Landis for combat training on the banks of the Irrawaddy River ten miles north of Myitkyina. NCAC created the 3,100-man unit on 5 August 1944 at Myitkyina and relocated it to nearby Camp Robert W. The remainder, still fit, became the core for the newly activated 475th Infantry Regiment (Long Range Penetration, Special). Even so, by the time the city fell in early August, the Marauders (old and new GALAHAD) were combat-ineffective. The new arrivals quickly became combat veterans as the Allied noose was tightened around Myitkyina.
But, they kept an American presence on the battlefield. Replacements, often poorly trained for the mission, were derisively dubbed “New GALAHAD” by the dwindling veterans, even as they changed the image of the Marauders. One of the great military engineering projects, the Ledo Road bypassed the Japanese controlled part of the Burma Road, to permit the delivery of supplies to besieged China. To keep the bulk of the Japanese Army fixed, the Nationalist Chinese Army had to have desperately needed supplies to constitute a viable threat. Secondly, the Allies wanted to keep the bulk of the Japanese ground forces engaged in mainland Asia because the main advance against Tokyo was across the Pacific islands. Otherwise, all supplies into China had to arrive by air. NCAC had to clear the area so that it could build a bypass-the Ledo Road-from Ledo, India to the portion of the Burma Road not controlled by the Japanese. Burma was one of the most difficult geographical environments in WWII and a lack of resources plagued operations. These were nominally under American control. In north Burma, the U.S.-led Northern Combat Area Command (NCAC) had a small force of mostly Chinese troops. The British were in charge of operations in the country because it was their former colony. But, why were Long Range Penetration Groups (LRPG) needed in Burma? A Unique Missionįrom the outset, Burma presented a challenge for the United States Army.
This article “introduces” that unit to Veritas readers with a brief overview of its organizational structure, subordinate units, and campaign history.
However, another Army special operations legacy unit, the 5332nd Brigade (Provisional), known as the MARS Task Force, has not. Two of these units, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Detachment 101 and the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), more commonly known as Merrill’s Marauders, have received considerable recognition for their accomplishments. ground combat forces slated for Burma were uniquely organized and specifically mission-oriented. Because of the difficult operating environment all U.S. The several special operations legacy units that served there provided lessons that remain current. However, the Theater-especially operations in Burma-is still very relevant for ARSOF. The China-Burma-India Theater (CBI) is almost forgotten in WWII history.
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