JOURNEYS IN TIME 3

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AGAIN, THE BRITISH BEAT A HASTY RETREAT WITHOUT INFORMING THEIR ALLIES. THEY SLYLY USED THE CHINESE AS A COVER TO SAVE THEIR OWN SKINS.

NOTHING BRAVE AND HONORABLE IN THIS COWARDLY ACT. THIS LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DISASTROUS CHINESE RETREAT BACK TO CHINA.

LOOKING AT THE OLD MAN IN THE PICTURE, YOU WON’T KNOW THAT HE IS A BATTLE HARDENED VETERAN WHO LITERALLY HAD BEEN “TO HELL AND BACK!”

Journeys in Time 2010-08-17 The Chinese Expeditionary Force (3)- Ordeal on Savage Mountain

http://english.cntv.cn/program/journeysintime/20100817/103631.shtml

Intro:

Today, we’re continuing our series about the Chinese Expeditionary Force that fought in the Burma Campaign during World War Two. On May the 26th, 1942, British forces in Burma, without informing their Chinese allies, conducted a successful retreat across the border into India.

Thus the whole of Burma fell into Japanese hands, including the key airfields at Myitkyina, near the Chinese border. The Chinese forces, realizing that, without British support, they faced certain defeat, also decided to retreat.

However, Chiang Kai-shek had ordered them not to enter India, for fear that they might come under the control of the British army. So, General Du Yuming was forced to lead his men on a detour across the north of Burma. Disastrously, his blind obedience to Chiang’s orders, would contribute to the loss of over 50,000 Chinese lives in the Burma campaign.

The climate on Savage Mountain is dominated by seasonal monsoons. With nothing to eat, thousands of soldiers starved to death. Malaria, dengue fever, and diarrhea also took a terrible toll on the Chinese army.

General Dai Anlan, commander of the 200th Division, was a brave and tenacious fighter, who had performed heroically during the Battle of Toungoo. Sadly, during the fighting to break the Japanese encirclement of Savage Mountain, Dai Anlan was seriously wounded. He later died of his wounds, far from home in the Burmese jungle.

Outro:

And so, Sun Liren and his division retreated into India, where they were placed under the command of the American General Joseph Stilwell. However, the elements of the Chinese Expeditionary Force that had followed Du Yuming through northern Burma had been decimated on Savage Mountain.

Ever since March 1942, when they’d first entered Burma, the Chinese Expeditionary Force had been involved in constant, fierce fighting with the Japanese. Despite the heavy casualties they had suffered, particularly in the Savage Mountain valley, they had dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese and provided cover for the British withdrawal.

In the next edition of our programme, we’ll hear about how the Chinese force recuperated and  reorganized at Ramgarh.