February 26, 1942
 
MEM0RDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT:
 
Subject: Air transport to China (sketch attached).
 
 
       Route. The air transport route from Northern India to China
will be from Sadiya, India, to Myitkyina, Burly, a distance of two
hundred miles. In Myitloyina cargoes will be trans-loaded to
barges and floated one hundred miles dovm the Irawaddy River
to Bhamo, Burma. There they willl be loaded on trucks and 
proceed over the Burma Road to Chungking, China.
 
       Planes. Seventy-five transport planes are now being or will be
fitted by the Douglas factory in Los Angeles with long range tanks 
to permit their flight delivery to Calcutta. Fifty of these will be
Army transports taken from monthly production schedules up to June
 l, 1942. Twenty-five are commercial type transport planes which
 you authorized to be taken from domestic airlines; the
first of these will start moving to Calcutta on March 15th. All
seventy-five airplanes will be in Calcutta by June 15, 1942.
 
      Organization. Arrangements are under way to institute the
service as soon as the airplanes begin to arrive in Calcutta.
Arrangements are now being made with reference to obtaining
the barges to be used on the Irawaddy River and also for labor
at all points of loading. An Air Corps Ferrying Com~d group
totaling one thousand officers and men under the command
of General Earl Naiden, recently detached from General Brett's
headquarters, is being set up to organize and operate the Sadiya
Myitkyina air transport route, in collaboration with Chinese National Air
Service officials who are thoroughly familiar with the local conditions.
 
       Tonnage capacity. When all seventy-five cargo planes are in 
operation they will have a capacity of 7500 cargo tons a month.
To equal the present capacity of the Burma Road, 17,000 to
20,000 tons per month, an additional one hundred cargo planes
would be necesscary. Present allocation of cargo planes to China
has been made after a close study of the comparative needs in
the different theaters of operation.
 
        Planes accompanying GeneralStillwell. There are five transport
airplanes accompanying General Stilwell to China. They should reach
Calcutta not later than Msxch loth and will be
available to General  Stillwell to use as he deems necessary.