Arnold Papers
Notes by Lieutenant General Arnold
Subjects under discussion consisted mainly of the future employment of British troops and air forces, and the possible use of air force units of the United States.
Portal stated positively that the British could not afford to see Singapore pass by the board. I stated that we could not afford to see the Philippines pass by the board. I stated that we must build up our air strength in the Philippines, Australia and the Dutch East Indies as rapidly as possible; that a service of supply was being established in Australia to be commanded by General Brett; and that we would cram into Australia such airplanes, combat crews and other air force personnel as is possible to get there by air, by boat, or any other way until we had built up for General MacArthur a total of 80 heavy bombers and about 160 to 200 operating pursuit craft. I told Portal that I believed with this we could regain superiority of the air in that theater.
Portal stated that in his opinion the Japanese only had a total of 3,600 airplanes, combat types, and the production capacity was but 300 a month.
[Page 66]He asked what we were going to do with reference to attacking Japan. I told him of our plans relative to operations from Eastern China. I further stated that I hoped that we would soon get permission to operate from bases in Vladivostok.2 He expressed doubt as to our getting operation bases in the vicinity of Vladivostok for a period of several months. He advanced the theory that we should have our aircraft carriers steal up rapidly to the vicinity of Japan and make the same sort of attacks on Japan that the Japs made on Honolulu. He stated that the carriers would not be taking any more risks than the British carriers took in Taranto or the Japanese carriers against Hawaii because the carriers are fast and the ocean is big. He further stated that he believed such attacks would cause the Japanese fleet to be returned to Japan waters.
Portal outlined the tremendous advantages to be gained if it were possible for the British to gain the control of the whole North African shore of the Mediterranean. At the present time, to supply Near East requires shipping to travel 12,000 miles, whereas if they could reopen the Mediterranean, the distance would be 3,000 miles and thereby the same shipping used would be about three times as effective. He believed that the French would grant permission to use French Morocco if properly approached and that would enable the United States and Great Britain to operate air bases along the entire coast of North Africa and thus control all shipping going through the Mediterranean.
Portal was in full accord with operations to take over the Cape Verde Islands and Dakar being given first priority over operations to take the Azores.
He felt that the Germans would probably make an all-out effort in the Atlantic soon, using submarines and probably surface craft.
He looked forward to the time when U.S. bombers could be stationed in England to help out their bombing effort. He also made the statement that he had passed his peak of fighters in that his fighter personnel was not as strong as it was some time back, therefore he had reached a saturation point insofar as fighter craft was concerned in England. He then stated that the bomber command in England had not as yet reached its full strength as he had more pilots than bombing planes. He also brought out the fact that the U.S. planes must be provided for all fighter units in North Africa.
Portal stated that the Russians had surprised everyone in their ability to not only take punishment but in their ability to face extreme hardships.
He stated that since the Germans had invested Leningrad, that 100 pursuit planes had been flown from the factories in Leningrad [Page 67] to the Russian Army. He stated further that in his opinion the Russians are producing about 1,500 combat planes a month and that what defeated the Germans was the Russians’ ability to bring in reserve[s] to maintain their strength, while the Germans did not have such reserve. The Russians finally had superiority in the air over the entire front.
Portal stated further that with the British production of about 2,500 planes a month and the U.S. building up to a production of about 3,000 per, month and with Russia’s 1,500, giving a total production of about 7,000, we need not fear about air superiority since the maximum the Axis can produce is:
- Germany 2,500,
- Italy 300,
- Japan 300, or a total of 3,100 a month.
Portal agreed that the mission of the Allied Councils’ conference should be: First, prepare a sound strategic plan; Second, discussion of the forces necessary to carry it out; Third, discussion of available forces and facilities; and Fourth, allocation of equipment, facilities, or what-have-you, in order to carry out the plan.
In other words, Portal agreed in general to the general plan that we have been discussing here in the War Department for some time.3
The question of Canadian training for R.A.F. pilots was brought up and all seemed to be in accord that these Canadian flying schools should be brought down to Southern United States where better weather and all-around flying conditions can be obtained.