The Combined Munitions Assignments Board was a major government agency for the U.S. and Britain in World War II. With Harry Hopkins, Roosevelt's top advisor in charge, it took control of the allocation of war supplies and Lend lease aid to the Allies, especially Britain and the Soviet Union.[1]
Harry Hopkins, Chairman of the Munitions Assignments Board, confers with MG J.H. Burns, executive officer of the board, Feb. 1943
Churchill's original plan called for two offices for the Board, one in London which he controlled, and one in Washington under Harry Hopkins. The US Army strongly protested, and insisted that the board be under the control of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, the body that brought together the top American and British military commanders. General George C. Marshall, US Army Chief of Staff, argued that the distribution of munitions was so essential to military strategy, that it could never be left to civilians. His argument won out. Hopkins became the head of the Board, but he always saw his role as subordinate to the Combined Chiefs.[2]
Canada asked for a seat on the Board; it was refused but was given a seat on other, much less powerful combined boards.[3]
1. The entire munitions resources of Great Britain and the United States will be deemed to be in a common pool, about which the fullest information will be interchanged.
2. Committees will be formed in Washington and London under the combined Chiefs of Staff in a manner similar to the S.W. Pacific agreement. These committees will advise on all assignments both in quality and priority, whether to Great Britain and the United States or other of the united nations, in accordance with strategic needs.
A meeting of the Combined Munitions Assignments Board in February 1943.3. In order that these committees may be fully apprised of the policy of their respective Governments, the President will nominate a civil chairman, who will preside over the committee in Washington, and the Prime Minister will make a similar nomination in respect of the committee in London. In each case the committee will be assisted by a secretariat capable of surveying every branch and keeping in touch with the work of every sub-committee as may be necessary.
^Robert E. Sherwood, Roosevelt and Hopkins: An Intimate History (1948) pp 471-73
^Thompson, John Herd; Randall, Stephen J. (2010). Canada and the United States: Ambivalent Allies. U of Georgia Press. p. 155. ISBN9780820337258.
^Keesing's Contemporary Archives Volume IV, January, 1942 p. 5001
Further readingedit
Allen, R.G.D. "Mutual Aid between the U.S. and the British Empire, 1941–5", in Journal of the Royal Statistical Society no. 109 #3, 1946. pp 243–77 in JSTOR detailed statistical data on Lend Lease
Clarke, Sir Richard. Anglo-American Economic Collaboration in War and Peace, 1942-1949. (1982), British perspective
Dobson, Alan P. U.S. Wartime Aid to Britain, 1940-1946 London, 1986.
Hall, Hessel Duncan, and Christopher Crompton Wrigley. Studies of overseas supply. Vol. 1 (London: HM Stationery Office, 1956), the official British history
Herring Jr. George C. Aid to Russia, 1941-1946: Strategy, Diplomacy, the Origins of the Cold War (1973) online edition 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine
Leighton, Richard M., and Robert W. Coakley. Global Logistics and Strategy, 1940-1943 (1955) 813 pages online
Llewellin, Colonel J.J. "Machinery of Wartime Cooperation between the British Commonwealth and the United States." World Affairs (Sept. 1943) 106#3 pp. 157–163 in JSTOR
Roll, David. The Hopkins Touch: Harry Hopkins and the Forging of the Alliance to Defeat Hitler (2012) excerpt and text search and
Sherwood, Robert E. Roosevelt and Hopkins (1948), memoir by senior FDR aide; Pulitzer Prize. online edition 2023-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
Tuttle, Dwight William. Harry L. Hopkins and Anglo-American-Soviet Relations, 1941-1945 (1983)
Woods, Randall Bennett. A Changing of the Guard: Anglo-American Relations, 1941-1946 (1990)
April 26, 2024
combined, munitions, assignments, board, major, government, agency, britain, world, with, harry, hopkins, roosevelt, advisor, charge, took, control, allocation, supplies, lend, lease, allies, especially, britain, soviet, union, harry, hopkins, chairman, muniti. The Combined Munitions Assignments Board was a major government agency for the U S and Britain in World War II With Harry Hopkins Roosevelt s top advisor in charge it took control of the allocation of war supplies and Lend lease aid to the Allies especially Britain and the Soviet Union 1 Harry Hopkins Chairman of the Munitions Assignments Board confers with MG J H Burns executive officer of the board Feb 1943 Churchill s original plan called for two offices for the Board one in London which he controlled and one in Washington under Harry Hopkins The US Army strongly protested and insisted that the board be under the control of the Combined Chiefs of Staff the body that brought together the top American and British military commanders General George C Marshall US Army Chief of Staff argued that the distribution of munitions was so essential to military strategy that it could never be left to civilians His argument won out Hopkins became the head of the Board but he always saw his role as subordinate to the Combined Chiefs 2 Canada asked for a seat on the Board it was refused but was given a seat on other much less powerful combined boards 3 President Franklin D Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill set it up in January 1942 with a threefold mission 4 1 The entire munitions resources of Great Britain and the United States will be deemed to be in a common pool about which the fullest information will be interchanged 2 Committees will be formed in Washington and London under the combined Chiefs of Staff in a manner similar to the S W Pacific agreement These committees will advise on all assignments both in quality and priority whether to Great Britain and the United States or other of the united nations in accordance with strategic needs A meeting of the Combined Munitions Assignments Board in February 1943 3 In order that these committees may be fully apprised of the policy of their respective Governments the President will nominate a civil chairman who will preside over the committee in Washington and the Prime Minister will make a similar nomination in respect of the committee in London In each case the committee will be assisted by a secretariat capable of surveying every branch and keeping in touch with the work of every sub committee as may be necessary See also editCombined Food Board Combined Raw Materials Board Combined Production and Resources Board Combined Shipping Adjustment Board Military production during World War IINotes edit Roll 2012 pp 176 79 Robert E Sherwood Roosevelt and Hopkins An Intimate History 1948 pp 471 73 Thompson John Herd Randall Stephen J 2010 Canada and the United States Ambivalent Allies U of Georgia Press p 155 ISBN 9780820337258 Keesing s Contemporary Archives Volume IV January 1942 p 5001Further reading editAllen R G D Mutual Aid between the U S and the British Empire 1941 5 in Journal of the Royal Statistical Society no 109 3 1946 pp 243 77 in JSTOR detailed statistical data on Lend Lease Clarke Sir Richard Anglo American Economic Collaboration in War and Peace 1942 1949 1982 British perspective Dobson Alan P U S Wartime Aid to Britain 1940 1946 London 1986 Hall Hessel Duncan and Christopher Crompton Wrigley Studies of overseas supply Vol 1 London HM Stationery Office 1956 the official British history Herring Jr George C Aid to Russia 1941 1946 Strategy Diplomacy the Origins of the Cold War 1973 online edition Archived 2008 11 19 at the Wayback Machine Kimball Warren F The Most Unsordid Act Lend Lease 1939 1941 1969 Leighton Richard M and Robert W Coakley Global Logistics and Strategy 1940 1943 1955 813 pages online Llewellin Colonel J J Machinery of Wartime Cooperation between the British Commonwealth and the United States World Affairs Sept 1943 106 3 pp 157 163 in JSTOR Roll David The Hopkins Touch Harry Hopkins and the Forging of the Alliance to Defeat Hitler 2012 excerpt and text search and author webcast presentation Sherwood Robert E Roosevelt and Hopkins 1948 memoir by senior FDR aide Pulitzer Prize online edition Archived 2023 08 16 at the Wayback Machine Tuttle Dwight William Harry L Hopkins and Anglo American Soviet Relations 1941 1945 1983 Woods Randall Bennett A Changing of the Guard Anglo American Relations 1941 1946 1990 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Combined Munitions Assignments Board amp oldid 1190489261, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
