Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The British Commonwealth and Europe, Volume III

The British Prime Minister (Churchill) to President Roosevelt ⁷⁴

London, 11 May, 1944.

673. Your No. 536.⁷⁵ The Chiefs of Staff suggest the amendments contained in the following text. They seem to strengthen our statement.

“From President Eoosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill to Marshal Stalin.

In order to give maximum strength to the attack across the sea against northern France, we have transferred part of our landing craft from the Mediterranean to England. This, together with the need for using our Mediterranean land forces in the present Italian battle makes it impracticable to attack the Mediterranean coast of France simultaneously with the Overlord⁷⁶ assault. We are planning to make such an attack later, for which purpose additional landing craft are being sent to the Mediterranean from the United States. In order to keep the greatest number of German forces away from northern France and the eastern front, we are attacking the Germans in Italy at once on a maximum scale and, at the same time, are maintaining a threat against the Mediterranean coast of France. Signed Roosevelt Churchill.[”]

Prime

74. Copy of telegram obtained from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N.Y.
75. Not found in Department files.
76. Code word for the Allied invasion of France.