Can anyone confirm that this is based on true events?
I know that this is the glam version of a war film, and that OSS was in Burma and they did fight the Japanese, but still.
Did the Chinese Government give warrants to warlords to attack anyone including Allied forces for supplies?
And did the OSS or Kachin Rangers cross the border in to China to retaliate?
If anyone has any information on this, please share it.
I'm interested in this subject.
sounds like it's based on partially confirmable events, with some changes.
shareIt's based on the true story of Detachment 101, which began operations in July of 1942, the first OSS unit to do so. It had remarkable success and it is rumored that some of the elders of the Karan rebel movement in Burma/Myanmar were trained as guerrillas by the OSS during WWII when they were teenagers.
There are a number of books on the subject. I don't know if they ever attacked American convoys, but I do know Chinese guerrilla forces operated against the Japanese in Northern Burma during WWII. There were also groups led by local warlords who were loyal to no one and basically operated as bandits. Some may have hired out to the Nationalist Chinese as land-based "privateers." I doubt Chiang Kai-Shek authorized them to attack Americans. By "all enemies" he probably meant the Communists as well as the Japanese. Mao's forces were no better and fought his as much as they fought the Japanese.
I highly recommend Tom T. Chamales' book, "Never So Few" to those that would like a more complete version of this story.
shareThe incident of an American led Kachin detachment crossing the border into China to retaliate against Chinese troops was experienced by Chamales himself.
Chamales was a member or Merrill's Marauders, and when that unit was disbanded he joined the OSS and was in Burman until the end of the war. If you read Chamales' book you'll see a disclaimer in the front more or less to the effect that the author had personal knowledge of the events as described when the main character is brought to account for his actions. In the real incident, Chinese troops killed Kachins rather than Ameicans, and it was their idea go cross the border for revenge. For further reading I suggest "BEHIND JAPANESE LINES: WITH THE OSS IN BURMA" by Richard Dunlop, where this incident is mentioned.
"In the real incident, Chinese troops killed Kachins rather than Ameicans". This makes more sense. When I read the plotline, my first reaction was that Chinese killing Americans, when the Americans were there to fight the Japanese, made no sense. Typical Hollywood nonsense. They can't even come up with a story that makes sense.
shareNo, not off base at all . . . one has to first understand the intricacies of World War II--the real World War II . . . the US was forcing Chiang into an alliance with Mao--Communist forces . . . many warlords opposed this . . . so they sold and traded with the Japanese (who were blocking off a Commie take over of China) . . . US forces would be attacked by said warlords . . . all of this is part of the, shall we say, "dirty little secrets" of Chamales book . . . one of the only books to deal with the real truth of the situation . . .
shareI had never heard of this film before a few days ago; I came across the DVD in our local library. It was a very surprising movie & story. While some of the battle scenes were a little hokey at times, the basic story was unique and compelling, and performances were quite good for this kind of tale.
I would recommend this movie to anyone with an interest in WW II and in the fighting in southeast Asia--this presents a different perspective on an aspect of the war in the Pacific theater that isn't often portrayed.
The CBI (China Burma India) was one theater where you had fewest of American troops (support and combat ground troops), so its not like where American convoys were attacked regulary. It would be a different matter if occurred in France 1944 if the Red Ball Express was attacked regularly.
shareThe entirety is a mix-mash of events based on The Chindits led by Ord Wingate, Hollywood decided that they wanted THAT glory as well.
I choose to believe what my religion programs me to believe.
Yes, this story does focus on a part of World War II seldom seen . . . or even known about--that's one reason it's interesting to watch . . .
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