Department of the Army Files
Minutes of the Eighteenth Meeting of the Air Directorate, Held at Berlin, December 18, 1945, 10:30 a.m.
DAIR/M(45)18
Members Present
| Major General R. W. Harper (Chairman) | U.S.A. |
| Air Marshal H. E. P. Wigglesworth | G.B. |
| General of Avn. X. de Sevin | France |
| Major General of Avn. S. K. Kovalev | U.S.S.R. |
Others Present
| U.S.A. | Great Britain |
| Colonel Halversen | Air Vice Marshal Davidson |
| Colonel Moore | Wing Commander Hurry |
| Major Lavrow (Int. R.) | Group Captain Broad |
| Lt. Stack (Int. F.) | Group Captain MacDonald |
| F/Lt. Rawlinson (Int. R.) | |
| F/O Pertschuk (Int. F.) | |
| France | U.S.S.R. |
| Colonel Bizard | Sr. Lt. Mosienko (Int. E.) |
| Lt. Colonel Chemidlin | Jr. Lt. Mirkind (Int. F.) |
| S/Lieut Berdonneau (Int. E.) | Lt. Bondarev (Int. F.) |
| Aspirant Tararine (Int. R.) |
Secretariat
| Colonel Martin | U.S.A. |
| Lt. Colonel La Roche | U.S.A. |
| Lt. Colonel Hodgson | U.S.A. |
| Wing Commander Connerton | G.B. |
| S/O Briggs | G.B. |
| Lt. Colonel Rocheron | France |
| Lt. Montreuil | France |
| Lt. Colonel Chernikov | U.S.S.R. |
| Major Brailovsky | U.S.S.R. |
. . . . . . .
| b. Item 135— | Report of the Deputy Directors on Preparation of Air Directorate Paper on “Organisation of Berlin Air Safety Center” for Transmission to the Coordinating Committee (DAIR/P(45)67–Second Revision84) |
DAIR/P(45)67—second revision—was submitted for the Directorate’s consideration.
The Chairman informed the Directorate that this paper contained agreed amendments made by the Deputy Air Directors, and that it had been forwarded to the Coordinating Committee for information. He stated that the amendments were all of a minor nature with no [Page 1592] changes in principle involved. He recommended that the paper be approved and signed.
After a short discussion,
The Directorate:
(141b) approved and signed the Eeport of the Deputy Directors on preparation of Air Directorate paper on “Organisation of Berlin Air Safety Center” for transmission to the Coordinating Committee (DAIR/P(45)67—second revision)
| c. Item 135— | Report of the Decisions of the Deputy Directors Concerning Organization of the Berlin Air Safety Center (DAIR/P(45)70)85 |
DAIR/P(45)70 was submitted for the Directorate’s consideration.
After a short discussion,
The Directorate decided:
(141c) to approve the report of the Decisions of the Deputy Directors concerning organization of the Berlin Air Safety Center (DAIR/P(45)70).
| d. Item 136— | Report of the Committee on Aviation on the Flight Rules for Aircraft Flying in Air Corridors in Germany and the Berlin Control Zone. (DAIR/P(45)71)86 |
DAIR/P(45)71 was submitted for the Directorate’s consideration.
Air Marshal Wigglesworth expressed agreement with this paper but enumerated certain amendments which he thought should be considered. All of these were accepted by the Directorate and are quoted in Decision (141d)
General Kovalev offered one amendment which is included in those listed in Decision (141d).
General De Sevin and the Chairman expressed agreement with the amendments proposed by Air Marshal Wigglesworth and General Kovalev and
The Directorate decided:
(141d) a. to approve the report of the Committee on Aviation on the flight rules for aircraft flying in air corridors in Germany and the Berlin Control Zone (DAIR/P(45)71) subject to the following amendments:
- (1)
- make reference to Section IV[V]—Definitions, at beginning of paper.
- (2)
- Para. 4a—add at end of sentence, “and in other Control Zones”
- (3)
- Para. 4b—insert the word “Berlin” before the word “Control Zone” (This amendment applies in all other paragraphs where the words “Control Zone” are used alone, with reference to the area controlled by the Berlin Air Safety Center.[)]
- (4)
- Add new sub-paragraph 4j as follows:
- “Obtain clearance for aircraft wishing to proceed to other recognized Control Zones”
- (5)
- Para. 6a—change “50 miles (80 kilometers)” to read “75 miles (120 kilometers)”.
- (6)
- Add new sub-paragraph 6d. as follows: “d—when aircraft are departing to another Control Zone, the airfield of departure will obtain clearance through BASC in case Instrument Flight Rules are in force at the airfield of destination. Should this be the case, the BASC will obtain clearance from the Control Zones at destination”.
- (7)
- Para. 7b—substitute “75 miles (120 kilometers)” for “50 miles (80 kilometers)”.
- (8)
- Para. 8—add at end of paragraph, “(See paragraph 26)”
- (9)
- Para. 15b(1)—in second sentence omit “except by prearrangement between the persons in command of the aircraft”
- (10)
- Para. 16—add after the word “landing” the words “in an emergency or when otherwise ordered”
- (11)
-
Para. 26—substitute the following:
“26. Quadrantal Height Separation. Unless otherwise ordered aircraft flying in the Berlin Control Zone or in the corridors leading to it will fly according to Quadrantal Height separation as set out below, although this will not be mandatory except under Instrument Flight conditions. In order to avoid confusion the quadrantal heights applicable to each corridor are set out in para. 40.
| Magnetic Heading | Cruising Altitude (Feet above sea level) |
| From 0° up to but not including 90° | Odd thousands of feet (1000 and 3000 etc.) |
| From 90° up to but not including 180° | Odd thousands of feet plus 500 ft. (1500, 3500 etc.) |
| From 180° up to but not including 270° | Even thousands of feet (2000, 4000 etc.) |
| From 270° up to but not including 360° | Even thousands of feet plus 500 ft. (2500, 4500 etc.)” |
- b.
- to sign the report when the amendments have been made and to send it to the operating agency for implementation.
- c.
- Report of the Committee on Aviation on the Soviet Proposals Concerning the Fulfillment of the Decisions of the Control Council in that Part Which Deals With Airfields or Accommodation of Airfield Detachments in Western Allied Zones of Occupation. (DAIR/P(45)72)87
DAIR/P(45)72 was submitted for the Directorate’s consideration.
The Chairman stated that the Soviet proposal had been referred by the Committee on Aviation to the Air Directorate for guidance and instructions.
General Kovalev pointed out that this paper outlines the basic principles of the establishment of the Soviet airfield points in the Western Zones. The minimum number of personnel for establishment of these [Page 1594] points is adopted with the purpose of not burdening the respective Allied authorities with the presence of large numbers of such personnel. However, this leads to the necessity for some part of the aircraft servicing work to be carried out by Allied personnel with the possible equivalent compensation for this work to be made in the Zone of Greater Berlin. Further, General Kovalev stated that the paper did not foresee all the minor details which he hoped would be successfully worked out with each nation separately. In conclusion, he pointed out several minor inaccuracies in the English translation.
Air Marshal Wigglesworth expressed his desire to assist in coming to a speedy and amicable solution to this problem. At first sight it appeared to him that the proposals called for the provision of British personnel to meet some of the requirements of the Soviet detachments, and that the number of personnel necessary could not be estimated until further details of the Soviet requirements were known. This might involve a British manpower problem which would require more detailed consideration. Also the Soviet proposals involved certain technical and administrative problems on which he desired expert advice, and therefore he asked for the consideration of the paper to be deferred in order that the experts could study the questions connected with it. This would inevitably mean a reference to the R.A.F. authorities in the Zone, but the Air Marshal gave his assurance that the utmost effort would be made to obtain a quick decision. He agreed in principle to the granting of lodger rights at the appropriate airfields in the British Zone to the Soviet Air Force detachments, as soon as the actual requirements were established in terms of:
- (a)
- Permanent facilities
- (b)
- Temporary facilities
and he invited General Kutsevalov and General Kovalev or their representatives to visit the British Operational Headquarters to discuss the details of these Soviet requirements. During the course of the discussion, Air Marshal Wigglesworth thanked General Kovalev, as the representative of General Kutsevalov, for the prompt action taken by the latter to open the newly agreed corridors.
General De Sevin stated that the French Air Force was prepared to offer every possible assistance to the Soviet Air Force for the mutual benefit of everyone. He pointed out, however, that because of the technical details involved it would be necessary to have more time to study the paper.
The Chairman gave assurance that the United States wants to assist the Soviets wherever possible. He stated that the Soviet proposal had been sent to the Headquarters of the U.S. Air Forces for further study of the technical details involved.
[Page 1595]General Kovalev thanked all the Directors for active participation in this question, the discussion of which was directed to the positive solution of this question, and the General noted that the request of the Soviet Union concerning the technical and material servicing of the aircraft obviously would be very insignificant because the supply base would be the Berlin Area. In conclusion, General Kovalev pointed out that, as there were no objections in principle to the Soviet proposal, he considered that this question should be decided as quickly as possible.
The Chairman, summarising the exchange of views, pointed out that the Soviet proposal would be sent to the Committee on Aviation for them to commence study as soon as information regarding the technical details in the Western Zones, and more detailed information regarding the Soviet requirements, had been obtained.
Accordingly,
The Directorate decided:
(141e) a. to postpone final decision concerning the question of Soviet proposals on the setting up of facilities for Soviet aviation until its next meeting so as to have time to study these proposals in detail.
b. to direct the Committee on Aviation to study in detail the Soviet proposal concerning the setting up of facilities for its aviation on flights to the Western Zones of occupation and to submit its recommendations as to principles involved in the Soviet proposal at the next meeting of the Air Directorate.
c. to direct the Committee on Aviation to prepare concrete proposals for the implementation of the above established principles when the necessary studies have been made by the zonal authorities, for consideration no later than the Twentieth meeting of the Air Directorate.
. . . . . . .
Major General, U.S.A., Chairman
Air Marshal, Great Britain
General de Division, France
Lt. Gen. of Avn., U.S.S.R.