Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran, 1943

J. C. S. Files

Memorandum by the United States Chiefs of Staff

secret
C. C. S. 390/1

[Aboard the U. S. S. “Iowa”,] 18 November 1943.

Future Operations in the Southeast Asia Command

Reference: CCS 390¹

1. The United States Chiefs of Staff realize that it is undesirable for the Combined Chiefs of Staff to enter into the details of various operations, but do not agree, however, that only matters of grand strategy should be considered by the Combined Chiefs of Staff.

2. The Quadrant decisions (C. C. S. 319/5, paragraph 58)² state that the Combined Chiefs of Staff would exercise a general jurisdiction over strategy for the Southeast Asia Theater. This is construed as requiring decision by the Combined Chiefs of Staff as to which of several courses of action are to be undertaken, and their sequence and timing.

3. Since the United States cannot furnish the required assistance for First Culverin, it is agreed that Operation Buccaneer should be mounted as early as practicable. However, we believe it may prove possible to conduct additional land, sea, and air operations in order to pin down Japanese forces in South Burma. We therefore recommend that the CinC, Southeast Asia, be directed to explore this subject, and to submit recommendations thereon to the Combined Chiefs of Staff.

1. Not printed herein.
2. Not printed herein. The records of the First Quebec (Quadrant) Conference, August 1943, are scheduled to be published subsequently in another volume of the Foreign Relations series.