Stilwell file photo [1009]

Joseph Stilwell

SurnameStilwell
Given NameJoseph
Born19 Mar 1883
Died12 Oct 1946
CountryUnited States
CategoryMilitary-Ground
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseJoseph Warren Stilwell was born in Palatka, Florida, United States to Benjamin Stilwell, a businessman who held a law degree and a medical doctor degree. His mother was Mary Peene, daughter of the founder of Ben Franklin Shipping Lines. In his youth he had spent time in Florida as well as Yonkers, New York, United States. He was commissioned in the infantry in the Philippine Islands after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in the state of New York in 1904, and again served in the Philippine Islands in 1912. During WW1, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence in IV Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces. During the interwar years, he served three times in China, which allowed him to speak Chinese with fair fluency. A natural linguist, he also had understanding of French, Spanish, and Japanese languages; in his short tenure as an instructor at West Point, he taught some of those languages. In the 1930s, as the Japanese military increasingly violated Chinese soverignty, he was also given the opportunity to observe various tactics that the Japanese Army employed. His third posting to China was perhaps his most important one in his career, during which he was the military attaché of the US Legation in Beiping (now Beijing) in northern China between 1935 and 1940; during this tenure he met Chiang Kaishek in Dec 1938. In between his tours of duty in China, he also held several staff officer positions in the United States where he served with future WW2 leaders such as George Marshall and Omar Bradley. As an instructor at the Infantry School at Fort Benning in Georgia, United States, one of his students drew a cartoon of Stilwell rising out of a vinegar bottle, portraying his sore personality, and the name "Vinegar Joe" stuck with him for the rest of his career. He was indeed a bitter person, and would stingingly coin malicious nicknames for men he did not favor behind their backs. He was known to call President Franklin Roosevelt "Rubber Legs", for example, mocking Roosevelt's physical disability. The most well known of these nicknames was "Peanut" for Chiang, for that Stilwell mistook Chiang's distinctly Chinese style of face-saving political maneuvering for lack of ability.

ww2dbaseBetween 1940 and 1941, Stilwell was the commanding officer of the 7th Division at Ford Ord, California, United States. He was a cinephile; even in the confusing month of Dec 1941 as a commander in the Los Angeles area he watched Walt Disney's animated feature "Dumbo" twice.

ww2dbaseWith the rank of lieutenant general, Stilwell returned to Asia as the commander of the American Army Forces of the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater. Arriving in 25 Feb 1942 in India to fill this capacity, he was faced with the challenge of dealing with well-entrenched Japanese forces in Burma, Siam, Malaya, and Indochina. In a surprising move, he successfully negotiated with Chiang for control over the Chinese forces, and created a nominally integrated Chinese-American army. He did run into frustrations when issuing orders Chinese units, however, as divisional commanders often would not obey his orders without re-confirming with Chiang first, a bureaucracy that Chiang purposefully implemented to keep western influence in check. This, plus other experiences he had, led to Stilwell's dislike for the Chinese leadership, which he described as "oily politicians... treacherous quitters, selfish, conscienceless, unprincipled crooks". This dislike for Chinese leaders was generally recipricated, for that the Chinese viewed Stilwell as the epitomy of western arrogance, as one who suffered from the white savior syndrome typical of the colonial era. Chiang, for example, more than once complained to US leaders of Stilwell's "recklessness, insubordination, contempt and arrogance". Stilwell not only clashed with the Chinese, but his confrontational attitude brought disharmony with westerners as well. General George Giffard of the British 11th Army Group who went as far as suggesting that the Northern Combat Area Command (NCAC) should be transferred from Stilwell to Supreme Allied Command, for that Stilwell could not maintain an effective working relationship with the British. Claire Chennault, a US general who was able to work closely with Chiang, also disliked Stilwell.

ww2dbaseAs the Supreme Allied Commander of the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI Theater), Stilwell held three roles simultaneously:

ww2dbaseOn 24 Feb 1944 Stilwell launched a campaign to regain Burma. Brigadier General Frank Merrill was placed in command of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), also known as Merrill's Marauders, and successfully gained control of the Hakawing Valley, paving way to regaining the valuable airfield at Myitkyina and later reopening the supply routes into China. Gaining Myitkyina brought him open praise, but it also frustrated many. Louis Mountbatten, the Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Command, was aghast when he found out that Stilwell had conducted the offensive toward Myitkyina in secrecy; rather than treating Mountbatten as an ally, Stilwell instead treated him as a competitor, wishing to achieve a major victory against the Japanese in order to embarrass Mountbatten. The campaign to take Myitkyina also led to most of the men of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) to lose faith in Stilwell's leadership, for throughout the campaign Stilwell was known to install yes-men to lead the unit, ignoring proven field commanders such as (namely, Charles Hunter), and that Stilwell continued to falsely dangle rest time before the soldiers offensive after offensive while continuing to keep the men fighting in the harsh jungles, leading to disease, physical exhaustion, and mental exhaustion. When a senator later investigated the accusations voiced by the front line soldiers regarding the false promises, he and Merrill repeatedly lied or presented altered facts so they could maintain their prestige.

ww2dbaseDuring this time in China, Stilwell was accused of nepotism for that he had assigned his son, Colonel Joseph Stilwell, to serve as his head of intelligence, while two sons-in-law were his liaisons with various Chinese military commands.

ww2dbaseIn Oct 1944, his disagreements with Chiang reached a critical level, resulting in his removal from the CBI Theater as recommended by Patrick Hurley and approved by Roosevelt. Three generals were needed to take over the three roles that Stilwell held. US Army Chief of Staff Marshall, though disappointed in Stilwell's failure to maintain a good working relationship with Chiang and Mountbatten, still regarded him highly, thus choosing to place Stilwell in command of the Tenth Army for the final stages of the Battle of Okinawa.

ww2dbaseIn Harold Alexander's 1961 memoirs, the former British general commented on Stilwell's leadership:

I don't think that Stilwell had much of an opinion of us British, but personally he and I got on well together. I always felt that he disliked his position with the Chinese: he was a very senior American general and probably had the feeling that he ought to have been playing a greater part in the war, instead of being relegated to a backwater.... Certainly, in those dark days he was no defeatist; on the contrary, he showed great courage and fight. When the campaign collapsed he found his way back to India through the jungle on foot, having done all he could for his Chinese forces.

ww2dbaseWilliam Slim also regarded Stilwell highly despite Stilwell's known bias against British and British Commonwealth officers, noting:

He was not a great soldier in the highest sense, but he was a real leader in the field; no one else I know could have made his Chinese do what they did. He was, undoubtedly, the most colourful character in South East Asia - and I liked him.

ww2dbaseAlan Brooke, however, thought little of Stilwell:

[Although Stilwell] was a stouthearted fighter, suitable to lead a brigade of Chinese scallywags, I could see no qualities in him. He was a Chinese linguist, but had little military knowledge and no strategic ability of any kind. His worst failing, however, was his deep rooted hatred of anybody or anything British! It was practically impossible to establish friendly relationship with either him or the troops under his command. He did a vast amount of harm by vitiating the relations between America and British both in India and Burma.

ww2dbaseStilwell passed away in 1946 after surgery to remove stomach cancer. His ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

ww2dbaseSources:
Frank McLynn, The Burma Campaign
Gavin Mortimer, Merrill's Marauders Joseph Persico, Roosevelt's Centurions
Nathan Prefer, Vinegar Joe's War
Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Oct 2005

Joseph Stilwell Interactive Map

Photographs

Chiang Kaishek, Song Meiling, and Joseph Stilwell at Maymyo, Burma, 19 Apr 1942, photo 1 of 3Allied Theater commander Gen Joseph Stilwell and Chinese Gen Sun Li-jen, Burma (now Myanmar), 1942General Joseph Stilwell inspecting a recently captured Japanese flag, Burma, 1942General Stilwell with troops in Burma, 1942
See all 97 photographs of Joseph Stilwell

Joseph Stilwell Timeline

19 Mar 1883 Joseph Stilwell was born in Palatka, Florida, United States.
15 Jun 1904 Joseph Stilwell graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, United States.
1 Oct 1904 Joseph Stilwell boarded US Army Transport Sheridan on the west coast of the United States.
29 Oct 1904 Joseph Stilwell disembarked US Army Transport Sheridan in the Philippine Islands.
7 Nov 1904 Joseph Stilwell arrived at Camp Jossman on the island of Guimaras in the Philippine Islands.
9 Apr 1906 Joseph Stilwell departed Philippine Islands.
15 May 1906 Joseph Stilwell arrived in the United States.
22 Aug 1906 Joseph Stilwell was assigned to the Department of Modern Languages at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, United States.
20 Jun 1907 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Guatemala.
9 Aug 1907 Joseph Stilwell returned to the United States.
28 Jun 1908 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Mexico.
1 Aug 1908 Joseph Stilwell returned to the United States.
25 Jun 1909 Joseph Stilwell began a trip to Honduras, Salvador, and Guatemala.
4 Aug 1909 Joseph Stilwell returned to the United States.
5 Jan 1911 Joseph Stilwell boarded US Army Transport Sherman on the west coast of the United States.
31 Jan 1911 Joseph Stilwell disembarked US Army Transport Sherman in the Philippine Islands.
1 Feb 1911 Joseph Stilwell was assigned to Fort William McKinley in Manila, Philippine Islands.
4 Jun 1911 Joseph Stilwell was assigned to Company D of 12th Infantry Regiment at Fort William McKinley in Manila, Philippine Islands.
15 Sep 1911 Joseph Stilwell departed Philippine Islands for China.
14 Dec 1911 Joseph Stilwell returned to the Philippine Islands from China.
11 Feb 1912 Joseph Stilwell returned to the United States.
30 Apr 1913 Joseph Stilwell began a period of leave in the United States.
31 May 1913 Joseph Stilwell ended a period of leave in the United States.
1 Jun 1913 Joseph Stilwell arrived at Fort Niagara, New York, United States for Army Infantry Rifle Team tryouts.
27 Jun 1913 Joseph Stilwell departed Fort Niagara, New York, United States.
18 Aug 1913 Joseph Stilwell was assigned to the Department of English and History at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, United States.
2 Jun 1914 Joseph Stilwell departed the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, United States.
3 Jun 1914 Joseph Stilwell boarded the ship Lorraine in the United States for Spain.
10 Jun 1914 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Madrid, Spain.
15 Jun 1914 Joseph Stilwell began a course in Spanish while in Madrid, Spain.
6 Aug 1914 Joseph Stilwell completed a course in the Spanish language while in Madrid, Spain.
8 Aug 1914 Joseph Stilwell boarded RMS Ivernia at Gibraltar.
20 Aug 1914 Joseph Stilwell disembarked RMS Ivernia at Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
28 Aug 1914 Joseph Stilwell was assigned to the Department of Modern Languages at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, United States.
22 Apr 1915 Joseph Stilwell departed the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, United States.
26 Apr 1915 Joseph Stilwell arrived at Madison Barracks, Sackets Harbor, New York, United States.
27 Apr 1915 Joseph Stilwell was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment at Madison Barracks, Sackets Harbor, New York, United States.
27 Sep 1915 Joseph Stilwell went on leave in the United States.
1 Oct 1915 Joseph Stilwell was assigend to the Department of Modern Languages at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, United States.
24 Aug 1916 Joseph Stilwell departed the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, United States.
25 Aug 1917 Joseph Stilwell was assigned to Camp Lee in Prince George County, Virginia, United States.
30 Dec 1917 Joseph Stilwell departed Camp Lee in Prince George County, Virginia, United States.
7 Jan 1918 Joseph Stilwell boarded USMS New York at New York, New York, United States.
19 Jan 1918 Joseph Stilwell disembarked USMS New York at Le Havre, France and was assigned to the AEF General Headquarters in Chaumont, France.
6 Feb 1918 Joseph Stilwell departed from the AEF General Headquarters in Chaumont, France.
10 Feb 1918 Joseph Stilwell was attached to the British 58th Division in the La Fère Sector in France.
16 Feb 1918 Joseph Stilwell was assigned to an army intelligence course at Langres, France.
28 Feb 1918 Joseph Stilwell was attached to the AEF General Headquarters in Chaumont, France.
17 Mar 1918 Joseph Stilwell departed the AEF General Headquarters in Chaumont, France.
20 Mar 1918 Joseph Stilwell was attached to the French 17th Corps in the Verdun Sector in France.
30 Apr 1918 Joseph Stilwell was attached to the AEF General Headquarters in Chaumont, France.
6 Jun 1918 Joseph Stilwell was attached the the G-2 Section of US 2nd Corps in France.
15 Jun 1918 Joseph Stilwell was temporarily unassigned from the G-2 Section of the US 2nd Corps in France.
19 Jun 1918 Joseph Stilwell was made the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2, US 4th Corps in Toul Sector of France.
20 Jan 1919 Joseph Stilwell was made the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1, US 4th Corps in Cochem, Germany.
23 Jun 1919 Joseph Stilwell stepped down as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1, US 4th Corps in Cochem, Germany.
15 Jul 1919 Joseph Stilwell arrived in the United States.
16 Jul 1919 Joseph Stilwell began a period of leave in the United States.
29 Aug 1919 Joseph Stilwell ended a period of leave in the United States.
29 Aug 1919 Joseph Stilwell enrolled in the University of California in Berkeley, California, United States to study Chinese.
17 May 1920 Joseph Stilwell completed a Chinese curriculum at the University of California in Berkeley, California, United States.
18 May 1920 Joseph Stilwell began a period of leave in the United States.
4 Aug 1920 Joseph Stilwell ended a period of leave in the United States.
5 Aug 1920 Joseph Stilwell boarded USAT Madawaska in California, United States.
31 Aug 1920 Joseph Stilwell disembarked USAT Madawaska at Manila, Philippine Islands.
20 Sep 1920 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Beijing, China to study Chinese.
8 Jul 1923 Joseph Stilwell boarded USAT Thomas in China.
31 Jul 1923 Joseph Stilwell disembarked USAT Thomas in the United States.
1 Aug 1923 Joseph Stilwell began a period of leave in the United States.
9 Sep 1923 Joseph Stilwell ended a period of leave in the United States.
10 Sep 1923 Joseph Stilwell enrolled in the Advanced Officer's Course, Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States.
29 May 1924 Joseph Stilwell completed the Advanced Officer's Course, Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States.
30 May 1924 Joseph Stilwell was made the Assistant Executive at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States.
30 May 1925 Joseph Stilwell stepped down as the Assistant Executive at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States.
31 May 1925 Joseph Stilwell began a period of leave in the United States.
21 Aug 1925 Joseph Stilwell ended a period of leave in the United States.
22 Aug 1925 Joseph Stilwell was made a Student Officer at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, United States.
30 Jun 1926 Joseph Stilwell stepped down as a Student Officer at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, United States.
20 Aug 1926 Joseph Stilwell boarded USAT Thomas in the United States.
28 Sep 1926 Joseph Stilwell disembarked USAT Thomas at Tianjin, China.
29 Sep 1926 Joseph Stilwell was assigned to the 15th Infantry Regiment in Tianjin, China.
1 Oct 1926 Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of a provisional battalion of the 15th Infantry Regiment in Tianjin, China.
6 Dec 1926 Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of 2nd Battalion of the 15th Infantry Regiment in Tianjin, China.
1 May 1927 Joseph Stilwell was made the executive officer of 15th Infantry Regiment in Tianjin, China.
5 Sep 1927 Joseph Stilwell departed Tianjin, China for a tour of Korea and Japan.
25 Sep 1927 Joseph Stilwell returned to Tianjin, China.
1 Nov 1927 Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of a provisional battalion of the 15th Infantry Regiment in Tianjin, China.
24 Dec 1927 Joseph Stilwell was made the executive officer of 15th Infantry Regiment in Tianjin, China.
22 Feb 1928 Joseph Stilwell was made the Post Executive Officer at Tianjin, China.
1 Jul 1928 Joseph Stilwell was made the Chief of Staff of US forces in China.
22 Sep 1928 Joseph Stilwell departed Tianjin, China for a tour of Japan.
30 Oct 1928 Joseph Stilwell returned to Tianjin, China.
10 Mar 1929 Joseph Stilwell departed Tianjin, China for a tour of Korea and Japan.
1 Apr 1929 Joseph Stilwell returned to Tianjin, China.
17 Apr 1929 Joseph Stilwell boarded USAT Grant in China.
7 May 1929 Joseph Stilwell disembarked USAT Grant at San Francisco, California, United States.
14 May 1929 Joseph Stilwell departed San Francisco, California, United States.
31 May 1929 Joseph Stilwell arrived at New York, New York, United States.
1 Jun 1929 Joseph Stilwell began a period of leave in the United States.
9 Jul 1929 Joseph Stilwell ended a period of leave in the United States.
10 Jul 1929 Joseph Stilwell was made an instructor in tactics at Fort Benning, Georgia, Unietd States.
30 May 1933 Joseph Stilwell stepped down as the Chief of First Section (Tactics) at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States.
6 Jun 1933 Joseph Stilwell arrived in San Diego, California, United States.
20 Apr 1935 Joseph Stilwell began a period of leave in the United States.
4 Jun 1935 Joseph Stilwell ended a period of leave in the United States.
5 Jun 1935 Joseph Stilwell boarded USAT Grant at San Francisco, California, United States.
6 Jul 1935 Joseph Stilwell disembarked USAT Grant in China.
7 Jul 1935 Joseph Stilwell was made a military attachĂ© to China and Siam; he was to be based in Beiping, China.
13 May 1939 Joseph Stilwell began a period of leave in China. In the following two months he would visit various locales in French Indochina; Siam; British Malaya; Java, Dutch East Indies; and the Philippine Islands.
24 Jul 1939 Joseph Stilwell boarded USAT Grant in the Philippine Islands.
14 Aug 1939 Joseph Stilwell disembarked USAT Grant in the United States.
16 Aug 1939 Joseph Stilwell began a period of leave in the United States.
23 Sep 1939 Joseph Stilwell ended a period of leave in the United States.
24 Sep 1939 Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of the 3rd Brigade at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, United States.
8 Oct 1939 Joseph Stilwell was made the Infantry Commander of the 2nd Division at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, United States.
1 Jul 1940 Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of the 7th Division at Fort Ord, Seaside, California, United States.
25 Jul 1941 Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of III Corps at Presidio of Monterey, California, United States.
24 Dec 1941 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Washington, DC, United States to assist in the planning of the invasion of North Africa.
2 Jan 1942 Chiang Kaishek cabled US President Roosevelt asking the President to nominate a trusted American General to act as Chief of Staff in the China Theatre. The Americans responded by suggesting that the functions of Chief of Staff China Theatre should be combined with Commander of the China-Burma-India Theatre and Supervisor of Lend-Lease material. Brigadier-General John Magruder of the American Military Mission to China was not senior enough (and was already disillusioned with the Chinese) and when Lieutenant General Hugh A. Drum turned down the position it was finally offered to Major General Joseph W. Stilwell who reluctantly agreed to go where he was sent.
20 Jan 1942 President Roosevelt suggested to a Cabinet meeting that an air freight and alternative land route be considered for the supply of China - this task to be added to Stilwell's already considerable responsibilities.
23 Jan 1942 In Washington, DC, United States, George Marshall told Joseph Stilwell that Stilwell was definitely going to be sent to China. Stilwell began assembling a staff for his upcoming mission to China.
2 Feb 1942 US President Franklin Roosevelt officially named Joseph Stilwell as the Chief of Staff to Chiang Kaishek.
25 Feb 1942 Joseph Stilwell arrived in India.
3 Mar 1942 Joseph Stilwell met with Chiang Kaishek in Lashio, Burma. At the conclusion of the meeting Stilwell officially assumed the title of Chief of Staff to the Supreme Commander of the China Theater and Commanding General of US Army Forces in the China Theater of Operation, Burma, and India.
9 Mar 1942 Joseph Stilwell had dinner with Chiang Kaishek and his family; in a private conversation afterwards, Chiang hinted to Stilwell that he had no intention of sacrificing Chinese troops in the doomed defense of Mandalay, Burma.
12 Mar 1942 US Army Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell was named the commander of American forces in the CBI theater.
13 Mar 1942 Joseph Stilwell met with Harold Alexander. Stilwell's diary entry for the day noted that he was unimpressed with the British general.
1 Apr 1942 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Chongqing, China, threatening to resign his post as Chiang's chief of staff over Chinese field commanders' insubordination.
19 Apr 1942 Chiang Kaishek, Song Meiling, and Joseph Stilwell met at Maymyo, Burma.
15 May 1942 Joseph Stilwell arrived in India.
3 Jun 1942 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Chongqing, China. Later on the same day, Stilwell met with Chiang Kaishek who urged for more Lend-Lease supplies; in the same meeting, Stilwell asked Chiang to purge the Chinese officer corps of those responsible for the recent poor performance in Burma.
22 Jun 1942 Joseph Stilwell was made the Comanding General, China-Burma-India Theater.
24 Jun 1942 Joseph Stilwell, with Song Meiling in his support, convinced Chiang Kaishek to agree to sending Chinese troops to India for training.
19 Jul 1942 Joseph Stilwell devised the X-Y Plan for 20 to 30 Chinese divisions to invade northern Burma with the ultimate goal being Rangoon in the south.
7 Aug 1942 Joseph Stilwell departed Chongqing, China for Delhi, India via Assam in northeastern India.
12 Aug 1942 In India, Joseph Stilwell departed Delhi for Karachi.
16 Aug 1942 In India, Joseph Stilwell departed Delhi for Ramgarh, the Chinese troops training site.
30 Aug 1942 Joseph Stilwell met with Archibald Wavell in Delhi, India, then had dinner with Lord Linlithgow.
6 Sep 1942 Joseph Stilwell departed Delhi, India for Chongqing, China.
7 Sep 1942 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Chongqing, China; later on the same day he met with Song Meiling.
21 Sep 1942 Joseph Stilwell had dinner with the Chiang household and shared photographs of the Chinese troop training at Ramgarh, India. In Stilwell's diary entry for the day, he noted that he was able to converse with Chiang Kaishek entirely in Chinese for the first time without the help of Song Meiling who usually helped in the role of translator.
27 Sep 1942 Joseph Stilwell received orders to plan for an offensive into northern Burma to open the Ledo Road and Burma Road.
15 Oct 1942 Joseph Stilwell departed Chongqing, China or Delhi, India.
17 Oct 1942 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Delhi, India.
19 Oct 1942 Joseph Stilwell convinced Archibald Wavell to commit to an offensive in Burma in cooperation with the Sino-American forces.
26 Oct 1942 Joseph Stilwell announced his intention to establish his forward base at Ledo, India for the planned offensive into Burma.
3 Nov 1942 Chiang Kaishek met with Joseph Stilwell regarding the planned offensive into Burma, pledging 15 divisions by 15 Feb 1943.
26 Jan 1943 Chiang Kaishek held a celebratory dinner for Joseph Stilwell for having recently earned the Distinguished Service Cross medal.
1 Feb 1943 Joseph Stilwell departed Chongqing, China for India.
9 Feb 1943 Chinese leaders Song Ziwen and He Yingqin, British leaders Archibald Wavell and John Dill, and American leaders Henry Arnold, Joseph Stilwell, Clayton Bissell, and Brehon Somervell met in Delhi, India.
20 Apr 1943 Joseph Stilwell was invited to join in on the meeting already arranged between Franklin Roosevelt and Claire Chennault.
21 Apr 1943 Joseph Stilwell and Claire Chennault departed Chongqing, China.
29 Apr 1943 Joseph Stilwell and Claire Chennault arrived in Washington DC, United States.
14 May 1943 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Washington DC, United States to attend the Trident Conference.
14 Jul 1943 Joseph Stilwell departed China for India.
31 Aug 1943 US War Department Operations Division sent a telegram to Joseph Stilwell, ordering him to recruit and organize 2,830 officers and men for a long range penetration operations in Burma. The troops was to be divided into 3 groups. 950 men were to be recruited from those with jungle experience in the Pacific Theater of Operations, and 1900 men were to be recruited from the Caribbean and US regions. They are to be ready for deploymen to Burma by Feb 1944. While elated that American troops were finally going to be fighting in Burma, Stilwell was angered by the fact that command of the operation was to be given to the newly promoted British Army Major General Wingate rather than to Stilwell.
1 Sep 1943 Chinese General He Yingqin tentatively planned to organize 45 divisions stationed in southern China into a cohesive force, Zebra Force, which Joseph Stilwell wished to establish.
7 Oct 1943 Joseph Stilwell met with the newly arrived Louis Mountbatten in Delhi, India.
15 Nov 1943 Joseph Stilwell departed Chongqing, China.
20 Nov 1943 Joseph Stilwell and Frank Merrill arrived at Cairo, Egypt and checked into the Mena House hotel.
8 Dec 1943 Joseph Stilwell departed Cairo, Egypt.
12 Dec 1943 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Chongqing, China.
16 Dec 1943 Joseph Stilwell met with Chiang Kaishek in Chongqing, China. Chiang told Stilwell that he would only allow a major Chinese offensive into Burma if the Allies could achieve a three-to-one numerical superiority against the Japanese. He also turned over full command of the two Chinese divisions training in Ramgarh, India to Stilwell, who immediately prepared them for operations in northern Burma.
18 Dec 1943 Chiang Kaishek gave Joseph Stillwell command of the Chinese 22nd and 28th Divisions, both of which were assembling in Assam Province, India, near the border with Burma. This made Stilwell the first foreigner to command Chinese troops without any conditions.
20 Dec 1943 Joseph Stilwell departed Chongqing, China for Burma.
21 Dec 1943 Joseph Stilwell arrived in his field headquarters in Burma.
31 Dec 1943 During a meeting in Delhi, India, Joseph Stilwell successfully persuaded his superiors to give him command of the US 1688th Detachment, ousting British General Orde Wingate whose successful long range penetration operations directly led to the creation of the US unit.
19 Feb 1944 The 1st Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) marched past Joseph Stilwell's headquarters at Shingbiyang, Burma as they headed out to the assembly area in Ningbyen for the first long range penetration mission, shaven and helmeted to look good for the general who they expected would show to wish them luck. Stilwell chose to remain in his quarters, disappointing his troops.
21 Feb 1944 The 2nd Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) arrived at Ningbyen, Burma. Joseph Stilwell, in a dirty field jacket without rank insignia, talked with some soldiers. Several soldiers did not realize who Stilwell was and made jokes about his older age. The visit repaired the damage done by Stilwell when he neglected to take the time to meet his men at Shingbiyang two days prior. Also on this date, the first supply drop by C-47 aircraft for the long range penetration mission was conducted.
22 Feb 1944 The 3rd Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) arrived at Ningbyen, Burma. Joseph Stilwell met with Frank Merrill and ordered him to reach Walawbum, 15 miles south of Maingkwan on the Kamaing Road, by 3 Mar, which was when the Chinese 22nd and 38th Divisions and the Chinese 1st Provisional Tank Group was supposed to attack Walawbum from the opposite direction.
28 Feb 1944 All three battalions of the US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) arrived at the village of Tanja Ga in Burma about 22 miles east-northeast of Ningbyen. The village was the assembly area from which they would commence its campaign against the Japanese. Joseph Stilwell ordered the unit to begin marching toward Malawbum, 40 miles away, as soon as possible. The 2nd Battalion and 3rd Battalion would depart at dusk.
2 Mar 1944 Joseph Stilwell gave orders to the three battalion commanding officers of the US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) in Burma. The 1st Battalion was to split in two, one force to block trails at Sana Ga and Nchet Ga, and the other to be held in reserve at West Ga. The 2nd Battalion was to go through Wesu Ga to set up a roadblock on the Kamaing Road just east of the Numpyek River 2.5 miles west of Malawbum. The 3rd Battalion was to pass through Sabaw Ga and Lagang Ga and secure high positions along the Numpyek River. All three battalions were to hold those positions until Chinese troops would capture Malawbum. As the Americans advanced according to these orders, they engaged Japanese troops later on the same day.
6 Mar 1944 Louis Mountbatten arrived at Taihpa, Burma by transport aircraft escorted by 16 fighters to inspect Joseph Stilwell's headquarters; Stilwell privately complained that Mountbatten had used enough fuel on this trip for Stilwell to mount an offensive. Mountbatten would also visit the Walawbum battlefield 25 kilometers to the south. On the front lines, the 2nd Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) arrived at Wesu Ga early in the morning. Colonel Charles Hunter, liaison officer Colonel Chun Lee, and a small group traveled north to make contact with was meeting with Colonel Rothwell Brown of the joint American-Chinese 1st Provisional Tank Group to possibly coordinate an attack on Japanese positions near Walawbum, but they could not locate the Chinese unit. On the same day, the Japanese launched several frontal attacks across the Numpyek River near Walawbum. 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)'s Orange Combat Team halted the attacks, inflicting heavy casualties while suffering only a small amount itself. At about 2230 hours, as the Japanese halted the attacks and quietly sent litter bearers to carry away the wounded, Frank Merrill ordered Lieutenant Colonel Charles Beach to withdraw the Orange Combat Team, intending for the Chinese 38th Division to eliminate the remaining Japanese.
7 Mar 1944 Chinese 38th Division overran most Japanese defensive positions at Walawbum, Burma by mid-morning, thus negating the need for the US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) to move to Chanmois. Joseph Stilwell celebrated the successful Sino-American collaboration before a group of journalists, but the soldiers were jealous of the Chinese soldiers who were regularly given canned corned beef, fresh cucumbers and onions, and rice, while the Americans, who operated far behind enemy lines and thus cut off from being supplies regularly, dined on largely K-rations, which the soldiers found boring. Meanwhile, General Shinichi Tanaka ordered Japanese 55th and 56th Infantry Regiments to attack American positions at Walawbum to allow the rest of Japanese 18th Division to retreat southward; Joseph Stilwell, Jr., the ranking American intelligence officer in the area and so of the commanding general, failed to detect the withdrawal and thus would lose the chance to wipe out the demoralized Japanese division.
10 Mar 1944 Frank Merrill met with Joseph Stilwell at Stilwell's headquarters at Maingkwan, Burma, and then returned to his own field headquarters at Shikau Ga.
3 Apr 1944 General Montagu Stopford ordered Major General R. P. L. Ranking to move the Indian 161st Brigade from Kohima to Dimapur in India. Ranking believed this was a bad move as Kohima would be a Japanese target, and appealed to William Slim; Slim sided with Stopford. Also on this date, Louis Mountbatten and William Slim met with Joseph Stilwell at Jorhat, an airfield at Assam, India; Stilwell reluctantly offered to send Chinese 38th Division to Imphal, India to assist with the defense, and was secretly relieved when Slim declined as Stilwell wished to use the Chinese in northern Burma to further his own campaign
21 Apr 1944 Joseph Stilwell gave orders to launch a desperate plan in an attempt to capture Myitkyina, Burma, having Chinese and American troops march over the difficult Kumon Mountains starting on the following day.
26 Apr 1944 Troops of the 3rd Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) arrived at Naubum, Burma. Joseph Stilwell, already there by aircraft, revealed to the soldiers that Myitkyina was to be the next objective. Frank Merrill told Charles Hunter that Hunter would have tactical command of the operation, with Marauders, US 150th Infantry Regiment, Chinese 50th Division, and the 88th Regiment of the Chinese 30th Division under him, totalling 6,000 men. Hunter divided the troops into three forces. He was to personally lead H Force, consisted of the 1st Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), the Chinese 150th Regiment, and a howitzer battery. Colonel Henry Kinnison was to lead the K Force, consisted of 3rd Battlion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), the Chinese 88th Regiment, and two howitzer guns. Finally, Lieutenant Colonel George McGee, Jr. was to lead M Force, consisted of 2nd Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) and 300 Kachin guides and guerrilla fighters.
29 Apr 1944 H Force of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), under the command of Colonel Charles Hunter, departed toward the Kumon Mountain Range in Burma. Joseph Stilwell opted not to inform Louis Mountbatten regarding this offensive toward Myitkyina, Burma in fear of a possible failure that would make him appear incapable in front of the British.
3 May 1944 The US Joint Chiefs of Staff directed Joseph Stilwell to make Myitkyina, Burma his primary goal, independent of SEAC, in order to develop communications with China in support of the American effort in the Pacific.
17 May 1944 The Japanese attack on the Blackpool site of Operation Thursday in Burma was repulsed. On the same day, William Slim handed operational control of the Chindits over to Joseph Stilwell.
17 May 1944 At Myitkyina, Burma, Colonel Charles Hunter ordered Chinese 150th Regiment to attack the airstrip west of the city, and ordered 1st Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) under Lieutenant Colonel William Osborne to capture the ferry terminal at Pamati one mile southwest of the airstrip on the Irriwady River. The Chinese attack began at 1030 hours and the airstrip was captured at 1200 hours, with most Japanese troops falling back into the city aboard trucks. 1st Battalion Red Combat Team remained at the ferry terminal and White Combat Team moved to the airstrip to reinforce the Chinese. At 1530 hours, Joseph Stilwell learned of the success, and gleefully noted in his diary that this capture would embarrass the British. When informed of the capture, Louis Mountbatten was angered by Stilwell's decision to hide this offensive from him. Nevertheless, Mountbatten gracefully sent a message to Stilwell to praise his leadership and to congratulate the success. Stilwell, however, did not think of sending any messages to the commanders in the field to thank them. Colonel Charles Hunter, the tactical commander, was surprised that his superior Frank Merrill failed to show in the first group of aircraft to land at Myitkyina Airfield; instead, Merrill sent a team of engineers to repair an airstrip even though Hunter had already reported that the airfield was captured in tact. Merrill also failed to send any badly needed food and ammunition. Shortly after capturing the airfield, Hunter ordered K Force of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) to move toward the airfield with speed. On the Japanese side, troops were quickly gathered at Tingkrukawng to the northeast and would arrive at Myitkyina within 24 hours.
18 May 1944 Joseph Stilwell arrived at Myitkyina Airfield, Burma, not with badly needed food and ammunition for the US US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) and its Chinese allies, but instead with 12 war correspondents who happily took photographs of the general on the newly captures airfield. The next transport again failed to bring any supplies, instead it disembarked anti-aircraft gunners. In the afternoon, Stilwell ordered a Chinese battalion to probe Japanese defenses at the city of Myitkyina to the east, which by this time had grew to a strength of 700 men. Meanwhile, K Force of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) marched toward the village of Charpate five miles northwest of Myitkyina near the Mogaung-Myitkyina Road while H Force White Combat Team of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) captured the ferry terminal at Zigyun southeast of Myitkyina.
22 May 1944 Joseph Stilwell promoted John McCammon to the rank of brigadier general to command all American and Chinese troops in the Myitkyina area in Burma, despite his recent arrival and lack of field command experience. On the front lines, after dark, men of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), tired from spending so long fighting in the Burmese jungles without rest, allowed a Japanese force to march right past their foxholes as they slept, losing several men, including Lieutenant Warren Smith who might not had woken from his sleep when he was killed. By this date, the strength of 2nd Battalion of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) was down to only about 400 soldiers who were fit for combat.
25 May 1944 Joseph Stilwell flew to Myitkyina Airfield. Charles Hunter personally handed him a letter listing all the grievances from the field officers and men of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), noting that the area commanders had betrayed them by depriving them of rest and treating them as expendable, leading to the whole of 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) becoming practically ineffective as a combat unit.
1 Aug 1944 Joseph Stilwell was promoted to full general; his trusted deputy Frank Merrill pinned the fourth star on his superior's uniform. On the same day, Stilwell met with Louis Mountbatten at Kandy, Ceylon to discuss Stilwell's temporary command over Mountbatten's theater while Mountbatten planned for a trip to Britain.
4 Aug 1944 Joseph Stilwell named Frank Merrill, who he considered as a yes man, as the new commanding officer of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), relieving Charles Hunter. Hunter was returned to the United States by ship. Morale among the US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), most of whom were recovering from their ordeal in hospital beds, collapsed completely as a consequence, and soon after the entire force was despicably disbanded. Back in the United States, the obnoxious Joseph Stilwell's treatment of Hunter's "Marauders" had become a public scandal eventually leading to a full inquiry.
30 Aug 1944 Joseph Stilwell departed Kandy, Ceylon for Delhi, India to meet with Patrick Hurley.
8 Sep 1944 Joseph Stilwell rejected Chiang Kaishek and Patrick Hurley's recommendation to march on Bhamo, Buma, citing troop exhaustion.
13 Sep 1944 Joseph Stilwell told leader Mao Zedong's envoys that he would begin to arrange Lend-Lease supplies for the Chinese communists.
19 Sep 1944 Joseph Stilwell personally handed Chiang Kaishek a message from Franklin Roosevelt which noted that Stilwell was to be given unrestricted powers in China.
1 Oct 1944 Joseph Stilwell's diary entry for this date noted that he felt he was about to be ousted by Franklin Roosevelt.
19 Oct 1944 Franklin Roosevelt relieved Joseph Stilwell from all commands in China and recalled him to the United States.
20 Oct 1944 Joseph Stilwell bid his final farewell to Chiang Kaishek at Chiang's home in Chongqing, China.
21 Oct 1944 Joseph Stilwell departed Chongqing, China in the afternoon for the United States via India.
26 Oct 1944 Joseph Stilwell officially stepped down as the Commanding General, China-Burma-India Theater.
22 Jan 1945 Joseph Stilwell arrived in the United States.
24 Jan 1945 Joseph Stilwell was made the Commanding General, Army Ground Forces.
24 May 1945 Joseph Stilwell arrived in Manila, Philippine Islands.
18 Jun 1945 Douglas MacArthur offered Joseph Stilwell the position as his chief of staff, but Stilwell turned it down, citing that he preferred to command troops.
21 Jun 1945 Joseph Stilwell stepped down as the Commanding General, Army Ground Forces.
23 Jun 1945 Joseph Stilwell accepted Douglas MacArthur's offer to make him the commanding officer of the 10th Army, which consisted of American, Canadian, Australian, and Indian troops.
15 Oct 1945 Joseph Stilwell stepped down as the commanding officer of 10th Army in Okinawa, Japan.
1 Nov 1945 Joseph Stilwell was attached to the War Equipment Board in Washington, DC, United States.
19 Jan 1946 Joseph Stilwell stepped down from his position at the War Equipment Board in Washington, DC, United States.
22 Jan 1946 Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of Western Defense Command, Presidio of San Francisco, California, United States.
28 Feb 1946 Joseph Stilwell stepped down as the commanding officer of Western Defense Command, Presidio of San Francisco, California, United States.
1 Mar 1946 Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of 6th Army at Presidio of San Francisco, California, United States.
25 Jun 1946 Joseph Stilwell served as an observer at the Bikini Islands for atomic bomb tests.
31 Jul 1946 Joseph Stilwell completed his mission as an observer at the Bikini Islands for atomic bomb tests, and departed for San Francisco, California, United States.
12 Oct 1946 Joseph Stilwell passed away from stomach cancer at the Presidio of San Francisco military base in San Francisco, California, United States.




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. todd cleave says:
9 Oct 2005 05:04:05 PM

MI officers usually hit brick wall...So how did General Marshall come to put him in charge, invasion of North Africa? He was pulled off that detail at last minute, sent to China, by Stimson, at last minute. His fault was he wanted to get Chinese to fight Japan, not each other... Some time, look up his Report to the State Dept, 1938 on the drug business in China, effect on the people of all China. Enlightening....During the war, he had to keep plans in his head...at least five spook organizations had penetrated service staff, his logistic support at his HQ, including Japanese, and he could not clean house! He chose to fight, not go to dinner parties, sign checks, turn Lend Lease, printing press money plates over to the KMT! He took rap re 20th Air Force, Cheng-du over aviation fuel on direct orders of Hap Arnold...His strategic and tactical understanding was proven correct, re Ichigo! He knew, trusted Col. Karl Eifler from long before the war got what he wanted from Col. Eifler, Booms from the Jungle. He saw to it Chinese soldiers training at Ramgarh got their pay, on time...Amazing a real first.
I have copy, unpublished part of General Dorns memoir...most enlightening re character of both Chinese and Americans...
2. Randall Thomas says:
1 Aug 2011 05:16:10 PM

Any body have information about a poster that saterizes Vinegar Joe as the head of a Moslem court in Western Canda in 1946?
3. Commenter identity confirmed Alan Chanter says:
23 May 2015 12:07:53 AM

Nobody would want to inflict a painful death from stomach cancer on even ones worst enemy but, in the case of this man, who had been heard to call British and Indian fighting soldiers as 'Pig- *** ers' and who had once sent a favourite staff officer to tell the Chindits that they were 'yellow', there can hardly be a whole lot of sympathy.
4. daniel says:
25 Feb 2019 01:04:38 PM

I have a portrait of the general that was in a storage unit I bought at auction. It is charcoal on canvass with only the initials J.S as the artist. I'd like to know if anyone would like to buy it.

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More on Joseph Stilwell
Event(s) Participated:
» Trident Conference
» Cairo Conference
» Second Cairo Conference
» Battle of Myitkyina
» Okinawa Campaign
» Japan's Surrender

Related Books:
» Merrill's Marauders
» Roosevelt's Centurions
» The Burma Campaign: Disaster into Triumph 1942-45
» Vinegar Joe's War

Joseph Stilwell Photo Gallery
Chiang Kaishek, Song Meiling, and Joseph Stilwell at Maymyo, Burma, 19 Apr 1942, photo 1 of 3
See all 97 photographs of Joseph Stilwell


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