This is the story of the U.S. Army Chinese Training and Combat Command at Ramgarh, India. The history of the Ramgarh Training Center is an untold story from China-Burma-India, the Forgotten Theater of World War II.
Ramgarh was the name of a town in Bihar province in India, a map mark set among rolling naked hills and arid plains. Ramgarh was an idea. The idea that Ramgarh framed was that there was no mystery in the mechanics of Western war which could not be taught to the Chinese.
As the Burma campaign disastrously closed during the month of May 1942, the weary Chinese and British troops were forced to retreat and forfeit, for the first time, the world-famous Burma Road, as well as most of northern Burma.
Many troops fought their way through the jungles of Burma back into China. A large portion of the Chinese 5th Army, which was rushed into Burma to help stave off the Japanese advances, crossed rivers and mountains to India.
After three months of continuous fighting, followed by a march of some 200 miles without adequate food, water or medical care, the troops were in need of a rest, personnel replacements and equipment. Supplies could be secured in India, so the beginning of a new combat army was brought into being.
Ramgarh had been the site of a large Prisoner of War camp and favored the type of training which the troops were to receive. Being on a railroad, supplies were brought in by carloads and the equipment was distributed which would give this new combat team, with its previously acquired battle experience, an added punch.
The British turned over the field installations at Ramgarh as infantry, artillery and tank training grounds, and also supplied the food and the silver rupees with which to pay the troops. The Americans brought in radios, signal equipment, rifles, field pieces, tanks, trucks and most important of all, instructors. Thousands of Chinese soldiers were flown over the Hump to learn the use of these tools.
The work done at Ramgarh had only one objective - the creation of a modern fighting force which could stand toe to toe with the Japs and slug it out to victory. For a long time it was not known how much was accomplished because time alone would give the battle-tested answer.
The answer was received in the spring and summer of 1944 when General Joseph W. Stilwell led his expertly
trained Chinese forces into combat against the Japanese in North Burma.
In the hard-fought Hukawng and Mogaung valley campaigns, later in the surprise attack at Myitkyina, Ramgarh-trained
Chinese divisions formed the bulk of the forces that blasted the enemy out of his jungle positions and into retreat.
RAMGARH IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS |
The initial purpose of the Ramgarh Training Center was the housing, rehabilitation, clothing, medical treatment, re-equipping and training of the remnants of Chinese units which withdrew from Burma in May 1942. Its mission broadened when additional Chinese troops were flown over the Hump for training. Training was also conducted for American personnel, including Chinese language instruction.
Ramgarh was chosen as the Training Center site in June of 1942. It was a healthful climate, had good railway and training facilities and excellent facilities for housing large numbers of troops. The buildings were all one story brick of contemporary construction, but quite substantial. Ramgarh was being used by the British as a Prisoner of War camp for several thousand German and Italian prisoners. By arrangement with the British the rights to the use of the old camp were obtained and the prisoners moved to other locations.
In late June and July of 1942, American personnel began to assemble at Ramgarh. The first two American officers arrived on 27 June 1942 followed on 30 June by Brigadier General Frederick McCabe, the camp commander designate. During July, other American personnel were assembled and commenced planning and organizing courses of instruction. Supplies also began to arrive in the early days of July.
RAMGARH TRAINING CENTER1942 - 1945 CLICK TO ENLARGE |
For the Americans, Ramgarh was Siberia, only one thin cut above jungle duty itself. Ramgarh was hot, dusty, itchy, far from anything green or pleasant. The food was bad and the barracks cramped. The movies were old and Red Cross hamburger parlors and recreation rooms mocked rather than relieved the loneliness and exhaustion of the GIs. The task of explaining American machines to Chinese soldiers whose tradition of tool handling went no deeper than a buffalo drawn plow was exasperating and embittering and to most Americans, unaware of its historic necessity, it seemed futile.
The first Chinese troops to arrive at Ramgarh were badly decimated and were suffering from disease, malnutrition, lack of clothing and general war torn condition resulting from their long and trying march through the tropical jungles of Burma and Assam.
The first trainload of Chinese troops arrived on 17 July 1942. It was composed of troops from the 38th Division, of the 66th Army which had returned from Burma by way of Imphal. It was commanded by Lt. Gen. Sun Lih Hen. It was followed by remnants of the 22nd Division and 5th Corps commanded by Maj. Gen. Liao Yai Shiang. This group had come out of Burma by way of Ledo. The movement of Chinese troops to Ramgarh continued through July, August and September of 1942.
For the Chinese soldiers, Ramgarh was a wonderland. They were fed for the first time as much food and meat as they could stuff into their hungry bodies. They gained an average of twenty pounds each in weight. They practiced on the ranges with live shells and real bullets. Hospitals doctored them for everything from malaria to foot ulcers. And most important of all - they were paid. Payment of troops was taken out of the hands of their commanding officers, who had previously received the division payroll and cut it into convenient morsels, and made directly on the parade ground into the hands of the individual soldier in hard cash. Between 1942 and 1944, four Chinese divisions were created and equipped at Ramgarh with an effectiveness never before known in Chinese history.
At the Ramgarh Training Center, discipline and administration rested with the Chinese officers, but technique and training were American responsibilities. Hundreds of Chinese student interpreters paired off with American instructors to teach the Chinese soldiers all things from how to fix flat tires to how to load a mule with pack artillery. Friction developed on every level from differing American and Chinese methods of using a rifle sling to the ultimate question of whose name was signed to basic orders - American or Chinese.
The plan for organization of the school which was at first put into effect called for two independent schools, an Infantry School and an Artillery School. The efforts of these two schools were to be coordinated by the commanding general. The plan contemplated breaking up the divisions and forming one group of artillery battalions and one group of infantry battalions.
Instruction at the Ramgarh Training Center was conducted in two general classes: Unit training and School Training. Unit training consisted of guiding and supervising the training of units during and after the officers and enlisted
GEN. STILWELL AND SENIOR OFFICERS OBSERVE TRAINING
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Courses of instruction conducted by the infantry section were: Infantry Weapons, Basic Marksmanship and Technique of Fire, Enfield Rifle, Bren Gun, Thompson Sub-machine Gun, Heavy Machine Gun, 37 mm Anti-tank Gun, 60 mm mortar, 81 mm mortar, Boy's Anti-tank rifle, Rocket Launcher (Bazooka), Hand Grenade, Bayonet and hand-to-hand combat.
Three types of Tactics courses were given, each consisting mainly of work in the field following indoctrination
in the form of explanation, demonstration and practical work.
Basic Course: A two week course of tactics of the individual soldier, the rifle squad, the rifle platoon, the
machine gun platoon, and the mortar platoon. This course was given primarily to officers of company grade.
Advance Course: A two week course including some of the subjects of the basic course plus problems of the rifle
company and rifle battalion. This course was given primarily to officers of field grade.
Special Course: A course of six weeks for selected high ranking officers sent from China. This course included
subjects from the Basic and Advance Courses plus additional problems including the Infantry Regiment, the Combat
Team and a division command post exercise. In addition to tactics, this course included marksmanship of all infantry
weapons stressing methods of instruction and demonstration of all other types of instruction given at the training
center.
The standard course in Jungle Warfare for Chinese troops was eight days, of which five were devoted to the technique and tactics of living and fighting in the jungle and three days devoted to a continuous field exercise. The following subjects were covered: clothing and equipment of the soldier; medical lecture and demonstration involving first aid, sanitation, and malaria control; compass and map reading; patrol formation; breaking cover - method of moving across unavoidable open spaces; living hard on the country; sound direction test - training in determining direction, range, and type of weapon fire; movement in jungle, trail blazing, and silent movement; camouflage and cover; combat patrol demonstration; surprise attack demonstrations emphasizing importance of prearranged plans of action; halt at rest - formations adopted at the halt; ambushes - demonstrations of four types; jungle considerations; sniper demonstrations; construction of defense perimeters; infiltration; booby traps - punji pits and special traps; village attack; tactical walk - selection of bivouac, outposts, fields of fire involving complete defense considerations; booby traps involving special type switches and demolition; attacks - frontal and enveloping; jungle expedients involving the use of bamboo; river crossing demonstrations involving individual expedients, floats, rafts, and boats, and the use of bamboo, ground sheets and tarpaulins; night compass course (six miles through jungle country).
Artillery courses conducted included camouflage and camouflage discipline; field exercise stressing night occupation of a position with firing at daylight; field fortifications; material descriptions, characteristics, nomenclature and maintenance.
Armored Forces training included: Automotive: tank driving, tank maintenance, hoisting and winching, loading and lashing, wrecker driving and conduct of convoys. Communications: message center procedure, radio operation and radio repair. Engineering: pioneer, mines, booby traps, camouflage and battlefield recovery. Tactics: map reading and use of compass.
STILWELL AND INSTRUCTORS WITH CHINESE GUN CREW
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Ramgarh Training Center (RTC as it was designated) had practically unlimited training grounds. Use of lands for training were obtained on the basis of compensation for loss to property owners due to diversion of the use of their land from normal purposes. Special rights to permit firing was obtained for approximately 360 square miles of land for use as target ranges and training areas.
Classes to a great extent were held out of doors. The climate is such that this was feasible during the greater portion of the year and is more desirable from an instructional point of view. Sufficient barracks buildings were converted into classrooms for use during inclement weather. Several outdoor instructional halls with roofs to provide shade were constructed and used from time to time. The permanent camp was capable of housing 12,000 troops with an additional 15,000 housed in two tent camps.
The first course of instruction at Ramgarh commenced on 3 August 1942, conducted by the Artillery Section. The class was composed of troops from the 38th Division. The first Infantry training course commenced the next day. It consisted of a belt line system of instruction in rifle marksmanship. At this time it was expected that these forces would be used in combat during the ensuing dry season. Hence great emphasis was placed on speed in order that as much as possible be accomplished in the limited time available. When it later became evident that a longer time was available, more deliberate methods were put into effect.
On 26 August 1942 General Order No.1 was issued, officially organizing the Ramgarh Training Center. Command over the Chinese Army in India (CAI) was provided for by the Organization of Chih Hui Pu with General Stilwell as Commander, General Lo Cho Ying as Vice Commander and Brigadier General Hayden L. Boatner as Chief of Staff. Chih Hui Pu handled administration, discipline and supply matters but training was placed under the direction of the commanding general of the training center. In January 1943 General Lo returned to China and was not replaced.
By mid-September 1942 it became clear that the movement of Chinese troops from Burma to India was completed. By this time a total of approximately 9,000 had arrived in India. Of these 5,000 were from the 38th Division, 2,500 from the 22nd Division, 1,200 from mixed units of the 5th Corps and a few were scattered groups from the 96th, 200th and 28th Divisions.
MACHINE GUN INSTRUCTION
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It was decided by higher authority to increase the scope of the project by bringing additional personnel from China by air to replace casualties and to organize additional units. The plan now adopted was for the development of a complete army corps (later designated as the New Chinese 1st Army) organized along the lines of the American Army Tables of Organization. The New Army Corps was to be composed of the 38th and 22nd Divisions with appropriate Corps and Service troops to be organized.
With the adoption of this new plan the organization of the school was altered to conform. General Order No.4 dated 15 September 1942 provided for the organization of the Ramgarh Training Center into a headquarters and headquarters detachment, an infantry section, an artillery section and a Chinese language section. On 25 November 1942 a new section, the special units section was organized and charged with conducting all types of specialist training. The Chinese language section became a part of the special units section.
September and October in Services of Supply (SOS) activities were months of providing and organizing supply items and agencies for the camp which gradually rose in population to its full capacity. Surveys were made for bivouac areas and plans made for receiving a large group of replacement troops towards the end of October. On 1 November the first tents were erected in Tent City, immediately to the west of the permanent camp area. On 23 November another tent area was started at Riverside, some five miles to the west of camp. Also during this time construction of several corrals to accommodate a total of 4,700 animals was well underway. Permanent buildings of the former POW camp were converted into warehouses and magazines were erected to store the supplies beginning to roll in for the Chinese forces.
Simultaneously with the activity of the Training Center during August of 1942, SOS was finding its task of supplying and equipping the Chinese units. Demands by the training actions were being made for targets, desks, benches, blackboards and other equipment necessary for training. Roads to the ranges about the camp had to be constructed and maintained. Buildings had to be modified and sometimes reconstructed.
During the last two months of 1942 the activities of the training schools were gradually expanded to include training in other branches such as: Motor Transport, Engineer, Signal, Ordnance, Medical, Veterinary and Chemical Warfare. Various units of the Chinese divisions were also being organized into animal pack units and special equipment for animal transport was designed through collaboration with the SOS and placed on order.
GENERAL STILWELL REVIEWS CHINESE TROOPS WITHCHINESE GENS. SUN LI JEN AND LO CHO YING CLICK TO ENLARGE |
In April 1943 the 38th Division commenced its movement to the Ledo combat area. In September the 22nd Division followed. The movement of these units and the Corps troops continued throughout the remainder of 1943. In order to handle command functions in the Ledo area a forward echelon Chih Hui Pu was organized to take care of the troops in the combat area with General Boatner in command. Brigadier General William E. Bergin replaced him in the position of Chief of Staff, Chih Hui Pu at Ramgarh. On 2 October 1944 General Boatner returned to Ramgarh.
In addition to training, processing and equipping Chinese troops, the accomplishments of Ramgarh include many more or less inconspicuous matters such as the development of training aids, small caliber devices and target materials almost all of which had been improved and built by local means. A small wood and metal working shop was developed for this purpose.
Much experimental work was carried out which resulted in better equipping of Chinese units. One of the major projects along this line was the alteration of the Enfield rifle. Eighteen thousand of these rifles were altered by cutting off four inches from the barrel, resetting the front sights and cutting down the butt. After the experimental models were completed the project was completed by contract to civilian plants through the SOS.
Another major project along this line was the altering of the British Animal Transport Cart. The bodies of these carts were narrowed for use on trails. New high speed axles and automobile wheels were installed, shafts were put on to take place of the pole and harness and rigging changed so that the carts could be pulled by two animals in tandem. Twelve hundred of these carts were altered by the SOS after completion of experimental models at the Training Center.
Still another large project of this nature was the Marine Hitch. This involved altering the 75mm Pack Howitzer so that it could be towed by trucks or drawn by animals. High speed axles and appliances for animal draft were attached. One hundred and sixty Marine Hitches were constructed.
The supply section had three warehouses consisting of United States British Lend/Lease to China and China Defense Supply (CDS) stocks. Supplies were issued to the Chinese Army from the British Lend/Lease to China and CDS stocks, the last of which is the T/E equipment of the Chinese Army, and where necessary U.S. stocks were also diverted to the Chinese Army. Besides keeping a complete and comprehensive record of all the above stocks, it was also necessary to report at intervals to higher headquarters the status of each stock in accordance with nomenclature given in the Standard Nomenclature List of Engineer.
GEN. STILWELL LENDS HIS EXPERTISE AT RIFLE TRAINING
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Supplies report dated 1 March 1943 was forwarded in duplicate through Hq. SOS, RTC, APO 628 to Commanding General, SOS, USF, IBT, Attn: Engineer Section, APO 885, New Delhi. A monthly report of Engineer equipment, supplies and material transferred to the Chinese government under Lend/Lease by U.S. government was submitted. Prior to submission of the report a signed certificate listing items and services transferred and giving dollar value of them was obtained from the representative of CAI. Certified copy of this certificate was used in compiling the report.
Personnel for another division, the 30th Division, started to arrive at Ramgarh on 4 July 1943. Training commenced as soon as they arrived. About 2,500 of the 88th and 90th Regiments, 30th Division were trained. On 1 October 1943 personnel for a Heavy Mortar Regiment began arriving from China. This was originally planned to be a Chemical Warfare regiment but was converted and its designation changed. About 1,400 officers and men began training as fast as they arrived. Another activity was added to the Training Center in June 1943 when a directive was received to organize an Armored Force School. Armored Force training commence immediately and was initially conducted by a subsection of the Special Units section. Personnel for tank units began to arrive 19 October 1943.
As of December 1943, the Ramgarh Training Center had trained 5,368 officers and 48,124 enlisted men of the Chinese Army in India. During 1944 many contingents of Americans were processed through the RTC including men of the Z-Force, Field Replacement Depot and replacements for the 5307th Composite Regiment (Provisional), destined to become part of the Mars Task Force. Other American units trained at Ramgarh included the 280th Signal Pigeon Co., War Dog Detachment 9092, the 18th Veterinary Hospital, 124th Cavalry, 612th Field Artillery Battalion, the 49th Portable Surgical Hospital, 5th Artillery Sound Ranging Platoon and a detachment of Nisei (Japanese-Americans).
The instructors at Ramgarh had been hand-picked for the assignment because they were tops in their field. They were assembled following the attack on Pearl Harbor, coming from as far away as Alaska and Panama, and designated Casual Detachment 8925-B. Knowing they were to instruct troops, but not told where, they departed Charleston, South Carolina on 19 March 1942 and arrived Karachi on 16 May.
RAMGARH PIN
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The Ramgarh Training Center was established in utmost secrecy and its existence not disclosed until after the war. It was the only U.S. Army training center on foreign land until another modeled on it was established at Kunming, China, later in the war. The instructors worked year-round in the stifling heat, three months of monsoon rain and put up with all the diseases and other ills that a tropical climate could throw at them.
At Ramgarh the Chinese Army in India was trained in everything. Most became part of the Chinese 38th and 22nd
Divisions, generally recognized as the best in the Chinese Army and all due to their being trained and equipped
at Ramgarh by the U.S. Army Chinese Training and Combat Command.
Lapel pins with Chinese characters were worn by instructors at Ramgarh.
The translation: VICTORY THROUGH KNOWLEDGE.
CHINESE TROOPS, TRAINED AND EQUIPPED AT RAMGARH, MOVE OUT FOR THE FRONT
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DIPLOMA RECEIVED BY MAJ. GEN. YUAN CHIU UPON COMPLETION OF TRAINING AT RAMGARH
(Courtesy of Flora Chan) |
THE MAIN GATE AT RAMGARH
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CASUAL DETACHMENT 8925-B
ORDERS AND MEMORANDA RTC CHAIN OF COMMAND DETAILS OF TRAINING COURSES MAP OF RAMGARH AREA TODAY * SYMBOLS OF RAMGARH * SPECIAL ORDERS |
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UNCLE JOE STILWELL
STILWELL'S RETURN TO BURMA DRIVER TRAINING ACCIDENTS TRAINING UNITS IN CBI * RED SWEENEY'S STORY * CHUCK LOUIS' STORY THE BULL SHEET |
