740.0011 P.W./9–2944
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador of the Soviet Union (Gromyko)5
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and has the honor to refer to the Embassy’s note of September 29, 1944, with regard to reported flights of United States aircraft over Soviet territory.
The United States military authorities have informed the Department that investigation fails to reveal that any reports have been made of violations of Soviet territory and territorial waters of the character described in the Soviet Embassy’s note and that from the information furnished by the Soviet Embassy it has not been possible to verify the violations claimed.
The Department has been requested by the United States military authorities to point out in this connection the extremely difficult conditions under which United States aircraft operate in the Kuriles–Kamchatka region. The extreme distances which must be flown on these missions require our planes to follow a course which brings them close to Cape Lopatka on the southern end of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Any deviation from that course caused by adverse weather or other conditions might bring them over Soviet territory. In addition, the poor visibility which prevails in this area most of the time frequently requires that bombing be done by instrument, often through complete cloud cover. This fact, coupled with the fact that the terrain and coast line features of the Northern Kuriles bear marked similarity to those of the Kamchatka Peninsula, increases the likelihood that pilots may be mistaken as to the area over which they are flying.
Under these conditions it is quite possible that some planes may have violated Soviet territory as stated by the Embassy without being aware of their true position, a fact which would explain why there is no record in the military and naval reports of any such violations of Soviet territory.
It is requested that your Government be informed that all practical measures will be taken by the military and naval authorities of the [Page 1028] United States in order to avoid future violations of Soviet territory and territorial waters by United States aircraft.
- The text of this note was sent by the Department in telegram 2666, November 14, to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union and for the information of General Deane at the request of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.↩