WAR DEPARTMENT
          HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY AIR FORCES
                       WASHINGTON
 
MEMORANDUM TO: Captain John L. McCrea,
               Naval Aide to the President
 
SUBJECT: Movement of Freight into Burma and China.
 
 
         1. With reference to your memorandum of' April 23, 1942, concerning the amount of freight
currently being carried into Burma and China, the following is all the information the War
Department has on the subject:
 
 
a. In February: Movement of supplies over the Burma Road
totaled just over 13,700 tons or an average of 490 tons a day.
 
b. In March: First two weeks tonnage haulage was approximately
the same average as February.
 
c. In March: Last two weeks, there was sharp decrease. This decrease is ascribed to the fact that
trucks normally employed in carrying supplies were diverted for other military purposes.
 
d. It should be borne in mind that the February and March movement of supplies along the Burma
Road undoubtedly represents supplies evacuated from Rangoon just before its occupation by the
Japanese. Temporary supply bases were established at various points along the railway south and
northeast of Mandalay, as well as at Lashio, the railway terminus in eastern Burma.
 
e. We have had no information in regard to any fresh supplies
reaching Burma or China other than airborne supplies.
 
f. Estimated total capacity (which has uever been even nearly approached) of the Burma Road is
1,000 tons a day.
 
g.With equipment presently available, Colonel 0sman expects to
move from India to China, by air during April, 100 tons of aviation gasoline. In May and June,
when additional transports arrive, he expects to step up this figure to 1,000 tons and 1,500 tons
respectively.
 
 
h. Movement o‚ supplies by the all-weather Southern Route road
Trom the bisection of the ASSAM--BENGAL Railway at Manipur to Dalewa via Laphal cannot
be arranged until the Imphal - Kalewa section is