United States Army in World War II: The War Department

Global Logistics and Strategy 1943–1945

by Robert W. Coakley and Richard M. Leighton

1967

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Part One: Backdrop

Chapter 1: Logistics and Strategy, Spring 1943

The Aftermath of Casablanca—Assault Shipping: Tool of Amphibious Strategy—Divergent Strategies

Chapter 2: HUSKY and BOLERO

Contrivance, Ingenuity, and a Favorable June Moon—The Final Assault Plan—The Final Movements—The Administrative Achievement—Effects of Husky on Bolero—Cargo Shipping and the Pre-shipment Plan

Chapter 3: TRIDENT

The American Program for Europe—The British Program: Mediterranean Now,—Roundup Maybe—How Large an Assault?—The Trident Decisions on Europe—The Other War—The “Not Unmanageable” Cargo Shipping Deficit

Part Two: Organization and Method

Chapter 4: Logistical Organization

Civil-Military Relations—Logistics in the Joint Committee System—G-4, ASF, and the OPD Logistics Group—Plans and Operations, ASF

Chapter 5: Army Requirements, 1943–44

The Requirements Process—The Realities of Production—1943—McCoy Board and Richards Committee—The 1 February 1944 Army Supply Program—Theater Requirements and the Supply Control System

Chapter 6: The Mechanics of Wholesale Distribution

The Distribution Process—Supply Priorities—Equipping Outbound Troops and the Shipment of Troop Equipment—Evolution of the Overseas Supply System—Levels of Supply—Requisitioning and Shipment Procedures—Special Operational Supplies

Part Three: The Mediterranean in the Global War, June–December 1943

Chapter 7: Outline Overlord and the Invasion of Italy

The Italian Debacle—Revolt Against Overlord—The Overlord Plan—Resources for a Pincers Strategy—Assault Shipping and the Invasion of Italy—Bolero in the Balance

Chapter 8: First Quebec

“Overriding Priority” and the Conditions of Overlord—Assault Shipping for Two Wars—The Shipping Budgets

Chapter 9: Bog-Down in the Mediterranean

Build-up in Italy—Setback in the Aegean—LST’s and the Crisis in Western Strategy—The Mediterranean Lock-up—The Progress of Bolero

Chapter 10: Ships, Landing Craft, and Strategy

Shipbuilding: A Record-breaking Year—Twenty-One Million Tons for 1944—Combat Loaders for the Pacific—More Landing Craft: The “Percentage Game”—Lobbying for Overlord

Chapter 11: The Cairo–Tehran Conference

Perfidious Albion and Inscrutable Ivan—Bush-League Strategy in the Mediterranean—Rhodes Versus Buccaneer—Enter Anvil, Compromise on Overlord—Second Cairo: Scratch Buccaneer—Acceleration in the Pacific

Chapter 12: Inventory and Aftermath

Shipping: The Deficits Vanish—Assault Shipping: The New American Program—Postscript: The Tribulations of Shingle

Part Four: Final Assault on Europe

Chapter 13: OVERLORD and ANVIL

The Move to Strengthen OVERLORD—The Battle of Statistics—The Debate Moves to London—Anvil Postponed—Anvil Revived

Chapter 14: The OVERLORD–ANVIL Build-Up

The Logistical Outlook—The Final Build-up for OVERLORD—The Uncertainties of ANVIL—Atlantic Shipping on the Eve of OVERLORD

Chapter 15: The Aftermath of OVERLORD

New Logistical Problems—Follow-up—ANVIL Versus Italy—DRAGOON and Its Aftermath—Portents of a New Shipping Crisis

Part Five: The War Against Japan, 1943–44

Chapter 16: Pacific Strategy and its Material Bases

The Question of Priority—A Strategy of Opportunism—Formosa Versus Luzon

Chapter 17: Joint Logistics in Pacific Operations: The Continental System

The Nature of Pacific Logistics—The Problem of Joint Logistics—Joint Planning and Procurement—The Basic Logistical Plan—The West Coast Establishment—The Joint Priority List

Chapter 18: Joint Logistics in the Pacific Theaters

Joint Logistics in SWPA—Informal Cooperation in the South Pacific—The Central Pacific System

Chapter 19: Shipping in the Pacific War

The Crisis of Fall 1943—Shipping Congestion in SWPA—The Cargo Shipping Shortage of Mid-1944—The Deficits Become Unmanageable

Chapter 20: Supplying the Army in Pacific Theaters

Procedural Problems—Improving the System—New Methods of Shipment—Engineer Supplies and Special Project Material—Water Transportation Equipment—Landing Craft in SWPA—Service Troops

Chapter 21: China, Burma, and India

The Trident Decisions and Their Aftermath—Quadrant: A Logistical Charter for the CBI—The ASF Follow-up on Quadrant—New Air Projects—Sextant: The Plans Disrupted—Matterhorn—The End of the Assam Bottleneck—The Problem of Air Transport—Airlift, PAC-AID, and the East China Crisis

Part Six: Shift to a One-Front War

Chapter 22: Stresses and Strains of a Two-Front War

Second Quebec—Early Plans for Redeployment—Strains on Manpower and Production—The Fall Shipping Crisis—The President Decides—Effects of the Crisis

Chapter 23: The Pacific in Transition

The Problem of Bases and Roll-up—The Service Troop Shortage in P O A—Cargo and Assault Shipping—The New Redeployment Plan—The Pacific Command Question—The Final Plan for Redeployment—The Place of Philippine Base Development

Chapter 24: Logistics of a One-Front War

Procedures, Policies, and Problems in Army—Redeployment—The Army-Navy Shipping and Supply Conference—Efforts to Resolve the Shipping Issue—Outlines of a New Pacific Logistical System—The Execution of Redeployment—Arrangements for Logistical Support of Olympic—and Coronet—The Success of the Roll-up—The Last Year in the CBI

Part Seven: Foreign Aid

Chapter 25: Lend-Lease and the Common Pool

The Common Pool—Changes in Lend-Lease Administration and Procedures, 1943-45—British Requirements and Assignments, 1943-44—Retransfers, Diversions, and Lend-Lease to Independent Nations—Problems and Procedures in India and Southeast Asia

Chapter 26: The End of the Common Pool

The JCS “Corollary Principle”—The President Intervenes

Chapter 27: Aid to the USSR in the Later War Years

Formulation of the Third Protocol—The Swelling Flow of Aid to the USSR—The War Department and the Protocols—The Deane-Spalding Mission—Milepost: Supply for the USSR’s War Against Japan—The Soviet Aid Program After V-E Day

Chapter 28: Military Supply to Liberated and Latin American Nations

The North African Rearmament Program—The Metropolitan and Liberated Manpower Programs—Epilogue to French Rearmament—Italian Military Forces—Military Aid in Eastern Europe—Military Aid to Latin America

Chapter 29: Lend-Lease to China, 1943–45

The Stilwell Program—The 33-Division Program—The Final Phase

Chapter 30: The Army and Civilian Supply—I

The North African Prelude—Military Assumption of Responsibility—Combined Arrangements—The Problem of Rehabilitation Supplies—The First Phase in Sicily and Italy

Chapter 31: The Army and Civilian Supply—II

The Combined Plan—Operational Procedures—The Food Crisis in Italy—Northwest Europe and the National Import Programs—Termination of Military Responsibility—Civilian Supply in the Pacific

Part Eight: Conclusion

Chapter 32: Logistics and Strategy in World War II

The Lead Time Factor—Grand Design or Pool—Conflicting Pulls—The Adjustment of Means and Ends—Landing Craft and Strategy—Factors in the War Against Japan—Logistical Adjustments—The Climactic Phase—The One-Front War—International Supply

Appendixes

Appendix A: Shipping Terminology and Planning Data: 1943–45

1. Weight, Space, and Distance Measurements

2. Conversion Factors—Short Tons to Measurement Tons

3. Initial Cargo Shipping Requirements for Selected Units: 1945

4. Initial Supply Requirements by Theater

5. Maintenance Requirements, European and Pacific Areas, World War II

Appendix B: Landing Craft

1. Principal Types of Allied Landing Craft, Ships, and Vehicles Used in Operations: 1943-45

2. U.S. Production of Major Types of Landing Ships and Craft: 1940-45

Appendix C: Army Procurement

1. Estimated Value of War Department Procurement Deliveries: January 1942-December 1945

2. Deliveries of Selected Items of Munitions to the Army: 1942-45

Appendix D: Overseas Deployment and Support

1. Army Personnel Movement Overseas by Theater of Destination: December 1941-August 1945

2. Army Cargo Shipped Overseas by Theater of Destination: December 1941-August 1945

3. Army Deployment—Continental and Overseas: July 1943-September 1945

4. Deployment of U.S. Army Divisions Overseas by Theater: July 1943-August 1945

5. Troop and Cargo Flow to the United Kingdom for OVERLORD: January 1943-July 1944

Appendix E: The Division and Air Group Slice

1. Divisional Force Analysis of Actual Army Strength on 30 June 1945

2. Division Slices for Theaters

3. Air Group Slices for Theaters

Appendix F: Merchant Shipping

1. United Nations Merchant Shipping Dry Cargo Gains, Losses, and Construction: 1941-45

2. Growth of U.S.-Controlled Tanker Fleet: December 1941-October 1945

3. Ships in Army Service

Appendix G: Lend-Lease

1. Value of War Department Lend-Lease Transfers: 1941-49

2. Value of War Department Lend-Lease Shipments to the United

Kingdom, USSR, and Others by Six-Month Periods: 1941-49

3. Number of Vessels and Cargo Tonnage Shipped From the United States to the USSR: 1 July 1943-31 August 1945

Appendix H: Civilian Supply

1. U.S. Shipments of Civilian Supplies: 1 July 1943-30 September 1945

2. Civilian Supply Shipments to Areas of Combined Responsibility: July 1943-September 1945

Bibliographical Note and Guide to Footnotes

List of Abbreviations

Glossary of Code Names

Index

Tables

1. Proposed Distribution of U.S. Landing Craft: September 1942

2. Proposed Allocation of U.S. Landing Craft to United Kingdom: September 1942

3. Requests Versus Allocations of U.S. Landing Craft to British: January-April 1943

4. Estimated Assault Shipping Requirements for HUSKY (at Casablanca Conference)

5. Assault Shipping for HUSKY

6. Troop Build-up Convoys for HUSKY: April-June 1943

7. Requirements and Availabilities of Major Types of Assault Shipping for ROUNDHAMMER (TRIDENT)

8. Allocation by Month of Major Types of U.S. Landing Craft (TRIDENT): July 1943-June 1944

9. Planned U.S. Build-up for ROUNDHAMMER (TRIDENT)

10. The U.S. Shipping Budget: Spring 1943

11. Summary of Ground Army Strength, Victory Program Troop Basis: 22 November 1943

12. Comparison of Elements of Distribution for Classes II and IV Supplies, Army Supply Program

13. Authorized Levels of Overseas Supply: January 1944

14. QUADRANT Landing Craft (Major Types Only) Allocations From U.S. Production: September 1943-March 1944

15. Planned Deployment (Major Types) of U.S. Assault Shipping at QUADRANT

16. Planned U.S. and British Contributions of Assault Shipping for OVERLORD—TRIDENT and QUADRANT Conferences

17. U.S. Cargo Shipping Budget—QUADRANT Conference

18. U.S. Shipping for British Programs—QUADRANT and TRIDENT Budgets

19. Planned U.S. Troop Movements (QUADRANT Conference): August 1943-June 1944

20. LST’s in the Mediterranean: September-December 1943

21. Shipbuilding for 1944—Evolution of the Program in 1943

22. Requirements Versus Allocations, Assault Shipping for OVERLORD: 30 September 1943

23. Admiral King’s Bonus for OVERLORD: 5 November 1943

24. Planned U.S. Troop Movements (SEXTANT Conference): January-September 1944

25. British Shipping Budget—SEXTANT Conference

26. U.S. Cargo Shipping Budget—SEXTANT Conference

27. Planned Deployment of LST’s for SHINGLE and ANVIL: January 1944

28. Washington Planners’ Estimates on Availability of Assault Shipping for OVERLORD and ANVIL: 6 February 1944

29. Distribution of Selected Types of Assault Shipping: 1 June 1944

30. Operational Shipping Requirements for OVERLORD

31. Planned Deployment of U.S. Divisions Assuming Germany Not Defeated: 11 June 1944

32. Pacific Shipping Requirements and Availabilities: May-December 1944

33. Distribution of Hump Tonnage Carried Into China: January-December 1944

34. Schedule of Redeployment Troop Movements

Charts

1. The JCS Organization on 1 April 1945

2. Organization of the Army Service Forces: 15 August 1944

3. Original 1943 Procurement Plans and Actual Accomplishments

4. Overseas Requisitions for Non-controlled Items

5. Overseas Requisitions for Controlled and Matériel Status Items

Maps

1. U.S. Supply Lines in Sicilian Invasion

2. American Transoceanic Supply, 1943-45

3. The Mediterranean (1943)

4. Possible Routes of Advance in Planning War Against Japan (1943)

5. The Pacific Areas, 15 June 1944

6. China-Burma-India Line of Communications, July 1945

7. Planned Sources of Civilian Supply—Plan A

Illustrations

Attack Troop Transport (APA)—Cargo Ship, Attack (AKA)—Attack Troop Transport, Modified (XAP)—High-speed Attack Transport (APD)—Landing Ship, Tank (LST)—Landing Ship, Medium (LSM)—Landing Ship, Dock (LSD)—Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) (LCI(L))—Landing Craft, Tank (LCT)—Landing Craft, Mechanized (LCM)—Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP)—2½-Ton Amphibious Truck (DUKW)—Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Amphibious Tractor (LVT)—Lt. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell—Lt. Gen. Joseph T. McNarney—Maj. Gen. LeRoy Lutes—Maj. Gen. Lucius D. Clay—Troops and Supplies, Oakland, California—Lt. Gen. Sir Frederick Morgan—An LCT Being Lifted From Its “Piggy-back” Berth on an LST, Oran, Algeria—The Ruined Port of Naples. General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark—General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson—Liberty Ship and Victory Ship—Josef Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill—Ships Under Construction at Los Angeles—General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery—Bailey Bridge Sections and Other Engineer Supplies, Ashchurch, England—Deck-loaded Tanks—Lt. Gen. Jacob L. Devers—Scuttled Liberty Ships Form Breakwaters at OMAHA Beach—General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz—Floating Dry Dock With Ship Under Repair—Liberty Ship Unloading at Oro Bay, New Guinea—Sheepsfoot Roller and Maintenance Grader, New Guinea—LVT’s Operating Over Reefs in the Central Pacific—Landing Craft Assembly Plant, Milne Bay—Lt. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell—Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek—Ferry Pushing Truck-loaded Barges Across the Brahmaputra River Assam, India—Coolies Pulling Sampans Loaded With Supplies, Wu River—Port Congestion at Manila—The Undergrowth Encroaches on Abandoned Quonset Huts,—Tinian Island—The Big Three and Their Advisers at the Potsdam Conference—Liberty Ship in Port of Khorramshahr, Iran—French Patriots With Guns Parachuted in by Allies—Lend-Lease “Trade Goods” in a Department Store Window, Casablanca—Herbert Lehman—Italians Await Food at an Allied Soup Kitchen—Frenchmen Receiving Their Bread Ration

The illustration on page 490 originally appeared in Yank. All other illustrations are from the files of the Department of Defense or the National Archives.