Foreign Relations of the United States, Conference at Quebec, 1944

J.C.S. Files

Memorandum by the United States Chiefs of Staff¹

top secret
C.C.S. 452/27

[Quebec,] 13 September 1944.

British Participation in the War Against Japan

1. The United States Chiefs of Staff would welcome a British naval task force in the Pacific to participate in the main operations against Japan. They consider that the initial use of such a force should be on the western flank of the advance in the Southwest Pacific. They assume that such a force would be balanced and self-supporting.

2. The United States Chiefs of Staff repeat their acceptance² of the British proposal to form a British Empire task force in the Southwest Pacific. It is realized that the time of formation of such a force depends to a considerable extent on the end of the war in Europe as well as on Dracula and on the requirements of projected operations in the Southwest Pacific.

1. For the discussion of this paper by the Combined Chiefs of Staff at their 174th Meeting, September 14, 1944, see ante, p. 331.
2. See ante, p. 257.