Arnold Papers
Memorandum by Lieutenant General Arnold
Conference in White House Tuesday Afternoon, 4:45 P.M. December 23, 1941
The President
The President opened the conference by stating that he had discussed with Mr. Churchill the probabilities and possibilities from future actions by Vichy and probably by Portugal. Just what conclusions were reached during this discussion was not made clear.
The President further stated that Churchill and he had agreed that ‘there must be an agreement between all nations; that hereafter there would be no peace without the concurrence of all until we had complete victory; that they were taking the necessary steps to insure this; and that there must be maintained trans-Atlantic air and ship lines.
The President said that he had agreed that we would start operating Heavy Bombers as soon as possible from England; that Churchill was in agreement on this—that the total number need not necessarily be large but the morale value of this action would be extremely high.
(Note: Later in the evening Portal asked me the number we could send and I told him we would not send less than one Group because the Group was the smallest unit that was self-sustained and self-contained. Portal asked when I could get them over and I told him in March.)
[Page 75]Ireland. The President said he had agreed with Churchill on the defense of Ireland; that we should relieve three British Divisions with American troops; that we would take over the whole of North Ireland from the British.
(Query: What air component goes with these troops and when must it be ready?)
(Note: General Marshall asked me about pursuit protection. I told him that I believed we could send two Pursuit Groups over there within the next couple of months.)
Iceland. The President stated that he had talked over the subject of Iceland with the Prime Minister and that there must be unity of command there; that he agreed there was an extensive shipping problem but that the shipping problem would probably be less if United States troops are there instead of the British, mainly because practically all British supplies come from New York to England and then to Iceland, whereas if American troops were there they would just go from New York to Iceland. He further stated that if the British withdrew their Army and Air, probably they would leave a Navy Base there which would operate with the American Forces.
(Query: What additional Air Units will be required for Iceland and when?)
Greenland. The President stated that so far as Greenland was concerned, it would require a very small number of troops—they would be mainly Weather and Radio troops and men working on the aviation fields. He did not say that we would need many fighting troops in Greenland. Everybody concurred with that.
Central Atlantic. The next step taken up was the Naval support for the Central Atlantic area. In this the President discussed the Azores, the West Coast of Africa, and the Cape Verdes Islands. He stated positively that the United States believed that the Verdes Islands were first priority as far as we were concerned, mainly due to the necessity of our maintaining the air route over the South Atlantic.
South West Pacific. The next subject taken up was the South West Pacific in which was discussed China, the Dutch East Indies, Singapore, and the Philippines. The President stated that the Prime Minister agreed with him that we must be prepared to hold Singapore and the Dutch East Indies even if we lost the Philippines, and then we must base in Australia, always with the endeavor to push to the north to regain lost territory; and that we must provide for the safety of New Zealand and Australia.
China. It was agreed between the President and the Prime Minister that we must keep the Chinese fighting; he was inclined to agree with the Chief of the Army Air Forces that we must complete or establish air bases over there from which to operate air transports. [Page 76] He asked about the present status of those bases and was given the substance of a report recently received from General Brett. The President was also told that we must get air transports in there at once. He was further informed that General Brett’s cablegram said that there were bombs, oil, and gasoline available but air transportation was required to get them in and that steps would be taken to provide these air transports.
Russia. It was brought out that the Russians have been taking troops from East Siberia and sending them to the western front, and that we need not expect Russia being of any material aid against Japan until March or April.
North and West Africa. It was the President’s opinion that if Germany goes into North Africa we must get there first. On the other hand we can’t take any action that might cause Vichy to turn the fleet over to the Germans. He did not believe that there were any preparations being made by the Germans now for any immediate attack on Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, or Morocco. He has received reports from a source that sometimes is reliable and sometimes not, that the Germans are going to move into Portugal on December 27th. He said take it or leave it, that he didn’t know whether to accept it or not, that sometimes this authority is right and sometimes wrong.
Expeditionary Air Force. The President said that we must prepare an expeditionary air force and have it available at all times. The force must be trained so as to have the troops ready for action regardless of the theatre. He realizes that ships are scarce so that we can’t do more than one task at a time. He also realizes that antiaircraft guns and planes are short but we must go on and have this expeditionary force ready.
(Query: Find out from War Plans what the expeditionary force is, and where and when it must be at some particular time.)
Transports. The President then took up the Secretary of War’s prepared paper and the first subject discussed was transports. He said that transports should be used for whatever movements the Allied Council consider most important. Regardless of whether British or American, all transports would be used for that purpose. Pie said that he did not think this was any time to convert transports into aircraft carriers. This referred to the Navy transforming the West Point, Manhattan, and the Washington into aircraft carriers. The President said this matter should be held in abeyance until action could be taken. The President insisted that we build up at once air and sea communications across the Pacific—that that was of primary importance.
Planes for North Ireland. The next question that came up was the use of PBYs or some other type of plane in North Ireland. The President asked Churchill what he thought about this and it was [Page 77] agreed that the use of any planes in North Ireland should be based upon our needs elsewhere and decision reached accordingly.
South Ireland. The subject of South Ireland was discussed and the President said that he believed if we put the whole 69th Regiment in South Ireland we could probably get them to do some fighting and not so much talking. At the present time it looked bad to him but he thought something might be done reference South Ireland entering the war and that we might eventually get them swinging into action along with the rest of us.
The Navy are to start airlines at once to Foynes, using commercial aircraft. This is a Navy proposition and will be handled by them.
Warships to the British. The next question taken up was the transfer of warships to the British. The President said he cannot see any advantage to be gained by transferring our warships to the British right now. Admiral Stark stated that there was a shortage of trained personnel in our Navy and it might be necessary to transfer some of our present ships to the British. It was finally decided that Stark and Pound would talk the matter over and pool their resources.
Supply. The supply end was then brought up and it was decided that a Supply Conference would start at once, with Beaverbrook, Knudsen, and some of our other people. I told General Marshall that it was very important that General Moore attend these conferences in spite of hell and high water.
Objective—1944. The President then stated that it looked now as if we should project everything into 1944. This was based upon the fact that if we started an idea for production now it will be 1944 before we can get the planes, tanks and ammunition in quantity, so that should be our objective insofar as all new facilities are concerned.
President’s Message to Congress. The President stated that he was going to send a message to Congress early in January and he wants to put in it such requirements as the Army and Navy may have.
(Query: Will the Air Forces be ready by the end of this month to have a paragraph to put in the President’s message about the Victory Parade [Program?] and our requirements? We must have that processed through the Secretary of War before the end of December.)
Prime Minister Churchill
Upon completion of the President’s remarks, Churchill was given the floor and said that in general he was in accord with everything the President said; that he appreciated more than he could say the aid that has come so far from the United States.
He emphasized the necessity for sending 3 American Divisions and one Armored Division to North Ireland as soon as possible, as it would replace British Divisions which could be used other places.
Churchill further stated that he thought we ought to take over [Page 78] Iceland because it would provide us with ways and means for winter training in case we might have to operate in Norway or some other cold climate.
(Query: We should determine as soon as possible the size of air force required for both the Iceland and Ireland contingents.)
Churchill then went on to talk about North Africa and French Morocco; the attitude of the French; that the Vichy problem was coming to a head very soon; that he believed that when the matter did come to a head, the British should push right into Tripoli; that he hoped that the British forces operating against the Germans and Italians in Liberia at this time would reach the gates of Tunis in about a month; that the effect of this victory by the British would have a very decided influence on the morale of the Germans; that this, coupled with the U.S. entry into the war, must have a decided deteriorating effect on the Germans and it should serve to boost up the morale of the French so as to make them want to regain their lost prestige and put up a fight for their rights, etc.
The U.S. must be ready with a task force to enter Morocco; that this entry will probably be upon invitation; that if the invitation was not forthcoming, the value of this occupation was so great it might be necessary to proceed by force; that the ways and means of carrying out this campaign on the Northern Coast of Africa should be discussed by the Working Committees as an operation to be carried out during 1942.
The President gave his O.K. to the remarks made by Churchill.
At this point the President asked Churchill whether or not it might be possible to have French troops who were favorable to the British and American principles operate against Dakar from the rear. This subject was not discussed further, however.
Churchill reiterated the principle that the American Armies must get into this war as soon as possible, and not only get into the war but we must take the offensive against the Germans and against the Japanese to bolster up not only the people of the U.S. but also the other nations fighting on the side of Great Britain and the United States. We should get them into Ireland, get them into Iceland, and get them into Australia with men available for any Task Force to use where they are required, but the United States troops must get into action at the earliest possible moment.
Churchill again brought out the question of our possible occupation of Norway by U.S. troops. The President brought out the point that we also had a problem down at Natal that we could not ignore.
Churchill accentuated the necessity for U.S. bombers to be sent to England at the earliest possible moment to bomb German forces, German industries, and French ports used by German raiders—land, sea, and air.
[Page 79]At this point the President asked General Marshall: “What time can yon set for such a movement of troops?” General Marshall replied “It is all a question of tonnage. We have the troops now. Some equipment is short but right this minute I have in mind the troops which should go. The Divisions have been trained and in the training have been given rather rough treatment to make them good soldiers, but we have the Divisions which could be sent into these places. We are short on antiaircraft artillery, however.” Churchill then asked Beaverbrook, “Have we not the antiaircraft artillery?” and Beaverbrook said “We can provide the antiaircraft artillery.”
Note: At this point Portal and Dill apparently were taken by surprise at Beaverbrook’s remark for they seemed to start and raise their eye brows a bit.
The President then asked “How about pursuit planes?” And I replied that we had plenty of pursuit planes we could send with those Task Forces.
Churchill then took up the question of our West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and the possible utilization of troops for the defense of those places, the necessity for dispersing the industries rather than have them all in one spot like they are in Los Angeles, how they had to do that in England in order to continue maximum production and provide against interruptions due to bombings and what-have-you. He said that Beaverbrook had done that in England quite successfully and Beaverbrook should take it up with Knudsen.
Churchill made the statement in connection with Hawaii that he could not see why there should be any trouble in supplying Hawaii. We would not need a battle fleet to keep the sea lanes open to Hawaii but the battle fleet should be clear to move in any part of the Pacific, that there was apparently no clear view on this subject and the matter should be talked over by the Staff.
Churchill further stated, or indicated that the British would, or indicated that they should take over the Atlantic with their Fleet so that the U.S. Navy could regain unquestioned supremacy in the Pacific.
Churchill further stated that in all probability Syria would be the next theatre of operations; that it was there the Spring campaign would be carried out.
The next subject he discussed was the Nile Valley. He stated that the British had to hold the Nile Valley and he was much more confident now of being able to hold it than ever before on account of the success of the Russians against the Germans and the British successes in North Africa.
He further stated that they were asking for continuation of supplies, building up of bases and building up of schools in England.
He further stated that the policy in Malaya was to retreat as long as they could, but when they got down to Singapore, to hold until the [Page 80] last. At this point, I asked whether or not there was any policy with reference to keeping the Burma Road open. Churchill stated that they would fight to keep it open, that Indian troops would be used if necessary; that Wavell was being reinforced and they would do everything to keep the Burma Road open.
After some discussion on various subjects, the President then said we would meet again within a few days.