Evening star., 1943-09-17
GEN. MARSHALL'S STORY
of the
Army and the War
CHAPTER X.
Attack on Axis Oil Fields-Buwarking
China's Defenses-Japs Occupy
Aleutians - Recapture
of Attu

Note - With this installment
The Star concludes Chief OF
STAFF George C. Marshdlrs report
to the Secretary OF Wa on the
period July /, 1941-June 80, r943,
just made public. 1T is record"
Gen. Marshall Writes, "of Whdt
sDds done and Uhy it tUaS done,
and is submitted iDhile America
is at tDar to permit better
understanding OF the great
Offensive operations noW in
progress"
Under the lease-lend. program
large quantities of American equip
ment were being sent to the Middle
East in the months Immediately
preceding the Pearl Harbor attack
Technical personnel. largely civil
ians, for servicing American planes
trucks and tanks. was provided by
us to assist the British in maintain
ing the efficiency of the American
equipment in their hands. Ameri-
can missions were established in
Egypt and in Iran to coordinate
and supervise lease-lend activities
and to establish the necessary air.
ferry routes over which American
aircraft could be dispatched to the
Middle East, to Russia, to India and
to China
Upon our entry into war the mis-
sions previously referred to, COM
posed largely of civilian technicians,
we're gradually transferred to mill
tary control. In June. 1912, it be-
came necessary to designate a COM
mander for the United States Army
Forces in the Middle East with re-
sponsibility not only for the North
African and Iranian missions but
also for military personnel in the
area. At the same time similar
command was formed for the con-
troll of United States Army Forces
across equatorial Africa, which uni
fed air transport command activi-
ties along the trans-African air
routes.
Dark Days In June, 1912.
The crisis which developed in
June, 1912, with the withdrawal of
the British 9th Army to the Ell Ala
mein line threatened not only the
Suez Canal but also our air transport
routes to Russia and to Asia. There
fore, such aircraft as could be spared
from other operations were concen-
trated in the Middle East to operate
against the communications of the
Afrika Korps in Libya and across
the Mediterranean. Medium tanks
and 105-mm. guns on self propelled
mounts were rushed by train and
ship to the British 9th Army and
every possible measure consistent
with the military situation in other
parts of the world was taken to as
sist the 9Th Army in maintaining
its position while it was refitted
and prepared for its triumphant
march westward through Libya.
In subsequent months our heavy
bombers extended their operations
over the Mediterranean in attacks
against Axis ports along the south
ern European coast. Such heavy
shipping losses were inflicted on the
enemy that he was compelled to
provide a heavy escort for his con-
voys, thereby considerably reducing
the volume of cargo which he could
move. American medium bombers
for the Middle East were ferried
across Africa from the United States
and fighter aircraft in large num-
bers were delivered in Cairo, some
by "fy-away" from aircraft carriers
shutting across the Atlantic and
others, delivered in crates to Ia
koradi on the west coast Of Africa,
were assembled there and flown to
their destinations.
Our Air Force at Ell Alamein.
BY October, Gen. Montgomery's
improved situation in troops, equip
ment and logistical arrangements
enabled him to crash through the
Ell Alamein line and pursue the
enemy $500 miles into Tunisia.
Our aircraft, heavy and medium
bombers and fighters organized into
the 9th Air Force under Gen.
Brereton, participated in the prep
aratlon that preceded the attack on
the enemy's positions at Ell Alamein
and made important contributions
to the subsequent pursuit. Planes
from this air force struck heavy
blows against German transport
flights across the Sicilian Straits in
the last phases of the Battle of Tu-
nisia. Thereafter, the 9th Air Force
was occupied in the bombing opera
tions against Axis Mediterranean
positions including Pantelleria and
Sicily, and in destructive raids
against Naples, Messina, Reggie and
other points in Italy, all of which
provided an important contribution
to the shattering of Italian morale
(On August l the heavy bombers
OF the 9th and 9th Air Forces struck
devastating blow at the lubricat-
Ing oil and gasoline resources of
the Germans by destroying in a
single raid possibly rs percent of the
Ploesti refineries in Rumania. The
length of flight, the astonishing
accuracy of the bombing and the
daring of the enterprise present
q conspicuous example of the quail
ity OF the American myers and their
planesJ
The Asiatic Theater.
In January, 1941, the Curtiss
plant, completing British contract
for the manufacture of P-40 fighter
planes, announced that if an order
could be placed within 10 days il
would be possible to produce 30(
additional P-40's by June of tina
year. Under the British contrac
the United States Army controlled
the allotments of additional planes
The Chinese were in grave distres
for lack Of fighter aircraft. / pro
posed, therefore, that If the Brit
tsh would Immediately turn over 81
P-40's to the Chinese government
from their existing contracts fol
lowed by rs in February and Is il
March, the United States govern
ment would permit the ALLEGATION
Of the 300 planes, referred to above
for delivery in June to the British