World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe second Anglo-American Quebec conference saw a major disagreement between Winston Churchill and Ernest King regarding the British return to the Pacific. A year ago, the Americans had pressured for British presence in the Pacific, but Churchill offered limited assistance due to British aims to settle the European conflict before committing deeper against Japan. Now, with Germany starting to become pinned down, British reinforcements to the Pacific became unwanted. Churchill had political reasons for becoming involved in the Pacific, aiming to reclaim the vast territories the British Empire had lost to Japan. Admiral King did not wish to be seen assisting an European colonial power, especially now when the US Navy had already controlled the Pacific Ocean and could maintain control without British reinforcements. Churchill was started to feel irritated that he had offered the British fleet to help only to be rejected when Roosevelt stepped in to mediate.

ww2dbaseIn the end, to King's dismay Roosevelt accepted the British fleet's help in the Pacific, but the American president also rejected British request that British zone be established with a British commander. Therefore, the greatest concentration of British naval strength with four fleet carriers and two battleships, with a full compliment of cruisers, destroyers, and various support ships, became the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet Task Force 57.

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