Page 1 PROF. BOOTHE CONTACT INFORMATION Email: hoodooskr@aol.com Phone: 415-233-1697 (cell) Re phone, feel free to call any time between 9 am and 9 pm. CLASS 3 HANDOUT 1) TIMELINE CONTENTS 1939 Early 1942 From the Start of World War II to the Decision to Construct a Highway to Alaska As was the case last week, this is a more detailed version of the period covered than is on the timeline in the Class 1 Handout. 2) MAPS The maps included here will be discussed in Class 3 as well as in Classes 4-6 3) RECOMMENDED BOOKS, ETC. I have not included recommended books this week. More will be coming, along with information on Alaska Highway films, next week.
Page 2 TIMELINE: 1939 early 1942 FROM START OF WORLD WAR II TO BEGINNING OF CONSTRUCTION OF ALASKA HIGHWAY DA TE ALASKA HIGHWAY PROJECTS REGION EVENTS (Alaska / Yukon / BC / NW Territories) REST OF THE WORLD EVENTS 1939 Canadian govt. starts program to improve safety/capacity of airfields between Edmonton and Whitehorse Ladd Field constructed in Fairbanks Edmonton-based organization begins promoting the Prairie Route for a highway to Alaska May Slim Williams makes another trip south to promote an Alaska Highway February 4 Generalísimo Francisco Franco becomes the 68 th Caudillo de España, or Leader of Spain. March 3 In Mumbai, Mohandas Gandhi begins to fast in protest at the autocratic rule in India April 3 Congress passes funding for training African- American Pilots 20 Billie Holiday records 1 st civil rights song, Strange Fruit May June 12 Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown July August 2 Szilard and Wigner draft letter, Einstein signs, sent to FDR re potential new powerful bomb 23 Germany and USSR sign non-aggression pact September Construction starts on naval base at Kodiak October 1 Sitka Naval Air Station commissioned 1940 Alaska population reaches new high - ~72,000 Canada focuses on war in Europe, postpones work on far north airfields US begins to increase military presence in Alaska September 1 Germany invades Poland, setting off WW II 3 France, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia declare war on Germany; Sept 10, Canada declares war on Germany, joins the allies. 8 FDR declares a limited national emergency 30 NBC broadcasts the 1 st televised football game October November 4 FDR orders US Customs Service to implement Neutrality Act of 1939, allowing cash-and-carry purchases of weapons by belligerents
Page 3 January 22-24 US and Canadian highway commissions meet jointly to review highway proposals, including route alternatives; US revises preferred route to go from Whitehorse to Fairbanks via Kluane Lake rather than Dawson City March - May McConachie begins creating airfields at Fort Nelson and Watson Lake May Congress authorizes emergency 3,100 troops for Alaska; shortly increased numbers sent June 8 Construction begins on air and ground facilities at Elmendorf Field/Fort Richardson (in Anchorage) July 9 Col Buckner sent to Alaska to take command of Alaska Defense Force; promoted to Brig. Gen. Sept 1 March 18 Hitler and Mussolini form alliance against France the Britain April 9 Germany invades Denmark and Norway May 1 Summer Olympics officially canceled 10 Winston Churchill replaces Chamberlin as PM of Britain Germany invades Belgium, Netherlands 26 Dunkirk evacuation begins; completed June 4 31 FDR requests $1.3 billion supplemental defense appropriation June 10 Italy declares war on France & Britain 22 France signs armistice with Germany July 18 FDR nominated for unprecedented 3 rd term 20 California opens its first freeway, Arroyo Seco Parkway August 17 US and Canada create Permanent Joint Board on Defense [PJBD] October 4 PJBD issues 1 st comprehensive report 1 st plane lands at Ladd Field, Fairbanks November 14 PJBD recommends establishing chain of airfields capable of handling heavy military aircraft for an air route from Edmonton to Alaska December 18 Canada approves estab. air route recommended by PJBD, provides funding for upgrading existing airfields, including at Fort Nelson and Watson Lake 1941 New military bases in Alaska constructed, in Aleutians, Anchorage, Seward, Sitka, etc.; more troops sent north August 8 Battle of Britain begins with bombing of London 17 Canada and US create Permanent Joint Board of Defense [PJBD] September 2 US arranges transfer of destroyers to Britain 16 US Congress passes Selective Service Act, 1 st ever peacetime draft 27 Tripartite Pact signed by Germany, Japan, Italy October 09 White House releases Policy in Regard to Negroes 25 Col. Benjamin Davis promoted to Brig. General, 1 st black general officer in US armed forces November 5 FDR elected to 3 rd term December 29 FDR proclaims that US will be Arsenal of Democracy
Page 4 January Construction begins on Fort Ray at Sitka US Army asks V Stefannson to elaborate on his proposal for an overland route to Alaska February 9 1 st men and equipment leave Dawson Creek, to Fort Nelson to build new airfield, replacing McConachie s 1940 airstrip End of month 1 st Army combat aircraft arrive in Alaska March Project to upgrade Watson Lake airport begins Army arrives in Sitka and begins construction of coastal defense battery facilities Spring Construction of air strip at Northway begins February 4 USO created to entertain US troops 6 Congress authorizes construction of 200 Liberty Ships March 1 US Congress establishes Truman Committee 11 US Congress approves Lend-Lease Act, to aid UK, members of British Commonwealth, Free France, Republic of China April 6 Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece 13 Pact of neutrality signed by USSR and Japan May 27 FDR proclaims an unlimited national emergency German battleship Bismarck sunk by British June 15 Naval Air Station established at Kodiak 31 Troops arrive in Seward, Fort Raymond founded July 23 Construction begins on Nome airfield 29 PJDB stresses importance of Northwest Staging Route September Canadian and US Northwest Staging Route bases declared usable under visual flight conditions June 22 Germany invades USSR, breaking non-aggression pact July 16 Joe DiMaggio hits safely for 56 th consecutive game, a record for a streak that still stands August 9-12 FDR and Churchill meet, leading to Atlantic Charter, signed Aug 14 18 Extension of Selective Service Act inductee terms of service to total of 30 months; retired Army personnel called to active duty September 4 German submarine makes 1 st attack against a US ship 11 FDR orders US navy to attack German war ships to protect US vessels Ground broken for construction of the Pentagon 27 SS Patrick Henry launched, 1 st US Liberty ship October 1 US/Canada/USSR sign protocol authorizing shipments of war materiel to USSR for US, authorized under extension of Lend Leas to USSR 9 FDR approves atomic program, setting stage for Manhattan Project 31 Mount Rushmore completed after 14 years work US Destroyer USSR Ruben James torpedoes by German U-boat. First US naval vessel sunk by enemy action in WW II
Page 5 November 21 War Dept agrees to proceed with an Aleutian Airfield project December Construction on Fort Randall Army Airfield at Cold Bay in the Aleutians begins Gen DeWitt raises alarm about inadequate military presence in Alaska 1942 Ladd Field becomes Air Transport Command airfield January 1 st contingent of new warplanes sent to Alaska, via NW Staging route 16 US Cabinet meets to discuss problems of supplying Alaska November 11 Major provisions of Neutrality Act repealed, allows merchant vessels to be armed, carry any cargo to belligerent nations December 1 Emperor Hirohito of Japan gives final approval to initiate war against the US US Army Corps of Engineers assigned the military construction responsibility 7 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor 8 US and Canada declare war on Japan 11 Germany and Italy declare war on US, which responds 12 US Marine Corp aircraft sink 4 major Japanese ships off Wake Island 1 st Japanese naval vessels sunk by US following Pearl Harbor 26 FDR signs bill establishing 4 th Thursday in Nov as Thanksgiving Day January 2 Japan captures Manilla 12 FDR creates National War Labor Board 16 Three US Army Air Force planes en route to Alaska crash in Million Dollar Valley 18 Congress passes 1 st War Powers Act, granting President additional extensive executive authority 20 1 st US forces arrive in Europe, in N. Ireland February 2 FDR orders report on prospects for a road to Alaska 4 Asst. Chief of Staff of Army Corps of Engineers Gen. Sturdevent reports back to War Department for a road to Alaska 11 FDR approves War Department (Sturdevent) plan for highway to Alaska, including choice of route to be constructed by 4 Army Corps of Engineers regiments and Public Roads Administration [PRA] directed contractors 12 Col. Hoge sent to Canada to evaluate route/other matters 13 Canadian War Cabinet gives consent to begin Alaska Highway survey work 14 War Department issues order for work to begin on Alaska Highway February 1 Voice of America begins broadcasting programs aimed at areas controlled by Axis powers 7 $24 billion additional appropriate for Navy FDR says at press conference, can t guarantee that Japan will not attack Alaska 9 Top US military leaders hold 1 st formal meeting to discuss US military strategy for the war Year-round daylight saving time adopted in US to conserve energy resources 15 Japan captures Singapore 19 FDR signs EO 9066 forced removal of everyone of Japanese ancestry from West Coast
Page 6 Early Feb Capt. Alfred Eschbach of 648 th Topographical Battalion ordered to take one company to Dawson Creek BC and then proceed in a northwesterly direction to Fairbanks in Alaska, locating a route for a military road. 21 35 th regiment of Army Corp of Engineers ordered to go to Dawson Creek, thence to move on to Fort Nelson at once 26 PJBD officially adopts US Army recommendation for route, linking airfields of Northwest Staging Route, rather than previous proposals (Routes A,B,C,D) March 3 Col Hoge ordered to take command of Alaska Highway Project (promoted to Brig. General several weeks later) 5 Canadian War Cabinet formally approves recommendation of PJBD to build the highway and selected route US Sec of War Stimson announces Alaska Highway plan at a press conference 1 st company of 35 th regiment leave Fort Ord CA for Dawson Creek 23 Japanese submarines fire artillery shells at Calif coast near Santa Barbara 24 Canadian order-in-council gives Canadian Federal government authority to intern Japanese-Canadians March 6 EO 9066 extended to Japanese-Americans in Alaska TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK
Page 7 MAPS Active Military Bases in Alaska in 1937 As international tensions increased in the late 1930s, Alaska was virtually undefended. As of 1937, there were only two active military posts in all of Alaska, including one that been created that year. The older base was the Chilkoot Barracks in Haines, founded in 1902. After the military basically withdrew from Alaska in the mid- 1920s, this tiny outpost with 250-300 soldiers was the only active base in the territory until 1937. In 1937, the Navy established a seaplane base at Sitka, for biplane flying boats. Establishing this base meant the US was abrogating the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty, from which Japan had already withdrawn. Until July 1940, there was no local overall Army command in the Alaska territory. Instead, all Alaska army posts were directly under the command of the 9 th Army Corps area, headquartered at the Presidio in San Francisco.
Page 8 Location of the Principal Airfields of the Northwest Staging Route The NW Stating Route was a chain of airfields constructed to support flying planes to Fairbanks (and Anchorage) for 1) delivery of aircraft to US forces in Alaska and 2) to deliver lend-lease planes to Russian forces that picked them up in Fairbanks The chain of airfields of the Staging Route began in Edmonton, Alberta, and ended in Fairbanks. Planes being delivered to US forces in the Aleutians and SW Alaska left the staging route in Whitehorse or Northway and flew to Anchorage. The most important connection to the US was from an airfield in Great Falls Montana, to which planes were ferried from manufacturing plants and other airbases. Early on, planes en route from Whitehorse to Fairbanks occasionally flew via Dawson City
Page 9 1941 Department of Transportation Routes to Upgrade Airfield at Watson Lake and Construct Replacement at Fort Nelson In 1940, Grant McConachie constructed crude airfields at both Watson Lake and Fort Nelson flying in construction material using float planes and using local labor. In 1941, the Canadian Department of Transportation upgraded McConachie s airfield at Watson Lake and totally replaced the one at Fort Nelson. This was a major project, employing heavy equipment and construction crews sent from the outside. For Watson Lake, equipment and men made a 1,000 mile trip via the route shown in blue and yellow taking a steamer from Vancouver to the mouth of the Stikine River, then after transfer to smaller boats, travelling up the Stikine to Telegraph Creek; hauled 75 miles (in 1 st section shown in yellow) over a sleigh road; reassembled at Dease Lake, then down the Dease River to near Watson Lake. Final section was another short portage to the Airfield site. For Fort Nelson, on the route shown in red, men and material were transported to Dawson Creek via rail, then travelled 1 st to Fort St. John via road, then onward to Fort Nelson over a crude winter trail.
Page 10 The Army Choice of Route Combines Proposals The Army chose a route that didn t completely follow any of the original route proposals. Instead, they decided on a route that best served to support the airfields of the Northwest Staging Route. What this meant in terms of the original proposals was that the chosen route more or less followed Route C to Fort Nelson and then Watson Lake. From there, it continued directly to Whitehorse, over a stretch of the Yukon that had not been considered in any of the original proposals. From Whitehorse, the Army chose to follow the revised version of Route A, past Kluane Lake and then directly into Alaska and on to Fairbanks. Thus, Dawson City, which had been a stop on Routes B, C and D, as well as on the original version of Route A, was bypassed. When the choice was announced, there was immediate protest from the proponents of Routes A and B. These protests and calls for the Army to change the decision would go on for months, even after construction activity had started.
Page 11 Relationship Between Existing Northwest Staging Route Airfields in early 1942 and the Planned Alaska Highway With apologies for the fuzziness of this map!
Page 12 Original Logistics Construction Plan for Alaska Highway The original plan, developed in early February 1942, envisioned a multi-pronged approach with construction starting from three locations, all of which could be reached by rail from left to right on this map, Fairbanks, Whitehorse, and Dawson Creek. Men and material would be transported to the construction starting places by rail. The plan was to use soldiers of four regiments of the Army Corps of Engineers plus civilian contractors working for the Public Roads Administration (PRA). The PRA would work south from Fairbanks to meet the 18 th Engineers working north and west from Whitehorse; the 340 th Engineers would work south and east from Whitehorse to meet the 35 th Engineers working north and west from Fort Nelson, after traveling there from Dawson Creek; the 341 st would work north from Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson. This provisional, planning map, has errors on it, presumably the result of lack of knowledge. These include the fact that between Ft. St. John and Ft. Nelson, it wasn t known where the highway would be relative to the existing winter trail and that there was a crude road not shown on the map that ran north and west from Whitehorse as far as Kluane Lake. As for the indicated future route of the Alaska Highway, this was speculative, especially between Fort Nelson and Whitehorse.