Foreign Relations of the United States, Conferences at Washington and Quebec, 1943

J.C.S. Files

Combined Chiefs of Staff Minutes

August 21, 1943, 2:30 p.m.

secret

1. Conclusions of the Previous Meeting

The Combined Chiefs of Staff:—

Accepted the conclusions of the 113th Meeting. The detailed record of the meeting was also accepted, subject to minor amendments.²

2. Progress Report to the President and Prime Minister
(C.C.S. 319/1³)

The Combined Chiefs of Staff:—

Approved C.C.S. 319/1, as amended in the course of the discussion. (Amended version subsequently published as C.C.S. 319/2.⁴)

3. Southeast Asia Command
(C.C.S. 308,⁵ 308/1,⁶ 308/2⁷)

The Combined Chiefs of Staff:—

a. Approved C.C.S. 308, excluding paragraph 8.

b. Approved the amendments to paragraphs 8 a and b set forth in C.C.S. 308/1.

c. Approved the amendment to paragraph 8 c set forth in C.C.S. 308/2. (The amended paper subsequently published as C.C.S. 308/3.⁸)

4. Specific Operations in the Pacific and Far East 1943–1944
(C.C.S. 301,⁹ 301/1,¹⁰ 301/2¹¹)

The Combined Chiefs of Staff:—

Approved the new subparagraph eight (i) “Air Route into China”, set forth by the U.S. Chiefs of Staff in C.C.S. 301/2.

5. Supply Routes in Northeast India
(C.C.S. 325¹²)

The Combined Chiefs of Staff:—

Approved the recommendations contained in the paper.

6. Air Plan for the Defeat of Japan
(C.C.S. 323¹³)

The Combined Chiefs of Staff:—

Agreed that this paper should be referred to the Combined Staff Planners for study and the submission of an appropriate report to the Combined Chiefs of Staff not later than 15 September 1943.

2. The amendments referred to have been incorporated in the minutes of the 113th Meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff as printed ante, p. 905.
3. “Progress Report to the President and Prime Minister”, August 21, 1943; not printed. See fn. 4, below.
4. “Progress Report to the President and Prime Minister”; not printed. The text of this report (which dealt with the war against Japan), as revised in the light of decisions taken by the Combined Chiefs of Staff during their 115th Meeting, August 23, 1943 (see post, p. 937), was not circulated by the Secretaries of the Combined Chiefs of Staff until August 27, 1943, after their return to Washington. The subject matter covered in C.C.S. 319/2 and annex ii thereto is contained also, and in very similar language, in paragraphs 20–33, 35–40, and 42–45 of C.C.S. 319/5, post, p. 1125. Annex i to C.C.S. 319/2 is identical with the appendix to C.C.S. 313, post, p. 981.
5. Post, p. 968.
6. “Southeast Asia Command”, August 21, 1943; not printed. See fn. 2 to the enclosure to C.C.S. 308/3, post, p. 1001.
7. “Southeast Asia Command”, August 21, 1943; not printed. See fn. 3 to the enclosure to C.C.S. 308/3, post, p. 1002.
8. Post, p. 1000.
9. Ante, p. 426.
10. Post, p. 971.
11. Post, p. 993.
12. Post, p. 1003.
13. Post, p. 995.