Before the Monsoon

In the jungles and mountains of north Burma an obscure and confusing military picture suddenly came clear for all to see. Like the arcs of a circle (see map), three different forces drew around the strategic village of Myitkyina (rhymes with hitch-in-ah) while a fourth came out from China.

Capture of the Japanese base of Myitkyina would be the first step toward the climax of a daring, unorthodox military operation. Next step was to complete the all-weather Ledo supply road from India to China. It might not be done for several months, for at week's end the monsoon had begun. But for the first time it looked like more than a gleam in the eye of stubborn, brilliant Lieut. General Joseph W. Stilwell.

The Arcs. Four months ago "Vinegar Joe" started out from Ledo in India on the first lap of the campaign that few thought would succeed. He had about two divisions of American-trained Chinese and a group of American and Chinese guerrilla fighters led by Brigadier General Frank Merrill. As Stilwell fought his way southeast through rugged country and equally rugged Japanese, engineers followed close behind, building a macadam highway.

Also under Stilwell's command was the column of Katchin levies and Gurkhas moving down from the top of north Burma upon Myitkyina.

In still a third related operation, the Chindits* --specially trained British and Indian jungle fighters--were set down south of Myitkyina by U.S. gliders and planes in one of the most hair-raising airborne operations of the war (TIME, April 10). First under Major General Orde Charles Wingate, then, after his death, under Major General Walter D. A. Lentaigne, their job was to harass Japanese communications.

Almost on the eve of the monsoon the Chinese struck from the Salween. In Yunnan 20,000 picked troops and the Americans of Stilwell's Y (for Yunnan) force lunged from the Burma Road westward against Japanese lines. Their drive met strong Japanese resistance, was still 80 airline miles from Myitkyina.

Merrill's Epic. Stilwell's main force, by this time about 50 miles northwest of Myitkyina, had an ace up its sleeve. A group of Merrill's Marauders were on the move. In a 23-day mountain march that was one of the epic infantry advances of the war they slid through Japanese lines in three columns, emerged north, south and west of Myitkyina.

The southern column captured the major airfield two miles south of the ene my base. While bearded, dirty shock troops cleared the field of obstacles, the code "cafeteria lunch" flashed to Mer rill's headquarters. By the time the field was cleared, the first gliders and transport planes arrived with fresh Chinese troops, piled in reinforcements to carry the battle northward through Myitkyina's back door.

Japanese troops, sucked westward to face Stilwell's main force, were cut off from behind by a block on the Myitkyina-Mogaung road.

Caught in the pocket were the remnants of two Japanese divisions and some auxiliary units commanded by Lieut. General Kenya Mataguchi, captor of Singapore.

Mataguchi was commander of the Japanese legation guard at Peiping when Stilwell was U.S. military attache there. Joe Stilwell pressed hard on him now, hoped he would not slip out. Even if he did, Vinegar Joe had scored a real victory.

Myitkyina's airfield was a valuable prize.

The air-supply route to China may soon be using it, avoiding the 20,000-ft.-high "oxygen run" across the Hump and stepping up the deliveries to Major General Claire L. Chennault's Fourteenth Air Force and the Chinese armies. To this airfield, too, reinforcements for Stilwell can be fer ried even during the monsoon.

Jap Washout. In the central and northern theaters it was now evident that the Japanese had not only been outfought in the jungle but outguessed in strategy.

Their major offensive against India's Manipur state had been dangerous, and it had failed. They had been unable to capture the supply depots of Imphal and Kohima, they had been unable to cut the Bengal-Assam railway. Their offensive had fallen back before strong British counterattacks, would probably be washed out completely by the coming rains.

Prophecy. In every way it was a personal triumph for homely, Chinese-speaking Joe Stilwell. He had started off without much encouragement from anybody.

He had proved that the Japanese could be defeated in the Burma jungle. Just two years ago this month Stilwell led a little column of defeated men & women out of Burma. Then he had made this prophecy : "The Japanese are not supermen. If we go back properly proportioned and properly equipped we can throw them out." The prophecy had begun to come true.

* Not to be confused with Chetniks (see FOREIGN NEWS).

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