CONTENTS
Foreword v The Authors vi Preface vii Chapter Page PART ONE
Opening the Road to ChinaI. New Commanders in a Split Theater 3 The Political and Economic Scene in China 7 Wedemeyer's Missions and Roles 14 The U.S. Command Structure in China Theater 19 The U.S. Projects in China 24 Sultan's Task 29 The American Effort in India and Burma 33 The SOS in India, Fall 1944 36 Supply Activities in India 40 Lend-Lease to China 43 II. Wedemeyer Begins His Work in China 46 Japanese Plans in American Eyes 46 The Japanese Side of the Hill 49 Wedemeyer's Reactions to the Chinese Scene 51 The Japanese Begin To Threaten 55 ALPHA: Beginning an Attempt To Save 56 Chinese Reactions to ALPHA 61 Strengthening the Chinese Forces 64 Filling the Gaps in the Chinese Divisions 66 Plans To Break the Transport Bottleneck 67 Attempts To Arm Hsueh Yueh 71 Plans To Use the Chinese Communists 72 III. Beginning the Fall Campaign in North Burma 77 The Situation at the Front 77 Planning the First Directive 81 Events Cancel the Attack on Rangoon 85 Allied Land Forces, Southeast Asia 87 NCAC Prepares To Resume Operations 89 Logistical Support 96 Japanese Plans and Preparations 98 Reopening the Fight 101 The Attack in the Center 106 Fighting Around Tonkwa 110 IV. Breaking the Blockade of China 114 NCAC Drives Toward China 114 Attack on Bhamo 118 Last Days of the Burma Blockade 123 The End of the Salween Campaign 130 Opening the Ledo Road 136 V. The Crest of the Flood in China 142 Wedemeyer Asks Help From SEAC 142 Reaching a Decision 145 Moving Reinforcements to China 147 Attempts To Reinforce the Kweiyang Area 150 Wedemeyer Reshapes His Organization 155 Moving Toward Better Co-ordination 158 The Japanese Menace at Its Height 164 Wedemeyer's Views on China's Problems 165 Cherry Blossom and Sea Wind 169 The Fourteenth Air Force Versus the Japanese 170 The Suichuan Operation 176 PART TWO
Plans and Preparations for Opening a Port in ChinaVI. The MARS Force and the Burma Road 183 Marsmen Prepare for Battle 183 Over the Hills and Through the Woods 186 Harassing Japanese Traffic 190 The Block Disapproved 199 VII. Victory in Burma Frees Troops for China 206 MARS's Last Fight 206 Clearing Loi-kang Ridge 209 From Combat to Administration 211 The British 36th Division Wins Its Hardest Fight 214 The Burma Campaign Moves Toward a Climax 217 Slim Wins the Decisive Battle 220 Reinforcements for China Theater 223 Lashio and the Reinforcement Problem 226 VIII. Finding a Way to Advise and Assist 231 Making Liaison Effective 231 Working Out the Thirty-six-Division Plan 238 Food for the ALPHA Soldiers 241 Carrying Out the Food Program 244 Problems and Accomplishments of the Food Program 246 The Student Volunteers 247 No Arms for the Chinese Communists 249 Conducting a Straightforward Show 254 The Problem of French Indochina 259 IX. Meeting the First Test in China 262 The Thirty-six Divisions Take Form 262 Eastern Command's Work Interrupted 269 The American Share in the Chihchiang Campaign 276 The Test Successfully Passed 285 X. Role of the India-Burma Base 291 A Unified Command Structure 291 Personnel Management Problems 294 Social Problems 297 Preventive Medicine 301 Reciprocal Aid and Lend-Lease to India 303 Supply Policies for China Theater Projects 306 Ports, Pipelines, and Railroads 309 Operating the Line of Communications to China 313 The Line of Communications Reappraised 318 Transferring Support From SEAC to China 321 The Last Battles in Burma 325 XI. Preparing a Drive to the China Coast 330 Plan BETA 330 Wedemeyer's Visit to Washington 336 Logistical Obstacles to BETA 340 SOS Problems and China Operations 346 The Japanese Save RASHNESS 349 The Drive to the Sea Moves Off Dead Center 353 New Commanders for CARBONADO 356 Preparations To Open a Seaport 360 Problems of the Ground Line of Communications 363 Logistical Problems of Fort Bayard 366 XII. The End of Wedemeyer's Experiment 368 The Chinese Army, Summer 1945 368 The School System of the Chinese Training Center 373 Helping the Chinese SOS 378 The Communist Problem Emerges Again 381 The Chinese Reoccupy Their Land 386 What Are the Problems of a Sudden Peace? 388 Events in the Pacific Overtake CARBONADO 392 Bibliographical Note 397 Glossary 402 Basic Military Map Symbols 405 Index 409 CHARTS No. Page 1. Tonnage Supplied to China From India-Burma: October 1944-September 1945 14 2. Organization of U.S. Forces, China Theater: January 1945 20 3. Allied Chain of Command: November 1944 30 4. Chinese ALPHA Forces: 36-Division Force 237 5. Sino-American Liaison System (Schematic) 263 TABLES 1. Tonnages Delivered by India-China Division, ATC 40 2. Comparison of Japanese and Chinese Division Firepower 232 3. U.S. Troop Strengths, China Theater: 1945 258 4. Vehicle and Cargo Deliveries to China and Burma by Months: 1945 317 5. Gasoline Deliveries by Pipeline to China 318 6. Division Training Status: 5 August 1945 372 7. Chinese Order of Battle: 31 August 1945 382 MAPS 1. India-Burma Theater, 1944-1945 7 2. China-Burma-India Line of Communications, July 1945 35 3. Situation in China, October 1944 48 4. The ALPHA Plan, November 1944 59 5. Disposition of Forces, 15 October 1944 76 6. North Burma Operations, 15 October-31 December 1944 101 7. Opening the Road to China 124 8. End of the Salween Campaign, 3 November 1944-27 January 1945 132 9. The Suichuan Operation, January 1945 177 10. Securing the Burma Road, January-March 1945 183 11. The MARS Force, 19 January 1945 191 12. Offensive of British Fourteenth Army, 12 December 1944-3 May 1945 217 13. The Chihchiang Campaign, 8 April-7 June 1945 271 ILLUSTRATIONS Maj. Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer Arriving at Chungking 5 Terrain in the Kunming Area 11 C-46 of the Air Transport Command 13 Ancient Chinese Villager 17 Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault 22 Kunming Airfield 24 India-Based B-29's 25 Y-Force Officers 29 Lt. Gen. Daniel I. Sultan 31 Loading River Boats 36 Loading Boxcars 37 Bulldozer in Operation South of Myitkyina 39 Jorhat Airfield 42 Nationalist Chinese Soldiers 53 Chinese Refugees Evacuating Liuchow 55 General Dorn 61 Lux Convoy 69 Col. David D. Barrett 73 Tank Farm at Myitkyina 78 Second Quebec Conference 83 Bivouac Area of the 475th Infantry 95 Jeep Train on a Narrow-Gauge Line 99 Maj. Gen. Francis W. Festing and General Sultan 103 British Casualties 106 Pack Artillery Troops 107 Field Conference at Sikaw, Burma 111 Christmas Day at Tonkwa 112 General Sultan and General Sun Li-jen 117 Front-Line Position 121 Burmese Idol in Namhkam 128 Two Soldiers 129 Ponton Bridge Over the Irrawaddy River 137 Chinese Coolies Leveling a Roadbed 139 Chinese 22d Division Troops 149 Chinese-American Staff Conference 153 B-29's Head for Rangoon 160 General Wedemeyer Visits Western Command Headquarters 163 Fourteenth Air Force B-24 172 Mule Skinners and Pack Animals 185 Bamboo Bridge Over the Shweli River 188 Marsmen Cut Cross-Country 193 Marsmen on Loi-Kang Ridge 196 Japanese Truck and Tankette 197 Mortar Squad, 124th Cavalry 201 An 81-mm. Mortar Crew 205 Silver Rupees for Battle Damage 213 Allied Leaders Plan Operations 224 Men of the 988th Signal Battalion 229 Chinese Senior Officers 234 Chinese Artillerymen 239 The Honorable Patrick J. Hurley 250 Chinese Mechanics Reassembling Lend-Lease Jeep 256 Chinese Hostel at an American Air Base 257 Col. Emerick Kutschko 265 Col. Woods King 272 Eastern Command Headquarters Conference 277 Chinese New Sixth Army Troops 280 Chinese Boatmen 284 Waiting at Chenyi Airfield 288 P-51's Moving Through the Streets of Karachi 292 Army Air Force Fuel Dump at Assam 312 Brig. Gen. Haydon L. Boatner 315 American Officers, OSS Detachment 101 326 Lt. Gen. Raymond A. Wheeler 328 Meeting at Yalta 331 Soldiers on a Troop Train 341 Maj. Gen. Howard C. Davidson 344 General Tang En-Po 354 The Generalissimo Honors General Chennault 358 Kwangsi Command Headquarters 361 Chinese Army Replacements 370 New Chinese Soldiers 371 Demolitions Class on a Bridge 376 Maj. Gen. Henry S. Aurand 379 Liuchow Airstrip 388 Returning to Liuchow 389 Illustrations are from Department of Defense files.
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