aggravated by the growing submarine menace and by the ever present threat of hostile capital
ships in the North Atlantic. This plan would require use of naval escorts now engaged in escorting
vessels to outlying stations all over the world. The result of thinning out of resources of this kind
may bring disaster in the North Atlantic, or convoys to every theater will have to lie in ports for
such long periods awaiting proper escort that our already inadequate resources will not be able to
meet minimum requirements.
 
 
       PLAN. The plan Gymnast calls for the occupation of Northwest Africa with a force of
220,000 U.S. troops comprising 6 divisions and 24 squadrons of planes supported by the Navy,
including three aircraft carriers with a total of 210 planes, 66 of which are to be Army Pursuit
planes. Having secured a landing at Casablanca, Northem French Morocco will be seized. Spanish
Eorocco, Northern Algiers and Tunisia must be occupied in order to block an Axis threat against
those areas. Control can then be extended over all North Africa and the Atlantic shipping lanes
along the Northwest Coast of Africa protected.                           z
 
       French cooperation and Spanish neutrality are essential to the successful outcome of the
expedition. In this connection, an agent of the State Department in reporting on a recent
conversation with Neygand stated, "The General definitely rejects any idea of a landing in North
Africa. He considers the morale of a large part of the French troops of North Africa so poor that
an American landing here would be met with general apathy if not direct hostility. Because of
such a probable attitude in North Africa, Weygand considers that the prospect of Frenchmen
fighting Americans should be avoided at any cost."
 
       At the time of execution of this plan the disposition of Axis groundand air forces must be
such as to eliminate any possibility of major air or ground units of the Axis operating against the
landing forces during the early stages of the venture. A recent report from the Vice Counsel at
Casablanca, through the U.S. Naval Attache at Tangier, indicates that the Germans have already
made plans to meet a U.S. invasion of Northwest Africa. This report states: "They
(Germans) are assembling the materials for 3 armored divisions in Spanish Morocco. They already
have one armored division there. I have heard from another very reliable source (A) that they have
some 300 tanks there and from a good but not so sure source (B) that they already have 700
tanks there.
 
       "They would also prepare at least 500 Stuka bombers in Spanish Morocco. (Source A above
reports there are already some 200-300 Stukas and some 58 Messerschmitts, llO in Spanish
Morocco. ) They have already prepared all maintenance supplies such as spare parts, oil, gasoline,
bombs, machine gun ammunition and technical personnel for the plans prescribed.