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

J.C.S. Files

Report by the United States Joint Administrative Committee¹

secret
Enclosure to C.C.S. 312

[Quebec,] 18 August 1943.

Pipeline From India to China

References:	a. C.C.S. 107th Meeting2
	b. J.C.S. Memo Directive, 14 August 19433

the problem

1. Prepare a study on the construction of a pipeline from India to China via Calcutta, Ledo and Fort Hertz, to Kunming.

facts bearing on the problem

2. Description of Project:

The project is divided into two parts which can be executed simultaneously:

a. The construction of a six-inch pipeline from Calcutta to Dibrugarh (Project C, attached map⁴) to provide gasoline (1) for U.S. air transport operations in Assam, (2) for further transportation to Kunming, and (3) to supplement the supply of the Imphal Force. The Calcutta–Dibrugarh pipeline is 900 miles long and will have a capacity of 36,000 tons per month. The line is easily accessible from railroads for the entire length. Time required for construction is estimated at five months.

b. The construction of a four-inch pipeline from Dibrugarh via Fort Hertz to Kunming (Project A, attached map), to provide gasoline for air operations in China. This line is 1,000 miles long and will have a capacity of 18,000 tons per month. Approximately 400 miles of this line traverses territory accessible by road, the remainder is accessible only via foot trails or air. In order to speed construction by building several sections simultaneously, materials should be flown in to airfields along the route. Time required for construction is estimated at eight months.

3. Military Necessity:

a. U.S. air transport operations require 15,000 tons of gasoline per month in Assam.

b. The amount of aviation fuel available in the Kunming area will be a limiting factor which will restrict the size of the air force which can be supported from Chinese bases, for attacks against Japanese shipping, shore installations, naval forces and ground forces during the year 1944.

c. There are additional military requirements, other than gasoline, for the support of ground establishments and ground forces, which are essential to the securing of the airbase area in China. The delivery of gasoline to the Kunming area by pipeline will permit the devotion to these requirements of much of the capacity of the U.S. air transport facilities previously used for gasoline.

4. Requirements for Construction:

The requirements for construction are as follows:

900 miles six-inch pipeline and accessories	29,000 short tons
1,000 miles four-inch pipeline and accessories	18,000 short tons
Signal supplies	400 short tons
4,000 troops (15 Petr Dist Cos & misc dets5)	2,600 short tons
	50,000 short tons

5. Capacity To Meet Requirements:

a. Cargo shipping is available for movement of equipment and supplies.

b. Equipment and supplies are available as required to implement this project.

c. Additional shipping for the transportation of 4,000 troops must be made available or an equal number of troops destined for the same theater must be deferred.

d. Troop units are available as required.

6. Difficulties To Be Overcome:

a. In order to execute the project in a minimum of time, it will be necessary to transport, over a period of several months, 15,000 tons of pipeline material by air to points along the pipeline east of Ledo.

b. It will be necessary to transport over the line of communications from Calcutta, over a period of several months, an aggregate of:

(1) 20,000 tons of four-inch pipeline material to Assam.

(2) 30,000 tons of six-inch material along the route between Calcutta and Assam.

c. It will be necessary to provide adequate protection to prevent enemy action from interrupting the construction and operation of the pipeline.

conclusions

7. a. The project is feasible from an engineering point of view.

b. The project can be initiated at once and promises considerable and early aid to China.

c. The air delivery of 15,000 tons of four-inch pipeline material invested in the Assam–Kunming pipeline project over a period of several months, will be returned in terms of tons of aviation gasoline delivered in Kunming in the first month of pipeline operation.

d. The distribution along the Calcutta–Assam line of communications of 30,000 tons of six-inch pipeline material over a period of several months will increase the capacity of that line of communication by 36,000 tons per month.

e. Without adequate ground protection, it is within the capabilities of the Japanese to interrupt the Assam-Kunming section of the pipeline project.

recommendation

8. That the Combined Chiefs of Staff approve the proposed pipeline project.

1. Circulated under cover of the following note by the United States Chiefs of Staff (C.C.S. 312), August 18, 1943: “The Enclosure, a report by the U.S. Joint Administrative Committee, is presented for consideration by the Combined Chiefs of Staff. The U.S. Chiefs of Staff recommend that it be referred to the Combined Administrative Committee or to a special ad hoc Committee for study and report to the Combined Chiefs of Staff before being placed on the C.C.S. Agenda at Quadrant . The Committee’s report should assess the effect of the troop lift involved on other troop lift commitments.”

   For the action taken on this paper at the 115th Meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, August 23, 1943, see ante, p. 938.

2. See ante, p. 860.
3. Not printed.
4. The map is not reproduced.
5. Petroleum Distribution Companies and miscellaneous detachments.