United States Army in World War II: China–Burma–India Theater
Stillwell’s Command Problems
by Charles F. Romanus and Riley Sunderland
. . . to Those Who Served
Table of Contents
Part One: Plans and Preparations for the North Burma Campaign, October–December 1943
Chapter 1: The Last Preparations
Combined Chiefs Order a North Burma Campaign – Improving the Lines of Communications – The B-29 Project Approved – Chennault’s Operations – Chennault’s Proposals for 1944 – Building an East China Army – The Allied Command Structure in North Burma – The Chinese Forces – The American Force – The Kachin Rangers – The Battleground – Planning the North Burma Campaign – The Campaign Begins – Summary
Chapter 2: SEXTANT: The Watershed
Drafting SEAC’s Proposals – The United States Prepares for the SEXTANT Conference – The Chinese Prepare for SEXTANT – Presenting CHAMPION at Cairo – Trying To Reach Agreement – Over the Watershed: The Changed Attitude Toward China – Stilwell’s Search for Guidance – SEAC Tries To Salvage Burma Operations – A Changing U.S. Attitude – Summary
Chapter 3: The India-Based Air Effort
Command and Administration of the Air Forces – The Japanese Air Effort in Burma – Support of Ground Forces – Strategic Bombing – Air Supply – Allocation of Transport Aircraft – Administrative Problems – Techniques – Problems of Air Supply – The B-29 Command Problem – Logistical Problems of the B-29’s – Summary
Part Two: The North Burma Campaign, December 1943–August 1944
Chapter 4: Breaking the Stalemate in North Burma
The Chiangs Visit Their Troops – Yupbang Ga – The Opponents Shape Their Plans – Enveloping the Japanese Left Flank – The Capture of Taihpa Ga – Clearing the Taro Plain – The Allies Reorganize for the Next Effort – Logistical Support – Planning To Force a Decision – U.S. Infantry for the Second Phase – The Operation Begins – GALAHAD’s Fight at Walawbum – The “Big Squeeze Play” – Summary
Chapter 5: The Burma Campaign in the Balance
The SEXTANT Decisions Challenged – The Japanese Create More Command Problems – Mountbatten and Stilwell Meet – The Chiefs of Staff Reject CULVERIN – The Japanese Attack Forces Hump Diversions – Inkangahtawng: An Attempt That Failed – The Japanese Delay the 1st Battalion, 5307th – Delay at Jambu Bum – The Siege of Nhpum Ga – Air Supply Problem at Imphal – The Chindits Go Back to Burma – The Question of Myitkyina – Summary
Chapter 6: The Drive for Myitkyina
The QUARTERBACK Calls an END RUN – The 22nd Division and the Drive on Kamaing – The 38th Division: The Generalissimo and Stilwell – Turning Tanaka’s Flank – The 112th Regiment’s Stand at the Seton Block – Defeat of the 18th Division – Stilwell and the Chindits – The March to Myitkyina – MERCHANT OF VENICE! – The First Attempts To Take the Town – Japanese Build-up at Myitkyina – Command Problems at Myitkyina – The Attacks of Mid-June 1944 – Changes in Command – Hacking Out Small Gains – The Last Days – Summary
Chapter 7: Logistics and Administration
The Headquarters Reorganized – SOS Problems – Negotiations – Clearing the Port of Calcutta – Railway Problems – Military Railway Service Begins Its Work – Changes in Operating Procedure – Operations Under Military Railway Service – Physical Improvements on the Railway – A British Appraisal – Attempts To Use Indian River Transport – Pipelines in India – Supply Problems in India – New Agreements on Local Procurement – Housekeeping Problems – Chinese Lend-Lease – Medical Problems in the Rear Area – Logistical Problems in China – Summary
Part Three: Command Problems in China Theater
Chapter 8: Decisions to Attack
“Money Is the Root of All Our Trouble” – American Military Observers in North China – SEAC and Stilwell Obtain Pressure on Chiang – The Generalissimo Warns of Trouble – The President Demands Action – The Chinese Decide To Cross the Salween – Chennault Renews His Warnings – Operation ICHIGO – East China’s Defenders on the Eve of ICHIGO – Initial Reactions to ICHIGO – The East China Army Written Off – Summary
Chapter 9: The Chinese Take the Offensive
Battleground Above the Clouds: The Salween Front – The Chinese Plan for the Salween Campaign – The American Contribution – Beginning the Offensive – Pushing Through Ma-mien Pass – Clearing Ta-tang-tzu Pass, 11 May-12 June 1944 – Securing the Huei-jen Bridge Area, 11 May-14 June 1944 – Driving the Japanese Rear Guards From the Shweli Valley – The Southern Flank, 11 May-30 June 1944 – 71st Army and the Fight for Lung-ling, 28 May-15 July 1944 – Summary
Chapter 10: Facing the Command Problem
Stilwell’s Mission Laid Aside – Stilwell Called to China – Chennault Given 10,000 Tons – The Japanese Drive Rolls on in East China – Vice-President Wallace Suggests Stilwell’s Recall – Stilwell Nominated for Command – The Generalissimo Agrees “in Principle” – The Ledo Road Project Reduced – Slow Progress Across the Salween – The Battle for Sung Shan – Summary
Chapter 11: The China Crisis of 1944
The Defense of Heng-yang – Japanese Successes and Chinese Politics – The East China Crisis Grows – The Hurley-Nelson Mission – Washington Plans To End Stilwell’s Lend-Lease Powers – The Talks Begin – American Proposals, 12-13 September 1944 – Stilwell and the Question of the Communists’ Role – Crisis in the East, Crisis in the West – “I Do Not Seek the Job” – The President Replies – Summary
Chapter 12: The End of CBI Theater
The Note Delivered – The Generalissimo’s Wrath – Deadlock – End of the Deadlock – The Generalissimo Places the Blame – Waiting for the Decision – The President Ends CBI Theater – Conclusion
Charts
1. Stilwell in the CBI Chain of Command, December 1943-June 1944
2. Organization of U.S. Forces, China, Burma and India: November 1943-April 1944
3. Chih Hui Pu
4. Japanese Organization and Dispositions, November 1943
5. Tonnage Shipped From India to China by Air, 1944
6. Schematic Order of Battle of the Chinese Expeditionary Force
7. Tonnage Forwarded by USAF SOS CBI Advance Section to North Burma, January 1944-May 1945
8. Organization of the China Expeditionary Army, 15 September 1944
Tables
1. Tonnages Shipped to Burma Over Burma-Siam Railway, November 1943-August 1945
2. Average Daily Traffic at Terminals of Principal Branch Lines of Japanese-Operated Railways in Burma: January 1943-August 1945
3. Tonnage Delivered to Northern Combat Area Command by Air: April 1943-March 1945
4. Strength of U.S. Army Forces in the China–Burma–India Theater: January-September 1944
5. Fourteenth Air Force Aircraft Inventory by Type of Aircraft: March 1943-December 1944
Maps
1. India-China Communications System, October 1943-October 1944
2. The Battleground
3. ALBACORE Plan, 8 August 1943
4. Entering the Hukawng Valley, October 1943
5. Disposition of Forces, 1 December 1943
6. Operations in Northern Hukawng Valley, January 1944
7. Advance to Walawbum, 23 February-4 March 1944
8. Fight at Walawbum, 4-8 March 1944
9. Japanese Attack on Arakan Front, 4-7 February 1944
10. Japanese Offensive on Imphal Front, March-April 1944
11. Inkangahtawng, 12-23 March 1944
12. Shaduzup and Nhpum Ga, 24-29 March 1944
13. Mogaung Valley, 1 April-27 May 1944
14. Mogaung Valley, 28 May-26 June 1944
15. Advance to Myitkyina, 28 April-17 May 1944
16. Myitkyina, 18 May-End of July 1944
17. Situation in China, 15 March 1944
18. ICHIGO Plan
19. The Salween Campaign, 11 May-30 June 1944
Illustrations
The Kweilin Infantry Training Center – A Squad of Kachin Rangers – Cairo Conference – Chiang Kai-shek at Ramgarh – Bombing of Bridges – Kickers Prepare to Drop Supplies – Packing Supplies for Airdrop – Parachute-Covered Foxhole – Attack on Yupbang Ga – Japanese Fifteenth Army Commander and Staff* – General Stilwell and General Sun – Drainage Culverts – Pipeline Crossing a Stream – General Stilwell and General Merrill – A Chinese Cook – Troops of Merrill’s Marauders – Damaged M3A3 Tanks – Troops of the Chinese 22nd Division – A British Antiaircraft Unit – Japanese Defensive Positions – Allied Casualties at Myitkyina Airfield – Japanese Trenches – Artillery in Action at Myitkyina – General Stilwell and Colonel Hunter – The King George Dock Area – Railroad Operations in India – Supplies in Open Storage in India – Bridges Across the Yellow River – Gen. Wei Li-huang – An American Liaison Officer – American Engineers on the Burma Road – Chinese Troops Cross the Salween – Footbridge Across the Salween – Air-Supply Drops – Chinese 2nd Army Artillerymen – The Sung Shan Mountain Area – Evacuation of Kweilin – Vice-President Wallace – Chinese Infantrymen Rest on Lai-feng Shan – The Walled City of Teng-chung – Chinese Troops on Kung Lung-po Peak – Field Marshal Shunroku Hata* – Gen. Yasuji Okamura* – Chungking Conference – General Stilwell Entertains at Luncheon
The illustrations are from Department of Defense files, except those marked with *, which are Japanese photographs.
United States Army in World War II
Kent Roberts Greenfield, General Editor
Advisory Committee (As of 1 June 1954)
James P. Baxter, President, Williams College
Maj. Gen. Elwyn D. Post, Army Field Forces
Gordon A. Craig, Princeton University
Brig. Gen. Verdi B. Barnes, Army War College
Elmer Ellis, University of Missouri
Brig. Gen. C. E. Beauchamp, Command and General Staff College
William T. Hutchinson, University of Chicago
Brig. Gen. Leonard J. Greeley, Industrial College of the Armed Forces
Charles H. Taylor, Harvard University
Col. 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.