Charles Newton Hunter

This becomes a description in an ugly moment in the 1944 Burma campaign. Galahad was "Merrill's Marauders" a copy of the British Wingate's "Chindit" guerilla force. Col. Hunter has the difficult task of justifying the near sacrifice of the American Galahad force of 5,000 men, along with the Chindits, to aid what was finally a failed Chinese offensive designed to retake North Burma, and re-open the Burma road. Conditions for all the combatants, Indian, British, Japanese, and Chinese were awful up there. The Chinese failed in their efforts, resulting in both "Galahad" and Chindit losses being much higher than they would have been if the Allies had stepped back earlier. Col. Hunter (USA ) works hard to make it seem a "Glorious near victory" rather than a defeat. "Merrill's Marauders" never forgave Stilwell for his failure to produce a more serious effort from the Chinese. The Marauders were never rebuilt. Slim, who had a dislike of elite formations for good reasons, stated "Both the Chindits and the Marauders...had been given tasks beyond their capabilities." The regular, Burma army under Slim, eventually accomplished the mission later in the year.… (altro)