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    Merrill’s Marauders February - May 1944 [Illustrated Edition]
    Merrill’s Marauders February - May 1944 [Illustrated Edition]
    Merrill’s Marauders February - May 1944 [Illustrated Edition]
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    Merrill’s Marauders February - May 1944 [Illustrated Edition]

    By Anon Anon

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    Includes 27 Maps, 2 Sketches and 23 Photos
    THE 5307th COMPOSITE UNIT (Provisional) of the Army of the United States was organized and trained for long-range penetration behind enemy lines in Japanese-held Burma. Commanded by Brig. Gen. (now Maj. Gen.) Frank D. Merrill, its 2,997 officers and men became popularly known as "Merrill’s Marauders." From February to May, 1944 the operations of the Marauders were closely coordinated with those of the Chinese 22d and 38th Divisions in a drive to recover northern Burma and clear the way for the construction of the Ledo Road, which was to link the Indian railhead at Ledo with the old Burma Road to China. The Marauders were foot soldiers who marched and fought through jungles and over mountains from the Hukawng Valley in northwestern Burma to Myitkyina on the Irrawaddy River. In 5 major and 30 minor engagements they met and defeated the veteran soldiers of the Japanese 18th Division. Operating in the rear of the main forces of the Japanese, they prepared the way for the southward advance of the Chinese by disorganizing supply lines and communications. The climax of the Marauders’ operations was the capture of the Myitkyina airfield, the only all-weather strip in northern Burma. This was the final victory of the 5307th Composite Unit, which was disbanded in August, 1944.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherVerdun Press
    Release dateAug 15, 2014
    ISBN9781782894506
    Merrill’s Marauders February - May 1944 [Illustrated Edition]

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      Book preview

      Merrill’s Marauders February - May 1944 [Illustrated Edition] - Anon Anon

       This edition is published by PICKLE PARTNERS PUBLISHING—www.picklepartnerspublishing.com

      To join our mailing list for new titles or for issues with our books – picklepublishing@gmail.com

      Or on Facebook

      Text originally published in 1945 under the same title.

      © Pickle Partners Publishing 2013, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

      Publisher’s Note

      Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

      We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

      AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION

      MERRILL'S MARAUDERS FEBRUARY - MAY 1944

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Contents

      TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

      Maps 5

      Sketches 5

      Illustrations 5

      Foreword 7

      CHAPTER I — INTRODUCTION 8

      The War in Burma, January, 1942 - March, 1943 8

      From Defense to Offense 11

      Origin and Training of the American Force 13

      Area of Operations 17

      Supply 21

      Evacuation of Casualties 23

      Communications 23

      CHAPTER II — FIRST MISSION: WALAWBUM 25

      On the Move 25

      Kamaing Road Block 26

      Japanese Withdrawal 29

      Mission Accomplished 31

      CHAPTER III — SECOND MISSION: SHADUZUP AND INKANGAHTAWNG 33

      On the Move to Shaduzup 35

      Into Position 38

      The 1st Battalion is Relieved 40

      On the Move to Inkangahtawng 41

      Inkangahtawng Block 43

      The Japanese Strike Toward the Tanai Valley 45

      Nhpum Ga 49

      Beginning of the Siege 52

      The 3d Battalion Increases its Effort 55

      The Relief Force Wins Through 58

      CHAPTER III —THIRD MISSION: MYITKYINA 62

      The Force and the Mission 63

      From the Tanai to the Hpungin Valley 65

      Ritpong 67

      Diversion at Tingkrukawng 68

      H Force's Attack on Myitkyina Air Strip 70

      Reinforcements for H Force 71

      Preliminary Assault on Myitkyina 72

      Checkmate 73

      ANNEX NO. 1: CASUALTIES 77

      ANNEX NO. 2: DECORATIONS 78

      DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS 78

      LEGION OF MERIT 78

      SILVER STAR 78

      SOLDIER'S MEDAL 79

      OAK LEAF CLUSTER TO SILVER STAR 80

      Illustrations 81

      REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 104

      Maps

      1—Japan's Advance to the Southwest

      2—Japanese Conquest of Burma

      3—Situation in Burma, February 1944

      4—Burma Relief and Drainage

      5—North Burma-Area of Operations

      6—First Mission

      7—Road Block at Walawbum

      8—Attack on I and R Platoon

      9—Completion of Walawbum Operation

      10—Plan for Second Mission

      11—Shaduzup

      12—Approach to Inkangahtawng

      13—Inkangahtawng

      14—Withdrawal from Inkangahtawng

      15—Establishment of Nhpum Ga Perimeter

      16—Second and Third Days at Nhpum Ga

      17—Isolation of Force at Nhpum Ga

      18—First Attempts to Open the Trail

      19—Progress Toward Nhpum Ga

      20—End of Siege at Nhpum Ga

      21—Situation Around Myitkyina

      22—Routes to Myitkyina

      23—Attack at Ritpong

      24—Tingkrukawng Engagement

      25—Arrival of Forces at Myitkyina

      26—Positions of Troops near Myitkyina

      27—From the Hukawng Valley to Myitkyina

      Sketches

      1—Japanese S-shaped Machine-gun Formation

      2—Nhpum Ga Perimeter

      Illustrations

      Brig. Gen. Frank D. Merrill

      Col. Charles N. Hunter

      Deogarh Training Camp

      Ten Miles a Day

      At the Halfway Mark on the Ledo Road

      Supply Drops

      Marauders Clear the Drop Field

      L-4's Evacuated Wounded From Forward Strips

      An Ambulance Plane

      Entering the Jungle Trail

      A Village Basha

      Walawbum

      Troops of the Chinese 38th Division

      Kachin Guides

      A Seagrave Hospital Unit

      Native Bridge Across the Tanai River

      A `Borrowed" Elephant Equipped With a Native Rack

      One of the Marauders' Two 77-mm Howitzers

      An Orange Combat Team Mortar Crew

      Japanese Light Machine Gun

      K Force Men

      Starting Across the Kumon Range

      The Myitkyina Air Strip

      Insignia

      Foreword

      In the thick of battle, the soldier is busy doing his job. He has the knowledge and confidence that his Job is part of a unified plan to defeat the enemy, but he does not have time to survey a campaign from a fox hole. If he should be wounded and removed behind the lines, he may have even less opportunity to learn what place he and his unit had in the larger fight.

      AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION is a series prepared by the War Department especially for the information of wounded men. It will show these soldiers, who have served their country so well, the part they and their comrades played in achievements which do honor to the record of the United States Army.

      s/G. C. Marshall

      G. C. MARSHALL

      Chief of Staff

      WAR DEPARTMENT

      Military Intelligence Division

      Washington 25, D. C.

      4 June 1945

      Merrill's Marauders is an account of the operations of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) in north Burma from February to May, 1944. The Marauders' effort was part of a coordinated offensive, the Allied reconquest of north Burma. Details of the offensive are summarized briefly to set the operations of the 5307th within the larger framework. On 10 August 1944 the 5307th was reorganized as the 475th Infantry Regiment.

      The combat narrative is based mainly on interviews conducted by the historian of the 5307th after the operation and on information furnished the Historical Branch, G-2, War Department, by the Commanding General and several members of the unit. Few records were available because the Marauders restricted their files in order to maintain mobility while they were operating behind the Japanese lines. During the second mission a Japanese artillery shell scored a direct hit on the mule carrying the limited quantity of records and maps kept by the unit headquarters. During the third mission the heavy rains made preservation of papers impossible for more than a day or two. The unit's intelligence officer was killed at Myitkyina, and his records were washed away before they could be located.

      This study is the fifth of a series called American Forces in Action, designed exclusively for military personnel. No part of the narrative may be republished without the consent of the A. C. of S., G-2, War Department, Washington 25, D. C.

      The manuscript was submitted by the Historical Section of the India-Burma Theater. One photograph is by Acme Newspictures, Inc. (page 25); three are by Capt. Logan E. Weston (pages 35, 63, 85); two aerials are by the U. S. Army Air Forces (pages 38; 104); all others are by the U. S. Army Signal Corps. Readers are urged to send directly to the Historical Branch, G-2, War Department, Washington 25, D. C., comments, criticisms and additional information which may be of value in the preparation of a complete and definitive history of the operations of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional).

      CHAPTER I — INTRODUCTION

      THE 5307th COMPOSITE UNIT (Provisional) of the Army of the United States was organized and trained for long-range penetration behind enemy lines in Japanese-held Burma. Commanded by Brig. Gen. (now Maj. Gen.) Frank D. Merrill, its 2,997 officers and men became popularly known as Merrill's Marauders. From February to May, 1944 the operations of the Marauders were closely coordinated with those of the Chinese 22d and 38th Divisions in a drive to recover northern Burma and clear the way for the construction of the Ledo Road, which was to link the Indian railhead at Ledo with the old Burma Road to China. The Marauders were foot soldiers who marched and fought through jungles and over mountains from the Hukawng Valley in northwestern Burma to Myitkyina on the Irrawaddy River. In 5 major and 30 minor engagements they met and defeated the veteran soldiers of the Japanese 18th Division. Operating in the rear of the main forces of the Japanese, they prepared the way for the southward advance of the Chinese by disorganizing supply lines and communications. The climax of the Marauders' operations was the capture of the Myitkyina airfield, the only all-weather strip in northern Burma. This was the final victory of the 5307th Composite Unit, which was disbanded in August, 1944.

      The War in Burma, January, 1942 - March, 1943

      Burma had been conquered by the Japanese 2 years before the Marauders' operations (Map No. 1, opposite). During the 6 months between December, 1941 and May, 1942 the enemy had overrun the, Philippines, much of Oceania, all of the Netherlands East Indies, all of the Malay Peninsula, and almost all of Burma. In the Pacific Ocean his advance threatened communications between the United States and Australasia. On the Asiatic mainland his occupation of Burma menaced India, provided a bulwark against counterattack from the west, cut the last land route for supply of China, and added Burma's raw materials to the resources of an empire already rich.

      Figure 1 - Map 1.

      For the conquest of Burma the Japanese had concentrated two divisions in southern Thailand (Map No. 2, page 4). In mid-January, 1942 they struck toward Moulmein, which fell on the 30th. British, Indian, and Burmese forces, aided by the Royal Air Force and the American Volunteer Group, resisted the Salween and Sittang

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