in action against our fleet, and lead to their naval defeat.
 
Second, we wish to destroy the ability of the Japanese to
 
use these positions as air and submarine bases from which
 
project attacks on our lines of communication to the mainland
 
and Hawaii. Third, we would use the captured positions for
 
supporting our further advance westward.
 
     Most of the island positions are atolls. These atolls,
 
devoid of natural, sources of water other than rainfall, and
 
devoid of all supplies, are merely narrow coral and sand
 
fringes around large shallow areas where vessels may anchor.
 
Alone, they are undefendable against serious attack, either by
 
one side or the other. They do, however, afford weak positions 
 
for basing submarines and seaplanes. Our Fleet should have no
 
difficulty in capturing atolls, provided we have enough troops,
 
but we could not hold then indefinitely unless the Fleet were
 
nearby.
 
     We know little about the Japanese defenses in the Mid-
 
Pacific. We believe the real islands of Truk and Ponape in the
 
Carolines are defended with guns and troops, and we believe that
 
some of the atolls of the Marshalls may be equipped as submarine 
 
and air bases, and be garrisoned with relatively small detach-
 
ments of troops.
 
     The Marshalls contain no sites suitable for bases in tbe
 
absence of the Fleet, though there are numerous good anchorages.
 
                              -l0-