The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-10-16

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points and to Balikpapan In Borneo
and Singapore-which were later to
fall into the hands Of the Japanese.
With these installations completed,
the first flights Of Flying Fortresses
were started to the Philippines late
in August. BY November, 1941, For
tresses had completed the trip, 60
ing by way Of Hawaii, Midway, then
south through Rabaul, Port MoreSby
or Darwin, Australia, then north to
the Philippines A gap In plane
deliveries from the factory, combined
with adverse winds between San
Francisco and Hawaii, prevented the
ferrying Of an additional 40 For
tresss to the Philippines, prior to
Pearl Harbor.
FINANCIAL BOTTLENECK
The problem Of financing the de-
tense Of the Philippines during the
fall Of 1941 ran into congressional
stymie. Fifteen million dollars were
taken from the Presidents enler-
gency funds, and an additional 10
million were taken from Air Force
funds, but these sums were quickly
exhausted. In September, the War
Department asked authorization to
expend on defense Of the islands
some $50 million available in Philip
pine sugar excise tax funds, but Con-
gress debated. then denied the re-
quest and the War Department did
not get the money It needed until
the Third Supplemental National
Defense appropriation act was
passed on Dec. II, 10 days after Pearl
Harbor.
BY October, 1941, 100000 tons Of
supplies had been assembled for the
Philippines, and 10000 reinforce
ments. Eleven transports were sched-
uied to sail between Nov. 81 and Dec.
8, and IL cargo vessels by Jan. 8.
Six of the troop ships and nine Of
the cargo vessels were at sea when
word Of the Pearl Harbor attack was
received. Four Of the troop ships
returned to San Francisco and the
other two made Brisbane, Australia,
after Is days Of silence.
How the bottom Of the military
supply barrel was scraped In the
early days Of the Pacific war Is
revealed in General MarShall's &C
count Of q visit from representatives
Of the government Of the Neither
lands East indies, making moving
appeal for IS million rounds Of small
arms ammunition. In the face OF
the Japanese threat, General Mar
shall took seven million rounds from
the reserve intended for troops IN
movement to Island and gave them
to the Dutch. Four million rounds
were moved Immediately from the
Philippines.
REINFORCE GARRIsONS
The attack on Pearl Harbor made
necessary the immediate reinforce
ment Of all U. s. garrisons along
the west coast, in Hawaii, Panama
and Alaska. In the first five weeks
Of the war, this involved movement
by rail Of 100000 troops with all
their equipment and supplies. BY
June, 1912, 10000 troops had been
moved into the Southwest Pacific.
U. s. forces on the Philippines
were 100000 Filipino militiamen,
$4,000 scouts and 10000 U. s. reg
ulars, Of whom 5000 were Air Force
personnel. The planes numbered
$50, Of which 35 were Fortresses and
lot were P-40s.
A complete report on the perilous
Job Of trying to run the Jap block
ade to get supplies into the Philip
pines, writes General Marshall, has
never been received. OF seven ships
dispatched from Australia, only three
got to Cebu. At least IS Of the
blockade runners were sunk or cap
tured trying to get through to Ba-
taan. Several average destroyers
were refltted as blockade runners,
but none got through.
But a major miscalculation Of the
Japanese, General Marshall reports,
was the unanticipated and pro-
longed defense of the Philippines,
Corregidor falling on May S, 1912.
This completely upset their time
table for other offensive operations
in the Southwest Pacific, including
Australia.