3. A.B.D.A. Command
The Arcadia Conference, convened in Washington on 22nd December 1941, an agreement was reached that the defeat of Germany should take precedence over the defeat of Japan; but a decision was made to support China and keep her in the war, although maintaining in the eastern theatre only the forces necessary to hold vital areas.
The main fear was that the Japanese would drive eastwards through the Netherlands East Indies to Australia and westwards through Burma to India.
(Woodburn Kirby p.264): The problem of an overall direction of the forces in the Far East was discussed by the Chiefs of Staff. It was decided that a new Command should be formed, covering all the various theatres of operation in the Far East. It would be known as the ABDA area – the initials standing for American, British, Dutch and Australian. The President proposed that General Wavell be appointed Supreme Commander of this new area. He was offered the post on the 29th December 1941, received his Directive on the 4th January 1942, and assumed command on the 15th January. HQ was established in Batavia.
The area covered by ABDA Command was defined as covering Burma, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Malaya, the Netherland East Indies, the Philippines, and Christmas and Cocos Islands and was later modified to cover part of Northern Australia. Burma was included for operational purposes only, while remaining under India Command for administration (on the 21st February it was removed from ABDA Command and placed wholly under India Command). China, Indo-China and Siam were not included in ABDA Command.
[Source: Romanus and Sunderland; “United States Army in WWII, China, Burma, India Theatre, Stilwell’s Command Problems”, p.62]: Burma was placed under Wavell's command rather than that of General Headquarters (India) and India Command, its natural base, because Churchill thought it well to give the impression that Wavell was stretching out his hand to help the Generalissimo. Roosevelt agreed, saying it was particularly important to restore the Generalissimo to a good frame of mind, as Generals Wavell and Brett had made a very poor impression at Chungking, partly because of the coincident requisitioning of Chinese lend-lease at Rangoon and partly because Wavell had refused the Chinese offer to reinforce Burma. The President suggested to Churchill that Wavell be ordered to go out of his way to placate the Generalissimo and bring him to a more co-operative mood.
On the 25th February ABDA Command was dissolved by General Wavell, who left for India to resume his appointment as C-in-C India.
Directive
Directive to the Supreme Commander, ABDA Area
dated 3rd January 1942
AREA
1. A Strategic area has been constituted, to comprise initially all land and sea areas, including general regions of Burma-Malaya-Netherlands East Indies and Philippine islands: more precisely defined in Annex I. This area will be known as ABDA area.
FORCES
2. You have been designated as Supreme Commander of ABDA area and of all armed forces, afloat, ashore and in the air, of ABDA Governments, which are, or will be (a) stationed in area; (b) located in Australian territory when such forces have been allotted by respective Governments for services in or in support of the ABDA area. You are not authorized to transfer from territories of any ABDA Government land forces of that Government without consent of local Commander or his Government.
3. The Deputy Supreme Commander and, if required, a Commander of the Combined Naval Forces and the Commander of Combined Air Forces will be jointly designated by the ABDA Governments.
4. No Government will materially reduce its armed forces assigned to your area nor any commitment made by it for reinforcing its forces in your area except after giving to other Governments, and to you, timely information pertaining thereto.
STRATEGIC CONCEPT AND POLICY
5. The basic Strategic Concept of the ABDA Governments for conduct of war in your area is not only in immediate future to maintain as many key positions as possible, but to take offensive at the earliest opportunity and ultimately to conduct an all-out offensive against Japan. The first essential is to gain general air superiority at the earliest moment, through employment of concentrated air power. The piece-meal employment of Air Forces should be minimized. Your operations should be so conducted as to further preparations for the offensive.
6. General Strategical policy will be, therefore:
(a) To hold Malay barrier, defined as line Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, North Australia, as basic defensive position of ABDA area and to operate sea, land and air forces in as great depth as possible forward of Barrier in order to oppose Japanese southward advance.
(b) To hold Burma and Australia as essential support positions for the area and Burma as essential to support of China, and to defence of India.
(c) To re-establish communications through Dutch East Indies with Luzon and to support Philippine Islands Garrison.
(d) To maintain essential communications within area.
DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITIES OF SUPREME COMMANDER
7. You will co-ordinate in ABDA area strategical operations of all armed forces of ABDA Governments; where desirable to arrange formation of task forces, whether national or international, for executing specific operations; and appointing any officers irrespective of seniority or nationality to command such task forces.
8. While you have no responsibilities in respect of the internal administration of the respective forces under your command, you are authorized to direct and co-ordinate the creation and development of administrative facilities and the broad allocation of war materials.
9. You will dispose of reinforcements which from time to time may be despatched to the area by ABDA Governments.
10. You are authorized to require from Commanders of the armed forces under your command such reports as you deem necessary in discharging your responsibilities as Supreme Commander.
11. You are authorized to control the issue of all Communiqués concerning the forces under your command.
12. Through channels specified in paragraph 18, you may submit recommendations to the ABDA Governments on any matters pertaining to the furthering of your mission.
LIMITATIONS
13. Your authority and control with respect to the various positions of ABDA area and to forces assigned thereto will normally be exercised through Commanders duly appointed by their respective Governments. Interference is to be avoided in administrative processes of armed forces of any of the ABDA Governments, including free communication between them and their respective Governments. No alterations or revision i
to be made in basic tactical organizations of such forces, and each national component of a task force will normally operate
under its own Commander and will not be sub-divided into small units for attachment to other national components of task forces, except in cases of urgent necessity. In general, your instructions and orders will be limited to those necessary for effective co-ordination of forces in execution of your mission.
RELATIONS WITH ABDA GOVERNMENTs
14. The ABDA Governments will jointly and severally support you in the execution of duties and responsibilities as herein defined, and in the exercising of authority herein delegated and limited. Commanders of all sea, land, and air forces within your area will be immediately informed by their respective Governments that, from a date to be notified, all orders and instructions issued by you in conformity with the provision of this directive will be considered by such Commanders as emanating from their respective Governments.
15. In the unlikely event that any of your immediate subordinates, after making due representation to you, still considers obedience to your orders would jeopardize national interests of his country to an extent unjustified by the general situation in ABDA area, he has the right, subject to your being immediately notified of such intention, to appeal direct to his own Government before carrying out orders. Such appeals will be made by most expeditious methods, and copies of appeals will be communicated simultaneously to you.
STAFF AND ASSUMPTION OF COMMAND
16. Your staff will include officers of each of ABDA Powers. You are empowered to communicate immediately with national Commanders in area with view to obtaining staff officers essential your earliest possible assumption of Command. Your additional staff requirements will be communicated as soon as possible to ABDA Governments through channels of communication described in paragraph 18.
17. You will report when you are in position effectively to carry out essential functions of Supreme Command, so that your assumption of Command may be promulgated to all concerned.
SUPERIOR AUTHORITY
18. As Supreme Commander of ABDA area you will be directly responsible to ABDA Governments through agency defined in Annex II.
ANNEX I. BOUNDARIES OF ABDA AREA
The ABDA area is bounded as follows:
On the North. By boundary between India and Burma, thence eastward along Chinese frontier and coastline to latitude 030 degrees North, thence along parallel 030 degrees North to meridian 140 degrees East.
(Note: Indo-China and Thailand are not included in this area.)
On the East. By meridian 140 degrees East from 030 degrees, to the Equator, thence east to longitude 141 degrees East, thence south to the boundary of Dutch New Guinea Coast on south coast, thence east along southern New Guinea Coast to meridian 143 degrees East, then south down this meridian to the coast of Australia.
On the South. By the northern coast of Australia from meridian 143 degrees East westward to meridian 114 degrees East, thence north-westward to latitude 015 degrees South, longitude 092 degrees East.
On the West. By meridian 092 degrees East.
2. Forces assigned to ABDA and adjacent areas are authorized to extend their operations into other areas as may be required.
ANNEX II
1. On all important military matters, not within the jurisdiction of Supreme Commander of ABDA area, United States Chiefs of Staff and representatives in Washington of British Chiefs of Staff will constitute agency for developing and submitting recommendations for decisions by President of United States and by British Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. Among chief matters on which decisions will be required are:
(a) Provision of reinforcements.
(b) Major change in policy.
(c) Departures from Supreme Commander's Directive.
2. This agency will function as follows:
(a)Any proposals coming either from Supreme Commander or from any of the ABDA Governments will be transmitted to Chiefs of Staff Committee both in Washington and in London.
(b)The Chiefs of Staff Committee in London will immediately telegraph to their representatives in Washington to say whether or not they will be telegraphing any opinion.
(c) On receipt of these opinions the United States Chiefs of Staff and representatives in Washington of
British Chiefs of Staff will develop and submit their recommendations to President, and by telegraphing to Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. Prime Minister will then inform the President whether he is in agreement with these recommendations.
3. Since London has machinery for consulting Dominion Governments, and since Dutch Government is in London, the British Government will be responsible for obtaining their views and agreement and for including these in the final telegrams to Washington.
4. Agreement having been reached between President and Prime Minister and Minister of Defence the orders to Supreme Commander will be despatched from Washington in the name of both of them.
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Addition to Supreme Commander's Directive
dated 12th January 1942
1. The inclusion of Burma in the ABDA area requires a definition of the respective responsibilities of the Supreme Commander and Commander-in-Chief, India, vis-à-vis Burma.
2. Accordingly, the following Directive has been drawn up in consultation with our Delegation in Washington:
(1) The Supreme Commander in the South-West Pacific, in view of his responsibility for all operations in the ABDA area (which includes Burma), is responsible for issuing all operational instructions to Burma.
(2) At the same time, India is necessarily closely concerned with the defence of Burma as part of the defence of India itself, and must play a large part in the provision and administration of the forces in Burma. Consequently, Commander-in-Chief, India, must be kept in the closest touch with the events in and requirements of Burma, and Supreme Commander will give Commander-in-Chief, India, earliest possible information of the demands likely to be made on India.
(3) The Supreme Commander in the South-West Pacific will in any case repeat to Commander-in-Chief, India, direct, and to the War office, all instructions (including administrative), whether for land or air operations, issued to Burma. Commander-in-Chief, India, will comment, if he so desires, on any instructions which affect him, repeating such comments to the War Office. Burma will repeat to Commander-in-Chief, India, any demands made to the Supreme Commander or War office for personnel and material.
(4) Should conflict of views arise between the Supreme Commander in the South-West Pacific and the Commander-in-Chief, India, matter will be referred to His Majesty's Government for decision.
Chart limits of ABDA command.
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