Key Facts
- Date range
- 18 March – 24 May 1942
- Chinese armies deployed
- Fifth, Sixth, and Sixty-sixth Armies
- Overall commander
- Lt. Gen. Joseph Stilwell
- Executive officer
- Lt. Gen. Luo Zhuoying
- First division to arrive
- 200th Division (5th Army) at Toungoo, 8 March 1942
Strategic Narrative Overview
Advanced elements of the 200th Division of the Fifth Army arrived at Toungoo on 8 March 1942, relieving British defenders. The Sixth Army moved toward the Burma–Thai border, with lead units reaching Mawchi, Mong Pan, and Mong Ton by mid-March. The Sixty-sixth Army deployed to Lashio and Mandalay as a strategic reserve. Despite coordinated deployment, Japanese forces outpaced Allied defensive efforts across multiple fronts throughout the campaign.
01 / The Origins
Japan's rapid advance through Southeast Asia in early 1942 threatened to sever the Burma Road, the critical overland supply route linking British Burma to Nationalist China. Britain, unable to hold Burma alone, appealed for Chinese military assistance. China committed the Chinese Expeditionary Force — three armies totaling multiple divisions — to support British forces and protect the road that sustained China's war effort against Japanese occupation.
03 / The Outcome
The campaign ended on 24 May 1942 with Japanese forces securing Burma and cutting the Burma Road. The Chinese Expeditionary Force was forced to withdraw, with some units retreating into India and others back into Yunnan. The loss of Burma and the road compelled the Allies to rely on the costly air route over the Himalayas, known as 'the Hump,' to supply China for the remainder of the war.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
2 belligerents
Joseph Stilwell, Luo Zhuoying, Lo Cho-ying.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.