The Chinese-American 1st Provisional Tank Group (1st PTG) was a joint US and Nationalist Chinese unit formed during WWII. This lesser known unit gain little recognition while fighting in the China-Burma-India theater (CBI). While the USAAC was flying critical supplies from India to China over the ‘hump’, the 1st PTG supported the allies effort to reopen the land route through Japanese occupied Burma by securing and rebuilding the Ledo-Burma road.
On 1 October 1943, the 1st PTG was activated at Ramgarh, India and was commanded by US Army Colonel Rothwell H. Brown. It was composed of six provisional tank battalions, all Chinese with the 1st and 2nd Tank Battalions (Provisional) each supplemented by a company-sized contingent of Americans and the others were supported by American advisors and logistical support. The majority of the Chinese officers had been educated in the USA and spoke fluent English. The 1st PTG was equipped with lend leased M3A3 Stuart light tanks armed with 37mm guns and in April 1944 each company began to receive a platoon of 5 or 6 M4A4 Sherman medium tanks with 75mm guns. Some of the Chinese Sherman tanks carried colorful markings.
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