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EXHIBIT NO. 21 (HART INQUIRY)
UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET
U. S. S. PENNSYLVANIA, Flagship
Cincpac File No.
A2-11/FF12/
A3/(12)
Serial 01772
PEARL HARBOR, T. H., October 31, 1941.
Confidential
PACIFIC FLEET CONFIDENTIAL LETTER 14CL-41
From: Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Fleet.
To: PACIFIC FLEET.
Subject: Task Forces-Organization and Missions.
Reference:
(a) Pacific Fleet Conf. Letter No. 4CL-41.
(b) Cincpac Conf. Ltr. A4-3/FF12/(13) Serial 01254 of 13 Aug. 1941
(Furnished only to Type, Force and Task Force Comdrs. and CG,
Second Marine Div).
1. Reference (a) is canceled and superseded by this letter, effective 15 November 1941.
2. To provide for all phases of type, inter-type, and Fleet training, concurrently with performance of certain required patrol and escort duties, the following Task Force organizations are prescribed:
Task Force One (Commander Battle Force)
Batdivs TWO, FOUR..................... 6 BB.
Cardiv ONE less LEXINGTON ........... 1 CV.
Crudiv NINE ......................... 5 CL.
Desflot ONE less Desron FIVE......... 1 OCL, 2 DL, 16 DD.
OGLALA, Mindiv ONE .................. 1 CM, 4 DM.
Primary Mission: To organize, train, and continue development of doctrine and tactics for operations of, and in the vicinity of, the Main Body, to keep up-to-date normal arrangements and current plans for such operations, and to accumulate and maintain in readiness for war all essential material required by the task force in order to provide an efficient Covering Force available for supporting operations of other forces; or for engagement, with or without support, in fleet action.
Task Force Two (Commander Aircraft, Battle Force)
Batdiv ONE .......................... 3 BB.
Cardiv TWO .......................... 1 CV.
Crudiv FIVE ......................... 4 CA.
Desflot TWO ......................... 1 OCL, 2 DL, 16 DD.
Mindiv TWO .......................... 4 DM.
Primary Mission: To organize, train, and develop doctrine and tactics for reconnoitering and raiding, with air or surface units, enemy objectives, particularly those on land; to keep up-to-date normal arrangements and plans for such operations; to accumulate and maintain in readiness for war all essential material required by the task force in order to provide an efficient Reconnoitering and Raiding Force for testing the strength of enemy communication lines and positions and for making forays against the enemy, and for operations in conjunction with other forces.
[2]
Task Force Three (Commander Scouting Force)
Crudivs FOUR, SIX ................... 8 CA.
LEXINGTON plus Marine Air Group 21 .. 1 CV.
Desron FIVE ......................... 1 DL, 8 DD.
Minron TWO .......................... 13 DMS.
Trainron FOUR ....................... A AP.
2nd Marine Division less Defense Battalions
and Advance Detachment.
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Primary Mission: To organize, train, and develop doctrine and tactics for capturing enemy land objectives, particularly fortified atolls; to keep up-to-date normal arrangements and plans for such operations; and to accumulate and maintain in readiness for war all essential material required by the task force in order to provide an efficient Amphibious Force for attack, with or without support of other forces, on outlying positions of the enemy.
Task Force Four (Commandant Fourteenth Naval District)
That part of Fourteenth Naval District Activities which involve the
Island Bases.
Primary Mission: To organize, train, and develop the Island Bases in order to insure their own defense and provide efficient services to Fleet units engaged in advanced operations.
Task Force Seven (Commander Submarines, Scouting Force)
Subron FOUR less Subdiv FORTY-ONE ... 1 SM, 8 SS, 1 AM, 1 ASR, 1 DD.
Subron SIX .......................... 12 SS, 1 AS.
*Subron EIGHT ........................ 6 SS, 1 AS.
*Subron TEN .......................... 4 SS, 1 AS.
*Upon reporting.
Primary Missions: (1) To organize, train and, concurrently with execution of the expansion program, to continue development of doctrine and tactics in order to provide an efficient Submarine Observation and Attack Force for independent operations or operations coordinated with other forces.
(2) To conduct patrols in areas and at times prescribed by the Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet in order to improve security of Fleet units and bases.
Task Force Nine (Commander Patrol Wing Two)
Patwing ONE ......................... 36 VPB(A), 1 AV, 2 AVD, 1 AVP.
Patwing TWO ......................... 42 VPB(A), 2 AV, 2 AVD, 1 AVP.
[3]
Primary Missions: (1) To organize, train and, concurrently with execution of the expansion program, to continue development of doctrine and tactics in order to provide an efficient long range Air Scouting and Air Striking Force for independent operations or operations coordinated with other forces.
(2) To conduct patrols in areas and at times prescribed by the Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Fleet in order to improve security of Fleet units and bases.
Task Force Fifteen (Commander Base Force)
Units assigned ...................... 4 CA or CL.
Primary Mission: To escort trans-pacific shipping in order to protect trans-pacific shipping against possible attack.
3. Commanders of Task Forces ONE, TWO, and THREE, established by this order, will perform the duties incident to the organization, training and operations of their respective Task Forces. In addition, they will control the allocation of time for Task Force and Type exercises, in the at sea exercise periods of the employment schedules of their respective Task Forces. The relation of the Type Commanders to the Task Force Commanders, in matters relating to the above will be the same as now exist between Type Commanders and Force Commanders.
4. Commander Task Force FOUR, established by this order, will perform the duties incident to organization, training, and development of the Island Bases.
5. Commanders of Task Forces SEVEN and NINE, established by this order, will perform the duties incident to organization training, expansion and operations of their respective Task Forces. They will issue orders for and supervise the conduct of prescribed patrols. In addition, they will control the allocation of time within their respective Task Forces to operations (including type and inter-type training) and upkeep, with due regard to sufficiency of upkeep for maintaining material conditions of readiness for war service.
6. Commander Task Force FIFTEEN, established by this order, will perform the duties incident to organization and operations of his Task Force. For the present, cruisers will be assigned to this Task Force in rotation and in the proportion of one each from Cruiser Divisions FOUR, FIVE, SIX and NINE, insofar as overhaul schedules and other circumstances permit. Trans-pacific
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westbound convoys will be formed on the West Coast by the Commandant Twelfth Naval District or in the Hawaiian Area by the Commandant Fourteenth Naval District, depending on circumstances. Eastbound convoys will be formed in the Manila area by the Commandant Sixteenth Naval District. Commandant Fourteenth Naval District will provide liaison between the three District Commandants and Commander Task Force FIFTEEN, furnishing information as to makeup, schedules, and routing of convoys. Commander Task Force FIFTEEN will issue the orders for and supervise the conduct of escort duties. Cruisers assigned to the Escort Force but not actually engaged in escort duty will be available to their respective Type Commanders for routine training and upkeep.
7. Force and Type Commanders will continue to exercise other functions as now assigned, and as required by U. S. Navy Regulations and basic instructions.
8. Unless already covered by appropriate publications, Task Force Doctrines and Current Tactical Orders for Task Forces shall be prepared and issued in tentative form. As soon as they have been sufficiently tested they shall be submitted to the Commander-in-Chief, U. S. Pacific Fleet, for final approval.
9. Units of the U. S. Pacific Fleet, not specifically detailed to the Task Forces appearing herein, will remain under the Force Commanders as at present.
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10. Communications. Effective with the organization set forth in this letter:
(a) Units in Task Organizations, while at sea or away from Pearl Harbor shall use the effective Task Force frequency plans, except,
(1) Island Base shore radio stations guard 4265 series
(2) Units of Task Forces SEVEN and NINE ordered to patrol in vicinity of Island Bases guard 4265 series
(3) In Task Forces FOUR, SEVEN, and NINE, certain Task Group designations are assigned additional geographical area significance, as follows:
1. Midway
2. Wake
3. Johnston
4. Palmyra
in order that other components of the Fleet and Fourteenth Naval District forces may know automatically how to communicate with the forces present in those areas.
Example:
Task Group 4.1-District Activities at Midway.
7.1-Submarine Patrol at Midway.
9.1-Patrol Planes operating from Midway.
(b) Units of each task organization, when in port, will guard and use harbor circuit (2562 kcs. currently in use in Pearl Harbor) and such other circuits as may be prescribed. Senior Officer Present Afloat will also guard the harbor circuit, and establish communication, preferably by visual or landline, with the nearest shore command activity.
11. Schedules. Current employment schedules for Task Forces ONE, TWO and THREE, and units not assigned to Task Forces, remain in effect except for units transferred to Task Forces SEVEN and NINE by this letter. Assignment to Task Force FIFTEEN will be indicated in the Task Force ONE, TWO and THREE schedules. Commanders Task Force SEVEN and NINE submit revised schedules for the period 15 November to 31 December 1941, at the earliest practicable date. For the present, required inter-type training of submarines and patrol planes with surface types will be limited to the Fleet Tactical periods listed in reference (b). Commanders Task Forces SEVEN and NINE will, if practicable, have at least two divisions of submarines and two squadrons of patrol planes available for each of these Fleet Tactical periods. Commanders of Task Forces SEVEN and NINE will include in their schedules joint arrangements for exercises between patrol planes and submarines in recognition signals visual and radio communications, and coordinated tactics. Commanders of Task Forces SEVEN and NINE will also arrange for inter-type training in addition to that required during Fleet Tactical periods by mutual agreement with Commanders of Task Forces ONE, TWO, and THREE during the regular at sea operating periods of the surface Task Forces.
H. E. KIMMEL
Distribution: (5CM - 1)
List II, Case 1: A, X, EN1, EN3, NA12, ND11AC, ND11-12-13-14, NY8-10
(A1-Asiatic, A1-Atlantic).
P. C. CROSLEY
Flag Secretary.
(PROCEEDINGS OF THE HART INQUIRY)