TIME RUNS OUT IN CBI. By Charles F. Romanus and Riley Sunderland. (1959, 1985; 428 pages, 7 tables, 5 charts, 15 maps, 76 illustrations, bibliographical note, glossary, index, CMH Pub 9-3.)
Time Runs Out in CBI is a history of the two U.S. theaters into which China-Burma-India was split when Stilwell was recalled, one (India-Burma) commanded by Lt. Gen. Daniel I. Sultan, the other (China) by Lt. Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer. This volume continues and completes the story of the north Burma campaign, recounts the operations of Chinese-American forces along the Salween River, and describes the logistical efforts of General Sultan's command.
The story of General Wedemeyer's attempt to provide the Chinese with an army that they could support and also powerful enough to guarantee China's freedom is the core of this book. By the end of July 1945 Wedemeyer had given thirteen weeks' training to eleven Chinese Nationalist divisions and had started twenty-two more on their first training cycle. To this total, five battle-tested divisions fresh from the Burma campaign could be added. The beginnings of a Chinese Services of Supply to support these 30-odd divisions were at hand, and service schools were functioning. But before this force could advance to the coast, Japan surrendered and time ran out in CBI. The book ends with the Japanese surrender.
Key topics:
1. Strategy (planning) (I, Chs. II, V, VII-X; II, Chs. I, II, X; III, Part
II).
2. Lend-lease (see indexes of all three volumes).
3. Conducting a theater SOS (I, Chs. II, VI; II, Chs. III, VII; III, Ch.
I, and Part II).
4. U.S. policy toward China (I, Chs. I, II, V, IX; II, Ch. II, and Part
III; III, Chs. I, XI).
5. Line of communications problems (I, Chs. VI, VIII, IX; II, Ch. VII;
III, Chs. VII, X, XI).
6. Command problems-Allied (I, Chs. III, IV, VIII, IX; II, Chs. II, V,
VI11, X, XII; III, Chs. I, V, VIII).
7. Volunteer air forces (I, Chs. I-IV).
8. Local procurement by an SOS directed to "live off the land"
(I, Ch. VI; II, Ch. VII; III, Part II).
9. Organizing a theater of operations (I, Chs. II, III, V, X; III, Ch.
I).
10. Stilwell's programs for China (I, Chs. III, IV, V, VII, IX, X; II,
Chs. I, II).
11. Wedemeyer's programs for China (III, Part II).
12. Stilwell's exercise of command and diplomatic functions (I and II);
Wedemeyer's exercise (III, Part II).
13. Campaigning in Burma (see indexes of all three volumes).
14. Chinese training centers (see indexes of all three volumes).
15. Engineering problems (see index entries in all three volumes on roads,
airfields, and construction).
16. Airlift to China and supply by air in Burma (see indexes to all three
volumes).
17. Strategic air operations based on India and China (see indexes to all
three volumes).