The 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), known as Merrill's Marauders, was a WW2 specialized unit of light infantry, which was used by the US Army during the Burma Campaign, in Southeast Asia, from 1943 to 1945. These highly-trained American soldiers were under the command of General Frank Merrill and Charles N. Hunter. They carried out offensive operations against the Japanese behind enemy lines, taking part in the Battle of Kohima and Imphal. They often fought alongside the British Chindits, led by Orde Wingate.
The Merrill's Marauders unit was created in September 1943 to fight in the jungle against the Imperial Japanese Army troops in the Far East. The unit was formed using jungle-trained volunteers from the Caribbean Defense Command in the continental United States and battle-hardened Army veterans from the Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, and New Guinea Campaign in the Pacific. In October 1943, these men were sent to India to be trained in long-range penetration tactics. There, they were beefed up with Army Air Corps and Signal Corps personnel.
The Merrill's Marauders were highly-trained to survive and navigate in the jungle. Their speed, mobility, use of maneuver over difficult terrain, and the ability to spring ambush on enemy spearhead units enabled them to inflict and wreak havoc on the Japanese 15th Army troops that tried to invade India. They disrupted the enemy supply lines, destroyed command posts, and carried out sabotage operations. Isolated in the middle of the Burmese jungle, they were usually supplied with food and ammunition by parachutes dropped from Allied cargo aircraft.
The origin of Merrill's Marauders lay in President Franklin Roosevelt's commitment at the Quadrant Conference, meeting in Quebec in August 1943. The commitment was to provide an American infantry contingent to British Brigadier Orde Wingate's proposed long-range penetration force, which was intended for offensive operations. They had to be highly-trained to fight in the jungle.
Weapons and Equipment
The Merrill's Marauders were equipped with the M1 Garand rifle, the M1 carbine, the M1903 Springfield bolt-action rifle (for snipers), the M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle, the Thompson submachine gun, hand grenades, explosives, knife, machete, .30-cal Browning machine gun, flame throwers, 81-mm M1 mortar, 60-mm M2 mortar, and QF 2.95-inch (75-mm) Mountain Gun. They were also fitted out with compass and radio. They used mules and horses to carry all their equipment through the jungle.
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| Above, a team of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) waiting for the enemy. |
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| A unit of the Merrill's Marauders making their way into the jungle during a military operations. Notice the mules and horses they used to carry their equipment. |
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| Men of Orange Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) in the jungle of Burma. All of them were volunteers. |
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