The Navy wants to take all the islands in the Pacific – have them held by any troops, to become bases for Army pursuit and bombers. Then! the Navy will have a safe place to sail its vessels. But they will not go further forward than our air army can assure superiority. The amount of air required for this slow, laborious, and indecisive type of warfare is going to be something that will keep us from going to Russia’s aid in time!! Moreover, the Navy wants us to give it (between now and June, 1944) 1300 heavy and medium bombers, land based. If the Navy is so helpless without air, and its sea operations are going to depend upon air, I wonder why it does not quit building battleships, and start on carriers – and more carriers!
Dwight D. Eisenhower
(October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969). At the time of these entries, serving in the American Military Mission to the Commonwealth of the Philippines (1935-1939) or the war Plans Division (1941-1942).
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