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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 |