861.248/212: telegram
The Second Secretary of Embassy in the Soviet Union (Thompson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:10 p.m.]
154. McCabe from Faymonville. Reference paragraph 1 my 152.87 Commissar88 has just received from Persian Gulf ports information on arrival of more planes. Because turnover process is slow these additional planes still further increase to more than 130 the number awaiting assembly and turnover to Soviet representatives. Commissar again points out urgent necessity of having these planes on battle front immediately. Commissar has satisfied himself that principal trouble is insufficient number of skilled personnel for assembly. He considers necessary to remedy immediately without waiting for additional American personnel to arrive. Contingent on your approval he therefore proposed to send at once to Persian Gulf ports 50 Soviet engineers and mechanics to assist in assembly and speed up turnover of planes. Soviet personnel can either act as assistants to American in charge or can set separate assembly shop. Commissar prefers, second alternative. Upon arrival of sufficient American engineers to insure prompt turnover Soviet engineers if no longer needed can be withdrawn.
Proposal to send Soviet personnel originated with highest authority. It is clearly for purpose of getting fighting strength into battle at earliest possible moment. It is regarded here as urgent. I believe proposal should have your immediate approval and that you must thereafter take necessary steps to overcome British veto against [Page 704] sending additional Soviet personnel to Persian Gulf.89 Please let me have favorable reply in shortest possible time.90
Repeated to Kuibyshev and to General Greely,91 Tehran. [Faymonville.]
- Not printed; it reported the Soviet Government’s request that efforts be made to expedite delivery of planes arriving at Persian Gulf ports of Abadan and Basra because of urgent need of them at the front (861.248/210).↩
- A. I. Mikoyan, People’s Commissar for Foreign Trade.↩
- In telegram No. 2168, May 14, McCabe requested Harriman at London to Obtain British consent to the Soviet proposal; the consent was granted, as reported in telegram No. 2883, May 23, from London. (861.248/217a, 217)↩
- McCabe replied in telegram No. 134, May 16, midnight, that Soviet officials were to some extent responsible for the delay, since a number of planes had been at Basra at least a month awaiting Soviet acceptance. He said that the United States Government was inclined to permit Soviet mechanics to come to the assembly points as a convenient method of training them and speeding up acceptance. (861.248/210)↩
- Maj. Gen. John N. Greely, Chief of the United States Military Mission to the Soviet Union.↩