Yeh Cheng-min (; 23 December 1921 – 23 June 1956) was an officer and military aviator of the Republic of China Air Force. He served as commander of a special operations crew in the predecessor of the Black Bat Squadron. During a clandestine mission over mainland China in June 1956, the aircraft he commanded was intercepted and shot down by the People's Liberation Army Air Force.
Early life Yeh was born in Liaoyang County, Fengtian Province (now Liaoyang city in Liaoning) on 23 December 1921. Following the Mukden Incident in 1931, he enrolled in the 17th class of the Central Military Academy, majoring in military logistics, before transferring to the 15th class of the Republic of China Air Force Academy in Kunming, from where he graduated in the bomber pilot training.
Military career During the Second Sino-Japanese War and the subsequent Chinese Civil War, he flew approximately 80 operational missions. Following the Chinese communist victory in mainland China, he along with other ROCAF personnel withdrew to Taiwan. In 1951, while serving as a captain and staff officer with the 8th Air Group, Yeh was accused of harbouring communist agents. He was tried by the Ministry of National Defense but was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Recognized for his flying ability and composure under pressure, Yeh was selected to join the Special Mission Group (SMG) of the Intelligence Directorate of Air Force Headquarters, the covert unit later known as the Black Bat Squadron (Air Force 34th Squadron), where he served as a pilot flying reconnaissance missions over mainland China.
On the night of 22 June 1956, a Republic of China Air Force B-17G Flying Fortress reconnaissance aircraft, flown by Yeh and consisting of 11 crew members, departed Hsinchu Air Base at approximately 21:20, flying at an altitude below 1,000 metres on a covert mission over mainland China. At approximately 22:20, the aircraft crossed the coast near Yuhuan in Zhejiang, before proceeding over parts of Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces, where it dropped leaflets while maintaining radio contact with base in Taiwan. Beginning at approximately 23:04, the aircraft was detected and tracked by the Fifth Air Corps of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, which initiated an interception operation. The duty pilot that night was Lu Min, commander of the 34th Regiment, 12th Air Division in Quzhou, Zhejiang. After receiving an alert placing the unit on its highest state of readiness, Lu took off in his MiG-17 fighter. Guided by ground-controlled interception, Lu spotted the B-17 at an altitude of approximately from about away. After reporting the sighting, he closed on the bomber and initiated his attack over Guangfeng, Jiangxi. Lu opened fire at a range of approximately but did not immediately disable the aircraft. After repositioning, he made a second attack from a distance of approximately , firing for approximately two seconds. The B-17 caught fire and crashed in Guangfeng, killing all eleven crew members including Yeh. The incident marked the People's Liberation Army Air Force's first successful nighttime aerial shootdown. The following morning, personnel from the 12th Air Division recovered the wreckage and the remains of the crew.
Yeh was posthumously promoted to the rank of colonel in recognition of his service. Following his death, Lu Ch'ien-yüan was appointed acting commander of the Special Mission Group (SMG).
Crew of the RB-17G Source: Yeh Cheng-min (葉拯民) - Aircraft commander and pilot Yang Sung-wen (楊頌文) - Co-pilot Lin Ch'i-jung (林其榕) - Electronic countermeasures officer Lo P'u (羅樸) - Electronic countermeasures officer Chou Hsing-kuo (周興國) - Navigator Ch'ien Tuan-hsin (錢端信) - Navigator Tu Han-p'ing (杜漢萍) - Communications officer Kao P'eng-fei (高鵬飛) - Flight engineer Ch'en Li-jen (陳立仁) - Air-drop operator Hao Shu-ch'in (郝書勤) - Air-drop operator Wang Mao-sen (王茂森) - Air-drop operator
Honors
For his military service, Yeh earned many decorations including the Medal of Achievement, Exemplar Medal and China War Memorial Medal.
Cheng-min Elementary School in Huwei Township in Yunlin County was named in Yeh's honour. A bronze bust commemorating Yeh was erected on the campus. The school also established the "Black Bat Historical Corridor" (黑蝙蝠光陰迴廊), an exhibition introducing students to the history of the squadron.
In August 2012, Yeh's family applied for compensation for his 1951 pre-trial detention. In February 2013, the Compensation Foundation for Wrongful Trials on Charges of Sedition and Espionage during the Martial Law Period approved the application, finding that his detention before his acquittal qualified for compensation under the relevant legislation.
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