THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
               WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
 
DECLASSIFIED BY
JCS Declassification Branch
                                                                                                                  11 January 1945
 
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT:
 
        General Eisenhower has sent a message to the Combined Chiefs of Staff asking for additional resources and
acceleration in the movement of forces and supplies. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have diverted to Eisenhower two fully
trained infantry divisions which were on the west coast scheduled to be moved to the Pacific in May. They will be
moved at once to the east coast and sail for Northern France on 19 February. Seven other divisions will leave the U.S.
for Northern France between today and 3 February. This wrill give General Eisnhower, by the first of  March, a total
of 85 divisions on the western front, of which 61 will be American, 9 French
(U.S. supplied), 11 U.K.  and 4 Canadian and Polish.
The arrival of the additional 9 U.S. divisions in France should give General Eisenhower an adequate reserve and permit
him to rotate tired divisions.
 
        The accelerated movement of the nine divisions will not interfere with the movement of supporting and service
troops.
 
        The most important consideration at this time is the supply of infantry replacements to meet the losses due to a
winter campaign and bitter fighting. By various measures 23,000 additional infantry replacements are going to General
Eisenhower in January, making a total of 60,000 of infantry alone.
 
        Supplies being furnished by the U.S. for eight new French divisions and their corps and army troops will begin
moving to France this month. Certain critical items (artillery and artillery ammunition, mortars and tanks) which the
French divisions must have to operate effectively are not now  available from the U.S. All sources including captured
enemy ecuioment are being combed for those items.