“They have the equivalent of three surface action groups in the Celebes, which is twelve capital warships including submarines in
“In addition, they have another twenty thousand troops, thirty more ships, and at least a hundred more aircraft in Puerto Princesa, only five hundred miles away. And this is only a quarter of what they have sent to Luzon: Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Base both have as many Chinese troops and machines there as the United States once had there at the height of the Vietnam War—”
“Wait a minute,” the President said in complete surprise. “You want to take on fifteen thousand Chinese troops with only two thousand men? That’s
“Sir, numbers don’t make the difference here,” Curtis explained. “The Air Battle Force has the striking power of two, perhaps three aircraft-carrier battle groups, and they have speed and flexibility that the carriers themselves don’t. We have the air power to force the Chinese out of Zamboanga and perhaps out of the south Philippines altogether. We need to activate this unit as soon as possible. I recommend to you that we activate the Air Battle Force and deploy them to Guam. Once they’re there, we can present a more detailed plan to you.”
“I object to General Curtis characterizing this group as the ultimate solution to this problem,” Preston said. “I am very much in support of the Air Battle Force concept, but General Curtis is fantasizing, sir.” To Curtis he said, “I’m on your side, Wilbur. I believe in the work you’ve done. The Air Battle Force concept is great, and you’ve implemented it superbly. No one is questioning it or you. But we have to be more realistic or optimistic — we have to be ultraconservative. We’ve been surprised so many times in this conflict that we have to increase our requirements that much more to compose a credible picture.” To the President he said, “We can build a fighting force to take the Philippines, sir, but do you want to pay the price to do it?”
“The Air Battle Force doesn’t fight alone, Thomas,” Curtis said, “WINTER HAMMER includes the
“The task force also includes the Second Marine Prepositioning Force based on Mariana Island near Guam. One amphibious assault carrier, one tank landing ship, two escorts, two support ships, twenty helicopters, thirty armored vehicles, five thousand Marines and naval personnel. Half of the force is there now — the other half deployed by air from Hawaii, pick up their ships on Mariana, then embark to their standby positions in the Philippine Sea. It will take at least five days for this group to arrive on station. We send a flight of P-3 Orion sub hunters from Japan or Guam with them until they get some air support from shore or from a carrier group.”
“An invasion force,” the President said. “You’re recommending a full-scale invasion…”
A telephone in front of the President buzzed; Cesare picked it up and listened, then replaced it on its cradle. “Press release from the Chinese government, coming in from the wire services,” he told the President. “Communications is sending down a copy.”
A few moments later a Secret Service agent on duty arrived and passed a computer printout to Cesare, who remained standing as he read it to the National Security Council:
“ ‘The Chinese government is claiming that an American military strike force was detected and intercepted over the Celebes Sea,’ ” Cesare read. “ ‘The strike force, composed they say of several large subsonic bombers believed to be B-52 bombers from the island of Guam, was escorted by fighters from an aircraft carrier. They claim the Philippine government requested that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force, some of whom were stationed at military bases in the southern Philippines at the request of the Philippine government, help defend them.’
