US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Planning for War, 1940–1 941 169
today Mikko died. Ming is extremely sick, and I do not believe that she will
live, though I don’t tell Harriet that.
My darling Harriet is in the depths, naturally. Ming has been sick for
nearly four weeks, and Harriet is simply worn out from worry and nursing.
She doesn’t sleep well, and is very thin, and worn. She has had Jtich a terrible
year—five of her lovely dogs dying, her mother’s death, the suicide of a very
dear friend, and the tragic death of her very best friend, Marian Ross. Here
in Washington are no women she has ever been very close to, and my work is
so confining and my hours so long that she simply gets no distraction from her
difficulties. She is fine and brave about it all as anyone could be, but all these
things have depressed her greatly. I try to do what I can, but she is alone a
great deal, and worries a lot. The Melhorns are going to stay with us a few
days next month, and then the Cutts for a short time, and that should help
somewhat .30
ESCORT OF CONVOYS
In the Atlantic theatre, where another war was raging, Rear Admiral
Turner also played a role of great importance. On 17 January 1941, he
advised the CNO that the Navy in the Atlantic would be ready to escort
convoys from the East Coast to Scotland by 1 April 1941 .S1
On 20 March 1941, the Secretary of the Navy signed a Turner-drafted
memorandum to the President on the tasks of the United States Naval Forces
in the Atlantic, in case of a decision to escort convoys. This memorandum
ended with the statement:
Our Navy is ready to undertake it [convoying] as soon as directed, but could
do it more effectively were we to have six to eight weeks for special training.32
This was about 22 months after the start of the war in Europe.
The SS Robin Moor, a United States merchant ship with a general cargo,
bound for South Africa was sunk by a German submarine on 21 May 1941.
But, it was 19 July 1941 before CINCLANT issued his orders to escort
convoys, and convoys between the East Coast and Iceland were organized
and escorted. It was 16 September 1941 before trans-Atlantic convoys were
escorted by the Atlantic Fleet ships.
It was Admiral Turner’s opinion that had the Germans made a few
submarine attacks in the Pacific Ocean, prior to 7 December 1941, the Pacific
- RKT to Miss LLT, letter, 9 Feb. 1941. Captain Kent C. Melhorn (Medical Corps), USN,
and Captain Elwin F. Cutta, USN (Class of 1908).
= DWP to CNO, letter, 17 Jan. 1941.
mSECNAV to President, memorandum, 20 Mar. 1941.