Allied War Chronicles - WirrawayAce (A) v CarnageINC(J)

[Wirraway_Ace]

Nimitz swore after meeting with Rochefort.  He had very few assets to forestall any significant Jap move against Midway.  He dispatched what he had available:  An Army Combat Engineer Bn to reinforce the Marines, all available submarines from Pearl, and a cruiser/destroyer TF.

[Wirraway_Ace]

 
Madras, India, 12 Feb 42

As the last of the transports involved in OPERATION CHESTNUT arrived safely in port, General Sir Archibald Wavell was able to more thoroughly assess his command.  OPERATION CHESTNUT, the evacuation of British and Commonwealth forces from Malaya, successfully  saved the bulk of the combat power of III Indian Corps and the 8th Aus Div.

Both the 9th and 11th Indian Divisions have 2 intact brigades and the division artillery.  The divisions can be brought up to full strength from replacement squads and cannibalizing 2 of the Pujab Bns in northern India.  However, 1 of the Bdes of the 11th is still in Australia and will not make India for a number of weeks.

The 2 brigades of the 8th Australian Division were evacuated intact with the exception of their 25 pdrs.  The pools of these key weapons are adequate to re-equip the formations.  However, Australia’s outspoken Prime Minister John Curtin was already clamoring for the return of these units to Australia.

With OPERATION WICKET (withdrawal of Burma Corps from Burma to Imphal) also nearing completion,
Wavell would have Burma Corps with 2 Divisions, III Indian Corps with 3 divisions (18th British, 9th & 11th Indian) in Eastern India.  Additionally, he had 3 good Bdes on Ceylon.  The remainder of the Indian Army, spread throughout the country, was still at very low levels of readiness and training.  With the equivalent of 6 divisions, could he defend both Ceylon and Bengal?  The enemy appeared to have deployed 3 Divisions in Malaya, 1 on Sumatra, 2 on Java, and 2 in Burma.  Singapore, southern Sumatra and Java were likely to fall by the end of February,   freeing up 3 – 4 divisions for follow-on operations.  When the Americans eventually surrendered in the Bataan, another 3 divisions would be available.  Bengal, Ceylon and Northern Australia all appeared likely targets.  But which way would the Jap go, and could he do anything to put a stop to the seemingly irresistible enemy advance?

[Wirraway_Ace]

[font=calibri]Bataan Peninsula, Philippines, 13 Feb 42[/font]
 
[font=calibri]The siege of US and Philippine Forces on Luzon began today with a series of heavy attacks by GEN Homma’s 14th Army.  Fighting has been fierce, as Japanese engineers attempt to reduce the complex defensive works tied into the rugged terrain of the Peninsula. [/font]
[font=calibri] [/font]
The 14th Army units committed to the Bataan offensive consists of 4+ Division equivalents, 3 Tank Regiments, 7 Engineer Regiments and 6 Artillery Regiments.  The OOB is shown below:
   
[font=calibri] 4th Division[/font]
19th Division
21st Division
33rd Division
65th Brigade
[font=calibri] 1st Formosa Inf. Regiment[/font]
9th Infantry Regiment
20th Infantry Regiment
[font=calibri] 47th Infantry Regiment[/font]
[font=calibri] 48th Recon Regiment[/font]
[font=calibri] Sasebo 1st SNLF [/font]
2nd Tank Regiment
[font=calibri]4th Tank Regiment   [/font]
7th Tank Regiment
28th Engineer Regiment
48th Engineer Regiment
27th Electric Engineer Regiment
3rd Ind. Engineer Regiment
1st Engineer Regiment
21st Ind. Engineer Regiment
16th Engineer Regiment
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
48th Field Artillery Regiment
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
 
Although MacArthur is not fully aware yet, there are no reinforcements on the way to relieve his forces facing Homma's 14th Army.   The President has been swayed by the arguments of by a young general who recently served on MacArthur’s staff.  That young general, by the name of Eisenhower, argued that the only strategic purpose the forces on Luzon could serve was to fight and die to delay the enemy’s next phase of operations.
 
 
[font=calibri]The results of the first few days of combat:[/font][/b]
 
 
[font=calibri]13 Feb 42 Ground combat at Bataan (78,77)[/font][/b]
 
Japanese Deliberate attack
 
Attacking force 83167 troops, 795 guns, 502 vehicles, Assault Value = 2816
 
Defending force 51064 troops, 908 guns, 763 vehicles, Assault Value = 1424
 
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 4
 
Japanese adjusted assault: 724
 
Allied adjusted defense: 2859
 
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 3 (fort level 4)
 
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), experience(-)
Attacker: op mode(-)
 
Japanese ground losses:
[font=calibri]      2677 casualties reported[/font]
[font=calibri]         Squads: 6 destroyed, 106 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Non Combat: 20 destroyed, 160 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Engineers: 1 destroyed, 111 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]      Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)[/font]
[font=calibri]      Vehicles lost 113 (52 destroyed, 61 disabled)[/font]
 
 
Allied ground losses:
[font=calibri]      2356 casualties reported[/font]
[font=calibri]         Squads: 96 destroyed, 115 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Non Combat: 32 destroyed, 203 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Engineers: 2 destroyed, 32 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]      Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)[/font]
[font=calibri]      Vehicles lost 68 (1 destroyed, 67 disabled)[/font]
 
 
 
 
[font=calibri]15 Feb 42, Ground combat at Bataan (78,77)[/font][/b]
[font=calibri] [/font][/b]
[font=calibri]Japanese Deliberate attack[/font][/b]
 
Attacking force 80822 troops, 795 guns, 464 vehicles, Assault Value = 2670
 
Defending force 48732 troops, 908 guns, 762 vehicles, Assault Value = 1306
 
Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 3
 
Japanese adjusted assault: 1135
 
Allied adjusted defense: 1419
 
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)
 
Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:
 
Japanese ground losses:
[font=calibri]      4868 casualties reported[/font]
[font=calibri]         Squads: 17 destroyed, 93 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Non Combat: 22 destroyed, 325 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Engineers: 9 destroyed, 51 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]      Guns lost 2 (0 destroyed, 2 disabled)[/font]
[font=calibri]      Vehicles lost 116 (14 destroyed, 102 disabled)[/font]
 
 
Allied ground losses:
[font=calibri]      2081 casualties reported[/font]
[font=calibri]         Squads: 28 destroyed, 182 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Non Combat: 50 destroyed, 306 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Engineers: 1 destroyed, 58 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]      Vehicles lost 77 (34 destroyed, 43 disabled)[/font]
 

[Wirraway_Ace]

[font=calibri]Midway Island, Central Pacific, 18 Feb 42[/font]
 
[font=calibri]The Commander, Dog Company, 2nd Battalion, 34th Combat Engineers surveyed the scene with grim satisfaction.   He had been on Oahu on December 7th, and was not disposed to view piles of Jap dead and dying on the beach in front of his company’s position with anything like the horror the scene might have otherwise engendered.  He and his men had only been on Midway three days, but  he and his ISG had carefully sited each of the unit’s MMGs and HMGs (of which a Combat Engineer unit was amply equipped) to enfilade the bare beaches of their sector.   The soldiers had then dug in their positions with care, and when the Japs came, they had never had a chance.  There were 500 bodies on the beach and many more floating in the gentle waves.  Off to the left, the Captain could just see the burning hulks of the three USN transports that had delivered his unit to the island and were caught by enemy carrier  aircraft while still trying to unload the last of the supplies.  However, many Jap ships were burning or sunk too, caught by the numerous submarines off Midway as they approached, or by the deadly hail of gunfire from the Marine coastal defense guns.  [/font]
 
Further off shore, he could still see the lean shapes of a few cruisers and destroyers.  He had been surprised the Japs had not tried to soften up his position by either naval gunfire or carrier aircraft.  He wondered if the Japs would try again.  If they try to attack the same way, they had better bring a lot more men he thought.
 
Pre-Invasion action off Midway Island - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
 
416 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
 
Japanese Ships
[font=calibri]      CL Yubari, Shell hits 5[/font]
[font=calibri]      CL Tatsuta, Shell hits 3[/font]
[font=calibri]      CL Tenryu, Shell hits 6[/font]
[font=calibri]      DD Yunagi, Shell hits 2[/font]
[font=calibri]      DD Asanagi[/font]
[font=calibri]      DD Hayate, Shell hits 5,  heavy fires[/font]
[font=calibri]      DD Oite[/font]
[font=calibri]      DD Yayoi[/font]
[font=calibri]      PB Ginyo Maru, Shell hits 4,  on fire[/font]
[font=calibri]      PB Shotoku Maru, Shell hits 3,  on fire[/font]
[font=calibri]      PB Shoei Maru, Shell hits 7,  heavy fires,  heavy damage[/font]
[font=calibri]      PB Kyo Maru #10, Shell hits 6,  heavy fires,  heavy damage[/font]
[font=calibri]      PB Kyo Maru #8, Shell hits 6,  heavy fires,  heavy damage[/font]
[font=calibri]      PB Kohuku Maru, Shell hits 4,  heavy fires,  heavy damage[/font]
[font=calibri]      PB Kenkon Maru, Shell hits 5,  on fire[/font]
[font=calibri]      xAP Ukishima Maru[/font]
[font=calibri]      CM Tokiwa[/font]
 
Japanese ground losses:
[font=calibri]      82 casualties reported[/font]
[font=calibri]         Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled[/font]
 
 
Allied ground losses:
[font=calibri]      12 casualties reported[/font]
[font=calibri]         Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled[/font]
 
Ground combat at Midway Island (158,91)
 
Japanese Shock attack
 
Attacking force 8068 troops, 75 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 402
 
Defending force 3736 troops, 56 guns, 85 vehicles, Assault Value = 138
 
Japanese adjusted assault: 1
 
Allied adjusted defense: 152
 
Japanese assault odds: 1 to 152 (fort level 3)
 
Combat modifiers
Defender: forts(+), leaders(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-), supply(-)
 
Japanese ground losses:
[font=calibri]      3097 casualties reported[/font]
[font=calibri]         Squads: 265 destroyed, 83 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Non Combat: 250 destroyed, 75 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Engineers: 18 destroyed, 0 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]      Guns lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)[/font]
[font=calibri]      Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)[/font]
 
 
Allied ground losses:
[font=calibri]      124 casualties reported[/font]
[font=calibri]         Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]         Engineers: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled[/font]
[font=calibri]      Vehicles lost 6 (0 destroyed, 6 disabled)[/font]
 
 
Assaulting units:
[font=calibri]    144th Infantry Rgt /1[/font]
[font=calibri]    51st Nav Gd /2[/font]
[font=calibri]    20th Engr Rgt /1[/font]
[font=calibri]    53rd Nav Gd /2[/font]
[font=calibri]    8th Engr Rgt /1[/font]
[font=calibri]    Maizuru 2nd SNLF /3[/font]
 
Defending units:
[font=calibri]    34th Combat Engineer Regiment[/font]
[font=calibri]    116th USAAF Base Force[/font]
[font=calibri]    6th Marine Defense Battalion[/font]

[Wirraway_Ace]

[font=calibri]HQ, Pacific Fleet, Oahu, Hawaii, 18 Feb 42[/font]

ADM Nimitz looked over the initial report from Midway and eyed his Chief of Staff and said, “what can we do to strengthen the garrison if the Japs try to reinforce?”

“We have four options Admiral.  There is an Army Infantry Battalion we might pry out of West Coast Command.  It is understrength, and up until yesterday had been spread in little packets across much of Alaska.  There is an understrength Army Mountain Regiment currently enroute to Adak Island in the Aleutians.  A convoy departed yesterday from San Fran with an Army Infantry Regiment (Sep) that is currently your only theater reserve; however, logistics estimates indicate that we may not be able support reinforcements of that size on the island.  Finally, we have another Marine Defense Battalion on Oahu that is prepped for Midway.  Transport should be arriving today if you decide to lift it.  Sir, I should note that we are critically short of any transport here at Pearl after the losses of Midway yesterday, greatly reducing our agility.”

"Ok, I think we have a little time before we have to decide, although I should not have been so slow to reinforce Midway in the first place.  The Marines and Army Engineers have identified at least 2 battalions of the 144th Inf Rgt from Rochefort's original intercept.  The Japs might have a second wave, but if so, the sub pickets have not seen it.  I think it is going to take them a lot longer to react than us to the bloody nose we have given them today. I will get more transport released from the West Coast in the mean time."  

[Wirraway_Ace]

HQ, Pacific Fleet, Oahu, Hawaii, 23 Feb 42

[Briefing officer] “Sir, Midway confirms the Japs have withdrawn.”

Admiral Nimitz nods.

“The convoy carrying the Americal Division is 6 days out of Noumea. Patrol aircraft and picket destroyers report no enemy activity south of the Solomons other than normal sub activity. RADM Shafroth’s TF 11 will provide distant cover for the convoy 2 days out.”

Admiral Nimitz nods.

“Admiral, the end is near for MacArthur on the Bataan. The enemy has been throwing everything he has at him for 2 weeks now. Homma must be under pressure from Tokyo to finish his campaign on Luzon prior to the end of the month. If half the reports are true, Homma’s divisions will need significant time to replace their losses before they can be recommitted.”

“Any indications as to where they are in such a hurry to employ the 14th Army?”

“Admiral, nothing even remotely concrete, but the Aussies certainly think they are headed to Darwin.”

“It strikes me as peculiar that Tokyo is driving Homma so hard in the Philippines against MacArthur while Yamashita just sits at Johor Bahru; the Brits have nothing left on Singapore. What does that indicate…”

[Wirraway_Ace]

Bridge, HMS Royal Sovereign, Indian Ocean, 25 Feb 42

[font="Courier New"]Captain Portal looked out over the seemly endless expanse of ocean and checked to see if the taskforce destroyers and cruisers were keeping station. Behind him cruised the stately shapes of the troop transports carrying the Australian 6th Division. This battle hardened formation would be missed in the Middle East, or India for that matter, but the Prime Minister of Australia was adamant that the entire 1st Australian Corps be returned to Oz.

The captain knew that two weeks behind him, one of the new armoured-deck carriers was escorting a convoy carrying the 7th Australian Division and old Hermes was covering two brigades of the 8th Australian Division so recently evacuated from Singapore. To the east, 500 miles or more, older British destroyers provided pickets against the possibility of marauding Jap carrier TFs. The Admiralty was committed to getting the Australian divisions home, even if Churchill wasn’t.[/font]

[Wirraway_Ace]

ABDA Command, Batavia, Java, 3 Mar 1942
 
Lt Gen. Hein Ter Poorten, Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger; KNIL), looked over the latest reports from Bandoeng where Mobiele Eenheid Battalion, Lijfwacht Cav Sqn and the Tjilatjap KNIL Battalion where conducting delaying actions less than 100 miles from Batavia.  Japanese armor had slipped in behind the defenders who were now encircled.  The 38th IJA Division was preparing to assault the mountainous Bandoeng which would fall tonight or tomorrow.  This would leave Batavia as the final outpost of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army on Java.  The decision had already been made.  The KNIL would not try and wage a guerrilla campaign.  There was no reason to believe the populations of the Netherland East Indies would support KNIL guerrillas against the Japanese.  On Java, they would fight to the end at Batavia.
 
On Sumatra, the KNIL were encircled at Palembang in the south, but still held the north.  However, Hein Ter Poorten was nearly certain that the Netherlands East Indies colony would not live to see another month.

[Wirraway_Ace]

“MORE DIGGERS RETURN TO BOLSTER DEFENSES”, 5 Mar 42 Headline, Sydney Morning Herald

Although the Government remains quiet (at least formally) about it, troops of the veteran 6th Australian Division have returned to OZ.   One frontbench source hinted that the 6th would soon be joined by the 7th and the 8th Australian Divisions under 1 Aus Corps to form a strategic reserve against a possible Jap invasion.

[Wirraway_Ace]

“BATAAN FALLS”, 7 Mar 42 Headline, New York Times
 
After four weeks of fierce fighting, the Japanese 14th Army overran the last of the American and Philippine defenders on the Bataan peninsula.  Casualties over the last month on Luzon were very heavy on both sides.  Japanese combat losses over the last month were estimated at over 32,000.  General MacArthur is reported to have escaped capture.  US and Philippine forces remain in strength on Mindanao; however, the outlook is grim.

[Wirraway_Ace]

9 Mar 42, New Delhi, India Command HQs
 
Brigadier Wallis left Sir Archibald Wavell’s office in a furious mood.  His command, the Kowloon Brigade, was going to be disbanded, effective immediately, to help reconstitute the 9th Indian Division.  His outfit, made up of the2 Royal Scots, 5/7 Rajput, and 2/14 Punjab battalions, had fought in Hong Kong, been flown out of the city by the Americans, then marched across the width of southern China and on through Burma only to be dismantled .  The 9th Indian Division had lost heavily on Java while in the midst of being evacuated and had yet to show it had any ability to face the Japanese.   Sir Archibald had seemed unimpressed with his idea of using parts of the 9th Indian Division to bring his Brigade to full strength.

[Wirraway_Ace]

11 Mar 42, Chungking, China

Vinegar Joe Stillwell looked over the troop dispositions in northern and southern China one more time. The nature of the command structure within the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) made deploying the Army in an effective way nearly impossible. The Commanders of the various military regions would refuse to coordinate with adjacent forces over the slightest insult. And Joe Stillwell was not called “Vinegar Joe” for nothing. But he had made his best to advise Peanut the best he could, and the Generalissimo was following the script, at least for the moment.

The NRA had deployed its strength to defend the key industrial and resource centers against the invaders.

In the northeast, the powerful 1st War Area deployed 6 Group Armies (10 Corps) to defend the southern approaches to Sian. The Jingcha War Area guarded the southeastern and eastern approaches to Sian with 3 Group Armies (9 Corps) and the 5nd War Area was astride the road from Yenan. The 2th War Area was responsible for the city itself and provided the northern reserve (6 Corps). In Lanchow, further north, the 8th War Area deployed its 3 corps to the east of the city along at the loop of the river.

The Communist forces in and around Yenan were abandoned to their fate, fighting against a major enemy advance. This was as Peanut wished.

The map below portrays the Group Army operational boundries (shown as western army sized formations), the Forward Line of Troops, and the main enemy axes of advance.

[Wirraway_Ace]

11 Mar 42, China Theater continued

In Southern China, Peanut had effectively ceded the coastal regions to the Japanese. The 25th group Army had fought a long but hopeless siege to defend Wanchow while the rest of the NRA fell back to the rugged inland regions around Changsha, Kukong and further to the west.

The 9th War Area is responsible for Changsha and its approaches. The 9th has 11 corps to deploy in its sector. The 3rd War Area defends the Kukong Salient with 8 Corps. To the west, the 4th War Area sector extends to from Kweilin to Nanning. The 6th War Area is headquartered at Changteh, is responsible for the Changteh sector, and provides the Southern Reserve of 8 veteran corps.

The map below portrays the Group Army operational boundaries (shown as western army sized formations, the Forward Line of Troops, and the main enemy axes of advance.

[Wirraway_Ace]

Front page of the Canberra Times for 9 Mar 42

edit: trying to match CARNAGEINC's style better--first try.

[Wirraway_Ace]

Front Page, Canberra Times, 13 Mar 42

[Wirraway_Ace]

HQ, Pacific Fleet, Oahu, Hawaii, 15 Mar 42

[Briefing officer] “Admiral, we can now confirm 12 enemy carriers are operating in two mobile strike forces in the South Pacific. Army pursuit aircraft of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron shot down 4 enemy float planes reconnoitering Noumea on the 11th. Unescorted Kates attempted to raid the port soon after. Patrol aircraft on Noumea located 6 enemy light carriers operating 300nm east. These carriers have moved further east and were sighted 150 miles from Suva, Fiji yesterday. “[Pauses for effect]

Admiral Nimitz nods to proceed.

[Briefing officer] “…and then yesterday night, an Australian fast transport convoy stumbled into 6 big Jap flattops with a large escort force 150 nm northwest of Koumac--on the northern tip of New Caledonia.”

Admiral Nimitz [sitting up] “What was the convoy doing there and what were our losses?”

Briefing officer [momentarily nonplussed, flipping pages of his report] “The convoy’s mission was to deliver Australian Commandos to one of the islands near New Caledonia. It was fleeing away from the Jap light carriers when it ran into the big boys. No reported losses, sir. ”

[Admiral Nimitz raises one eyebrow]

[Briefing officer] “Admiral, the two task forces each tried to avoid further contact at night. The weather in that area of the South Pacific has been heavily overcast, and when daylight came, the Jap air strike never materialized. The Australians have been steaming at high speed towards the Queensland coast. It is nighttime there now. By dawn they will be well under aircover. However, the Japs may still come after them as the weather appears to be clearing.

Admiral Nimitz [looks around the room at the Fleet Staff] “Well, what does this mean? All the Jap carriers between Fiji and Australia. No sign of transports. His troops in the Philippines still a month away in any case. A raid on a titanic scale trying to catch our troop build-up or a prodrome of a major effort against New Calidonia and/or Fiji?”

[room breaks into bedlam of opinions]

[Wirraway_Ace]

U. S. SECRET
BRITISH MOST SECRET

C.C.S. 26 [right]15 March 1942[/right]

[center]COMBINED CHIEFS OF STAFF[/center]

[center]PACIFIC AND INDIAN THEATERS DIRECTIVE[/center]

Having entered the war and defined its character as a world war, the strategic military objectives of the Empire of Japan are assessed to be fourfold:

1. To gain control of key resource centers (primarily oil/fuel) to run its industries without reliance on foreign powers.

2. To establish a defensive perimeter of adequate depth to defend these resources, the associated Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) to the Home Islands and the industrial centers of the Home Islands.

3. To establish direct Lines of Communication (LOCs) with other Axis powers converging on the Middle East from southern Russia and North Africa

4. To defend their greatly expanded hegemony successfully, such that the Allied powers will negotiate a peace leaving most or all the conquered territories under Japanese rule.

In order to effectively counter the enemy’s strategic military objectives, the CCS directs the following:

a. The Pacific Theater is designated a U.S. area of strategic responsibility.

b. The Indian Theater is designated a British area of strategic responsibility.

c. The Pacific Theater includes all areas of the Pacific Ocean and China. The Philippines,
Southern Borneo, the Celebes, Timor and Australia fall within the Pacific Theater.

d. The Indian Theater includes all the areas of India and the Indian Ocean, Burma, Malaya, Sumatra, Java, Indochina and northern Borneo.

e. The strategic objective within the Pacific Theater is to destroy the Japanese ability to wage war through rendering the enemy’s air-naval forces impotent, interdicting his SLOCs to key resource centers for oil/fuel and devastating his industrial centers by strategic bombing. The Pacific Theater Command will be prepared to invade the Home Islands of Japan to force capitulation on terms satisfactory to the Allied powers.

f. The strategic objectives with the Indian Theater are to deny the Axis powers the ability to establish LOCs in the Middle East; to limit the Japanese ability to wage war through capture and/or destruction of oil/fuel centers in Burma, Sumatra, Java and Borneo; to establish LOCs to supply and equip Chinese forces.

g. Respective theater commands have 30 days to submit their operational objectives to support these strategic objectives for the period of 1 July 1942 through 1 January 1943 for approval. Sourcing of force requirements will follow CCS approval of operational objectives.