UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II Kent Roberts Greenfield, General Editor
Advisory Committee
(As of 1 June 1954)
James P. Baxter
President, Williams CollegeMaj. Gen. Elwyn D. Post
Army Field ForcesGordon A. Craig
Princeton UniversityBrig. Gen. Verdi B. Barnes
Army War CollegeElmer Ellis
University of MissouriBrig. Gen. C. E. Beauchamp
Command and General Staff CollegeWilliam T. Hutchinson
University of ChicagoBrig. Gen. Leonard J. Greeley
Industrial College of the Armed ForcesCharles H. Taylor
Harvard UniversityCol. Thomas D. Stamps
United States Military Academy
Office of the Chief of Military History
Maj. Gen. Albert C. Smith, Chief*
Chief Historian Kent Roberts Greenfield Chief, War Histories Division Col. G. G. O'Connor Chief, Editorial and Publication Division Lt. Col. T. E. Bennett Chief, Editorial Branch Joseph R. Friedman Chief, Cartographic Branch Wsevolod Aglaimoff Chief, Photographic Branch Maj. Arthur T. Lawry *Maj. Gen. Orlando Ward was succeeded by General Smith on 1 February 1953.
CONTENTS
Foreword vii The Authors viii Preface ix Chapter Page PART ONE
Plans and Preparations for the North Burma Campaign:
October-December 1943I. The Last Preparations 3 Combined Chiefs Order a North Burma Campaign 9 Improving the Lines of Communications 11 The B-29 Project Approved 15 Chennault's Operations 18 Chennault's Proposals for 1944 22 Building an East China Army 26 The Allied Command Structure in North Burma 28 The Chinese Forces 32 The American Force 34 The Kachin Rangers 36 The Battleground 37 Planning the North Burma Campaign 39 The Campaign Begins 45 Summary 48 II. SEXTANT: The Watershed 49 Drafting SEAC's Proposals 49 The United States Prepares for the SEXTANT Conference 52 The Chinese Prepare for SEXTANT 56 Presenting CHAMPION at Cairo 59 Trying To Reach Agreement 63 Over the Watershed: The Changed Attitude Toward China 67 Stilwell's Search for Guidance 71 SEAC Tries To Salvage Burma Operations 75 A Changing U.S. Attitude 79 Summary 82 III. The India-Based Air Effort 83 Command and Administration of the Air Forces 83 The Japanese Air Effort in Burma 85 Support of Ground Forces 88 Strategic Bombing 91 Air Supply 95 Allocation of Transport Aircraft 98 Administrative Problems 100 Techniques 102 Problems of Air Supply 106 The B-29 Command Problem 109 Logistical Problems of the B-29's 114 Summary 116 PART TWO
The North Burma Campaign:
December 1943-August 1944IV. Breaking the Stalemate in North Burma 119 The Chiangs Visit Their Troops 122 Yupbang Ga 124 The Opponents Shape Their Plans 129 Enveloping the Japanese Left Flank 131 The Capture of Taihpa Ga 134 Clearing the Taro Plain 136 The Allies Reorganize for the Next Effort 138 Logistical Support 139 Planning To Force a Decision 142 U.S. Infantry for the Second Phase 146 The Operation Begins 148 GALAHAD's Fight at Walawbum 151 The "Big Squeeze Play" 155 Summary 159 V. The Burma Campaign in the Balance 160 The SEXTANT Decisions Challenged 160 The Japanese Create More Command Problems 165 Mountbatten and Stilwell Meet 169 The Chiefs of Staff Reject CULVERIN 171 The Japanese Attack Forces Hump Diversions 172 Inkangahtawng: An Attempt That Failed 175 The Japanese Delay the 1st Battalion, 5307th 183 Delay at Jambu Bum 185 The Siege of Nhpum Ga 188 Air Supply Problem at Imphal 191 The Chindits Go Back to Burma 196 The Question of Myitkyina 200 Summary 203 VI. The Drive for Myitkyina 204 The QUARTERBACK Calls an END RUN 204 The 22d Division and the Drive on Kamaing 207 The 38th Division: The Generalissimo and Stilwell 211 Turning Tanaka's Flank 213 The 112th Regiment's Stand at the Seton Block 215 Defeat of the 18th Division 218 Stilwell and the Chindits 220 The March to Myitkyina 223 MERCHANT OF VENICE! 226 The First Attempts To Take the Town 229 Japanese Build-up at Myitkyina 230 Command Problems at Myitkyina 238 The Attacks of Mid-June 1944 244 Changes in Command 248 Hacking Out Small Gains 250 The Last Days 252 Summary 256 VII. Logistics and Administration 257 The Headquarters Reorganized 257 SOS Problems 259 Negotiations 260 Clearing the Port of Calcutta 263 Railway Problems 265 Military Railway Service Begins Its Work 266 Changes in Operating Procedure 267 Operations Under Military Railway Service 269 Physical Improvements on the Railway 271 A British Appraisal 272 Attempts To Use Indian River Transport 273 Pipelines in India 274 Supply Problems in India 276 New Agreements on Local Procurement 277 Housekeeping Problems 280 Chinese Lend-Lease 281 Medical Problems in the Rear Area 284 Logistical Problems in China 288 Summary 293 PART THREE
Command Problems in China TheaterVIII. Decisions to Attack 297 "Money Is the Root of All Our Trouble" 297 American Military Observers in North China 302 SEAC and Stilwell Obtain Pressure on Chiang 304 The Generalissimo Warns of Trouble 306 The President Demands Action 309 The Chinese Decide To Cross the Salween 312 Chennault Renews His Warnings 314 Operation ICHIGO 316 East China's Defenders on the Eve of ICHIGO 320 Initial Reactions to ICHIGO 322 The East China Army Written Off 326 Summary 327 IX. The Chinese Take the Offensive 329 Battleground Above the Clouds: The Salween Front 331 The Chinese Plan for the Salween Campaign 333 The American Contribution 336 Beginning the Offensive 340 Pushing Through Ma-mien Pass 343 Clearing Ta-tang-tzu Pass, 11 May-12 June 1944 345 Securing the Huei-jen Bridge Area, 11 May-14 June 1944 349 Driving the Japanese Rear Guards From the Shweli Valley 349 The Southern Flank, 11 May-30 June 1944 352 71st Army and the Fight for Lung-ling, 28 May-15 July 1944 354 Summary 360 X. Facing the Command Problem 361 Stilwell's Mission Laid Aside 362 Stilwell Called to China 364 Chennault Given 10,000 Tons 367 The Japanese Drive Rolls on in East China 371 Vice-President Wallace Suggests Stilwell's Recall 374 Stilwell Nominated for Command 379 The Generalissimo Agrees "in Principle" 384 The Ledo Road Project Reduced 387 Slow Progress Across the Salween 389 The Battle for Sung Shan 394 Summary 398 XI. The China Crisis of 1944 399 The Defense of Heng-yang 399 Japanese Successes and Chinese Politics 401 The East China Crisis Grows 405 The Hurley-Nelson Mission 413 Washington Plans To End Stilwell's Lend-Lease Powers 418 The Talks Begin 422 American Proposals, 12-13 September 1944 426 Stilwell and the Question of the Communists' Role 430 Crisis in the East, Crisis in the West 433 "I Do Not Seek the Job" 436 The President Replies 439 Summary 442 XII. The End of CBI Theater 443 The Note Delivered 443 The Generalissimo's Wrath 447 Deadlock 451 End of the Deadlock 456 The Generalissimo Places the Blame 460 Waiting for the Decision 464 The President Ends CBI Theater 468 Conclusion 471 Bibliographical Note 473 Glossary 481 CODE NAMES 485 Basic Military Map Symbols 487 Index 491 CHARTS 1. Stilwell in the CBI Chain of Command: December 1943-June 1944 6 2. Organization of U.S. Forces, China, Burma and India: November 1943-April 1944 7 3. Chih Hui Pu 30 4. Japanese Organization and Dispositions: November 1943 43 5. Tonnage Shipped From India to China by Air: 1944 112 6. Schematic Order of Battle of the Chinese Expeditionary Force 333 7. Tonnage Forwarded by USAF SOS CBI Advance Section to North Burma; January 1944-May 1945 390 8. Organization of the China Expeditionary Army: 15 September 1944 406 TABLES 1. Tonnages Shipped to Burma Over Burma-Siam Railway: November 1943- August 1945 94 2. Average Daily Traffic at Terminals of Principal Branch Lines of Japanese- Operated Railways in Burma: January 1943-August 1945 96 3. Tonnage Delivered to Northern Combat Area Command by Air: April 1943-March 1945 105 4. Strength of U.S. Army Forces in the China-Burma-India Theater: January- September 1944 258 5. Fourteenth Air Force Aircraft Inventory by Type of Aircraft: March 1943-December 1944 370 MAPS 1. India-China Communications System, October 1943-October 1944 11 2. The Battleground 37 3. ALBACORE Plan, 8 August 1943 40 4. Entering the Hukawng Valley, October 1943 44 5. Disposition of Forces, 1 December 1943 120 6. Operations in Northern Hukawng Valley, January 1944 132 7. Advance to Walawbum, 23 February-4 March 1944 144 8. Fight at Walawbum, 4-8 March 1944 151 9. Japanese Attack on Arakan Front, 4-7 February 1944 166 10. Japanese Offensive on Imphal Front, March-April 1944 173 11. Inkangahtawng, 12-23 March 1944 179 12. Shaduzup and Nhpum Ga, 24-29 March 1944 184 13. Mogaung Valley, 1 April-27 May 1944 207 14. Mogaung Valley, 28 May-26 June 1944 217 15. Advance to Myitkyina, 28 April-17 May 1944 224 16. Myitkyina, 18 May-End of July 1944 231 17. Situation in China, 15 March 1944 307 18. ICHIGO Plan 317 19. The Salween Campaign, 11 May-30 June 1944 330 ILLUSTRATIONS The Kweilin Infantry Training Center 27 A Squad of Kachin Rangers 37 Cairo Conference 60 Chiang Kai-shek at Ramgarh 67 Bombing of Bridges 93 Kickers Prepare to Drop Supplies 98 Packing Supplies for Airdrop[ 1 ] [ 2 ] 103 Parachute-Covered Foxhole 109 Attack on Yupbang Ga 126 Japanese Fifteenth Army Commander and Staff 129 General Stilwell and General Sun 135 Drainage Culverts 140 Pipeline Crossing a Stream 141 General Stilwell and General Merrill 149 A Chinese Cook 157 Troops of Merrill's Marauders 177 Damaged M3A3 Tanks 186 Troops of the Chinese 22d Division 209 A British Antiaircraft Unit 227 Japanese Defensive Positions 232 Allied Casualties at Myitkyina Airfield[ 1 ] [ 2 ] 234 Japanese Trenches 236 Artillery in Action at Myitkyina[ 1 ] [ 2 ] 246 General Stilwell and Colonel Hunter 249 The King George Dock Area 263 Railroad Operations in India[ 1 ] [ 2 ] 268 Supplies in Open Storage in India[ 1 ] [ 2 ] 282 Bridges Across the Yellow River 324 Gen. Wei Li-huang 334 An American Liaison Officer 337 American Engineers on the Burma Road[ 1 ] [ 2 ] 339 Chinese Troops Cross the Salween[ 1 ] [ 2 ] 342 Footbridge Across the Salween 344 Air-Supply Drops 347 Chinese 2d Army Artillerymen 353 The Sung Shan Mountain Area[ 1 ] [ 2 ] 358 Evacuation of Kweilin 373 Vice-President Wallace 375 Chinese Infantrymen Rest on Lai-feng Shan 392 The Walled City of Teng-chung 393 Chinese Troops on Kung Lung-po Peak 396 Field Marshal Shunroku Hata 407 Gen. Yasuji Okamura 407 Chungking Conference 422 General Stilwell Entertains at Luncheon 425 The illustrations are from Department of Defense files, except those on pages 129 and 407, which are Japanese photographs.