Tang and Jiang had behaved inexcusably. But in some ways Tang’s abandonment of his men had echoes of Stilwell’s “walkout” in Burma in 1942. Stilwell was not remotely corrupt, and he could show deep concern for his men. But he was also capricious and capable of driving his men beyond reasonable limits (as he would do soon with the American troops sent to relieve Myitkyina), and letting his personal vendettas overrule his military judgment.
