Appendix E: Geographic Distribution of Army Strength in Overseas Theaters, Early December 1942
Statistical summaries for Army overseas strength a year after Pearl Harbor are found in a number of diverse sources, published and unpublished. There are certain discrepancies in strength figures and even in identity and number of units cited in the various sources used as a result partly of differences in time of reporting—varying from a few days to a few weeks—and partly of varying statistical bases of counting and reporting. Wherever possible, these data have been checked against one another and reconciled.
The strength figures in each of the following tables are taken from the OPD Weekly Status Map of 3 December 1942. Figures in the monthly Strength of the Army Reports for 30 November 1942 correspond roughly with the 3 December Status Map figures. Figures in the OPD Weekly Status Maps include ground service with ground troops and air service with air troops. The OPD Weekly Status Maps do not necessarily correspond with other statistical records kept in the field or in Washington during the war, but they did provide the War Department with its most reliable detailed contemporary summary of over-all Army deployment for planning purposes. Rough as their statistics are, they still represent one of the most valuable sources available on total deployment, area by area, of personnel present, en route, and projected. The post-1945 reports of the Strength of the Army, issued by Office, TAG, Strength Accounting Branch, as part of its STM-30 series, contain revised and official monthly summaries on actual Army strength and ,deployment in theaters of operations and major commands during the war years.
The number and identity of divisions are taken from: (1) Directory of the Army of the U.S. Outside Continental Limits of the U.S. as of 7 December 1942; and (2) Combat Chronicle, An Outline History of U.S. Army Divisions, prepared by the Order of Battle Section, OCMH.
Army Strength in Overseas Theaters
| Present | En Route | Projected | |
|
TOTAL1 |
24,640 | ||
| Ground |
760,960 (17 Divs)2 |
1,560,190 (30 Divs) | |
| Air | 202,100 (66 Groups) | 420,610 (73 Groups) | |
| EUROPEAN THEATER: | |||
|
British Isles and Iceland:3 |
|||
| Ground |
156,970 (2 Divs)4 |
912,160 (21 Divs) | |
| Air | 50,190 (16 Groups) | 214,500 (30 Groups) | |
| Total | 1,580 | ||
|
French North Africa5 (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia): |
|||
| Ground |
127,980 (6 Divs)6 |
||
| Air | 12,600 (11 Groups) | ||
| MIDDLE EAST–AFRICA: | |||
| Egypt–Levant States–Eritrea–Aden, Iran–Iraq, Palestine: | |||
| Ground | 6,590 | 36,560 | |
| Air | 10,150 (7 Groups) | 23,190 (9 Groups) | |
| Total | 8, 090 | ||
| Central Africa (Liberia, Gold Coast, Belgian Congo, French Equatorial Africa, Kenya): | |||
| Ground | 2,760 | 4,030 | |
| Air | 2,120 | 2,050 | |
| CENTRAL PACIFIC AREA: | |||
| Hawaii, Fanning Island, Christmas, Canton, Midway, Johnston, Palmyra: | |||
| Ground |
122,540 (4 Divs)7 |
120,510 (3 Divs) | |
| Air | 22,520 (4 Groups) | 28,720 (5 Groups) | |
| Total | 2, 590 | ||
| SOUTH PACIFIC AREA | |||
| Borabora, Fiji Islands, Efate, Espiritu Santo, Tongatabu, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Guadalcanal, Tongareva, Aitutaki: | |||
| Ground |
77,580 (3 Divs)8 |
122,610 (4 Divs) | |
| Air | 13,560 (5 Groups) | 20,040 (3 Groups) | |
| Total | 6, 600 | ||
| SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: | |||
| Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines: | |||
| Ground |
77,280 (2 Divs)9 |
128,340 (2 Divs) | |
| Air | 32,460 (10 Groups) | 53,730 (11 Groups) | |
| CHINA–INDIA: | |||
| Ground | 4,770 | 8,270 | |
| Air | 9,360 (4 Groups) | 12,470 (5 Groups) | |
| Total | 2,540 | ||
| WESTERN HEMISPHERE | |||
| Alaska: | |||
| Ground | 72,050 | 83,650 | |
| Air | 13,950 (2 Groups) | 14,740 (1 Group) | |
| Total | 1,260 | ||
| North America (Newfoundland, Greenland, Bermuda, Bahamas, Eastern (Crimson Project) and Western (N.W. Service Command) Canada): | |||
| Ground | 27,540 | 47,190 | |
| Air | 2,560 | 6,550 (1 Group) | |
| Latin America (South America: Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela; Caribbean Defense Command: Puerto Rico, St Thomas, St Croix, Jamaica, Antigua, Panama, Trinidad, Curaçao, Aruba, St Lucia, Surinam, British Guiana; Ascension; Guatemala; Galapagos; Cuba): | |||
| Ground | 84,950 | 96,870 | |
| Air | 32,630 (7 Groups) | 44,620 (8 Groups) | |
| Total | 1,980 |
Table data merged onto previous page
As of 21 December, strength figures (present) were:
| British Isles | Iceland | |
| AGF | 77, 668 | 24,797 |
| SOS | 43,549 | 10,385 |
| AAF | 51,212 | 3,142 |
| Total | 12,429 | 38,324 |
| Projected | 422,460 | 51,700 |
Source: Memo, OPD for CofS, 30 Dec 42, sub; Troop Strength in ETO, SYMBOL: Casablanca Books, Vol II, Exec 6.