Moscow Embassy Files: Lot F–96
The American Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley) to the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union (Molotov)
My Dear Mr. Molotov: The President has requested me to transmit the following message to Mr. Stalin:
“The Egyptian crisis91 which is threatening the supply route to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has caused Prime Minister [Page 607] Churchill to direct to me an urgent inquiry whether forty A–20 bombers which are now in Iraq en route to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics can be transferred to the Egyptian front. Because of limited information here, it is impossible for me to express judgement on this matter. For this reason I have thought it better to request you to make a decision, taking into consideration the interests of the war effort of the United Nations as a whole.”92
In view of the urgency of this message, I have postponed my departure for Kuibyshev until I have received and acted upon your answer to this message.
Sincerely yours,
- With the surrender of Tobruk on June 21, 1942, the Allied position in Egypt was considered endangered for the time being.↩
- Stalin sent an answer to the President’s request the next day: “In view of the situation of the Allied troops in Egypt I do not object to the transfer of the 40 A–20 bombers to the Egyptian Front from the number of those at the disposition of the USSR in Iraq.” (740.0011 European War 1939/22785½)↩