Evening star., 1943-05-19

To Retoking Of Burmo
Maj. Eliot Argues Thot i
Huge Fleet Is Necessary
For Expedition Against Jops
BIZ Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
Senator Chandler. point that 10000
japanese in Burma are holding up an
Anelo-Indian army Of 100000 Is one
of those statements which illustrates the
danger of trying to over-simplify the
problems Of war.
Actually it would be just about equally
true to say that $4,000 Japanese troops
In New Guinea Cor whatever their num-
her NAV be) are holding up the entire
United States Army.
What counts in Burma and what
counts in New Guinea IS not the numper
Of troops that may be in India or the
United States, respectively, but the num-
ber that actually can be brought to bear
against the enemy in those places.
In the first place, the Senator's figures
are somewhat weighted. Probably the
total strength of the Indian Army Is
now approaching 100000, but this In
cludes troops serving in North Africa,
East Africa and the Middle East, recruits
under training local defense units trans
port and medical services, the North
west Frontier force and other elements
not available for operations against
Burma. The Japanese have nve ana,
perhaps. six divisions in Burma, which,
at the reduced strength inescapable under
campaign conditions, may not number
much over 10000 men, yet it is probable
that altogether, including corps and
army troops, line of communication
troops and the services OF supply, the
Japanese forces in Burma number around
100000.
But the main point to be made is that
in order to defeat the six japanese di-
visions In Burma, you have to put at
least an equivalent force in place where
it can get at, defeat and destroy those six
Japanese divisions. That cannot be done
by invading Burma by land, simply be-
cause there are no roads, and no railways
connecting India and Burma and the
difficult mountain tracks which are the
only means by which men can 60 by land
from India to Burma could not possibly
take care Of the supply Of even one
division, let alone six.
The only way that Burma successfully
can be invaded is by sea. That means
shipping, and naval and air protection
for that shipping, in the Bay Of Bengal.
We must remember that the Japanese
Navy is operating on interior lines; some
OF these lines are very long but still it
would be possible for the Japanese to
switch the bulk of their feet from the
Pacific to the Bay Of Bengal and take
chance on what may happen to their
Pacific interests in the meanwhile. Un-
less the Allied high command is prepared
to give conveys in the Bay Of Bengal
stronger naval escort than the maximum
deploy In those waters, it would be little
short of murder to send crowded troop
ships toward the Burmese coast.
As for air escort, that means fighter
cover when attempting a landing on a
defended shore, and it means, therefore,
either the preliminary seizure Of fighter
bases on the Burmese coast itself or at
least preliminary operation to recap
ture the Andaman Islands. Only when
these two prerequisites have been met
can we begin to talk in terms of a serious
campaign for the recovery of Burma.
Another point that is somewhat mis-
leading about Senator Chambers figures
is the matter Of equipment. We have
seen again and again in this war that
1t IS useless to pit mere numbers against
troops possessing the terrific fighting
power which modern weapons and equip
ment can provide. There are plenty of
rifles and machine guns manufactured in
India, but India does not produce
armored fighting vehicles, heavy or anti
aircraft artillery, airplanes or even motor
trucks. Anything in that line that the
Indian Army has must be sent to India
by ship. So far it has not been possible
to send large quantities Of equipment to
India simply because H. has not been
possible to allocate enough shipping to
the very long trip between British and
American ports on the one hand and
Indian ports on the other. Now that the
Mediterranean is open. now that the
African campaign Is over, it may. and
probably will be, possible to do very
much more in the way of building I'D
the fighting power of the Indian Arnov
than hitherto has been the case. In the
meanwhile, however, comparisons based
on the mere numbers of Japanese troops
IN Burma and Anglo-Indian troops in
India have little if any meaning unless
all OF the other conditions pertaining to
this very difficult theater of war are kent
carefully in mind
Copyright, 1943 N. Y. Tribune, 1nc,
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