United States Army in World War II: The War Department
Strategic Planning for Coalition Warfare, 1943–1944
by Maurice Matloff
. . . To Those Who Served
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Basis of Strategy
The Grand Alliance—The “Europe First” Decision—The Search for a Strategic Plan: 1941–42
Chapter 1: Casablanca—Beginning of an Era: January 1943
The War Against Germany—The War Against Japan—The “Unconditional Surrender” Announcement—Casablanca in Retrospect
Chapter 2: Advance in the Mediterranean: January–May 1943
Critical Shortages and the Battle of the Atlantic—Windup of the African Campaign—Rearming the French—Commitments to the Middle East—Command Changes: USAFIME, NATO, and ETO—The Problem of the Neutrals: Spain and Turkey
Chapter 3: The Search for a Formula
Role of Airpower—Limiting the Mediterranean Advance
Chapter 4: Mounting Pressures in the Pacific and Far East: January–May 1943
Stalemate in Burma—The Three Demands—The Clash of Personalities—Victory Through Airpower?—Planning for Pacific Operations—System of Command of Joint Operations
Chapter 5: The New Look in Strategic Planning
Reorienting Staff Planning—Strategy and the Manpower Problem—Preparations and Rehearsal for TRIDENT
Chapter 6: The TRIDENT Conference—New Pattern: May 1943
Cross-Channel and Mediterranean Operations—The Pacific and the Far East—The Balance Sheet
Chapter 7: From HUSKY to AVALANCHE: May–Mid–August 1943
Launching HUSKY—Planning Post-HUSKY Operations
Chapter 8: Crossroads in the European War
Search for the Formula Continued—Strategy, Production, and Manpower
Chapter 9: Current Plans and Future Operations in the War Against Japan: June–August 1943
Launching the Central Pacific Thrust—The SWPA Approach to the Philippines—Anticlimax at Kiska—The Assam Bottleneck—Air Operations and Command Problems in the CBI—Origins of the Southeast Asia Command—Sino-British Attitudes and Policies—Planning the Over-all War Against Japan
Chapter 10: QUADRANT—Shaping the Patterns: August 1943
Staff Planning and the President’s Position—The Conferees Assemble—Debating the Issues in the War Against German—Discussion on the War Against Japan—Emerging Strategic Patterns
Chapter 11: “The Mediterranean Again:” August–November 1943
Invasion of Italy—Rome Versus Rhodes—The Balkans and Turkey—Mediterranean Build-up Versus OVERLORD
Chapter 12: Strategy and Command in the War Against Germany
The Problem of Command Organization—The Problem of Selecting a Supreme Commander for OVERLORD
Chapter 13: British-American Plans and Soviet Expectations: August–November 1943
The USSR in British-American Planning—Establishment of the U.S. Military Mission to the USSR—The Moscow Conference—“Fish or Cut Bait”
Chapter 14: Strategic Strands in the War Against Japan: August–November 1943
The Quest for Short Cuts—The Progress of Pacific Operations—Shipping, Deployment, and Rotation—Build-up in Burma—New Techniques and Weapons in the War Against Japan
Chapter 15: Final Rehearsals En Route to Cairo
The JCS Re-examine Plans Against Japan—The President Reviews the Issues
Chapter 16: Cairo-Tehran—A Goal is Reached; November–December 1943
Opening Skirmish at Cairo: 22–26 November—Climax at Tehran: 28 November–1 December—Mop-up at Cairo: 3–7 December—Staff Planning and the Significance of SEXTANT
Chapter 17: Strategic Inventory: December 1943
Growth of the U.S. Army: 1943—Expansion of the Army Overseas—The Tally Sheet
Chapter 18: Concentration for the Big Blow: January–May 1944
Preparations for OVERLORD—OVERLORD Planning and Mediterranean Options—OVERLORD and the Unconditional Surrender Formula
Chapter 19: The Second Front and the Secondary War—The CBI: January–May 1944
The Consequences of SEXTANT—The Fate of SEAC—The Mounting of the B-29 Offensive—The Battle of the Air Transports—The Decline of the CBI
Chapter 20: The Second Front and the Secondary War—The Pacific: January–May 1944
The American Preserve—Options in the Pacific—End of a Mission—Of Troops and Transports—Eve of OVERLORD
Chapter 21: The Promise of Military Victory: D-Day to September 1944
ANVIL: The Last Rounds—CBI: The Asiatic Holding Theater—Target: Philippines—Strangulation or Invasion?
The Anglo-American Coalition—The Soviet Ally—The French Problem—Relations With Other Nations
Chapter 23: OCTAGON—End of an Era
The Second Quebec Conference—Expansion and Distribution of U.S. Military Power—The Status of Strategy—Epilogue—Completing the Strategic Patterns—The Challenges of Victory and Peace
Appendix B: SEXTANT and the Postwar Political Balance in Asia—A Reflection
Appendix C: Principals at the International Conferences, January 1943–September 1944
Appendix D: Shipment of Divisions Overseas, January 1942–September 1944
Appendix E: Deployment to Principal Theaters, 31 December 1942–30 September 1944
Bibliographical Note and Guide to Footnotes
Tables
1: Tentative Schedule for Operations Against Japan, 1943–44
2: Planning Schedule of Operations, 1944
3: Planners’ Deployment Estimates of March 1943 and Actual Deployment of Forces 31 December 1943
4: Army Overseas Deployment: 31 December 1942–31 December 1943
5: U.S. Overseas Deployment: 31 December 1943
Map
Asia and Adjacent Areas
Illustrations
The Anfa Hotel on the Outskirts of Casablanca—British and American Leaders at Casablanca—Generals Henri Giraud and Charles de Gaulle—High-Ranking Trio in New Delhi—The Federal Reserve Building, Washington, D.C.—General Dwight D. Eisenhower and General Marshall—Lt. Gen. John E. Hull—Château Frontenac, Overlooking the St. Lawrence River—Top Military Planners at Quebec—Members of U.S. and British Staffs, Quebec, 23 August 1943—Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson and General Marshall—General Arnold With Lord Louis Mountbatten—Roosevelt’s Concept of Postwar Occupation Zones for Germany—Aboard the President’s Plane—Mena House, Cairo—The Pyramids—Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Chiang—The Big Three in Portico of the Soviet Legation, Tehran—The Combined Staffs Meeting in Mena House, 4 December 1943—Ismet Inonu, the President of Turkey—Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force—General Marshall With General Douglas MacArthur—Visitors at Normandy Beachhead, 12 June 1944—President Roosevelt During Pearl Harbor Conference—Guard of Honor on Review at The Citadel—Members of Joint Planning Staff at OCTAGON
All pictures in this volume are from Department of Defense files.