ANNEX '2 PROBABLE MAXIMUM :SCALE OF ENEMY ATTACK ON WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA EXAMINATION OF PROBABLE FORM OF ENEMY ATTACK. 1, Enemy attack on the western seaboard of North America might be undertaken with the' object of reducing United States offensive power in the Pacific through material destruction at shipyards and bases and alsowith the object of containing forces in America. 2. The following forms of attack have been considered- - .a, Seaborne expeditions; b. Naval bombardment; Carr. ier-borne air attacks; d, Mine-laying in ports and their approaches and attacks by human torpedoes. SEABORNE EXPEDITIONS. 3. So long as a United States capital ship force is retained in the Pacific~ .it is extremely improbable that the Japanese would venture to launch a large scale expedition against a North Amer. ican objective without battleship cover. ~it must also be assumed that apart from the destroyer escorts for the co~voys~ destroyers would be essential for A/A and A/S protectionfor the battleships. 4 The diagram attached':: to this Annex illustrates the large distances to be covered and shows that even if the enemy secured Dutch Harbour and 'Hawaii,, it would be necessary to carry out the refuelin~ of destroyers at sea~ While the refueling of an expedit'ion at sea in 'hostile waters can not be ruled out positively, the complications and risks of such an operation on a large scale are sufficiently great to make .it extremely unlikely. Added to this factor is the problem of maintaining a large scale expedition over 4~000 miles from its base. z .' APPENDIX A - 1 - |