke, Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire. Mitchell was the eldest child of Herbert Mitchell and Eliza Jane Brain, and ended up with two younger brothers. A middleclass upbringing was secured by his father’s employment as headmaster at local schools, and a later career as owner of a printing business.

RJ Mithcell - PD-life-70

 A good student with some academic ability, Mitchell left Hanley High School at the age of sixteen, and immediately acquired an apprenticeship position at a local engineering firm. The firm, Kerr Stuart & Co, were a locomotive engineering works, and Mitchell was employed in their drawing department. He was though not satisfied with his position, and at night attended night school to improve his mathematics and engineering knowledge.

Mitchell stayed with the firm of Kerr Stuart & Co for five years. His additional schooling though served him well and in 1917 he headed to Southampton to take up a position with the Supermarine Aviation Works. Initially a designer, his skills were such that within a year he had been promoted to the position of Chief Designer and Engineer at the firm.

In his time at the Supermarine Aviation Works, between 1920 and 1936, Mitchell designed twenty-four aircraft. These aircraft ranged from light aircraft, seaplanes, flying boats, to fighters and bombers. His designs impressed the RAF, and in August 1924 they ordered six prototypes of an armed flying-boat, the Southampton. This was despite the fact it would be another six months before they would be built. The Southampton eventually equipped six RAF squadrons and stayed in operation until 1935 when they were replaced by another Mitchell creation, the Walrus’.

Supermarine Walrus - .Aircraft of the Fighting Powers - PD-UK-gov

Such was his reputation that he had been given a ten year contract in 1923, and when Vickers brought the Supermarine firm in 1928, it was on the proviso that Mitchell remained contractually bound until the end of his contract at the earliest.

Mitchell’s name, though, was hardly known outside of aviation and military circles. In 1931 though, this changed with the running of the annual Schneider Trophy. Now promoted to Technical Director, Mitchell designed a seaplane, the Supermarine S6B. The Supermarine firm had had reasonable success in the previous nine runnings but the S6B was special. On the 13th September, 1931, the S6B won the trophy averaging a speed of 340mph. Even this speed was surpassed a few months later when a new world air speed record was set at 407.5mph.

The Air Ministry took notice of the Trophy win and promptly put in a request for a new fighter plane from Mitchell and the Supermarine firm. Thus was born Mitchell’s greatest invention, the single seat Spitfire fighter. Designed between 1934 and 1936, it was the culmination of all of Mitchell’s knowledge and experience, as well as the best parts from other existing planes.

Based on the S6B, the Spitfire was powered by a Rolls Royce Merlin II 1030bhp engine. The first prototype had its maiden flight on the 5th March 1936, from Eastleigh. Tests would show a top speed of 350mph, and even before the tests were completed the RAF were impressed enough to order 310 of the planes. Thus in 1937 the Supermarine Spitfire Mk I went into production, although it is rumoured that Mitchell was not impressed with the Spitfire’ name.

With a successful plane designed, Mitchell moved onto his last project a four-engine bomber, the Type 317, although it was never completed.

Despite a successful career, Mitchell was always a retiring person, and kept his personal life out of the public gaze. Mitchell was married, to Florence Dayson in 1918. Florence had been a headmistress of the Dresden Infants’ School, together they had one son, Gordon (born 1920).

Aside from that his personal life was a mystery although Mitchell was known to have gotten his pilot’s license in 1934.

Even in 1934 though Mitchell was not a well man, and he had had a colostomy in 1933 to treat rectal cancer. The operation, though a success, left him weak. He continued to work and his colleagues had no idea of his pain. In 1936 Mitchell was once again diagnosed with cancer. This time the illness was so severe that in 1937 he had to give up work.

In March 1937 he went to a specialist clinic after the insistence of his wife. He was advised that it was too late to treat him. Despite a further trip to the American Foundation in Vienna, it proved futile. Mitchell died on the 11th June 1937 at his house, “Hazeldene” in Southampton. Four days later his ashes were interred at South Stoneham Cemetery in Eastleigh.

Mitchell never got to see his Spitfire fly in combat.

Mitchell was never truly recognised for his work. Whilst he received a CBE in 1932 for his work on high-speed flight his work on the Spitfire was only recognised on film. The 1942 Leslie Howard film “The First of the Few” portrayed the man and his work.

R.J. Mitchell is one of the great engineers of all time and a true unsung hero.