The Strategic Imperative: Why Burma Mattered

When darkness fell on March 6, 1942, General Wei Lihuang stood by his window in deep contemplation. The telephone’s shrill ring interrupted his thoughts – it was Chiang Kai-shek himself, ordering Wei to lead the Chinese Expeditionary Force into Burma to confront Japanese forces threatening Yunnan’s borders. This moment marked China’s entry into one of World War II’s most challenging yet least remembered campaigns.

Burma had become the strategic linchpin of Asia by 1942. Following Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces had swept through Southeast Asia with terrifying speed, capturing the Philippines, Malaya, and Singapore. Yet Burma remained unconquered – for now. Both Allied and Axis powers recognized its critical importance. For Britain, Burma served as India’s eastern bulwark. Winston Churchill bluntly stated in a February 16 telegram to Burma’s governor: “Burma and communications with China form the most important feature in the whole (Eastern) theater.”

For China, the stakes were existential. With coastal areas occupied, the Burma Road had become China’s last overland lifeline for international aid. The heroic construction of this 547.8-kilometer highway through impossible terrain by Yunnan’s ethnic minorities in 1937-38 stood as a testament to Chinese resilience. U.S. General Joseph Stilwell warned that losing Burma meant losing this crucial supply route, allowing Japan to complete its encirclement of China.

Japan saw Burma as the southwestern shield of its “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.” Control would enable strikes into India, linkup with German forces in the Middle East, and domination of the Indian Ocean. As Japanese strategists noted, Burma was “an area requiring special attention” both for cutting Chinese supply routes and defending their western flank.

Baptism by Fire: The First Expedition’s Trials

China’s initial expedition in early 1942 proved disastrous. Despite heroic stands like the 12-day defense of Toungoo by the 200th Division (which inflicted 5,000 Japanese casualties), coordination between Chinese, British and American forces collapsed. British forces abandoned Rangoon on March 8 without informing their Chinese allies, while General Stilwell’s abrasive leadership style created tensions.

The campaign’s one bright spot came at Yenangyaung in April, when Sun Li-jen’s New 38th Division rescued 7,000 encircled British troops along with 500 missionaries and journalists. With just 1,000 men, Sun’s force defeated a much larger Japanese contingent, earning British admiration. The London Gazette would later marvel at this “rare achievement” of rescuing a force ten times their size.

By May, the situation deteriorated. Japanese reinforcements overwhelmed Allied positions, forcing a harrowing retreat. The 200th Division’s commander, Dai Anlan, fell mortally wounded during withdrawal. Survivors described nightmarish conditions: “Continuous rainstorms, flash floods… soldiers sick and starving, medicines exhausted.” The 22nd Division alone lost 2,000 men to hunger and disease. Of 100,000 troops deployed, only 40,000 returned.

Reorganization and Redemption: The Second Campaign

After this humiliating defeat, China rebuilt its forces. By late 1943, the Chinese Army in India (CAI) under General Sun Li-jen had retrained with American equipment at Ramgarh. Meanwhile, General Wei Lihuang took command of the Yunnan-based Chinese Expeditionary Force, moving his headquarters closer to the front at Mayutang.

The renewed offensive began in October 1943. In the Hukawng Valley, Chinese troops overcame what British observers called “impassable terrain,” defeating Japan’s elite 18th Division at Maingkwan by March 1944. The New 22nd Division’s commander Liao Yaoxiang employed innovative tank-infantry tactics, while Sun’s New 38th Division executed brilliant flanking maneuvers.

The siege of Myitkyina (May-August 1944) proved especially grueling. Stilwell cycled through three commanders before finally capturing the city on August 3. As one soldier recalled: “We fought through waist-deep mud, malaria, and fanatical resistance.” The victory came at terrible cost – 5,100 casualties – but secured an airbase that shortened the perilous “Hump” air route.

The Yunnan Offensive: Breaking Japan’s Defenses

While the CAI advanced from India, Wei’s Expeditionary Force launched its own offensive across the Salween River on May 11, 1944. The crossing itself was a masterpiece – 20,000 troops traversing 12 points along the 150km front undetected.

The campaign’s brutality became evident at Songshan, where Japanese defenders had constructed a fortress-like position. The Chinese 8th Army suffered 6,000 casualties in 64 days of fighting before resorting to an ancient tactic – tunneling beneath the strongpoint and detonating 10 tons of TNT on September 8, obliterating the garrison.

At Tengchong, another Japanese stronghold, the 20th Army Group fought street by street from August 2 until September 14. U.S. bombers created 13 breaches in the ancient walls, but Japanese troops fought to the death. Their final radio message read: “We have burned the regimental colors and destroyed the codebooks.” Only 260 Japanese surrendered from the original 3,000-man garrison.

The longest battle raged at Longling from June through November. Four major assaults failed before the 71st Army finally prevailed on November 6. One participant described the fighting: “For six days and nights at Old Slope, we traded 800 casualties for 400 Japanese dead. At South Gate, our men fought until the last man fell.”

Triumph and Legacy: The Road Reopens

By January 1945, Chinese forces had cleared Yunnan and linked with the CAI at Mongyu on January 28. The victory came at staggering cost – 67,000 Chinese casualties – but achieved its strategic aims. The first convoy from India reached Kunming on February 4, 1945, symbolizing the restored land route.

The campaign’s significance extended beyond logistics. As Time magazine noted in its profile of General Wei, it marked China’s transition from defender to victor. The New York Times called it “a new phase in continental counteroffensive,” while British observers marveled at Chinese troops’ endurance and courage.

Perhaps the most poignant tribute came from the people of Yunnan. As General Wei acknowledged: “Half our victory belongs to the soldiers, half to the local people.” From the mule caravans of Lujiang’s chieftain (who delivered 30,000 loads of grain) to the ruined homes of Tengchong’s civilians, ordinary Chinese paid dearly for this forgotten victory.

In the annals of World War II, the Burma-Yunnan campaign stands as testament to Chinese resilience and sacrifice – a hard-won triumph that helped turn the tide against Japan while restoring China’s military pride on the world stage.