Enclosure
The Combined Chiefs of
Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander,
Mediterranean Theater (Wilson)
top
secret
Following for General Wilson from Chiefs of Staff.
Reference Medcos 1533 and 181.
1. Your planning for Rankin in the
Mediterranean Theatre of Operations should proceed on the
following basis.
Areas of Occupation
2. You should plan to seize immediate control of countries in the
Mediterranean Theatre of Operations as follows:—
- (a)
- Austria with four divisions and small tactical air
force. Instructions have already been issued in Fan 410 and Fan 411.4
- (b)
- Greece with approximately a division of British troops
and small air forces. Instructions have already been
issued in Fan 409.3
- (c)
- The Dodecanese with approximately 2,400 men.
- (d)
- Venezia Giulia with approximately one division.
3. It is not intended that you should station forces in
Yugoslavia or Albania beyond guards which may be required in
connection with distribution of supplies. No immediate action by
you will be required in Hungary or Roumania.
4. It is not the present intention to send any British troops to
Bulgaria.
5. It is intended in due course to offer British naval assistance
in the administration of the Danube and in particular in the
clearance of mines. On no account however will any British naval
forces enter the Danube except after prior agreement with the
Russians.
Availability of
Forces
6. In estimating what forces are available for the above
operations, you should bear the following considerations in
mind:
- (a)
- As stated in Cosmed 127,3 United States
forces will be withdrawn as soon as practicable after the
cessation of hostilities.
- (b)
- It will probably be the policy to withdraw Dominion forces
as early as possible after the defeat of Germany for
repatriation at an early date. Pending repatriation they
should not be employed on occupational duties in Austria,
Greece or Dodecanese or for internal security duties in
Middle East until after discussion with Dominion
Governments, which is being initiated forthwith.
- (c)
- The four British Indian divisions in your command will be
withdrawn as early as possible and should not be used for
Rankin operations.
- (d)
- French and Italian divisions will not be used.
- (e)
- The internal security commitment in the Middle East after
the defeat of Germany will require three divisions from
forces at present in the Mediterranean and Middle
East.
7. After making allowance for the above considerations, we
calculate that you should have sufficient forces to meet the
commitments in paragraph 2 above and still retain a small
reserve for contingencies.
8. All the above applies to Rankin only, i.e., the
immediate seizure of control in enemy and enemy occupied
territories. Direction upon the final occupation of Europe after
the establishment of control will be issued later.
