XPost: alt.history.what-if, sci.military.naval, soc.veterans   
   From: keithwillshaw@gmail.com   
      
   On 12/06/2020 20:59, Byker wrote:   
      
   > As for Stilwell, his caustic personality rubbed a lot of people the wrong   
   > way, but just as long as the end justified the means, Army brass tended to   
   > deal with it with a wink and a nudge.   
   >   
   >   
      
   The biggest problem with Stilwell was that he didnt look after his   
   troops. Crack units such as Merrils Marauders and the Chindits were not   
   only kept in action too long but they were undersupplied. Worse units   
   trained and equipped as light infantry were pressed into use in battles   
   they were neither trained nor equipped for.   
      
   At Nhpum Ga, where Merrils Marauders were pressed into use as a blocking   
   force against a Japanese offensive without the heavy weapons needed the   
   Marauders killed 400 Japanese soldiers but had 57 killed in action, 302   
   wounded, and 379 incapacitated due to illness and exhaustion. Of the   
   unit's 200 mules, 75 were killed by artillery and mortar fire.   
      
   The unit was essentially destroyed in the end with only 130 combat ready   
   troops out of the 3000 it had started with and only 2 of those men had   
   not been wounded or been hospitalised by dysentry   
      
   In the case of the Chindits he ordered them to launch an attack on well   
   defended positions at Mogaung despite having no artillery, tank support   
   , few mortars and indequate supplies. Against the odds they succeeded   
   but suffered 50 percent casualties and to make matters worse Stilwell   
   went on the radio and claimed it as a victory for Chinese troops under   
   his command.   
      
   When Bill Slim, who was famous for his concern for his troops (who   
   called him Uncle Bill) met with Stillwell and informed him that his men   
   were exhausted and should  be withdrawn Stilwell retorted that they were   
   simply yellow. He actually threatened the Chindit commander with a court   
   martial for refusing to obey orders and cowardice.   
      
   The contrast between Stilwell and Slim could not be more stark. Just   
   before the 1945 Burma offensive Slim made a tour of the units involved   
   and dressed as a private soldier carrying a Lee Enfield rifle explained   
   what the plan was and made a great impression. The force was properly   
   supplied and equipped with an efficient medevac system and was   
   adequately supplied from the air. This was perhaps the most polyglot   
   army in history consisting of 2 British Divisons, 7 Indian, 3 from West   
   African,  6 Chinese divisions, 2 regiments from the U.S. Army and   
   various tribal militias made up of Shan, Chin, Naga, Kachin and Karen   
   peoples raised by the OSS and the SOE.  The author George McDomald   
   Fraser who served with the Border regiment described it as all the wild   
   hill tribes of the British Empire gathered together, pointed at the   
   Japanese army and let loose.   
      
   The result was the destruction of the Japanese armies who suffered   
   72,000 batle casualties and another 80,000 from starvation and disease.   
      
   Stilwell became regarded by both the Chinese and British as an   
   incompetent loud mouthed bully and was replaced. His replacement,   
   General Wedemeyer was appalled to find none of Stilwell's staff had any   
   real knowledge of the strategic or tactical situation as Stilwell kept   
   it to himself. Worse Stilwell would not brief him on the situation nor   
   hand over any documents or plans.   
      
   Stilwell was effectively relegated to admin duties in the USA before   
   being given command of 10th Army AFTER the battle of Okinawa and it was   
   disbanded a few months later.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)