Evening star., 1943-09-10

Note: The Star is printing, in
daily installments, Chief of Stan
George c. MurshdlPs report to
the Secretary OF War on the Pc
riod July I, 1941-June 80. 1913,
Just made public. at is a record"
Gen. Marshall ,orites, "ot ,Dhat
Dds done and Why it ,Dds done
and is submitted Dhile America is
at ,Dar to permit better under
standing OF the great offensive
operations no,o in progress"
The Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor on December 7, 194l, galvan-
lied the entire military organization
OF our Nation into the immediate
tasks Of protecting the United
States, Alaska and the Panama
Canal Zone against surprise attack
and sabotage 1t also precipitated
the movement of additional men
and materiel to guard our extended
naval and air lines of communica-
tions from the United States to ac-
tive and prospective theaters of op-
erations, and to replace losses in
Hawaii. Plans which had been
formulated in preparation for pos
sible state of war were put into
effect according to the demands of
the actual situation.
Since the Japanese attacks on the
Pacific Fleet in Hawaii had uncov-
cred the entire West Coast of North
America, the reinforcement of gar
risons along the West Coast, Pana-
ma, Hawaii and in Alaska was given
first priority. The movement of Air
Forces and antiaircraft units was
iniated Immediately by flight and
fast freight specials. The move
ment of an Army corps of two in
fantry divisions and corps troops to
the West Coast started on December
IA. 1941. and was completed a few
days later. BY December II the
critical sRreas on both the Pacific
and Atlantic coasts had been pro-
vided with a reasonable degree of
protection against air and sea at
tack. Additional antiaircraft units
were sent by sea and air reinforce
ments we're flown to the Panama
Emergency Troop Movement.
In the FIRST five weeks of the war
these deployments in conjunction
with the forces en- route to Hawaii,
Alaska, and other bases involved
rail movement of approximately
100000 troops with their vehicular
transportation, guns and equipment.
The railroads of the Nation handled
this sudden and tremendous volume
of trafic in personnel and materiel
In an extremely efficient manner,
thanks in part tU the previous elab-
crate organization in depth of coas-
tai ports Of embarkation with their
intermediate storage depots and
regulating stations extending as far
inland as Phoenix, Ariz.; Ogden,
Utah, and Harrisburg, Pa. (The rail
tonnage concentrated on the Brook
lyn Army Base in the fall of 194l
exceeded that of 1918 on the port of
New York;
A first necessity was to make good
the damage in Hawaii and to
strengthen its defenses and those at
Midway, to establish succession of
island bases to guard the Pacific
lines of communication with AUS
tralia and New Zealand and to per-
init the transport of bombers and
transport planes and the servicing of
naval aircraft and shipping.
Ships in the Pacific Coast harbors
we're Immediately requisitioned, re-
loaded and sent westward with COM
bat and service personnel, aircraft
equipment and other materiel. Two
fast conveys were organized, loaded
and left San Francisco for Hawaii
during the first 10 days Of the war.
A convoy en- route to the Philippines
was diverted to Australia.
Troops were sent to relieve the
marines and British forces in Ice
land and, at the same time, the
first echelon of troops was sent over
seas to Northern Ireland to assist
in the protection of the British
Isles and to pave the way for future
American activities in Europe.
Air Bases In South America.
The outposts of the Panama Canal
defenses were rapidly extended by
the establishment of air bases in
South and Central America and by
the provision of small coast artil-
lery detachments with 155-mm. guns
to defend the critical points along
the South American coast as far as
Chile.
To meet the situation in the
United States the areas contiguous
to the East and West Coasts were
organized into the Eastern and
Western Defense Commands, respec-
lively, and placed under the COM
mand of 1t. Gen. Hugh A. Drum
and 1t Gen. John L. De Witt. In
tegrated into this command setup
was the operational control of in
terceptor aircraft assigned to pro-
tect our coastlines. In addition,
Gen. De Witt retained control over
the Alaskan Defense Command and
Gen. Drum over the United States
troops in Newfoundland and Ber-
muda.
Work on the Alaska military high
way was accelerated, and the road
was open to traffic on october %,
1912, despite the dificulties Of
weather and terrain.
Strategy and Control.
On December %, 194l, Winston
Churchill, Prime Minister of Great
Britain, accompanied by the Brit
ish chiefs of staff, arrived in Wash
ington to confer with the President
and the American chiefs of staff
Out of the series of discussions
which then followed resulted an
agreement not only regarding the
Immediate strategy for our COM
bined conduct Of the war but also
for the organization OF a method
for the strategical command and
control OF British and American
military resources.
Probably no other Allied action, in
the field or otherwise, has exerted
as powerful an effect on the conduct
OF this war as the prompt establish
ment OF prescribed procedure fol