United States Army in World War II: The War Department
Strategic Planning for Coalition Warfare, 1941–1942
by Maurice Matloff and Edwin M. Snell
1952
. . . For Those Who Served
Table of Contents
The Study of War with Japan—Alternatives in a World War—Allied Operations in the Pacific
Chapter 2: German Victories and American Plans, May 1940–January 1941
Planning for the Worst—The Planners Overruled—British Strategy and American Planning
Chapter 3: British-American Plans: January–November 1941
The Terms of Reference—The Washington Conversations—RAINBOW 5—The First Difficulties over Troop Movements—Introduction to Grand Strategy
Chapter 4: The Showdown With Japan, August–December 1941
The Singapore Conversations—Reinforcement of the Philippines—Aid to China versus Reinforcement of the Philippines—Military Collaboration with the British in the Far East—Reaction to Pearl Harbor—Decision to Establish a Base in Australia
Chapter 5: The First Full Dress Debate Over Strategic Deployment, December 1941–January 1942
Grand Strategy—The Northwest Africa Project—The Planners’ Estimates of the Forces Required—The Report of the Shipping Experts—The Relief of British Troops in Iceland and Ireland—The Northwest Africa Project Considered as a Military Operation—Reinforcement of the Southwest Pacific
Chapter 6: Army Deployment and the War Against Japan, December 1941–March 1942
Allied Strategy Against Japan—The ABDA Command—Loss of Malaya, Fall of Singapore, and Ground Force Dispositions—The Decision to Send the 41st Division to Australia—The Isolation of Java and Air Force Dispositions—Air Commitments in Asia—The Siberia Project
Chapter 7: Army Deployment in the Pacific and Grand Strategy, January–March 1942
Army Deployment In The Atlantic: January–February 1942—Deployment Hawaii–Australia: January–March 1942—The Question of Additional Commitments—The Eisenhower Studies—Joint Study of Priorities for Deployment—JCS Decision on Deployment Policy—Strategic Deployment in the Pacific—Strategic Responsibility and Command in the Pacific
Chapter 8: The Principle of Concentration in the British Isles
The Cancellation of Super-GYMNAST—The Washington Studies—The BOLERO Plan
Chapter 9: Prior Claims Versus BOLERO, April 1942
The Defense of the Middle East—Anglo-American Collaboration and the Support of China—The Soviet Lend-Lease Program—The Immediate Reinforcement of the Pacific
Chapter 10: Decision in Favor of a Second Front, May 1942
The Pacific Theater versus BOLERO—The President’s Review of Strategy—Deadline in the Pacific—The Role of the United States in the Middle East—The Question of Support for General Stilwell—The Second Soviet Protocol and the Second Front
Chapter 11: Future Plans and Current Operations, June 1942
The Revival of GYMNAST—American Commitments to the Middle East—Consequences of the Battle of Midway
Chapter 12: The Elimination of the Alternatives, July–August 1942
The Pacific Alternative—The Eastern Front and the Alternatives—The President on the Alternatives—ROUNDUP or TORCH: CCS 94—The Decision to Invade French North Africa—The Time and The Place
Chapter 13: The Interpretation of CCS 94, August 1942
The “Final” Decision on TORCH—CCS 94 and the Arcadia Statement of Grand Strategy—The Middle East—The Pacific
Chapter 14: Counting the Costs of TORCH, August–November 1942
The Order of Priorities for Shipping—Allotment and Preparation of Ground Troops—Provision of Air Units—Effects on Plans for a Cross-Channel Operation
Chapter 15: British and American Plans and Soviet Expectations
The Caucasus Project—The Persian Gulf Service Command—Air Collaboration in Alaska and Siberia—Soviet Plane Requirements—Conclusion
Chapter 16: Strategic Inventory, December 1942
Growth of the U.S. Army—Expansion of the Army Overseas—Distribution of Aircraft and Shipping
The War Against Germany—The War Against Japan—British-American World Strategy for 1943—The Future of Planning
Appendix A: Outline Plan for the Invasion of Western Europe—Marshall Memorandum
Appendix B: War Department Draft of Instructions for London Conference
Appendix E: Geographic Distribution of Army Strength in Overseas Theaters—Early December 1942
Appendix F: Shipment of Divisions—1942
Bibliographical Note and Guide to Footnotes
Glossary of Abbreviations & Code Names
Chart 1: U.S. Army Overseas Deployment, 17 October 1941
Chart 2: Areas of Strategic Responsibility and U.S. Army Overseas Deployment, 2 April 1942
Chart 3: U.S. Army Overseas Deployment and Theater Boundaries, 31 December 1942
Illustrations
Aboard HMS Prince of Wales during the Atlantic Conference—Members of the War Department General Staff and the War Plans Division, November 1941—Draft Memorandum for the President—The Chief of Staff and the Secretary of War—Chief of the War Plans Division and His Deputies, January 1942—War Plans Division, March 1942—General Marshall and War Department Chiefs—Memorandum for the President, 6 May 1942—Churchill at Parachute Troop Demonstration, June 1942—Alternate Sets of Suggestions, in the President’s Handwriting—The Combined and the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, October 1942—The Combined and the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, October 1942—Maj. Gen. T. T. Handy and Other Planners of the Operations Division
All pictures in this volume are from Department of Defense files.