General Joseph W. Stilwell’s Highway to China |
Sign marks passing of first convoy VIEW A CLOSE-UP OF THE SIGN VIEW TEXT OF SIGN |
While researching my father's service in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater of World War II, I learned that he worked for the Services Of Supply (SOS)in an air supply office which supported the building of the Ledo Road and other operations in northern Burma. A Tribute To My Dad contains the informationI was able to find about his service in CBI as well as photos, documents and other memorabilia he saved.
Searching for information on the Ledo Road, I found various confusing statements about it and the Burma Roads. I could find no single site about the Ledo Road that provided the story and photos of the road building effort. I set about constructing this site as a single point of information about the Ledo Road.
On this site, combined with details of the road building effort, are photos and personal accounts of the Ledo Road. Like "The Road" in 1945, this site is subject to constant maintenance and improvement. Fenruary 4, 2020 marked the 75th Anniversary of the arrival in Kunming of the first convoy over the newly named Stilwell Road. Anniversaries continue through 2020.
Sincere thanks to those who have contributed to this site by sharing personal accounts, printed material, photos, and much more. Additional information is always welcomed to help make this site more complete. Your comments regarding this site are also welcomed. Please contact me to comment on the site or if you have anything to add.
Copyright © 2022 Carl W. Weidenburner
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The Ledo Road was built by U.S. Army Engineers and native labor during World War II from the tea plantation province of Assam in India, through the mountains and jungle of northern Burma, to a junction with the Burma Road. It went over tough mountain terrain, across monsoon fed swamps and through the thickest jungle. General Lewis A. Pick, who commanded the road building effort, called it the toughest job ever given to U.S. Army Engineers in wartime. Its purpose was to re-establish the land supply route to China that had been blocked by the Japanese invasion of Burma in 1942. Construction began 16 December 1942 and the completed road was officially opened 20 May 1945. An estimated 147,000 tons of supplies were carried over the road by the end of the war.
The usefulness of the Ledo Road was debated both before its construction and after its completion. Even as it progressed into Burma, military planners had their doubts about whether it could be completed in time or even at all. As it neared completion and until well after the war ended, many pointed out that it never lived-up to the original estimates of capacity as a supply line.
Overlooked is the fact that it was decided not to build the road to the original specification of a double-track (two-lane) road over its entire length, the fact that it was never assigned the originally planned number of truck transport companies, and the fact that it actually assisted the airlift operation over The Hump to which it was constantly compared.
As the road was built it served as a combat highway enabling the reconquest of Burma, serviced a pipeline that paralleled it to carry fuel all the way to China, and allowed safer more southerly routes for airlift flights to China. The accomplishment of building the Ledo Road stands as a testament to the men responsible and the American spirit that made it possible.
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Officially established June 22, 1942, the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations (CBI) is often referred to as the Forgotten Theater of World War II. Of the 12,300,000 Americans under arms at the height of World War II mobilization, only about 250,000 (two percent) were assigned to the CBI Theater. Relatively few Americans were in combat in the theater. Except for a few stories, CBI did not often make headlines in the newspapers back home. The 12,000 mile supply line, longest of the war, was often last in line for supplies from the United States.
Not forgotten to Allied war planners, CBI was important to the overall war strategy. Occupation of Burma in 1942 by Japanese forces cut the last supply line of communication between China and the outside world. Keeping China in the war was important as it occupied an estimated 800,000 Japanese troops that might have been used elsewhere. A military airlift to supply China was begun although it was generally agreed that this would not be enough and a land supply route would be needed. A road from Ledo, Assam, India was begun in late 1942. Ledo was chosen because it was close to the northern terminus of a rail line from the ports of Calcutta and Karachi. Construction of the Ledo Road was completed in early 1945.
Allied forces in CBI, mostly British, Chinese, and Indian, engaged large numbers of Japanese troops. America's role in CBI was to support China by providing war materials and the manpower to get it to where it was needed. The Flying Tigers fought the Japanese in the air over China and Burma. The Services of Supply managed supplies from the U.S. to India and on to China. Army Air Forces flew supplies Over The Hump from India to China. Merrill's Marauders and the Mars Task Force fought through the jungles of Burma. Army Engineers built the Ledo Road to open up the land supply route.
| Symbols |
CBI Theater
- The left-hand symbol represents China and is the sun surrounded by 12 points
for each hour in the traditional Chinese day. The star symbolizes the "Star
of India". The red, white, and blue represent the United States. Worn since 1942 it was
officially adopted on 13 November 1944.
Ledo Road
- The winding road proceeds through Burma to China (represented by the sun).
The three stars represent the three countries involved: China, Burma, and India.
Approved for local wear only. Two different versions were worn, one with stars on red field and
the other, more common, stars on blue field.
Southeast Asia Command
- A Phoenix rising from the fire.
Most likely worn by only a few officers who held positions in this command of which CBI was a part.
British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten headed this mostly British command.
These symbols were rarely seen in the field. The CBI insignia was officially approved one month after the theater was split in two. Ledo Road insignia was approved for local wear only.
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Burma Road - Japanese occupation of Manchuria in 1931 resulted in the Second Sino-Japanese War which continued with sporadic fighting throughout the 1930s. In 1937 full scale war broke out and Japan occupied most of coastal China. This forced the Chinese to seek another method of bringing in supplies and war materials. A route from Kunming, China to a railhead at Lashio, Burma was completed in 1938. Supplies were landed at Rangoon, Burma and brought by rail to Lashio. Built by Chinese laborers stone by stone, this route was known as The Burma Road.
Ledo Road - Japan invaded and occupied Burma in early 1942, blocking the Burma Road supply line. Allied war planners decided to build a new road from Ledo, Assam, India, to bypass the cut off Burma Road. Supplies landed at Karachi and Calcutta, India could be brought by rail to Ledo and trucked over the road to China. It proved to be an extremely difficult task but the Japanese were driven back and a new route forged through the mountains and jungles of northern Burma. The Ledo Road was completed by U.S. Army Engineers in early 1945. It ran 465 miles from Ledo to a junction with the Burma Road at Mongyu, Burma, near Wanting, China. The Ledo Road did not enter China.
Stilwell Road - In addition to building the Ledo Road, Army Engineers and local workers also upgraded over 600 miles of the Burma Road. The Ledo Road and the upgraded portion of the Burma Road from Mongyu to Kunming were later named Stilwell Road at the suggestion of Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, in honor of American General Joseph W. Stilwell, Commander of the China-Burma-India Theater and Chief of Staff to the Generalissimo. The Stilwell Road covered 1,079 miles from Ledo, India to Kunming, China, 470 miles "as the crow flies."
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 JOSEPH W. STILWELL CBI Theater |
 LEWIS A. PICK Ledo Road |
 RAYMOND A. WHEELER Services of Supply |
 FRANK D. MERRILL Marauders |
 JOHN C. ARROWSMITH Ledo Road Engineers |
 DANIEL I. SULTAN India-Burma Theater |
 ALBERT C. WEDEMEYER China Theater |
 ROBERT F. SEEDLOCK Burma Road Engineers |
CLICK PORTRAIT FOR BIOGRAPHY
CLICK HERE FOR FULL IMAGE
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"The Engineers have hairy ears and live in caves and ditches,
They bang their jocks against the rocks, those hardy sons of bitches."
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Victory and Liberty Ships being loaded with lend-lease supplies for overseas.
Lend-lease medical supplies for China being unloaded at Calcutta
Medical supply warehouse at Calcutta
Carefully unloading delicate cargo
Supplies await loading at rail yard for shipment to Ledo
Supplies move on the Bengal & Assam Railway while elephants cool down after hard day's work.
Construction of facilities at Ledo
Fuel storage dump in Assam
Aviation fuel being flown Over The Hump to China
Sign warning that gas is "Hot Stuff" so No Smoking
U.S. Army Air Corps. C-47, one of the planes used to air-drop supplies to forward areas.
Supplies being air-dropped
Awaiting the word to "kick" supplies out the door
Air-drop supplies are pushed out the door of a transport plane
Signal Corps. cameraman documents air drop
Low-level parachute drop
Packing supplies at the 14th Medical Supply Depot
Native labor helping to unload supplies
Wrecker hoists huge crate
Unloading a bulldozer from a transport
Part of the sprawling U.S. Army Installation at Ledo
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Laborers cut a 100 foot wide path through the jungle
Survey party on elephants meets up with bulldozer
Clearing the trace
Around the mountains...
...and through the jungle
Engineers and equipment dwarfed by the massive jungle
General Pick, the man with the stick, consults with bulldozer operator
Graded slope along the road
Jeep moves on a "corduroy road" (bamboo laid over mud) during construction
Truck convoy at Hell Gate
The tough terrain and steep grades earned Pangsau Pass the name "Hell Pass".
Soldiers pose with Engineer's sign marking completion of road through the pass.
Jeeps follow the ruts during construction
Monsoon rains made traversing the road a constant struggle
D-8 bulldozer pulls smaller D-4 out of the mud
"That's not a river, it's the Ledo Road!"
Clearing mud from a bridge near Myitkyina
Drainage Culverts to prevent wash-outs
Rare color photograph shows cut through jungle and heavy traffic on the road
A look ahead at the mountainous terrain
When there wasn't room on the mountainside, Engineers made room.
Looking back on the low overhanging rock formation.
Construction continued around-the-clock.
Construction equipment passes former Japanese positions
Anti-aircraft battery protects the road
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The 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) code name Galahad became famous as Merrill's Marauders
Merrill's Marauders move along the road
Coaxing mules up a steep hill
The Marauders on a newly cut portion of the Ledo Road
The Marauders pass the half-way point on the Ledo Road
Crossing a native bridge
General Merrill (far left) observes the Marauder's along the Ledo Road
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Engineers still at work as trucks cross temporary bridge over the Irrawaddy River south of Myitkyina
Before the bridge was complete supplies were ferried across the Irrawaddy
Three ways to cross the Irrawaddy
A more permanent bridge over the Irrawaddy
Floating design of the 1200 foot long bridge allowed it to adjust to the river's changing level
Bridge over the Mogaung River south of Warazup, Burma
Wooden bridge under construction
Bulldozer grades approach to bridge under construction. Temporary crossing at right.
Another bridge under construction. On average there was a bridge every three miles along the Ledo Road
A 450-foot Bailey cable bridge spans the Shweli River
Salween River Bridge. Early view shows bridge open for foot traffic only.
Suspension bridge under construction
Bridge ready for single-lane traffic
Truck crossing the bridge
Aerial view of the bridge
Another aerial view
Another view with bridge in distance
Chinese soldiers on foot and a Jeep share bridge
Crossing a pontoon bridge
Steel bridges in Burma
Trucks with bridge sections await unloading
General Pick poses with bridge builders
Bailey Bridges
Bailey Bridge
Bridges over the Tarung River in Burma
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In addition to building the Ledo Road, engineers also upgraded almost 600 miles of the Burma Road.
Survey party checks tough terrain
Truck rolls by laborers placing stones one-by-one
Native laborer works on shoulder of road
Cutting the road into the mountainside
Graders maintaining the Burma Road
General Seedlock at ceremonial link-up of construction parties at the Burma-China border
Famous 24-Zig near the Burma Road
Another view of the curves
Back and forth up or down the mountain
Chinese-manned American tanks on the Burma Road
Chinese tank crew
Tanks cross the Irrawaddy River in Burma
Fighter protects Chinese troops on the Burma Road
Trucks on the road...
...and trucks off the road
This truck almost went in the river
Wreck on edge of road with Salween River Bridge far below
Pause to check-out explosion
Convoys passing
Tractor-trailer trucks just get by a nearly washed-out bridge
Truck rolls along the road
Lone truck kicks up dust racing rain clouds
Chinese troops move along the Burma Road
The Burma Road in Yunnan Province, China.
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This truck driver award was intended to go to the better drivers of the Ledo Road. At first there were to be only 150 of them issued, hence they were lettered by hand up to 150. It was designed by Robert S. Fenn of Engineer Division 2 at the request of General Pick. Unfortunately, the same day the design was completed, the name of the road was officially changed from Ledo Road to Stilwell Road. The award was never used as by the time it was completed it was already outdated.
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Engineers built fuel pipelines that paralleled the road
Up to six 4" and 6" pipelines followed the supply line from Calcutta to Kunming
Pipe sections being welded
Pipeline suspended over a river
A landing craft and barges pull pipeline across river
The pipeline disappears as it crosses distant river
Pipelines take a shortcut over a hill
Pumping Station in Burma
Engineers maintain diesel pumping station
Installing support beams for the roof of a fuel storage tank near Myitkyina
Storage tanks
Pipelines carried fuel for planes and trucks. Here convoy trucks refuel at a depot.
LONGEST PIPELINE IN THE WORLD FUEL FOR FREEDOM
Pipeline system from Assam to Kunming
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MAP FULL SCREEN
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FIRST CONVOY OVER THE LEDO ROAD
PICK'S PIKE, LIFE LINE FROM INDIA TO CHINA
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A SLIDE SHOW
American and Chinese soldiers place flags on a Jeep for the First Convoy over the Ledo Road
First Convoy formed and awaiting departure from Ledo
Lead vehicle is decorated with American and Chinese flags
At symbolic ceremony, General Pick (right) receives orders for first convoy from General Sultan (left).
First Convoy heads out on the Ledo Road, 12 January 1945.
6x6 Deuce 'n' a half (2½ ton truck) decorated for first convoy
More than just a pretty picture - lead truck was also armed with an anti-aircraft gun
Motorcycles lead the 113 vehicle-long convoy
Trucks pause on a narrow stretch
Lead truck continues past one of the many bridges
The First Convoy winds its way through Burma
Army ambulance passes convoy
The convoy made two extended stops as the final route was cleared
Correspondents with first convoy during 3-day layover near Namkham, Burma
MPs assigned to the convoy prepare for overnight layover
General Pick addresses drivers prior to leaving Myitkyina
General Pick in lead jeep at the junction of the Ledo and Burma Roads
Photographers follow lead vehicles
Truck passes ceremonial junction
Sign marks passing of first convoy
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A CLOSE-UP OF THE SIGN CLICK HERE TO VIEW TEXT OF SIGN
American and Chinese soldiers view the sign, in a different location and with translation added.
Convoy traverses switchbacks on the Burma Road.
Passing Temples and ruins
Flags and fireworks greet the convoy as it passes through Saikwan, China.
Boy gives traditional Chinese good luck greeting as convoy passes.
Cover of May 4, 1945 issue of YANK The Army Weekly.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COVER
Convoy assembled for triumphant entry into Kunming
Convoy passes under sign "Welcome the First Convoy on Stilwell Road"
General Pick waves to crowd lining streets of Kunming
People crowd the convoy
First convoy arrives Kunming, China on 4 February 1945.
The long convoy in Kunming
General Pick arriving in Kunming
Lead truck navigates the crowded street
General Pick at road opening ceremony
Governor of Yunnan Province greets General Pick
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Another version of the sign with CBI and Ledo Road emblems added.
General Pick points out Myitkyina, 268 miles from Ledo.
Soldiers pose in front of the large Milepost sign at Ledo
Probably the first Milepost Zero sign at Ledo
Sign at Shingbwiyang shows number of miles to Kunming
Closer look at the "MP" on the sign
Ledo Area Command Headquarters
General Pick inspects Chinglo Hill sign
with Col. William J. Green and Col. Charles S. Davis
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Engineers were also known as "Hairy Ears"
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"Speeders Beware" sign apparently
before it got out on the road
"I LOVE MY SOLDIER - DRIVE CAREFULLY"
"Bugs Bunny" gets into the act
Making reference to gas rationing back home, sign urges conservation
A small sign marking Milepost Zero and one featuring a Pin-Up Girl urging caution on the curves.
Signs in Pangsau Pass mark the India-Burma border and warn of steep grade and sharp curves.
Sign at Mongyu, Burma marks junction of the roads
China-bound truck passes sign at junction of Ledo and Burma roads
Signs memorialize one of the 261 engineers who lost their lives during construction.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW CLOSE-UP OF SIGN CLICK HERE TO VIEW TEXT OF SIGN
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SECOND SINO-JAPANESE WAR More After years of Japanese aggression, full-scale war breaks out. Many historians regard this as the start of World War II. |
JAPAN BLOCKADES CHINESE PORTS More Capture of Hankow and Canton completes blockade of ocean ports. Supplies must be brought by road through Indo-China and Burma. |
CHINESE FIGHT GUERILLA WAR More Under Japanese occupation a relentless guerrilla war is waged. Staggering losses fail to destroy Chinese morale. |
17 JUL - JAPAN FORCES BRITAIN TO CLOSE BURMA ROAD More leaving Russia as the only land supply route to China. 05 SEP - U.S. DECLARES NEUTRALITY while military and other aid is authorized for Britain and France 18 OCT - BRITAIN REOPENS BURMA ROAD as no progress toward peace is made with Japan NOV - LEND-LEASE PROPOSED More allowing "lending" of military equipment to U.S. allies. |
04 MAR - AMERICAN MILITARY MISSION TO CHINA ESTABLISHED More to support China's war effort was the mission of AMMISCA 11 MAR - LEND-LEASE ACT SIGNED More authorizing lending of war supplies to China APR - RUSSO-JAPANESE NEUTRALITY PACT ends China's hope for supplies from Russia 10 JUL - FLYING TIGERS DEPART SAN FRANCISCO More The American Volunteer Group (AVG) heads to China 26 JUL - U.S. FREEZES ALL JAPANESE ASSETS the situation becomes critical 07 SEP - JAPANESE FINALIZE PEARL HARBOR ATTACK PLAN while diplomatic talks with the U.S. continue 16 OCT - TOJO COMES TO POWER More as the military gains control of the Japanese Empire 07 DEC - JAPANESE ATTACK PEARL HARBOR More "awake a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve" 08 DEC - UNITED STATES DECLARES WAR ON JAPAN More Roosevelt forever labels December 7th the "Day of Infamy" |
JAN - JAPANESE INVADE BURMA More Japanese "co-prosperity" sphere grows 22 FEB - WAR DEPARTMENT APPROVES ROAD PROJECT to be supported with Lend-Lease supplies 04 MAR - HQ. AMERICAN ARMY FORCES IN CBI ESTABLISHED More The United States organizes in the Far East MAR - SERVICES OF SUPPLY (SOS) ESTABLISHED to deliver lend-lease military supplies to China 06 MAR - JAPANESE TAKE RANGOON closing the important port 02 APR - INDIA-BURMA CAMPAIGN BEGINS More the defense of India and Burma begins 29 APR - JAPANESE TAKE LASHIO thereby closing the Burma Road 04 MAY - STILWELL WALKS OUT OF BURMA More and reports "We took a hell of a beating" 22 JUN - CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER ESTABLISHED More Commanded by General Joseph W. Stilwell 04 JUL - CHINA DEFENSIVE CAMPAIGN BEGINS More the defense of China begins 06 JUL - FLYING TIGERS JOIN CHINA AIR TASK FORCE ex-volunteers join the Army Air Corps. 22 OCT - BRITISH-AMERICAN PLANNING Joint planning for the retaking of Burma in 1943 29 OCT - STILWELL ORDERS ROAD BUILT from Ledo forward to Chinese lines 05 NOV - MERRILL PROPOSES ROUTE OF LEDO ROAD based on British surveys and a refugee trail 26 NOV - SOS OPENS OFFICE IN KUNMING to coordinate both ends of supply line 15 DEC - BASE SECTION 3 ESTABLISHED Command for all Ledo Road related operations 16 DEC - CONSTRUCTION OF LEDO ROAD BEGINS Ill-equipped engineers hack away at the jungle with machetes |
26 JAN - MILE POST 34.5 "HELLGATE" beginning of the road's ascent into the Patkai Range 28 FEB - LEDO ROAD REACHES INDIA-BURMA BORDER 36 miles into the Patkai Range of the Himalayas 04 MAR - "SHIPMENT 4201" REACHES INDIA Engineers and support personnel for the road project 17 MAR - THE MONSOONS COME Unusual fury bogs down construction progress 24 MAR - FIRST SUBDEPOT ESTABLISHED Rest and refueling stop at Hellgate MAR - TROOPS ON THE LEDO ROAD Chinese 38th Division crosses the Burma border 08 APR - CONSTRUCTION BOGS DOWN Engineers fall back to strengthen the road against the monsoon 01 MAY - ADDITIONAL ENGINEERS ARRIVE 330th Engineers reinforce the construction effort 25 JUN - ARROWSMITH PROMOTED Commander elevated to Brigadier General 06 JUL - ROAD HEADQUARTERS ESTABLISHED at Hellgate 15 AUG - SOUTHEAST ASIA COMMAND (SEAC) ESTABLISHED More under British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten 17 AUG - QUEBEC CONFERENCE More Plan to regain northern Burma is agreed on SEP - MORE RAIN HALTS WORK 14.88 inches fall late in the month, halting work on the point. 17 OCT - GENERAL PICK IN COMMAND OF ROAD BUILDING More injecting new life into the road building effort 22 OCT - MILE POST 60 near Tincha progress on the road reaches about a mile a day 31 OCT - MERRILL'S MARAUDERS ARRIVE More volunteers for a dangerous jungle mission "somewhere" 27 DEC - ROAD REACHES SHINGBWIYANG 117 miles to the first "town" in Burma |
13 JAN - STILWELL'S TROOPS CROSS TARUNG Chinese 22nd and 38th Divisions in heavy fighting 09 FEB - MARAUDERS DEPART LEDO 10 day hike to Shingbwiyang headed deeper into Burma 17 MAY - ALLIES TAKE MYITKYINA AIRFIELD largest air field in north Burma 26 JUL - MARS TASK FORCE CREATED remnants of the Marauders and Chinese troops 03 AUG - ALLIES TAKE MYITKYINA the 79-day siege ends 18 OCT - STILWELL DEPARTS CBI Chiang Kai-shek prevails and Roosevelt concedes 27 OCT - CBI THEATER REORGANIZED China Theater of Operations (CTO) & India-Burma Theater (IBT) OCT - ROAD WITHIN 80 MILES OF MYITKYINA using Myitkyina's airstrip speeds progress 13 NOV - CBI THEATER INSIGNIA/PATCH APPROVED having been worn in theater for years 15 DEC - ALLIES TAKE BHAMO the tide has turned in Burma |
12 JAN - FIRST CONVOY DEPARTS LEDO the entire route not yet cleared of Japanese resistance 28 JAN - INDIA-BURMA CAMPAIGN ENDS More as the Ledo Road is completed 28 JAN - STILWELL ROAD NAMED at the suggestion of Chiang Kai-shek 04 FEB - FIRST CONVOY ARRIVES KUNMING, CHINA first supplies are delivered by land since 1942 07 MAR - ALLIES TAKE LASHIO on the way to Rangoon 20 MAR - ALLIES TAKE MANDALAY the drive to Rangoon continues 03 MAY - ALLIES TAKE RANGOON Japanese are cleared from Burma 04 MAY - CHINA DEFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ENDS More war in the Far East winds down 20 MAY - STILWELL ROAD OFFICIALLY OPENED General Pick formally announces completion 06 AUG - ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA More Enola Gay delivers "Little Boy" 09 AUG - ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED ON NAGASAKI More Bocks Car delivers "Fat Man" 15 AUG - VICTORY OVER JAPAN Emperor Hirohito announces acceptance of surrender terms 28 AUG - SURRENDER IN BURMA Japanese sign the surrender instrument in Rangoon 02 SEP - OFFICIAL SURRENDER Japanese sign Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri |
02 MAR - ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN ENDS curtain falls on the old CBI Theater MAR - MILITARY USE OF STILWELL ROAD ENDS after being officially open for only 10 months APR - CHINESE CIVIL WAR RESUMES More destined to bring communism to China 12 OCT - GENERAL JOSEPH W. STILWELL DIES Cancer claims "Uncle Joe" in California 31 DEC - END OF WORLD WAR II President Truman officially proclaims end of hostilities |
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World War II Timelines: Asian Mainland Pacific |
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| Information in the table below is from various published sources. MILE POST indicates the distance from Ledo along the road. Mileage shown in RED is estimated based on maps. DATE REACHED is approximate and indicates the progress of the roadhead (the farthest point along in construction). Location names in BOLD are shown on the Mileage Sign at Ledo. |
| 01 OCT 42 |
LEDO | Construction begins from small tea plantation town in northern Assam. | |
| 16 DEC 42 |
Lekhapani | Depot at the northern terminus of rail lines from Karachi and Calcutta. | |
| 31 DEC 42 |
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| 26 JAN 43 |
Hell Gate | The road begins its ascent to Pangsau Pass through the Patkai Range of the Himalayas. | |
| 28 FEB 43 |
Pangsau Pass | The road crosses the India-Burma border near its highest point at nearly 4,600 feet. | |
| 01 AUG 43 |
Nawngyawng | ||
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Loglai | Sub-depot. | |
| 22 OCT 43 |
Tincha | Progress on the road reaches about a mile per day. | |
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Namlip | ||
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Tagap Ga | Northernmost point of Japanese infiltration into Burma. | |
| NOV 43 |
Nathkaw | ||
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Taga Sakan | ||
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Chinglow Hill | Through "seven miles of steep grades and sharp curves" the road descends to Shingbwiyang. | |
| 27 NOV 43 | SHINGBWIYANG | First large "city" reached in Burma was a Kachin village. Here the 497th Engineer Heavy Shop Co. established "Little Peoria." | |
| Ningam Sakan | |||
| Yupbang Ga | Tarung River | ||
| Tawang River | |||
| Lamung River | |||
| Nritu Ga | Tanai River | ||
| Magwitang River | |||
| Walawbum | Numhkang River | ||
| Tingkawk Sakan | |||
| Jambu Bum | |||
| Shadazup | |||
| WARAZUP | Low point in this area required the building of a causeway through the swamp, 18 inches above the highest flood level. | ||
| OCT 44 | Nampin | ||
| Tumbonghka | |||
| Namti | Kachin village midway between Myitkyina and Mogaung. | ||
| Myitkyina Fork | The north fork to Myitkyina, the south fork (Ledo Road) bypassing the city, to the Irrawaddy and Nampaung. | ||
| AUG 44 | MYITKYINA | The airfield at Myitkyina was the largest in north Burma and became an important hub for air operations supporting road construction and Hump flights. | |
| 06 DEC 44 | Irrawaddy River | 1,627-foot long bridge (853 feet of it floating) spans the Irrawaddy between Myitkyina and Waingmaw. Completed 31 MAR 45. | |
| Nampaung | |||
| Kazu | |||
| Nalong | |||
| Myothit | Taping River | ||
| BHAMO | |||
| Namkham | Dr. Gordon Seagrave's hospital overlooked this city in the Shweli River Valley. | ||
| 27 JAN 45 | Mongyu | Last Japanese resistance is cleared and the Ledo Road joins the old Burma Road near Wanting, China. |
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The China-Burma-India Theater
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ENLARGED MAP
Early progress of the Ledo Road
Map from The Ledo Road by Leslie Anders, © University of Oklahoma Press. Used by permission.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ENLARGED MAP
Planned route of the Ledo Road
Map from The Ledo Road by Leslie Anders, © University of Oklahoma Press. Used by permission.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ENLARGED MAP
Shingbwiyang to Warazup
Map from The Ledo Road by Leslie Anders, © University of Oklahoma Press. Used by permission.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ENLARGED MAP
Myitkyina to Mongyu
Map from The Ledo Road by Leslie Anders, © University of Oklahoma Press. Used by permission.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ENLARGED MAP
The Stilwell Road (Ledo and Burma Roads)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ENLARGED MAP
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ENLARGED TABLE
A primary source of information for this site was The Ledo Road by Leslie Anders, published by the University of Oklahoma Press. This book is an excellent source of information about the building of the Ledo Road.
Below you will see some facts about the building of the Ledo Road, including the cost in dollars and more importantly, American lives. You will see numbers supporting the fact that the Ledo Road was quite an engineering accomplishment, made even more so by the fact that it was built during wartime in the battle zone of northern Burma.
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The Cost |
While supplies that moved over the road were lend-lease (to be paid for or returned) the cost of building the road itself was borne mostly by the United States. The exact cost could not be determined for various reasons, including the fact that some of the costs attributed to building the road were actually incurred on other smaller projects carried out by the road engineers.
The final estimated cost:
U.S. Troop labor.................. $ 31,766,000
Materials and Supplies............ 33,912,000
Equipment, fuel, repairs.......... 51,956,000
Overhead.......................... 19,424,000
Sub-Total......................... 137,058,000
Chinese Troop labor............... 2,410,000
Indian military, civilian labor... 9,442,000
Sub-Total......................... 11,852,000
Grand Total....................... $148,910,000
Present Day (2022) Dollars...... $2,299,402,038
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The Greater Cost |
The greater cost of building the Ledo Road is measured in human lives. The entire length of the Stilwell Road was 1,079 miles. American fatalities in the area commanded from Ledo were 1,133. For this reason the human cost is often stated as "A Man A Mile."
Overall
CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT THE KOHIMA EPITAPH |
Died of Typhus................... 63
Died of Malaria.................. 11
Died by Drowning................. 53
Died in Road Accidents........... 44
Died in Aircraft Accidents....... 173
Total Ledo Road Fatalities....... 1133
Among Engineer Units
Killed in combat.................. 130
Died of Typhus.................... 8
Died of Malaria................... 7
Died of Other Causes.............. 116
Total Engineer Fatalities......... 261
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More Than Miles... |
Engineers moved 13,500,000 cubic yards of earth in building the road
Enough earth to build a wall 3 feet wide and 10 feet high from New York to San Francisco
Engineers dug 1,383,000 cubic yards of gravel from riverbeds to surface the road
If loaded on rail cars the train would be 427 miles long
The Ledo Road crossed 10 major rivers and 155 smaller streams
Seven hundred bridges over the length of the road
Construction was as much a drainage project as a road building effort
An average 13 culverts per mile were used totaling 105 miles of pipe
Foresters gathered 822,000 cubic feet of lumber for use in building the road
One million board feet of lumber and 2400 pilings were used in a causeway over the swamp
Of the 15,000 Engineers who built the road, over 60% were African-American
The "colored" or "negro" troops received the jobs nobody else wanted
The supply line from the United States to CBI was 12,000 miles long
Longest supply line in World War II
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Is the gateway to India at Bombay Really as beautiful as they say? Don't rightly know, Ma'am. Did my part Breakin' point in the jungle's heart; blasted the boulders, felled the trees with red muck oozin' around our knees; Carved the guts from the Patkai's side, Dozed our trace, made it clean and wide, Metalled and graded, dug and filled: We had the Ledo Road to build. Well, surely you saw a burning ghat, Fakirs, rope tricks and all of that. Reckon I didn't. But way up ahead I tended the wounded, buried the dead. For I was a Medic, and little we knew, But the smell of sickness all day through, Mosquitoes, leeches, and thick dark mud Where the Chinese spilled their blood After the enemy guns were stilled: We had the Ledo Road to build. |
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Of course, you found the Taj Mahal, The loveliest building of them all. Can't really say, lady I was stuck Far beyond Shing with a QM truck Monsoon was rugged there, hot and wet, Nothing to do but work and sweat And dry was the dust upon my mouth As steadily big "cats" roared on south, Over this ground where Japs lay killed: We had the Ledo Road to build. You've been gone two years this spring, Didn't you see a single thing? Never saw much but the moon shine on A Burmese temple around Maingkwan, And silver transports high in the sky, Thursday River and the swift Tanai, And Hukawng Valley coming all green, Those are the only sights I've seen. Did our job, though, like God willed: We had the Ledo Road to build. |
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CLICK HERE TO VIEW POEM FULL SCREEN CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE FROM SMITH DAWLESS
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A recent photo of the Ledo Road in Burma.
The trace is still visible in this photo from along the road.
While much of the Ledo Road has been reclaimed by the jungle,
portions are still in use by traffic as shown here.
2004 photo shows sign marking Mile Zero on the Ledo Road.
See more at A TRIP TO THE ZERO MILE OF THE LEDO ROAD
It's still STILWELL ROAD.
Hell Gate marked the road's entry to Pangsau Pass near the India-Burma Border.
Jungle and muddy track in the Hukaung Valley.
Much of the Hukaung Valley is now a "Tiger Reserve" as indicated by these signs near Kamaing.
The route of the road from Kamaing to Pangsau is part of the Hukaung Tiger Reserve.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MAP
Trucks would have no problem on this well-built stretch, even today.
March 2005 photo of the "24 Zig" curves near the Burma Road.
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