Northern Combat Area Command facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern Combat Area Command |
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US equipped Chinese Army marching in Ramgarh, India
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| Active | 1942–1945 |
| Country |  Republic of China United States |
| Branch |  National Revolutionary Army United States Army |
| Type | Regional Command |
| Nickname(s) | "NCAC" |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell Daniel Sultan Sun Li-jen |
The Northern Combat Area Command (NCAC) was a special military group during World War II. It was part of the larger Allied South East Asia Command (SEAC). NCAC was in charge of ground battles in northern Burma.
For most of its time, a US Army General named Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell led NCAC. He was also in charge of other important military roles. In 1945, General Stilwell was called back home. His second-in-command, Lieutenant General Daniel Sultan, then took over. Most of the soldiers in NCAC were from the Chinese Nationalist Army.
At first, NCAC was supposed to work under the British 11th Army Group. But General Stilwell wanted to report directly to Lord Louis Mountbatten. Lord Mountbatten was the top commander of SEAC.
Contents
What Was NCAC Made Of?
In 1942, the Northern Combat Area Command was created in Ramgarh Cantonment, India. It was formed from Chinese units called X Force. These units, like the 22nd and 38th Divisions, had to leave Burma after the Japanese took over.
Once in India, X Force got more soldiers and became the New 1st Army. This was a very large group of soldiers. The British government paid to give them new equipment. US Army teachers also trained them.
Special Forces and Key Roads
For the fighting season in early 1944, NCAC got help from Merrill's Marauders. This was a special US Army group. They were trained for quick, surprise attacks behind enemy lines.
During 1944, NCAC pushed the Japanese 18th Division out of northern Burma. US Army engineers, with help from Indian workers, built the Ledo Road. This road connected to the northern part of the Burma Road. It helped open up supply routes between India and China again. Later in 1944, the British 36th Infantry Division also joined NCAC.
In 1945, under General Sultan, NCAC helped retake the rest of Burma. By then, the Chinese New 6th Army was also part of NCAC.
Battles and Challenges
The main fighting force of NCAC was its Chinese divisions. When British and Chinese forces had to leave Burma in 1942, some Chinese soldiers went to India instead of China. These soldiers formed the start of NCAC.
Sometimes, British and American leaders in India found it hard to work with their Chinese allies. The Chinese leader, Chiang Kai-shek, often changed his mind. Also, the Chinese soldiers sometimes lacked enough training. This meant they did not always fight as well as they could.
However, the Chinese soldiers in NCAC were much better than other Chinese forces. They had more American equipment and training. Also, the Chinese leadership had less control over them. This meant the four Chinese divisions in NCAC could be trusted more in battle.
General Stilwell's Leadership
NCAC's first commander, General Stilwell, was a very strong-willed person. He had many jobs at once. He was Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek in China. He also took on a role in Burma.
The US Army created the China Burma India Theater (CBI Theater). General Stilwell was put in charge of it. CBI Theater was mostly for managing US military groups. But Stilwell often talked directly to top US military leaders about battle plans. These talks were supposed to go through Admiral Lord Mountbatten.
General Stilwell also wanted direct control of NCAC. This caused problems with General George Giffard, who led the British 11th Army Group. The plan was for Stilwell's command to be under Giffard. This would help coordinate attacks.
But Stilwell did not want to be under Giffard. He had many roles and used them to resist. At one meeting, Stilwell surprised everyone. He said he would only work under General William Slim (who led the British Fourteenth Army) until they reached a certain town.
Lord Mountbatten agreed, even though it was a risky choice. This made the command structure very complex. General Slim had to report to two different commanders. But General Slim was a very skilled leader. He was able to work well with Stilwell. This "illogical command set-up worked surprisingly well."
It was important to have one main commander for all the attacks. This was to stop the Japanese from moving their soldiers to fight back against one front.
Challenges of Multiple Roles
General Stilwell had four different jobs. This meant he had to be in many places at once. For example, he needed to be in Chongqing, China, as Chief of Staff to Chiang. He also needed to be at SEAC headquarters in Kandy, Ceylon. And as NCAC commander, he needed to be near the front lines in Burma.
His personality also caused problems. Stilwell often argued with General Giffard. He refused to be under Giffard's command. This led to arguments and confusion.
NCAC's first few months were difficult. Their first big success came in the 1943-44 fighting season. The Chindits were British special forces. They were dropped behind enemy lines to cut off Japanese supplies. They did this well. Later, they were sent north into NCAC's area.
The Battle for Myitkyina
NCAC's main goal was to capture the town of Myitkyina. This was important for connecting the Ledo Road to the Burma Road. This would open land routes to China again.
During the attack, NCAC's intelligence staff often guessed that the Japanese had fewer soldiers than they actually did. NCAC was having some success from the northwest. But Stilwell also wanted to use the Chindits.
However, he used them in a way they were not meant for. The Chindits were light raiding forces. They were not meant to fight like regular soldiers. They had little artillery support and were much smaller. But Stilwell made them fight like regular infantry.
He ordered them to capture Mogaung, south of Myitkyina. This town was strongly held by the Japanese. The Chindits captured it but suffered huge losses. Stilwell still asked for more from the Chindits and their commander, Brigadier Lentaigne.
The Chindits were reduced to a very small group. They helped in the final attack on Myitkyina. After that, they were flown back to India. They were a completely exhausted force. The American special forces, Merrill's Marauders, also faced similar tough missions. They were often asked to do tasks that were almost impossible.
After Myitkyina fell, only a small area of Japanese land separated NCAC from Chinese forces. As the 1944 monsoon season ended, NCAC started a new attack. They had been strengthened by the British 36th Infantry Division. This gave them much more power.
However, the Japanese 33rd Army under General Masaki Honda fought bravely. They held back the attacking forces for several months. The Japanese were greatly outnumbered. But events further south forced them to leave. They were in danger of being cut off from their supplies. The 36th Division helped the Fourteenth Army on its left side.
New Leaders for NCAC
In October 1944, General Stilwell was called back to the United States. This was because of disagreements with Chiang Kai-shek. President Roosevelt made this decision. His old job was split into different roles:
- Lieutenant General Raymond Wheeler became the second-in-command for SEAC.
- Major General Albert Wedemeyer became Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek. He also led US forces in China.
- Lieutenant General Daniel Isom Sultan was promoted. He became commander of US forces in India-Burma and commander of NCAC.
The new leaders were easier to work with. And because each focused on one area, there was less confusion.
In the last months of the war, NCAC's main job was to help the British attack further south. They also worked to improve the Burma Road. This allowed more supplies to reach China.
After the war, NCAC was quickly closed down. It had achieved its goals. But getting there involved many leadership challenges and missed chances.
The 5th Liaison Squadron (August 1944) was one of the United States Army Air Forces units that worked with NCAC.
See also
