Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945

White House Files

Log of the Trip

February 2, 1945

Friday, February 2nd:

0000: In Mediterranean Sea, enroute Malta from Gibraltar, steaming on various courses and at various speeds while conforming to our prescribed routing.

0610: We sighted the island of Sicily, bearing 055, distant 50 miles.

0616: We sighted the islands of Goza¹ and Malta, bearing 115, distant 32 miles.

0935: We passed through the submarine net gate and entered Grand Harbor, Valetta,² Malta. The President was on deck as we entered port. From the very large crowd evident, it appeared that all Malta was out to greet him. Both sides of the channel were lined with people of Malta.

1001: The Quincy moored, starboard side to, at Berth 9 in Grand Harbor, Valetta. The U. S. S. Memphis (light cruiser and flagship of Vice Admiral H. K. Hewitt, U. S. N., Commander Eighth Fleet) was present in Malta. Prime Minister Churchill and his party were at Grand Harbor and witnessed our arrival from the deck of the H. M. S. Sirius³ (light cruiser), moored across the channel from where the Quincy tied up.

Total distance steamed, Newport News to Malta, 4883 miles.

Colonel Park and the following listed members of our advance party were awaiting us on the dock at Grand Harbor and joined us as soon as the Quincy had been moored: Mr. Reilly, Major Greer, Mr. Holmes, Mr. Wood and Mr. O’Driscoll.

A few days before our arrival at Malta we began to receive disconcerting messages from the Prime Minister about the difficulties of reaching Yalta and the unhealthy living conditions there. The first gun came from Mr. Hopkins who stated, “He (the Prime Minister) says that if we had spent ten years on research we could not have found a worse place in the world than Yalta . . .⁴ He claims it is good for typhus and deadly lice which thrive in those parts.” This was followed by other messages from the Prime Minister, who reported the drive from the airfield at Saki to Yalta as being six hours, instead of two hours as originally reported by Mr. Harriman; and that one of his people had reported the mountain part of the drive as frightening and at times impassable, and the health conditions as wholly unsanitary, as the Germans had left all buildings infested with vermin. It was, therefore, a great relief upon arriving at Malta to find from Mr. Harriman and members of our advance party (headed by Colonel Park) that although we would face a difficult drive after landing at the airport at Saki, it would not be too tiring if completed during daylight and if we had clear weather. We were also informed that the medical officers of the U. S. S. Catoctin had accomplished a very effective job of de-bugging at Yalta.

1020: Secretary of State Stettinius, Ambassador Harriman, and Mr. Hopkins came on board the Quincy to confer with the President. Sergeant Robert Hopkins came on board with his father, Mr. Harry L. Hopkins. Sergeant Hopkins had joined his father at Paris.

1042: His Excellency, the Governor-General of Malta (Lieutenant General Sir Edmond Schreiber) came on board the Quincy and called on the President. The President was on deck (port side, first superstructure deck) at the time, enjoying the warm sun. He received all his distinguished guests there during the forenoon.

1052: Admiral Sir John Cunningham, Allied Naval Commander in Chief, Mediterranean, came on board and called on the President.

1107: General of the Army George C. Marshall came on board and called on the President. A short time later Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King called and he and Fleet Admiral Leahy joined the President and General Marshall in a conference.

1143: Admiral Harold R. Stark, U. S. N. (Commander, U. S. Naval Forces, Europe) and Vice Admiral Hewitt came on board and called on the President.

1148: Prime Minister Churchill and his daughter, Section Officer Sarah Oliver (WAAF), came on board the Quincy and called on the President.

1155: The Right Honorable Anthony Eden, British Foreign Secretary, came on board and called on the President.

1300: The President entertained at lunch in his quarters aboard the Quincy. His guests included: The Prime Minister, Mr. Eden, Mr. Stettinius, Mrs. Oliver and Mrs. Boettiger.

1415: The Governor-General, Mrs. Schreiber and Miss Schreiber came on board and called on the President and Mrs. Boettiger.

1430: Vice Admiral Emory S. Land, U. S. N. (Ret.), Director of War Shipping Administration, came on board and called on the President.

1443: The President, the Governor-General, Mrs. Schreiber, Miss Schreiber, Mrs. Oliver and Mrs. Boettiger left the ship for a 30-mile auto drive about the Island of Malta. They visited the countryside and the towns of Medina,⁵ Chajn Tuffieha⁶ and Valetta. The Prime Minister left the ship at the same time but did not accompany the President on the drive. The President rode in the car with the Governor-General, while the ladies followed in a second car. During the course of the drive Palace Square in Valetta was visited and the President was shown the stone replica of the scroll that he presented to the people of Malta on his previous visit, December 8, 1943.⁷ The replica is mounted in the side of the Palace building, near the main entrance.

To those of us who had been with the President on his previous visit, the many signs of rebuilding were most evident all about the island.

The weather was delightful. The average temperature was 58.

1625: The President and Mrs. Boettiger returned to the ship from their drive.

1630: The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff came on board and the President met with them in his quarters. Present were: Fleet Admiral Leahy, General of the Army Marshall, Fleet Admiral King and Major General L. S. Kuter (representing General of the Army H. H. Arnold who was ill and did not attend this conference), and the President.⁸

1800: The Prime Minister, accompanied by the members of the British Staff, came on board. The President then met with the Prime Minister and the Combined Chiefs of Staff (American and British) in his cabin. Present were: The President, the Prime Minister, Fleet Admiral Leahy, General of the Army Marshall, Fleet Admiral King, Major General Kuter, Field Marshal H. Maitland Wilson, Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles F. A. Portal, Admiral of the Fleet Sir A. B. Cunningham, General Sir Hastings L. Ismay, and Major General Jacob. Major Randolph Churchill came on board with his father but did not attend the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 1850. The Combined Chiefs of Staff had been in conference at Malta for several days prior to our arrival and this was the first plenary meeting with the President and the Prime Minister.

2000: The President was host at dinner in his quarters. His guests included: The Prime Minister, Mr. Eden, Mr. Stettinius, Mr. Byrnes, Admiral Leahy, Mrs. Oliver and Mrs. Boettiger.

2215: The Prime Minister, Mr. Eden and Mrs. Oliver left the ship.

2230: Lieutenant (jg) A. L. Conrad, USNR, special courier, left the ship with White House mail to proceed to Washington via air transportation.

2300: The President and members of his party left the Quincy by automobile for the Luqa Airfield, Malta. On arrival at the airfield they embarked in assigned aircraft to await scheduled departure times. The entire British and American delegations to the Conference at Yalta were on the move and departed from Malta during the night. This involved approximately 700 people, so that the Luqa airport was a very busy place throughout the night. Commencing at about 2330, huge planes took off at about 10-minute intervals all night long. The Air Transport Command aircraft specially fitted for the President’s use was used by the President for all flights on this cruise. It has private quarters for the President and an elevator which lowers to ground level to facilitate his embarking and disembarking.

The President turned in at once as his plane was not scheduled to take off until 0330 tomorrow.

2330: Colonel Park, Commander Clark, Commander Tyree, Major Putnam and Chief Warrant Officer Cornelius, departed Malta for Saki, U. S. S. R. They were embarked in the State Department plane.

2345: The special cargo aircraft transporting our heavy baggage and freight departed Malta for Saki. Embarked were Agents Dorsey and Williams and Messmen Estrada, Calinao, Floresca and Sarate. Air Transport Command planes were used exclusively by the American delegation.

1. Gozo, an island of the Malta group.
2. Valletta, capital of Malta
3. According to Churchill, p. 343, the Prime Minister watched this scene from the deck of H. M. S. Orion, in which he had his quarters.
4. Points appear in the original.
5. The old capital of Malta, near the center of the island, variously called Notabile, Città Vecchia, and Medina.
6. Not identified.
7. For an account of this presentation, see New York Times, December 11, 1943, pp. 1, 2.
8. No minutes of such a meeting have been found. Leahy, pp. 294–295, however, refers to a meeting of the President with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the afternoon of February 2; and King, p. 586, mentions that Marshall and King called on the President that afternoon. See also post, plate 3 following p. 546.