EASTERN SEA FRONTIER
WAR DIARY
MARCH 1942
  
     
 
CHAPTER VI
  
 
 
 
THE AVAILABILITY OF FORCES
  
     
          The hunt for additional forces, begun last December, continued throughout March with some success. In the number of ships and planes assigned to the Frontier there is a perceptible increase, but this quantitative progress is not equally matched by qualitative improvement. Reinforcements were made primarily in the less effective types of anti-submarine vessels while few new destroyers, PC's or SC's came into the Frontier.  
     
          Additions of any kind were welcome, however, for Commander, Eastern Sea Frontier was anxious to obtain any vessel he could lay his hands on during the period when an average of 1.35 ships were going down each day. On March 15, he sent to all activities under his command a dispatch which reveals the pressing need for almost anything that could float. "Vessels in your district that can be purchased and are capable of carrying depth charges and guns and are fit for sea patrol report at once."  
     
          This was followed on the 24th by a request from Commander, Eastern Sea Frontier for information about Menhaden fishing boats in the Fifth and Sixth Naval Districts. The results of this search were not entirely gratifying. Five yachts, varying in length from 75 to 175 feet, were found and converted for service while the reports on the speed of the Menhaden boats -- about eight knots -- indicated that their usefulness would be strictly limited.  
     
 
 
 
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          Throughout the last few weeks of the month, the British trawlers arrived. After a period of overhaul these were put into service. Fourteen in all were ready for duty as the month ended. Because of the limitations noted in the last month's diary, the usefulness of these vessels was restricted.  
     
          The promise of additional and important assistance from England was given on the 21st when Cominch informed Commander, Eastern Sea Frontier that five corvettes would be available sometime in April. These ships with their size, speed, and equipment will be valuable additions to our strength.  
     
          By the end of March, as has already been noticed, perceptible gains in other types of vessels had been made. There were 3 PC's, 5 PE's, 7 PY's, 5 SC's, and 60 Coast Guard cutters of varying size. These, together with the fourteen trawlers, made a total of 94 ships, exclusive of destroyers, operating under Commander, eastern Sea Frontier.  
     
          Little change was made in the air strength until near the end of the month. On the 28th, however, 70 OS2U-3 planes that had been previously assigned to the British, were made available to Commander, Eastern Sea Frontier for anti-submarine patrol use. Of these seventy, fifteen were ready for immediate use at the Naval Air Station, New York, while the remainder were scheduled for delivery at the rate of four a day. In addition, Cinclant was ordered to release for temporary duty under Commander, Eastern Sera Frontier, one squadron of Carrier Replacement Group 9 for anti-submarine work.  
     
          The most encouraging thing about March was not so much the  
     
 
 
 
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  actual increase in our strength as the indications, growing throughout the month, that in the weeks to come the results of our increasing production will be felt in this Frontier.  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
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