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{{Short description|U.S. military designation during WWII for
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox military conflict
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== Burma ==
[[File:Brig Gen Merrill and Lt Gen Stilwell meet near Naubum Burma.jpg|thumb|Merrill and Stilwell meet near Naubum, Burma.]]
In 1941 and 1942, Japan was overextended. Its naval base could not defend its conquests, and its industrial base could not strengthen its navy. To cut off China from Allied aid, it went into Burma and captured [[Rangoon]] on 8 March 1942, cutting off the [[Burma Road]]. Moving north, the Japanese took Tounggoo and captured [[Lashio]] in northern Burma on 29 April. The British, primarily concerned with India, looked to Burma as the main theater of action against Japan and wanted Chinese troops to fight there.<ref name="Donovan Webster 2003">Donovan Webster, ''The Burma Road: The Epic Story of the China–Burma–India Theater in World War II'' (2003)</ref> The United States conjured up visions of millions of Chinese soldiers who would hold the Japanese then throw them back, while providing close-in airbases for a systematic firebombing of Japanese cities. Chinese Nationalist leader [[Chiang Kai-shek]] realized it was all fantasy. On the other hand, there were vast sums of American dollars available if he collaborated. He did so and managed to feed his starving soldiers, but they were so poorly equipped and led that offensive operations against the Japanese in China were impossible. However, Chiang did release [[Chinese_Expeditionary_Force]] of two Chinese armies for action in Burma under [[Joseph Stilwell|Stilwell]]. Due to conflicts between Chiang, the British, Stilwell, and American General [[Claire Chennault]], as well as general ill-preparedness against the more proficient Japanese army, the Burma defense collapsed. Stilwell escaped to India, but the recovery of Burma and construction of the Ledo Road to supply China became a new obsession for him.<ref>Tuchman, ''Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911–45'' (1971) ch. 12–14</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bernstein |first1=Richard |title=China 1945 : Mao's revolution and America's fateful choice |date=2014 |location=New York |isbn=9780307595881 |pages=39–44 |edition=First}}</ref>
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===U.S. and Allied land forces===
[[File:Chinese Sherman.jpg|thumb|left|Chinese M4A4 Sherman in the CBI Battlefield]]
US forces in the CBI were administered by General [[Joseph Stilwell|Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell]]. However, unlike other combat theaters, for example the [[European Theater of Operations]], the CBI was never a "[[theater of operations]]" and did not have an overall operational command structure. Initially U.S. land units were split. Those in China were technically commanded by [[Generalissimo]] [[Chiang Kai-shek]],{{sfn|Matloff|1990|page=442}} as Stillwell was Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander in China. When the GALAHAD force (later to become the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)) arrived in Bombay in October 1943, it came under the British-led [[South East Asia Command]] (SEAC) and Admiral [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|Lord Mountbatten]].<ref>{{Cite web |
When joint allied command was agreed upon, it was decided that the senior position should be held by a British officer because the British had the greatest number of forces in India and Burma (in much the same way as the US did in the [[Pacific War]]). Admiral Lord Mountbatten was appointed as the Supreme Allied Commander of South-East Asia forces in October 1943. Chiang however later objected to deferring to Mountbatten on matters related to operations in China.<ref>{{cite book |author=U.S. Department of State Bureau of Public Affairs Historical Office |date=1961 |title=Foreign relations of the United States diplomatic papers: The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran 1943 |url=https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DFRXSHIYSKS2S8Z |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=United States Government Printing Office}}</ref>
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At Eastern Air Command, Gen. Stratemeyer had a status comparable to that of Stilwell.<ref>[http://www.rafweb.org/Cmd_O3.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation: Overseas Commands – Iraq, India and the Far East] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080806113118/http://www.rafweb.org/Cmd_O3.htm |date=6 August 2008 }}</ref> Coordinating the efforts of the various allied air components while maintaining relations with diverse command structures proved a daunting task. Part of Stratemeyer's command, the Tenth Air Force, had been integrated with the [[RAF Third Tactical Air Force]] in India in December 1943 and was tasked with a number of roles in support of a variety of allied forces. Another component, the US [[Fourteenth Air Force]] in China, was under the jurisdiction of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek as China theater commander. Although the [[India-China Division]] of the AAF's [[Air Transport Command (United States Air Force)|Air Transport Command]] received its tonnage allocations from Stratemeyer as Stilwell's deputy, ICD reported directly to Headquarters ATC in Washington, D.C.
In the spring of 1944,
The B-29 force included the [[1st Photo Squadron (Detachment C)|1st Photo Squadron]], and the [[58th Bombardment Wing]] at [[Chakulia]], [[Kharagpur]], with the [[40th Bombardment Group|40th]] ([[Chakulia Airport]]), [[444th Bombardment Group|444th]], [[462d Bombardment Group|462nd]], and [[468th Bombardment Group]]s.
After a period of reshuffling, Eastern Air Command's air operations began to show results. In August 1944, Admiral Mountbatten noted in a press conference that EAC fighter missions had practically swept the Japanese air force from Burmese skies. Between the formation of SEAAC in November 1943, and the middle of August 1944, American and British forces operating in Burma destroyed or damaged more than 700 Japanese aircraft with a further 100 aircraft probably destroyed.<ref name="burmastar.org.uk">Mountbatten, Admiral Lord Louis, ''Address to the Press, August 1944'' http://www.burmastar.org.uk/aug44mountbatten.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929143719/http://www.burmastar.org.uk/aug44mountbatten.htm |date=29 September 2008 }}</ref> This achievement considerably reduced dangers to Air Transport Command cargo planes flying in support of [[the Hump]] airlift operation. By May 1944, EAC resupply missions in support of the Allied ground offensive had carried 70,000 tons of supplies and transported a total of 93,000 men, including 25,500 casualties evacuated from the battle areas. These figures did not include tonnage flown in the Hump airlift missions to China.<ref name="burmastar.org.uk"/>▼
While in India, XX BC was supported logistically by [[Tenth Air Force]] and the [[India-China Division, Air Transport Command]]. The B-29 groups moved to West Field, [[Tinian]], in early 1945.
▲After a period of reshuffling, Eastern Air Command's air operations began to show results. In August 1944, Admiral Mountbatten
==== USAAF Order of Battle ====
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** '''[[426th Night Fighter Squadron]]''': P-61) <br>1944 – 1945
** '''[[427th Night Fighter Squadron]]''': (P-61) <br>1944 – 1945
{{col-break}}
{{col-end}}
==Timeline==
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=== Sources ===
* {{citation |first=Maurice |last=Matloff |url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/sp1943-44/index.htm |title=Strategic planning for coalition warfare 1943–1944 |publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]] |year=1990 |lccn=53-61477 |orig-year=1959 |access-date=7 April 2024
* {{cite web |author=Office of the Chief of Military History |title=Order of Battle of the United States Army Ground Forces In World War II : Pacific Theater of Operations : administrative and logistical commands, armies, corps, and divisions
** China-Burma-India section replicated at https://cbi-theater.com/cbi-history/cbi_history.html
* {{citation |last=Slim |first=William |author-link=William Slim |year=1956 |title = Defeat into Victory |location=London |publisher=Cassell }} a first hand account by the British commander.
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