Do you think Chiang Kai-shek really helped Stillwell during the North Burma Campaign, what he had to, as per the ARCADIA Conference! It was true that there was no problem with then available Chinese ammo, but as per the report of Stillwell, '' ... greater part of the 300 Chinese div had never been in combat, soldiers were at the lowest of their strength, they were unpaid, poorly clad as well as fed, their self motivation remained below 30%, decipline were as Good as like school goers of standard 3 or 4, no question regarding rations, malnutrition fortified the general health of the Chinese soldiers, motor fuel was exactly 'nonexistent' ... the army was immobile ...'' (Had Rommel faced the same with the Italians ....) 1st set up the communication(existing system disrupted badly by the Japs..!), both the mechanical as well as radio transmiters, then go for what ever you want to communicate. Gen Ho Ying-chin was following his 'watch and wait' policy, astonishingly Chiang never ever able to made Ho favorable to Stillwell.
As I understand it, Stillwell suffered from a common American Army trait of the time: BIGOTRY. Stillwell did not like Chiang Kai-shek, he did not trust him, he was very reluctant to support the Chinese even though it was their country. This went so far as to insist Stillwell be surrounded by a full American Army HQ and that these soldiers eat American rations (causing a huge logistical nightmare). Contrast this with Admiral Miles who commanded the US Marines assigned to train Chinese resistance. The Marines ate local rations and cooperated with local leaders rather than insisting that America lead the way. I find this significant that during the war Stillwell favoured Mao and the Communists over the forces of Chiang.
The Allied commander Gen Daniel Sultan, succeeded by Gen Stilwell of India-Burma campaign, expressing why the US was fighting in the India-Burma-China region! A Signal Corp restord documentary, '45 ..
That documentary should be titled, "How to upset the British in one easy lesson.". It is however a great bit of propaganda. If the US had not felt that the keeping the Chinese in the war was important then they would not have supplied the air transport resources which the British need so badly. So maybe we Brits should be thankful the US got it so wrong regarding China and the Chinese contribution to the war against Japan.
Well, as per the British Information Service, here is the Most notable and deadliest part of the WW2 .... , ie., The Burma Front, who gonna ignore it, ignoring the fiercest battle on a tough of the toughest terrain against the jungle trained superior Japs 15th Army, led by Mutaguchi. http://www.ourstory.info/library/4-ww2/VB/Burma.html Thermopylae of the East, when you recall the Battle of Tennis Court on Garrison Hill.
