NAVY DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS
                             WASHINGTON
 
 
Subject: Inspection trip to the Canal Zone, Galapagos, and
              Cocos, March 6-28, 1942.
 
Enclosure: (A) Track Chart of Air Patrols.
                 (B) Diagram.
                 (C) Photos.
 
       1.       In accordance with orders, I have visited the
following:-
 
  Balboa, C.Z. -- Headquarters of Caribbean Defense
                          Command, and of Fifteenth Naval
                           District.
 Coco Solo, C.Z. -- Naval Air Station, Submarine Base.
 Galapagos -- Army and Navy Advance Air Bases.
 Salinas, Ecuador --- Army and Navy Advance Air Bases.
 Cocos Island-- Future Base for Motor Torpedo Boats.
 Gulf of Fonseca -- Navy Sea-plane Base. 
Quatemala City-- Army Advance Air Base.
 
     All travel was by air. At every place visited I conferred
 with the senior officers present and in addition I sought facts and
 opinions from all reliable sources. I submit herewith briefly my
 conclusions :-
 
             SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
 
Paramount Duty
 
     The most important present task of the Army and Navy in
the Canal Zone is to defeat any attempted bombing attack on the Panama
 Canal. Such an attack from the Pacific side most probably would come from 
enemy carriers, launching their planes during bright moonlight and at
 a distance up to possibly 700 miles from the Canal. Dangers from
 submarine raids are secondary.