US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

Planning for War, 1940-1941 175
Turner wrote that Kimmel and Hart had been alerted “against an attack by
Japan.” Stark softened that to “against a possible break with Japan,” a very
great difference when one considers the Pearl Harbor attack.
THE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
The Atlantic Conference was held in Argentia Harbor, Newfoundland,
from I&l 5 August 1941. Rear Admiral Turner was one of the very small
working naval staff that accompanied Admiral Stark to the conference. There
were only two from War Plans, Turner and Commander Forrest Sherman,
Chief of Naval Operations in 1950-51.
According to Mrs. Turner:
Kelly had two weeks leave granted and we were to leave on [August] first.
Two nights before he came home and said that he couldn’t go. . . .
He says Churchill is splendid, very simple and easy to approach and very
much smaller than his pictures show.
Everything is such a mess though, and no leadership. . . . I am so glad
Kelly got to go and he had a fine two weeks rest.”
BRITISH-AMERICAN PACIFIC PLANNING
The Atlantic Conference had broad effects in both the War and Navy
Departments on their planning for future contingencies. It cracked the door
to Combined Planning with the British, but U.S. Naval planners proceeded
very cautiously, insofar as the Pacific Ocean was concerned.
A letter which Rear Admiral Turner wrote to Rear Admiral V. H. Danckwerts
of the British Joint Staff Mission in Washington is informative in
regard to the status of Combined Planning with the British in early October,
1941. It also illustrates the security consciousness of the Chief of Naval
Operations.
In reply to the reference [Your secret letter No. 107/41 of Sept. 25, 1941]
you are informed that we have given very careful study to the Admiralty’s
proposals for a new Far East Area agreement as shown in ADB–2. . . .
While neither the Army nor the Navy has reached a final decision, at the
present time they are inclined to believe that, until such time as a really practicable
combined plan can be evolved for the Far East Area, it will be better
4’Mrs. RKT to Lucile Turner, letter, 18 Aug. 1941,