The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force were composed of pilots from the United States and were nicknamed the Flying Tigers. They were commanded by Claire Lee Chennault from 1941 to 1942, flying with Chinese colors but were under American control. The group consisted of three fighter squadrons of around 30 aircraft each with a mission to defend China against Japanese forces. The group first saw combat on 20 December 1941, 12 days after Pearl Harbor. AVG pilots earned official credit for destroying 296 enemy aircraft, while losing only 14 pilots in combat.