740.00114 EW/2-545
The War Shipping Administrator to the Secretary of State
Yalta, February 5, 1945
Secret
Memorandum:
To: Mr. Stettinius
From: Admiral Land
Subject: MR. EDEN’S LETTER TO STATE DEPARTMENT ON U.S. PROPOSALS TO MEET RUSSIAN REPATRIATION REQUIREMENTS
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After request by British Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Chiefs of Staff agreed to use of troopships for repatriation of Russians equivalent to British assistance of 10,000 personnel lift trans-Atlantic each month, contingent upon use of overland transportation after the defeat of Germany, when redeployment will require all available trooplift.
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Following this authorization, Eisenhower requested use of two large troopships for repatriation of large numbers of Russians on hand, this movement to be from Marseille.
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In Washington the CMTC in the belief the British Chiefs of Staff had failed to implement the approval described in paragraph 1 above, signalled London to determine whether Eisenhower’s request had been made in ignorance of CCS decision on availability of lift.
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Informal discussion with British personnel movement officers at CRICKET indicates that implementation had been intentionally held up because of these two factors:
(a) Type of ship required.
(b) Policy on Russian repatriation to be established. -
The type of ship referred to above involves the desire to use medium size troopships which means physical assistance by U.S. transports since British trans-Atlantic shipping is primarily of large type. This changes U.S. conception at time of original British request referred to in Paragraph 1 above when it was understood all movement would be in British ships at cost to U.S. troop movement capabilities which it was estimated could be accepted.