Long-range Penetration - History

History

Though the concept of long range penetration is as old as war itself, in the modern era it is recognised as starting with Major Ralph Alger Bagnold with his 1940 Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) in the Western Desert and Orde Wingate with his Chindits in Burma in World War II. The LRDG carried out operations of reconnaissance and sabotage far behind the enemy's lines in the Western Desert

Major Bagnold was an experienced desert explorer who had his LRDG trained in desert driving, navigation through using the sun and stars as well as a compass, and knowing their territory. They were supplied by all the equipment that their trucks could carry.

Brigadier Orde Wingate, a professional soldier with eccentric behaviour created and led guerrilla units in Palestine and Ethiopia before being transferred to Burma in 1942. Wingate had ideas of deep penetration operations that could be made possible through improvements in the range of communication devices and airborne supply by long range aircraft. At the Quebec Conference in 1943, Wingate explained his ideas to Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and many other leaders. Wingate proposed creating strongholds in enemy territory that would be supplied by air and be as effective against the enemy as conventional troops.

Brigadier Wingate was given command of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade that acquired the name of Chindit from a suggestion by Captain Aung Thin of the Burma Rifles. The name was a corruption of the mythical beast that guards Buddhist temples called 'Chinthé' or 'Chinthay'. The unit was supported by the United States Army Air Forces 1st Air Commando Group and carried out two major operations. The first was entering Burma on a 200 mile mission in February 1943 with 3,000 troops, with mules and some elephants for the carrying of supplies. Wingate thought the operation a success, but Field Marshal William Slim thought the operation a failure.

Inspired by the Quebec Conference and keeping in mind General Joseph Stilwell's requests for American Infantry to support his Chinese troops in the China Burma India Theatre of World War II, General George Marshall sent a telegram to Stilwell notifiying him that America would organise their own Long Range Penetration Force made up of three groups, one from jungle warfare trained troops whose presence were no longer required in Panama, jungle warfare trained troops from Continental American army bases, and experienced jungle fighters from the South Pacific (Admiral Chester Nimitz's troops who had fought on Guadalcanal and in the Solomon Islands) and South West Pacific (General Douglas MacArthur's troops who had fought in New Guinea) Commands. The unit was renamed the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) but more popularly known as Merrill's Marauders and carried out operations in Burma in 1944.