Foreign Relations of the United States, Conferences at Washington and Quebec, 1943

J.C.S. Files

Memorandum by the United States Chiefs of Staff¹

secret
C.C.S. 255/1

[Washington,] 3 September 1943.

Operations of Red Air Force Subsequent to “ Tidalwave ”

In C.C.S. 255² the U.S. Chiefs of Staff suggested that the Combined Chiefs of Staff recommend to the President and Prime Minister that at the proper time, subsequent to Tidalwave , they jointly request Premier Stalin to have the Russian Air Force undertake a folloW–up mission against the Tidalwave objective.

At their 98th Meeting on the 18th of June, it was noted that the proposal contained in C.C.S. 255 had been submitted to the British Chiefs of Staff, from whom a reply had not yet been received. It was further noted that the British Chiefs of Staff would be informed that the proposal was not intended to be presented to the President and Prime Minister until after Tidalwave had been accomplished.

Now that Tidalwave has been accomplished,³ the United States Chiefs of Staff wish to renew the proposal contained in C.C.S. 255 and recommend that immediate action be taken with a view to implementing this proposal.

1. For the action taken on this paper at the 117th and 118th Meetings of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, September 3 and 10, 1943, see ante, pp. 1206, 1225.
2. “Operations of Red Air Force Subsequent to ‘ Soapsuds ’ “, June 15, 1943; not printed.
3. Concerning the air attack of August 1, 1943, against the Ploeşti oil facilities, see Dugan and Stewart, Ploesti, chapters 6–11.