SWNCC Files

Memorandum by the Acting State Member, State–War–Navy Coordinating Committee (Hickerson)

top secret
SWNCC 285/1

Reference is made to SWNCC 285, Appendix “A”, Paragraph D of Page 7,84 wherein the Secretary of State is requested by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to furnish to the Secretaries of War and Navy a list of those locations at which there is a requirement indicated in the Annex where U.S. forces may be withdrawn without adversely affecting the negotiations for long-term rights.

In accordance with this request, there is set forth in the enclosure (Appendix)85 a report indicating the views of the Department of State with respect to the effect upon future negotiations of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from bases where we have long-term requirements.

The following phrases are used to indicate the recommended line of action:

“Proviso” meaning at time withdrawal is effected an agreement should be made that such action is without prejudice to possible future negotiations.

“None” meaning withdrawal will have no effect on possible future negotiations.

“Stay”

“Stay for time-being” meaning existent situation is not sufficiently clear to enable us to pass on the SWNCC request and thus troops should remain until the picture becomes clearer.

“Covered by post-war agreement” meaning our line of action has already been determined.

[Page 1180]

Appendix

[Page 1181] [Page 1182]
Country and Location Facility Requirement Recommended Action
british commonwealth
Ascension Island Airfield Essential Proviso
Australian Mandate
Admiralty Islands Airfield Naval Base Essential Proviso
Bahamas
Oakes Field, Nassau Airfield, AACS Required Proviso
South Caicos Weather, AACS None None
Burma
Mingaladan Airport, Rangoon Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None
Canada
Whitehorse—Fort Airfields Required None
Nelson—Edmonton (Weather)
Route (includes Fort St. John, Watson Lake and Port Hardy) (AACS)
Fort Chimo—Frobisher Weather Required None
Bay Route to Greenland Airfields
Mingan Weather, AACS None None
River Clyde AACS None None
Padloping Island AACS None None
Lake Harbor AACS None None
Ellice Islands
Funa Futi (Disputed Sovereignty) Airfield Required Proviso
Fiji Islands
Nandi (Viti Levu) Airfield Weather, AACS Required Proviso
Gilbert Islands
Tarawa Airfield Weather Required Proviso
India
Karachi Airport Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None
Agra Airport Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None
Kharagpur-Dudkhundi Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None
Calcutta Airfield Weather Transit & Tech. Stop None
Dum Dum Airport Weather Transit & Tech. Stop None
Barrackpore Airport Weather AACS Transit & Tech. Stop None
Line Islands
Christmas Island (Disputed Sovereignty) Airfield Required Stay
Newfoundland (other than 99-year bases)
Goose Bay, Labrador Airfield Required Stay
Cape Harrison, Labrado Weather, AACS None None
Hebron, Labrador Weather, AACS None None
St. Johns Airfield None None
Wesleyville Weather None None
New Hebrides
Espiritu Santo (French-British) Airfield Weather Naval Base AACS Required Proviso
New Zealand
Aitutaki Island Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None
Upolu (Mandate) Airfield Required Proviso
Phoenix Islands
Canton Island (Disputed Sovereignty) Airfield Essential Stay
United Kingdom
London Headquarters None None
Bovineton Airfield None None
Prestwick (Scotland) Airfield (Navigational Aide Alternate) None None
Exeter Naval Facilities None None
Solomon Islands
Guadalcanal—Tulagi Airfield Weather Required Proviso
cuba
Batista Field Airfield Required None
San Julian Airfield Required None
La Fe Seaplane Base Required None
denmark
Greenland
BW–1 (Narsarssuak) Airfield Naval Base Essential Stay
BW–3 (Simíutak) AACS, Weather Essential Stay
BE–2 (Ikateq) Airfield, AACS Essential Stay
Marrak Airfield Essential Stay
BW–8 (Sondrestramfjord) Airfield, AACS, Weather Essential Stay
Grondal Naval Base Essential Stay
ecuador
Galapagos Airfield Essential Stay for time-being
egypt
Payne Field Cairo Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None
france
Algeria
Maison Blanche Airport, Algiers Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None
Biskra AACS Transit & Tech. Stop None
French Guiana
Rochambeau Field, Cayenne Airfield Weather AACS Transit & Tech. Stop None
French Indo-China
Tan Son Nhut (Airport) (Saigon) Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None.
French Morocco
Cazes Field—Casablanca Airfield Required Stay
Port Lyautey Naval Air Base Required Stay
New Caledonia
Tontouta (Noumea) Airfield Weather, AACS Required Stay
Bora Bora Weather Facilities Required Stay
Senegal
Dakar Naval Base Required Stay
Airfield Required Stay
guatemala
San Jose Airport Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None
iceland
Meeks Field, Keflavik Airfield Essential Stay
Reykjavik (Fossvogur) Naval Facilities, Airfield Essential Stay
Hvalfjord Naval Base Essential Stay
italy
Libya
Wheelus Field, Tripoli Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop Stay for time-being
Eritrea
Asmara Army Detachment Provision for Retention for indefinite period Stay for time-being
liberia
Roberts Field (Monrovia) Airfield Required None
netherlands
Biak Airfield Weather, AACS Required None
Curacao
Hato Field Airfield Required None
Morotai Airfield Required None
Surinam
Zandery Field Airfield Weather, AACS Required None
nicaragua
Las Mercedes Airport, Managua Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None
panama
Several Airfields in Republic of Panama Airfields Essential None
peru
Talara Airfield Required Stay for time-being
portugal
Azores
Lagens Field, Terceira Airfield Essential Covered by post-war agreement
Santa Maria Airfield Essential Covered by post-war agreement
saudi arabia
Dhahran Airport Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop Stay
siam
Don Muang Airport, Bangkok Airfield Transit & Tech. Stop None
  1. Ante, p. 1171.
  2. The Appendix printed here is as slightly revised, July 31.