J.C.S. Files
Memorandum by the United States Chiefs of Staff
C.C.S. 318
Sardinia, Fifth Column Activities
It is the opinion of the U.S. Chiefs of Staff that the present conditions of unrest in Italy might offer an opportunity for favorable results from fifth column activities in Sardinia. They therefore suggest that the following message be sent to General Eisenhower:
It is understood that you have sufficient troops available to assault Sardinia at this time. However, you are unable to do so due to lack of landing craft. This fact and the promising situation existing throughout the Italian area would appear to offer an excellent opportunity by means of fifth column activities to establish conditions in Sardinia for an unopposed occupation of that island. The O.S.S. and S.O.E. organizations might collaborate in accomplishing this. Furthermore, this presents an excellent opportunity to test the effectiveness of these organizations and to provide them with experience and training for [Page 1069] future operations of a similar character. Your comments and recommendations are requested.1
- This draft telegram was presented to the 112th Meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff on August 19, 1943 (see ante, p. 894). On August 20, in C.C.S. 318/1 (not printed), the United States Chiefs of Staff suggested that the message to Eisenhower be amended by deleting the first two sentences and the first three words of the third sentence. The amended draft was considered at the 113th Meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff on August 20 (see ante, p. 905). For the text approved and sent on that date, see infra. For Eisenhower’s reply, see Eisenhower Papers, pp. 1360–1361.↩