Montana labor news., 1945-03-29
BUILDING OF THE
BURMA-LEDO ROAD
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equipment and pipe on the proposed site.
In one instance, a whole pump station
was dismantled and portered piece by
piece four miles through the jungle and
then reassembled on location. Numerous
cable suspensions were constructed over
the many chasms that had to be spanned.
For n 20-mile section reaching up to
Pangsau Pass, one-tenth Of the line had
Ito be supported by cables.
All this tended to slow down construc-
ton but by February 1914 the completed
pipeline was supplying gasoline needs
for the first so miles; by the end of
March as far as Shingbwiyang mile
point 1922.
Construction of the line moved on
south towards Tingkawk Sakan. The
monsoon season began with full force,
and mud and water seriously hindered
transportation of materials. Progress
was slow and on some days only a few
hundred feet of line were completed.
However, by midsummer high speed
diesel, motor and aviation gasoline were
pouring through the line to ~Tingkawk.
Past Tingkawk the line was pushed
on towards Warazup. simultaneously
work began at Warazup on a line to
Myitkyuina, and from there another crew
began a meeting" line. Part of this
would remain in place as a section of
the permanent installation; the remand
er isolated by a shorter route would be
removed and Reused elsewhere when its
job here had been completed.
On the section south of Warazup the
old native roads had become impossible.
Water was four to five feet deep along
some of the proposed right-of-ways. Ma
terial was hauled by truck as far as the
roads would permit or dragged through
by tractors. Then pipe RATS and pom
toons with cupboard motors were called
into play to float the pipe where need
ed. Many times men had to wade waist
deep in water to get the pipe strung;
they then had to work all day in the
same water to get it coupled together.
Progress was difficult but four days be-
fore the october first target date the
line was completed to Myitkyina, The
arrival of gasoline and diesel fuel
through the pipeline released many car
go planes for other critically needed sup
plies.
The maximum output Of the two 4-inch
lines is nearly equal to the carrying ca
pacity of 400 cargo trucks. In a 24-hour
period they will deliver approximately
5000 barrels of fuel or $4,000 U. S.
At the present time motor gasoline,
high speed diesel and aviation gasoline
are being dispensed at all required points
between Ledo and Myitkyina. One-third
Of the thousand-mile line was in opera
ton by early December supplying the
fuel for tanks, road graders, bulldozers,
largo trucks, jeeps, and cargo and COM
oat planes.
Early in November an advance party
or the China section Of the line was
lown over the Hump to Yunnanyi to set
Up a headquarters, and three engineer
petroleum distribution companies fol-
owed soon afterwards. On December !,
obstruction began in the China theater
1t the same time the line was moving
from Myitkyina, on towards China,
pace with the road. The Cal
utta and Running pipeline will become
reality in 1945.
Behind this feat, one Of the epics of
his war, lies an engineering achievement
unsurpassed anywhere. While not an
nch of the pipeline built has been dam
ged by enemy fire, work on more than
n occasion proceeded under Japanese