Office of the Historian

Roosevelt Papers

The Combined Chiefs of Staff to President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill 1

secret
Washington, 10 September 1943.

Memorandum for the President and the Prime Minister

Subject: Russian Attack Against Ploeşti.

The Combined Chiefs of Staff recommend that you send the following message to Marshal Stalin, suggesting to him the possibility of using Russian air forces to follow up our attack against Ploeşti from Russian bases:

“Following the recent successful attack by U.S. bombers on the Rumanian oil refineries at Ploeşti, further attacks by United Nations bombers are highly desirable to insure complete destruction and preclude repair of the damage to this vital objective. We suggest that when the situation permits you consider the possibility of sending Red air force bombers from Soviet bases to attack this objective. If you should consider this operation favorably, we shall be glad to advance detailed intelligence material relating to the targets.”

For the Combined Chiefs of Staff:
J. G. Dill F.M.

Head of the British Joint Staff Mission in Washington
William D Leahy

Admiral, U.S. Navy
Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy

  1. Approved by the Combined Chiefs of Staff at their 118th Meeting, September 10, 1943. See ante, p. 1225. The text of this memorandum was circulated by the Secretaries of the Combined Chiefs of Staff as the enclosure to C.C.S. 255/2, September 10, 1943. The memorandum was presumably discussed by Roosevelt and Churchill during their meeting at Hyde Park on September 12. Attached to the source text is a chit which includes the following notations in the handwriting of the President’s Naval Aide: (1) “Ask Leahy if any action taken.” (This notation has then been crossed out.) (2) “Disapproved. No action taken. W[ilson] B[rown.]”

    The following manuscript note in the Harriman Papers, endorsed “Note of Gen Arnold at White House Meeting—Churchill & Pres. Sept. 1943”, pertains to the subject matter of C.C.S. 255/2, although the date of the meeting referred to has not been established:

    “[WAH, i.e., Harriman] Unless bombing of Ploeşti by the Russians is of pressing immediate importance, it may be well to wait for about 3 weeks before making the request on them.

    “[Gen Arnold] The Ploeşti Oil wells are now about 70% inactive. We may not be able to repeat for another several weeks—until we are able to get fields installed in Italy. The repeat must come—The Russians are as interested in this operation as we are. The success of the Germans against the Russians depends to a great extent upon that oil. Hence the Russians may want to do it.” (Harriman Papers)

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