Appendix D
Directive to the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Ocean Area (CCS 57/1)
By Agreement among the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States.
1. The PACIFIC OCEAN Area, comprising the NORTH, CENTRAL and SOUTH PACIFIC Areas, has been constituted, as defined in Annex 1.1
2. You are designated as the Commander in Chief of the PACIFIC OCEAN Area, and of all armed forces which the governments concerned have assigned or may assign to this area.
3. The governments concerned will appoint a commander of the SOUTH PACIFIC Area, who, as such, will not be eligible to command directly any national force. Acting under your authority and general direction he will exercise command of the combined armed forces which may at any time be assigned that area. You will exercise direct command of the combined armed forces in the NORTH and CENTRAL PACIFIC Areas.
4. In consonance with the basic strategic policy of the governments concerned your operations will be designed to accomplish the following:
a. Hold the island positions between the United States and the SOUTHWEST PACIFIC Area necessary for the security of the line of communications between those regions; and for supporting naval, air and amphibious operations against Japanese forces.
b. Support the operations of the forces in the SOUTHWEST PACIFIC Area.
c. Contain Japanese forces within the PACIFIC Theater.
d. Support the defense of the continent of North America.
e. Protect the essential sea and air communications.
f. Prepare for the execution of major amphibious offensives against positions held by Japan, the initial offensives to be launched from the SOUTH PACIFIC Area and SOUTHWEST PACIFIC Area.
5. You will not be responsible for the internal administration of the respective forces under your command. You are authorized to direct and coordinate the creation and development of administrative facilities and the broad allocation of war materials.
6. You are authorized to control the issue of all communiques concerning the forces under your command.
7. When task forces of your command operate outside the PACIFIC OCEAN Area, coordination with forces assigned to the area in which operating will be
effected by the Joint Chiefs of Staff or the Combined Chiefs of Staff, as appropriate.
8. Commanders of all armed forces within your Area will be immediately informed by their respective governments that, from a date to be notified, all orders and instructions issued by you in conformity with this directive will be considered by such commanders as emanating from their respective governments.
9. Your staff will include officers assigned by the governments concerned, based upon requests made directly to the national commanders of the various forces in your Area.
10. The governments concerned will exercise direction of operations in the PACIFIC OCEAN Area as follows:
a. The Combined Chiefs of Staff will exercise general jurisdiction over grand strategic policy and over such related factors as are necessary for proper implementation, including the allocation of forces and war material.
b. The Joint U.S. Chiefs of Staff will exercise jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to operational strategy. The Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet, will act as the Executive Agency for the Joint U.S. Chiefs of Staff. All instructions to you will be issued by or through him.