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Army within Army. Wedemeyer's U.S. forces—only a few thousand—formed the nervous system of the new Chinese Army. The only combat Americans in China were the men of Major General Claire Chennault's redoubtable Fourteenth Air Force; their coordination was a key factor. Then U.S. ground troops, under Major General Robert ("Uncle Bob") McClure, a Guadalcanal veteran, were organized in a network of liaison units running like a stiffening spine through selected Chinese divisions.
A new Service of Supply was set up. Americans and Chinese determined what could be brought in by air over the Hump,* what by trucks over the Stilwell Road, what could be expected from Chinese war production, now rising smartly under U.S. guidance and the able direction of China's scholarly WPBoss Dr. Wong Wen-hao. Proper supplies were then carefully pumped out to field units. For the first time, China's armies were adequately fed, paid in hard cash, given ammunition and guns in a steady flow.
On the Chinese side, Generalissimo Chiang streamlined the command of his field forces, began to clean up the worst abuses of a chain-gang system of local conscription. Now the Generalissimo works out basic strategy with Wedemeyer, transmits his orders directly to his field commanders. Wedemeyer informs McClure and McClure's network supervises the execution. But in action, Chinese officers are solely responsible. The result is that U.S. officers train and fight alongside Chinese infantrymen and artillerists. The Americans have set up veterinary, signal corps, transport and general staff schools to teach U.S. techniques. These institutions were conceived by General Stilwell and were in existence when Wedemeyer arrived. But Wedemeyer welded them into a cohesive whole. Seldom had the traditional friendship of two great peoples been so tested and proved on the battlefields and in the headquarters which are the brains of battle.
Himalayan Headaches. The personal and technical difficulties which had to be surmounted to accomplish this job and keep it going were Himalayan. For Wedemeyer it meant a twelve-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week job. Paper work and conferences were endless. The stream of visitors at the General's Chungking headquarters includes diplomats and production experts as well as military personnel. But from 4 to 5 each afternoon is reserved for the Generalissimo—and often Wedemeyer uses the hour to call on Chiang.