Operation Matterhorn's B-29s staged from India, refueled in China, and then continued to Japan. Fuel and other supplies had to reach India before moving onward across the Himalayas or through the contested Burma route, while the mountain crossing reduced the useful bomb load. Liberty ships and ports remained part of the rearward supply chain even though the final leg was flown. The panel distinguishes that difficult conventional operation from carrying an atomic weapon through the same system. Components, specialists, and an armed bomber would pass through British India and Chinese airfields that the United States did not fully control, with the added risk that a damaged aircraft might have to land outside secure custody. Aircraft range alone therefore did not make China a practical substitute for the secure island bases and naval logistics used later in the Pacific campaign.
Notable Point · 2:14:55-2:23:50
Operation Matterhorn's India-China supply chain and nuclear-security problem
The B-29 could reach Japan through China, but the fuel, transport, airfield, and weapon-security chain made that route a poor substitute for secure island bases.