Newport     Rhode Island



Edward S. Miller Collection
Material Relating to War Plan Orange

Admiral Richard W. Bates

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Table of Contents - Edward S. Miller Collection

Overview of the Collection

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Detailed Description of the Collection

War Plan Orange Research File

Subject File

Geographical File

Biographical File

Bibliographic Notes

Reference Material

War Plan Orange Publication Materials

Maps and Photographs

Draft Manuscript for War Plan Orange dated March 1990

Digital Files

Digital Printouts

Restrictions

Index Terms

Administrative Information

 



    Overview of the Collection

    Repository: United States Naval War College, Naval Historical Collection
    Creator: Edward S. Miller (1930- )
    Title: Edward S. Miller Collection of Material Relating to War Plan Orange
    Dates: 1870-2009 (inclusive)
    Dates: 1906-1945 (bulk)
    Quantity: 22 standard archival boxes
    Abstract: Research Materials on the US Navy's Navy's pre-World War II plans for war with Japan accumulated by Edward Miller while for his award winning book War Plan Orange: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat Japan, 1897-1945 published by the Naval Institute Press in 1991 accompanied by his personal papers related to the book's publication..
    Language: The records are in English.

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    Biographical Note

    Edward S. Miller was born in New York City on November 14, 1930. He grew up in Great Neck, Long Island, and attended Syracuse University graduating Phi Beta Kappa with honors and attended the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program. Mr. Miller embarked on a career in corporate finance where he developed a keen interest corporate planning. During his business career, Mr. Miller served as the chief financial officer of AMAX Inc., a Fortune 500 company. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as Vice President for Finance of the United States Synthetic Fuels Corporation, a position he held from 1982-1984. After retiring from the business world in 1985, Mr. Miller devoted much of his free time to researching, studying, and writing about the United States Navy's war planning process spanning the years beginning at the start if 20th Century through the United States entry in to World War II. Mr. Miller's efforts culminated in the publication in 1991 of the book War Plan Orange: the US Strategy to Defeat Japan 1897-1945, the seminal work on the subject, published by the United States Naval Institute and in Japanese by Shinchosa Ltd. The book won five distinguished history awards including the Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Naval History Prize, best book, 1992; Society for Military History, best book on a US subject, 1993; United States Naval Institute author of the yea, 1992, North American Society for Oceanic History, best naval book, 1993, and the New York Military Affairs Symposium, best book, [year?] . The papers he amassed during the process of creating this work forms the basis of this collection.

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    Scope and Contents

    The collection contains research materials accumulated by Edward S. Miller while writing War Plan Orange, the definitive work on the US Navy's war planning activities against Japan that was published in 1991 by the Naval Institute Press (Orange was the code name for Japan in US war plans). The bulk of the collection consists of copies of documents, articles, and notes taken by Mr. Miller during a twenty-year period of study involving investigations into the various the versions of War Plan Orange, the functioning of the Navy's war planning branches and divisions, and the senior naval officers involved in the process of developing the Navy's war plans. In addition to specific materials on War Plan Orange and war planning in general, the collection includes a biographical file containing information on the US Navy's war planners, a geographical file containing information on various islands in the Pacific, and a subject file containing information on such topics as aviation and logistics.

    The collection also includes Mr. Miller's personal papers relating to the pre and post-publication of War Plan Orange including reviews and commentaries on pre-publication manuscripts and a copy of the book itself.

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    Arrangement

    The collection is organized into eleven series as follows:

    War Plan Orange Research File containing copies of primary source documents relating to War Plan Orange and hand written notes taken by Mr. Miller during the course of his research. The folders are arranged chronologically by years, subdivided by subject matter where appropriate. Copies of documents and the notes are arranged in separate folders. Of note is the Check List of US War Plans, 1905-1941," which can be found in the first folder of the series. This document provides a reference list of all US war plans.

    Subject File containing information on various aspects of naval warfare, military aviation, and war planning in general; arranged alphabetically by subject..

    Geographical File containing information collected by Mr. Miller on approximately two dozen islands and atolls in the Pacific; arranged alphabetically by name and subdivided by content where appropriate.

    Biographical File containing notes on personalities related to war planning and/or topics covered in War Plan Orange, arranged alphabetically, along with various lists, tables, directories and additional information on persons assigned to the General Board of the Navy and the Joint Army-Navy Board and its Joint Planing Committee, the Naval War College, and the Naval War Plans Division also known as OP-12. The file also includes materials copied from the Charles M. "Savvy" Cooke, Jr.Papers.

    Bibliographic Notes the bulk of which consists of an extensive list of primary source documents consulted by Mr. Miller the majority of which can be found in his collection, arranged chronologically.

    Reference Material composed of a selected group of articles, dissertations, books, drafts, microfilm, and notes of interviews conducted by Mr. Miller. Arranged by media: articles, other works, interviews, and microfilm.

    War Plan Orange Publication Materials relating to the pre and post-publication of War Plan Orange including proposals, critiques, a draft manuscript, correspondence, book reviews, awards, etc., arranged by subject.

    Maps and Photographs used to illustrate War Plan Orange, arranged by category.

    Draft Manuscript for War Plan Orange dated March 1990.

    Digital Files consisting of one compact disk containing the final draft versions of War Plan Orange and one War Pan Orange data disk containing approximately 1,300 pages of digitized notes taken by Mr. Miller during the course of his research. This data was originally placed on 5-1/4-inch floppy disks using 1980s era word processing software. The files were converted to pdf format and placed on compact disk media. Most of the data contained therein consists of notes taken on War Plan Orange arranged chronologically. Each note file is accompanied by two supporting files, a "bibliographic" file containing reference citations for the notes taken in the file and a "tag" file that is used for cross reference purposes. Because the original software limited entries to 2,000 characters, notes from longer documents are divided into paragraphs. The first line of each paragraph of notes, enclosed in angle brackets (< >), corresponds to an entry in the tags list briefly describing the information. The final line of each paragraph of notes, enclosed in double square brackets ([[ ]]), is a short designation of the source document which corresponds to the full source entries in the bibliographical file. Most entries in the three interrelated files are in chronological orders. The series also contains a number of stand alone (no tags or bibliography) electronic subject files as well as a number of stand alone reference files. A guide to the arrangement and use of the data files and a list of abbreviations used is provided in the folder containing the disk.

    Digital File Printouts consisting of hard copy paper printouts of the electronic files. This series is broken into three subseries for ease of access: chronological, subject, and reference. The former are arranged in chronological order, the other two are arranged alphabetically by subject. A guide to the arrangement and use of these files is provided in the first folder.

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    Detailed Description of the Collection

    War Plan Orange Research File
    Box 1 Check List of US War Plans, 1905-1941
     WPO 1870-1920: Cable in Pacific
     WPO 1897-1945: Chronology
      WPO 1890s - c. 1920s: Coaling
    WPO 1898-1919: Midway
    WPO 1898-1919: Wake Is.
    WPO Pre-1918: Midway
    WPO Pre-1918: Spanish-American War
    WPO Pre-1918: US In the Pacific
    Box 2 WPO Pre-1918: Wake Is.
    WPO 1918: US In the Pacific
    WPO Pre-1906: War Plans
    WPO 1906-10
    WPO 1910
    WPO 1910: General Board
    WPO 1911: Naval War College
    WPO 1911-1914
    WPO 1913-1914: General Board
    WPO 1915-1918
    Box 3 WPO 1919
    WPO 1920
    WPO 1920-1923: Midway
    WPO 1920-32: Midway including Johnston & Leeward atolls
    WPO 1921
    WPO 1922
    WPO 1921-1932: Wake Is.
    WPO 1921: Ellis Document Advanced Base Operations Micronesia
    WPO 1923
    WPO 1924
    WPO 1925
    Box 4 WPO 1926
    WPO 1928: JPC Estimate of Situation
    WPO 1929
    WPO 1930-31
    WPO 1930s: Johnston, Leeward, and other atolls
    Box 5 WPO 1932
    WPO 1933
    WPO 1933-35: Wake Is.
    WPO: 1933-37: Midway
    WPO 1934: Royal Road
     WPO 1935
    Box 6 WPO 1936
    WPO 1936-37: Dry Dock
    WPO 1936-38: Wake Is.
    WPO 1937
    WPO 1938
    WPO 1938-39: Hepburn Board& related (see also Wake, Midway and other Islands)
    WPO 1938-41: Midway
    Box 7 WPO 1939
    WPO 1939: JPC "Momentum" study
    WPO 1939: Wake Is.
    WPO 1940
    WPO 1940-41: Wake Is.
    Box 8 WPO 1941 and earlier: AAF, South Pacific Air Route
    WPO 1941
    WPO 1941-46 Pearl Harbor Hearings
    Box 9 WPO 1942-45
    Subject File
    Aviation, civil in the Pacific
    Aviation, military
    Aviation, VPs and tenders
    Articles, Naval & Military
    Bases & Logistics
     Color Plans other than Orange
      Japanese War Plans

    Box 10

    Miscellaneous: war, future, political
    Naval History, prewar
    Naval Logistics
    Naval Ships and Forces
    Post WWII History - naval & others
    Quotations
    Ship Operations, prewar
    War & Business Plans
    War Relics, survivors
    World War I in Pacific
    World War II, misc.
    WPO Criticisms
    Geographical File
    American Polynesia, misc. items
    Baker & Equatorial Island Groups
    Canton & Enderbury
    Christmas Is.
    Eniwetok
    French Frigate Shoals
    Guam
    Howland Is.
    Jarvis Is.
    Johnston Is.
    Kingman Reef
    Kure
    Laysan
    Leeward Hawaiian Chain
    Mandated Islands
    Lisianski
    Box 11 Marcus Is.
    Maro Reef
    Micronesia
    Midway: Articles & History
    Midway: Clippings
    Midway: Clippings, postwar
    Necker
    Pacific Islands, misc.
    Palmyra
    Pearl & Hermes Reef
    Wake: Articles & History
    Wake: Postwar Clippings
    Wake: Postwar Observer Clippings
    Biographical File
    Box 12 Biographies: A thru H
    Biographies: I thru R
      Biographies: S thru Z

    Lists and Miscellaneous
    Tables of War Planners, 1900-1942
    Navy Department Directories, War Planners
    General Board Personnel
    Joint Army-Navy Board Personnel
    Box 13 Cooke, Charles M., Jr., Selected Papers of
    Bibliographic Notes

    Chronological List of Prime Source Materials
    Misc.
    Reference Material
    Articles
    Articles: British and Other Allied Plans
    Articles: Other Color Plans
    Box 14Articles: WPO
    Articles: WPO and Related Subjects, US Navy
    Articles: WPO and Related Subjects, US Army, Air Force, Marine Corps
    Articles: War Gaming at Naval War College
    Articles: War Planning and Strategy
    Box 15 Articles: Pacific War Plans during World War II
    Articles: US Maritime Strategy, 1980s
    Articles: War Planning and Strategy
    Other Works
    "Planning the Defeat of Japan: A Study of Total War Strategy," by Henry G. Morgan. Jr. (Office of Chf. Of Military Hist., 1961)
    "US Navy War Plans Before World War II," draft of thesis prepared by Carlos R. Rivera
    Blue Sword: The Naval War College and the American Mission, 1919-1941, by Michael Vlahos (Naval War College 1980)
    "The Origins of American National Security Policy," by Lester H. Brune (Sunflower 1981)
    "War Planning at the US Army War College, 1934-1940," by Henry G. Cole (AHD Diss., Temple 1991)
    Box 16"Planning for War: A History of the General Board of the Navy, 1900-1914," by Daniel J. Costello (Ph.D. Diss., Tufts 1968)
    "Interwar US and Japanese National Product and Defense Expenditure," by William D. O'Neil (CNA, 2003)
    "Military Transformation as a Competitive Systemic Process," by William D. O'Neil (CNA, 2003)
    "United States Peacetime Strategic Planning, 1920-1941," by Dana G. Mead (Ph.D. Diss., MIT 1967)
    Interviews Conducted
    Box 17Notes on Interviews Conducted by E.S. Miller, 1985-1987
    Microfilm
    Guide to the Microfilm of Strategic Planning in the US Navy: Its Evolution and Execution 1891-1945 (printed matter)
    Strategic Planning in the US Navy: Its Evolution and Execution 1891-1945, reel nos. 1 - 9
    War Plan Orange Publication Materials
    Box 18War Plan Orange (published copy)
     Book Proposals and Critiques, 1984-1986
      Negative Critiques of 1988
      Final Critiques of Revised Manuscript, 1990
     Correspondence, Editing and Production 1987-1991
    Box 19 Cover Art
     Cartography
     Blurbs for Book Jacket
     Ads, Catalogs, Lists
     Promotion
     Book Reviews
     Awards and Prizes
     Correspondence, Post-publications
    Maps and Photographs
      Maps, Draft
      Maps, Final
    Box 20Photographs
    Draft Manuscript for War Plan Orange dated March 1990
    Digital Files
    Box 21War Plan Orange (book) Final Draft Data Disk (.pdf).
     War Pan Orange Data Disk (.pdf )
    Digital File Printouts
     Guide to Digital Printouts
      Files Arranged by Date
      Pre-1907 Notes: WPO & Related
     1907-1912 Notes: WPO & Related
     1913-1918 Notes: WPO & Related
     1919-23 Notes: WPO & Related
     1921-25 Notes: WPO & Related
     1926-1929 Notes: WPO & Related
     1929-35 Notes: WPO & Related
     1931-41 Notes: WPO & Flying Boats
     Jun '35 - Oct '37 Notes: WPO & Related
     Late '37 - Sept '39 Notes: WPO & Related
    Box 22 Late '38 - Jan '41 Notes: WPO & Related
     Late '38 - Jan '41 Notes: Alaska & Aleutians
     1939-41 Notes: Rainbow & Joint Plans
     1940-41 Notes: WPO & Related
     Late 1941 Notes: WPO & Related
     1941 Notes : Final Prewar Plans
     1942-45 Notes: WPO
     Files Arranged by Subject
     Aviation, Misc.
     Dewey, George, biographical data
     Flying Boats and Tenders (drafts)
     Roosevelt, T.R. & WPO
     U. S. Atolls, History to 1938 (drafts)
     WPO Finding Aids

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    Restrictions

    With the exception of all drafts and published editions of War Plan Orange, all other material in this collection (text, maps, or artwork) commissioned, written, or produced by Edward S. Miller has been placed in the public domain. Other materials in the collection maybe subject to copyright by the originator.

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    Index Terms

    This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

    Personal name:

    Miller, Edward S.

    Subject

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    Administrative Information

    Preferred Citation

    Cite as: Edward S. Miller Collection of Material Relating to War Plan Orange, Naval HIstorical Collection, United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.

    Processing Information

    The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Thomas Wildenberg in October 2009.

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