Burma Victory, 1944-1945

General Stilwell''s ad hoc force of Merrill''s Marauders, American-trained Chinese divisions, Kachin guerrillas and General Wingate''s Chindits conducted a northern Burmese offensive that led to the coup de main seizure of Myitkyina''s airfield in May 1944. In August 1944, after a protracted siege, Myitkyina town on the Irrawaddy River fell to the Allies. At the same time elements of General Slim''s 14th Army were mounting a defence of northeastern India at Imphal and Kohima against Imperial Japan''s 15th Army; Operation U-Go, led by General Mutaguchi, from March to July 1944. Thereafter, the Allies began two major campaigns. First, the northern Burmese Sino-American offensive re-opened the land supply route to China via a newly-built Burma Road, which replaced the American Air Transport Command''s ''Hump'' airlift that had kept Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek''s Chinese forces supplied. The second offensive was by General Bill Slim''s multi-national British 14th Army under, which advanced south-east through the Arakan. The ''Forgotten Army'' eventually re-occupied Mandalay and Rangoon. These legendary campaigns are superbly described in words and images in this fine addition to the Images of War series.