America at war! (1941--) -- Part 2

1007

The Communiqué 

Casablanca, 24 January 1943.

The President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Great Britain have been in conference near Casablanca since January 14. They were accompanied by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of the two countries, namely, for the United States:

  • General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
  • Admiral E. J. King, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Navy
  • Lieut. General H. H. Arnold, Commanding U.S. Army Air Forces

and for Great Britain:

  • Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound, First Sea Lord,
  • General Sir Alan Brooke, Chief of the Imperial General Staff,
  • Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Chief of the Air Staff.

These were assisted by:

  • Lieut. General B. B. Somervell, Commanding General, Services of Supply, U.S. Army,
  • Field Marshal Sir John Dill, Head of the British Joint Staff Mission in Washington,
  • Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations,
  • Lieut. General Sir Hastings Ismay, Chief Staff Officer to the Minister of Defence,

together with a number of Staff Officers from both countries.

They have received visits from Mr. Murphy and Mr. Macmillan; from General Eisenhower, the Commander-in-Chief Allied Expeditionary Force in North Africa; from Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham, Naval Commander Allied Expeditionary Force in North Africa; from General Spaatz, Air Commander Allied Expeditionary Force in North Africa; from General Clark, U.S. Army and from Middle East Headquarters, from General Sir Harold Alexander, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder and Lieut-General F. M. Andrews, U.S. Army.

The President was accompanied by Mr. Harry Hopkins and was joined by Mr. Averell Harriman. With the Prime Minister was Lord Leathers, the British Minister of War Transport.

For ten days the Combined Staffs have been in constant session meeting two or three times a day, and recording progress at intervals to the President and the Prime Minister. The entire field of the war was surveyed theatre by theatre throughout the world and all resources were marshalled for the more intense prosecution of the war by sea, land and air. Nothing like this prolonged discussion between two Allies has ever taken place before. Complete agreement was reached between the leaders of the two countries and their respective Staffs upon the war plans and enterprises to be undertaken during the campaign of 1943 against Germany, Italy and Japan with a view to drawing the utmost advantage from the markedly favourable turn of events at the close of 1942.

Premier Stalin was cordially invited to meet the President and the Prime Minister, in which case the meeting would have been held very much farther to the East. He was, however, unable to leave Russia at this time on account of the great offensive which he himself, as Commander-in-Chief is directing.

The President and the Prime Minister realized to the full the enormous weight of the war which Russia is successfully bearing along her whole land front, and their prime object has been to draw as much of the weight as possible off the Russian armies by engaging the enemy as heavily as possible at the best selected points.

Premier Stalin has been fully informed of the military proposals.

The President and the Prime Minister have been in communication with Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. They have apprised him of the measures which they are undertaking to assist him in China’s magnificent and unrelaxing struggle for the common cause.

The occasion of the meeting between the President and the Prime Minister made it opportune to invite General Giraud to confer with the Combined Chiefs of Staff and to arrange for a meeting between him and General de Gaulle. The two Generals have been in close consultation.

The President and the Prime Minister and the Combined Staffs having completed their plans for the offensive campaigns of 1943, have now separated in order to put them into active and concerted execution.

24. 1. 43

1008

La Stampa (January 24, 1943)

Le truppe dell’Asse si concentrano in Tunisia dopo avere sgombrato la città di Tripoli

Quattro piroscafi nemici affondati da nostri aerosiluranti e sommergibili

Il Quartiere Generale delle Forze Armate ha comunicato ieri il seguente Bollettino N. 973:

Combattimenti tra le opposte unità motocorazzate sono proseguiti nella giornata di ieri a sud di Tripoli: l’aviazione dell’Asse è intervenuta ripetutamente in appoggio alle azioni terrestri.

Questa notte, dopo i duri combattimenti dei giorni precedenti Tripoli è stata sgombrata dalle truppe dell’Asse, che si dirigo no verso occidente.

In Tunisia le truppe italiane e germaniche hanno ampliato vantaggi conseguiti nei giorni precedenti. Un velivolo americano è stato abbattuto dalle artiglierie contraeree di una nostra divisione.

Nella sera del 22 nostri reparti da bombardamento hanno agito sul porto di Bona, centrandone le installazioni e provocando incendi ed esplosioni.

Successivamente, una formazione di aerosiluranti raggiungeva la baia di Bona, ad onta delle avverse condizioni atmosferiche, e, individuati tre piroscafi, li centrava con siluri, affondandone sicuramente due e danneggiandone gravemente un terzo.

Altro mercantile veniva colpito all’imboccatura del porto. Tutti i nostri velivoli facevano ritorno alla base.

Nostri sommergibili hanno affondato nel Mediterraneo due unità mercantili nemiche.

Aerei nemici hanno bombardato Ispica in provincia di Ragusa, Pachino (Siracusa) e Noto. Tre morti e un ferito tra la popolazione civile.

1009

Völkischer Beobachter (January 24, 1943)

Botschafter Kurusu über die letzten Verhandlungen in Washington
Die USA. wollten Japan aus dem Dreierpakt drängen

dnb. Mailand, 23. Jänner –
In einem interessanten Interview mit dem Tokioter Vertreter des Popolo d’Italia kommt der japanische Botschafter Kurusu auf seine Sondermission in Washington zu sprechen, die in letzter Stunde den Frieden im Pazifik retten sollte.

„Von der Serie meiner Begegnungen mit Roosevelt und Hüll,“ so erklärte Kurusu:

…sind mir die erste und die letzte Begegnung unauslöschlich im Gedächtnis geblieben. Die erste war am 17. November 1941, die letzten diplomatischen Besprechungen waren am 26. November mit Hüll und am 27. November mit Roosevelt. Sie waren dramatisch oder vielmehr tragisch. Während der Begegnung am 26. November überreichte uns Hüll die „unmögliche Note,“ mit der er Admiral Nomura wie mich überraschte. Die USA. wollten – das war nunmehr bewiesen – das Schicksal der Verhandlungen mit dieser Note besiegeln. Nomura und ich sahen Hüll am 7. Dezember zum letztenmal, als wir ihm unsere Note überbrachten. Aber das war keine diplomatische Begegnung mehr.

Auf die Frage, welches die Einstellung der japanischen Bevollmächtigten gegenüber der USA.-Forderung vom 26. November hinsichtlich der Lossagung Japans vom Dreimächtepakt war, und ob diese unter den übrigen’ unannehmbaren Vorschlägen von zweitrangiger Bedeutung für die Regierung der Vereinigten Staaten war, antwortete Kurusu wie folgt:

Die Einstellung Washingtons zum Dreimächtepakt war in der Tat eigenartig. Von den uns gestellten Forderungen stand an Bedeutung gerade jene an erster Stelle, die die Aufkündigung des Dreimächtepaktes enthielt. Als die Regierung der Vereinigten Staaten sah, daß wir in diesem Punkt absolutunnachgiebig waren, gab sie zu verstehen, daß sie geneigt wäre, eine gemäßigtere Form anzunehmen als jene, uns zu verpflichten, den Pakt als toten Buchstaben anzusehen, falls die japanisch-us.-amerikanischen Verhandlungen zu einem guten Abschluß gebracht würden. Auch dieser Kompromißvorschlag stieß auf unsere entschiedene Ablehnung.

Wie kommt es nur, so fragten wir Hull, daß ausgerechnet die Vereinigten Staaten, die immer die unverletzbare Fleiligkeit der internationalen Verpflichtungen predigten, uns jetzt absolut dazu verleiten möchten, einer solchen nicht nachzukommen. Ist das nicht seltsam?

Überdies ist der Pakt selbst, so unterstrich Kurusu, rein friedlicher und defensiver Natur, wovon sich jeder überzeugen kann, falls er sich die Mühe nimmt, den Text genau zu studieren und die Reden zu prüfen, die Ribbentrop und Ciano bei seiner Unterzeichnung hielten.

Allein die Tatsache, daß die USA. so sehr darauf bedacht waren, uns aus dem Pakt austreten zu lassen, bewies uns klar, daß die Vereinigten Staaten sich aktiv, wenn auch heimlich, auf die Teilnahme am Krieg vorbereiteten, mit anderen Worten, die Vereinigten Staaten versuchten, sich eine zeitweilige Stabilität im Pazifik zu sichern, um den Krieg im Atlantik um so bequemer führen zu können. Die USA.-Pläne wurden so enthüllt und in ihr wahres Licht gerückt. Alle Informationen der ausländischen Nachrichtenbüros, die von einem angeblich möglichen Eingehen auf die USA.-Forderungen hinsichtlich des Dreierpaktes wissen wollten, waren und sind offenkundig grundlos und absurd.

Roosevelt und Hüll hatten, erklärt Kurusu weiter, drei fixe Ideen:

  1. Auflösung des Dreierpaktes,
  2. die Zurückziehung unserer Truppen aus China und
  3. die Verstärkung der Politik der offenen Tür in Ostasien, trotz der Tatsache, daß eine solche Politik in anderen Gegenden völlig unanwendbar bleiben würde.
1010

Brooklyn Eagle (January 24, 1943)

Eighth Army streams through Tripoli

British chase Rommel as U.S., French, halt Nazis in Tunisia

Cairo, Egypt (UP) – (Jan. 23)
The victorious Imperial Eighth Army swept through Tripoli tonight, completing the destruction of Benito Mussolini’s dreams of empire, and on toward the Tunisian frontier and the expected final battle against the Axis in Africa. All day long, dusty, battle-scarred veterans of the 1,500-mile trans-African pursuit of Marshal Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps streamed into the queen city of the once-great Italian Empire.

But there was no relaxation of the 30-mile-a-day pace which Gen. Harold Alexander’s forces had set all the way across Africa from their breakthrough and takeoff at Alamein.

Even before the first main troop contingents had rolled into Tripoli, advance scouting forces were driving on relentlessly to the west.

Nazis bolt for Tunisia

The Tunisian frontier lies only 100 air miles west of Tripoli and the remnants of Rommel’s once-proud army were seeking desperately to get across the border and obtain at least temporary shelter 100 miles deeper in Tunisia behind the French-built Mareth Line of fortifications.

The straggling Axis troops were under constant harassment from U.S. and British planes which rained bombs along the road known as the “Hundred Miles of Hell” and dove low over transport columns to rake them with murderous machine-gun fire.

A U.S. air communiqué reported heavy damage inflicted to the fleeing Axis army with many fires started in convoys to the west of Tripoli and one particularly large explosion, possibly caused hv detonation of an ammunition train.

Navy shells Axis post

The Axis, driven buck to air bases in Tunisia, offered virtually no challenge to the Allied rule of the skies.

Along the African coast west of Tripoli, British light naval forces added to the punishment being inflicted on the Afrika Korps.

They blasted at Zuara, a small harbor about 65 miles west of Tripoli, which remains the only port east of Gabes in Tunisia, which the Axis can employ for even small coastal shipping. The British ships suffered neither damage nor casualties.

Both fighter and bomber planes also attacked Zuara, causing great damage to small ships attempting to scurry out of the harbor.

Other squadrons raced ahead to Ben Gardane, just over the Tunisian frontier, where Rommel was reported to have located his advanced field headquarters, and blasted the newly-established German airdrome there.

With their range steadily increasing through the use of advanced airfields in Tripolitania, Allied planes dropped bombs rom Sicily to the Tunisian shores.

Allied intruder planes took the air over Sicily during the night, inflicting heavy damage on railroad targets and store warehouses, while long-range fighters carried out daylight attacks on Axis shipping along the Tunisian coast.

Two columns enter city

The entry into Tripoli of advance Imperial elements started at 5 a m. today with the British coastal column moving in through Castel Verde, the big Axis air base site, and the southern column through Azizia.

The troops found the city itself little damaged. However, the Germans carried out extensive demolition of the dock and storage facilities.

The Germans fought a strong rearguard action to delay the British entry as long as possible and afford additional time for the escape of their troops into Tunisia.

British engineers were expected to lose no time in starting the rehabilitation of Tripoli port facilities.

After you, Duce

By the United Press

Berlin today let Rome take the Axis honors in announcing the fall of Tripoli.

Despite the fact that Marshal Erwin Rommel is in command of the joint German-Italian forces in North Africa, the first Axis admission of the fall of the city came from Rome.

German news agencies circulated the report of the capitulation under a Rome dateline and the initial version of the day’s Nazi High Command communiqué did not even mention the loss.

Several hours later, a “corrected” version of the communiqué was circulated by radio which included the news of Tripoli.

Allied HQ, North Africa (UP) – (Jan. 23)
U.S. and French troops, fighting side by side, stopped a German drive today along the mountain ranges that line the Ousseltia Valley southwest of Pont du Fahs, while elsewhere in Tunisia, Allied planes blasted Axis airdromes, supply lines and communications.

The Allied forces were reported to have bent back both prongs of German tank and infantry attack. A British and French spearhead halted the northern German thrust along the Kebir River Valley and drove the enemy back four miles. Fighting was last reported in progress six miles north of Rebaa.

There were indications that the Germans had abandoned the northern drive and were concentrating toward Ousseltia. This attack, too, stalled in the mobile battle with the Americans and French.

‘Chutists rounded up

German parachutists dropped behind the Allied lines were rounded up quickly with the aid of French gendarmes and Arabs, an Allied spokesman said.

Positions changed quickly in what was described as a “fluid battle.” Allied bombers and fighters bombed and strafed German communications at the northern end of the Ousseltia Valley in an effort to halt reinforcements. Warhawk fighters flown by Americans and members of the French Lafayette Escadrille attacked vehicles and machine-gun posts, while Douglas A-20s scored direct hits on German tanks 17 miles northeast of Ousseltia.

Raid Tunis airdrome

Between 15 and 20 enemy machine-gun emplacements were destroyed.

U.S. planes destroyed nine Axis aircraft and damaged five in yesterday’s operations. Allied losses were placed at five planes.

U.S. heavy and medium bombers made three strong attacks on the El Aouina Airdrome at Tunis within three and a half hours, causing heavy damage to planes on the ground and to airport installations. Flying Fortresses, Mitchells and Martians, escorted by Lightning Fighters, set fire to buildings and parked planes.

Fifteen Messerschmitts challenged the raiders. Three were shot down and four damaged. One U.S. medium bomber crashed in flames.

French troops were reported holding a height southwest of Pont du Fahs.

The Méharist Camel Corps, cutting across the Libyan desert from southern Tunisia, was reported by the French to have captured the oases of Seheuet and El Barka, near Gat, taking more than 200 prisoners.

The Royal Navy announced that a British submarine operating in the Tyrrhenian Sea off Italy had reported sinking two Axis merchant ships and an anti-submarine schooner. A trawler was also hit and driven ashore.

1011

Yanks ended Jewish indignities in Africa

Boro private writes of joy with which Jews met Americans
By Claude Porter

…

1012

Allies hold vital talks; major decisions near

Free French believe U.S. has ace in hole to pacify de Gaulle
By Joe Alex Morris, United Press foreign editor

London, England – (Jan. 23)
Transatlantic negotiations between Britain and the United States tonight were expected to result in imminent announcement of important decisions.

These negotiations have been at a most active stage through the usual diplomatic channels [four words censored], by transatlantic telephone and more direct means.

The results of the negotiations are believe to be ready for announcement almost Immediately [13 words censored].

The inclusion in cables transmitted from London of notations of censorship of specific numbers of words is a most infrequent practice.

The negotiations have not been limited to British and American representatives, but include both Fighting French representatives and spokesmen for the North African French.

Far-reaching effects

A major task of the conferences was said to be the straightening out of North African political and military problems [four words censored].

The negotiations are expected to [One paragraph censored] …have far-reaching effects generally.

Most observers agreed that the North African problems must be cleaned up as a prelude to development of broad Allied strategical plans.

Some Fighting French sources believe the Americans hold a card up their sleeve which they may play very soon in an effort not only to pacify Gen. Charles de Gaulle but to obtain fullest cooperation from other French elements.

Lebrun’s name mentioned

In this connection, the name of Albert Lebrun, last President of the French Republic, has again been mentioned as possible head of a French regime which would satisfy most French. The whereabouts of Lebrun are unknown, but some quarters insist the possibility should not be ruled out that he might turn up in North Africa any day.

Well-informed quarters believed that once North Africa is settled, the Allies will concentrate on the greatest possible aid to Russia, presumably by coordinating Western operations with those on the Eastern Front.

1013

Flying Fortresses join 24-hour attacks on Nazis in Europe

London, England (UP) – (Jan. 23)
U.S. Flying Fortresses today joined the Allied 24-hours-a-day attack on the Nazi-held European continent, carrying out a daylight smash at the Nazi submarine bases of Brest and Lorient.

Five of the big Boeing bombers were lost in the attack, a joint U.S.-British communiqué reported, but “excellent results were obtained.”

The Flying Fortress attack came after Allied planes had been pounding objectives in Europe hour after hour through the day and night.

In the course of the attacks, fighter squadrons carried out supporting operations – sweeps of Nazi bases and strongpoints.

Off on night raid

Watchers at a southeast coast town heard RAF planes crossing the Channel just after dusk. A few moments later, heavy explosions were heard in the direction of the French coast.

Radio stations at Paris and in Luxembourg led the air, possibly indicating the presence of British planes.

Not long before the RAF planes took off on their night mission, fast, deadly American-built Mustangs of the Army Cooperation Command streaked over northern France in a daylight raid, attacking German transport.

The Mustangs, North American planes known in the United States as P-51s, strafed from low-level and “considerably dislocated German transport,” the Air Ministry announced.

They attacked 27 railroad locomotives, inflicted many casualties on a company of German troops, and strafed a dredger and five barges, one of which was set afire.

1014

Tell the world about it with a star of honor

Eagle to supply silver emblems showing someone you love is in service

…

1015

He’s called, she joins, goes home in uniform, finds him – rejected!

…

1016

Flynn affirms his honesty as hearing concludes

La Guardia on stand refuses to testify – cites bitter enmity

…

1017

144 of every 1,000 Yanks have worked with motors

…

1018

MacArthur’s men poised to widen drive on Japs

Papuan battleground cleared of enemy in final clashes

…

1019

Want to bomb Berlin? Here is your chance

Flying Fortresses will carry the names of neighborhoods buying $350,000 in bonds

…

1020

Sky pilots talk battle: Heroes pray – and fire!

Veteran chaplains of major engagements saw no hysteria, even among wounded
By William Juengst

…

1021

U.S. State Department (January 24, 1943)

Roosevelt-Churchill dinner, 8 p.m. (Marrakech)

Present
United States United Kingdom
President Roosevelt Prime Minister Churchill
Mr. Hopkins Sir Charles Wilson
Mr. Harriman Commander Thompson
Rear Admiral McIntire Mr. Martin
Captain McCrea Mr. Rowan
Colonel Beasley Captain Churchill
Vice Consul Pendar
Sergeant Hopkins

The conversation ranged over a number of topics including Morocco, the Arab problem, the de Gaulle-Giraud controversy, and the rebuilding of France.

1022

Roosevelt-Churchill meeting, about midnight (Marrakech)

Present
United States United Kingdom
President Roosevelt Prime Minister Churchill
Mr. Hopkins Mr. Martin
Mr. Harriman Mr. Rowan

The meeting was given over to the final revision of the joint messages from Roosevelt and Churchill to Stalin and Chiang.

1023 
Sunday, 24 January

General Henri Giraud called at 11:05 and had an audience with the President until 11:40. Major General Charles de Gaulle had arrived while General Giraud was in conference with the President, and following General Giraud’s departure, went in to talk to the President, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Macmillan.

While General de Gaulle was with the President, General Giraud returned, and a few minutes later the Prime Minister appeared.

These four, the President, the Prime Minister, General Giraud, and General de Gaulle then repaired to the lawn in the rear of the President’s villa where they posed for moving and still pictures. While the cameras “turned over”, the two generals shook hands.

Then Generals Giraud and de Gaulle bade farewell to the President and the Prime Minister and withdrew.

A few minutes after twelve, the President, with the Prime Minister seated at his left, invited the assembled newspapermen to sit down on the lawn and make themselves comfortable for the discussion which was to follow. It was a beautiful day, brilliant with sunshine, and with these two great men seated before them, the assembled correspondents heard a complete description of the purpose of bringing the British and American Chiefs of Staff together here in North Africa, together with the heads of their respective governments, and a general description of what had been accomplished.

Both the President and the Prime Minister reaffirmed the decision that no effort would be spared until the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers had been accomplished (The notes of this press conference have been recorded separately). When the discussion ended, the Prime Minister and the President asked the newspapermen to come up to shake hands, the President remarking that they should consider themselves an “elite group”, inasmuch as the great number of correspondents habitually attending routine press conferences in Washington precludes any thought of shaking hands.

Following the press conference, the President received General Charles A. Noguès, Resident General at Rabat, who had hurried down to Casablanca to say “au revoir” to the President upon being informed by telephone at 10:30 that the President’s departure was imminent.

At this time, the President also received Vice Admiral Michelier, the Commander-in-Chief of the French North African Fleet, who had called to pay his respects.

Heavy baggage, collected the night before, had been stowed in the planes and flown to Marrakech. The motorcade was waiting when the President departed from his villa at a few minutes past one o’clock in the afternoon, and at 1:25, the party was on its way to Marrakech, 150 miles almost due south of Casablanca, but well inland.

Besides his own immediate group, the President was accompanied by the Prime Minister, his son, Captain Randolph Churchill, Sir Charles Wilson, the Prime Minister’s aide, Commander Thompson, and his two private secretaries, Mr. Rowan and Mr. Martin.

At three o’clock, the cars were halted at the roadside for a basket lunch packed by the British consisting of several kinds of sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, and mincemeat tarts.

At 5:45, the party arrived at Marrakech, a very old Berber and Arab town, going directly to a large villa now occupied by the U.S. Vice Consul at Marrakech, Mr. Kenneth Pendar. This villa was placed at his disposal by the wife of the American millionaire, Moses Taylor. It was most beautiful, set in the midst of an olive grove. Its courtyards were filled with orange trees, flowers, and shrubs. There was a fountain or pool and inlaid marble floors all furnished in splendor befitting a Sultan.

The President and the Prime Minister, together with Admiral McIntire, Captain McCrea, and several others, ascended to the top of a 60-foot tower which crowned the villa, to view the sunset and the towering Atlas Mountains, many miles away, as the bells tolled from Mosque towers summoning the faithful to evening prayer.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The President and the Prime Minister were dinner guests of Mr. Pendar this evening, as were the following:

  • Sir Charles Wilson
  • Mr. Averell Harriman
  • Mr. Harry Hopkins
  • Admiral McIntire
  • Captain McCrea
  • Mr. Martin
  • Mr. Rowan
  • Commander Thompson
  • Colonel Beasley
  • Captain Randolph Churchill
  • Sergeant Robert Hopkins
1024

U.S. State Department (January 25, 1943)

President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill to Premier Stalin

Marrakech, January 25, 1943.

Most secret

President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill to Premier Stalin

1. We have been in conference with our military advisers and have decided the operations which are to be undertaken by American and British forces in the first nine months of 1943. We wish to inform you of our intentions at once. We believe these operations, together with your powerful offensive, may well bring Germany to her knees in 1943. Every effort must be made to accomplish this purpose.

2. We are in no doubt that our correct strategy is to concentrate on the defeat of Germany, with a view to achieving early and decisive victory in the European theatre. At the same time, we must maintain sufficient pressure on Japan to retain the initiative in the Pacific and Far East, sustain China, and prevent the Japanese from extending their aggression to other theatres such as your Maritime Provinces.

3. Our main desire has been to divert strong German land and air forces from the Russian front and to send to Russia the maximum flow of supplies. We shall spare no exertion to send you material assistance by every available route.

4. Our immediate intention is to clear the Axis out of North Africa and set up the naval and air installations to open:
a) An effective passage through the Mediterranean for military traffic; and
b) An intensive bombardment of important Axis targets in Southern Europe.

5. We have made the decision to launch large-scale amphibious operations in the Mediterranean at the earliest possible moment. The preparation for these operations is now under way and will involve a considerable concentration of forces, including landing craft and shipping in Egyptian and North African ports. In addition we shall concentrate hi the United Kingdom a strong American land and air force. These, combined with the British forces in the United Kingdom, will prepare themselves to re-enter the Continent of Europe as soon as practicable. These concentrations will certainly be known to our enemies, but they will not know where or when, or on what scale we propose to strike. They will therefore be compelled to divert both land and air forces to all the shores of France, the Low Countries, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, the heel of Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Crete and the Dodecanese.

6. In Europe we shall increase the Allied Bomber offensive from the U.K. against Germany at a rapid rate and, by midsummer, it should be more than double its present strength. Our experiences to date have shown that the day bombing attacks result in destruction and damage to large numbers of German Fighter Aircraft. We believe that an increased tempo and weight of daylight and night attacks will lead to greatly increased material and morale damage in Germany and rapidly deplete German fighter strength. As you are aware, we are already containing more than half the German Air Force in Western Europe and the Mediterranean. We have no doubt that our intensified and diversified bombing offensive, together with the other operations which we are undertaking, will compel further withdrawals of German air and other forces from the Russian front.

7. In the Pacific it is our intention to eject the Japanese from Rabaul within the next few months and thereafter to exploit success in the general direction of Japan. We also intend to increase the scale of our operations in Burma in order to reopen our channel of supply to China. We intend to increase our air force in China at once. We shall not, however, allow our operations against Japan to jeopardize our capacity to take advantage of every opportunity that may present itself for the decisive defeat of Germany in 1943.

8. Our ruling purpose is to bring to bear upon Germany and Italy the maximum forces by land, sea and air which can be physically applied.

25. 1. 43

1025

President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill to Generalissimo Chiang 

Marrakech, January 25, 1943.

Most secret

We have been meeting in North Africa with our Chiefs of Staff, to plan our offensives and strategy for 1943. The vital importance of aiding China has filled our minds. General Arnold, the Commander of the U.S. Air Force, is already on his way to see you. We have decided that Chennault should be reinforced at once in order that you may strike not only at vital shipping routes but at Japan herself. Arnold carries to you our best judgment as to Burma. He will also advise you about our expanding operations in the South West Pacific and our developing offensive against Germany and Italy which will follow promptly after the destruction of the Axis forces in Tunisia.

We have great confidence in the 1943 offensives of the United Nations and want to assure you that we intend with your co-operation to keep the pressure on Japan at an ever-increasing tempo.

25. 1. 43.

1026

The President and the Prime Minister to the Combined Chiefs of Staff 

Marrakech, January 25, 1943.

In cordially approving the Report of the Combined Chiefs of Staff drawn up after thorough examination of the problems, the President and the Prime Minister wish to emphasize the following points which should be steadily pressed in all preparations:

  1. The desirability of finding means of running the W.J. [JW?] Russian convoys even through the Husky period.

  2. The urgency of sending the air reinforcements to General Chennault’s force in China and of finding means to make them fully operative.

  3. The importance of achieving the favourable June moon for Husky and the grave detriment to our interests which will be incurred by an apparent suspension of activity during the summer months.

  4. The need to build up more quickly the United States striking force in the United Kingdom so as to be able to profit by favourable August weather for some form of Sledgehammer. For this purpose, not only the scales of initial equipment and monthly maintenance should be searchingly re-examined but the priorities of material and manpower shipments from the United States to Great Britain should be adjusted to the tactical situation likely to be presented at the target date.

F.D.R.
W.S.C.

25.1. 43.