Foreign Relations of the United States, The Conferences at Washington, 1941–1942, and Casablanca, 1943

Defense Files

United States Minutes

secret
JCCSs–12

January 14, 1942.

1. Move of United States Reinforcements to the Far East

Brigadier Napier, referring to the arrangements proposed for the move of urgent United States reinforcements to the Far East,¹ said that information had now been received from London that the Queen Mary would take United States troops from New York via the Cape to Australia, sailing early in February. To make up for the loss of transportation from America to Northern Ireland thereby occasioned, it was proposed to allot additional British personnel ships returning from the Middle East, to sail about February 10 for Northern Ireland. Their total carrying capacity would be about 15,000. The Queen Elizabeth would sail early in February from San Francisco with United States troops for Australia, and the Aquitania would go into the Hawaiian run at the end of February. This program had been agreed to by General Somervell.

2. Super-Gymnast

The Conference had before them a paper prepared by the United States Planning Staff based upon a report by the Joint Planning Staff (U.S. ABC–4/2A), British WW (J.P.C.)2A).²

This paper was discussed paragraph by paragraph, and a number of amendments agreed to.

Sir Charles Portal asked whether more United States ships could not be provided by further sacrifices, e.g., cutting into trade.

General Somervell said that the whole range of United States shipping, both passenger-carrying and freight, had been reviewed and no further resources could be tapped. All passenger ships, including those on the South American lines, would be taken up. The only way of increasing the number of freight ships would be to use ships already earmarked for supplies to Russia and the Middle East.

Admiral Turner confirmed that escorts could be provided for the last American convoy but one, shown in paragraph 9 on D–163 instead of D–178. (See Annex l)³

The Conference accepted the paper prepared by the United States Planning Staff, subject to the amendments agreed in discussion, as a basis on which the Combined Chiefs of Staff should inform the President and the Prime Minister regarding the time factor for Super-Gymnast. (See Annex 1)³

3. Post-Arcadia Collaboration

The Conference had before them a draft prepared by the United States Chiefs of Staff on Post- Arcadia Collaboration (U.S. ABC–4/CS4).⁴

This draft was considered paragraph by paragraph and certain amendments agreed to.

The Conference approved the draft as amended in discussion and agreed that it should be submitted to the President and the Prime Minister. (See Annex 2)⁴

1. See ante, p. 182.
2. As amended and approved by the Chiefs of Staff, this report was serialized as ABC–4/2A, WW–17, January 14, 1942, post, p. 262.
3. See post, p. 264.
3. See post, p. 264.
4. This paper, as amended and approved by the Chiefs of Staff, is printed post, p. 232.
4. This paper, as amended and approved by the Chiefs of Staff, is printed post, p. 232.