Office of the Historian

C.F.M. Files: Lot M–88: Box 2061: CFM Documents

Report of the Committee of Naval Experts to the Council of Foreign Ministers63

secret
C.F.M.(46) 197
Paris, 6 July, 1946.

Peace Treaty With Italy

tenth report on the work of the committee of naval experts

1. In accordance with the decision of the Ministers taken on 27th April, 1946, the Naval Committee has examined the question of the Yugoslav and Greek claims for Italian Warships, which are contained in documents C.F.M.(D) (46)44, C.F.M.(46) 29 and C.F.M.(46) 69.64

[Page 817]

2. The following shows the suggested allocation of major warships:

Experts’ Proposals Yugoslavia Greece
soviet proposal Cruiser Savoia Destroyers Oriani
7283 tons 1728 tons
Riboty
1383 tons
u.k. and u.s. proposal Riboty Cruiser Savoia
1383 tons 7283 tons
DE
Aliseo
988 tons
Indomito
988 tons
french proposal DE Aliseo DD Oriani
988 tons 1728 tons
DE Indomito DD Riboty
988 tons 1383 tons

3. The Naval Committee failed to reach agreement, and, therefore, asks the Ministers to decide the following questions:

(a)
Should the principle of equality of treatment be applied to Yugoslavia and Greece?
(b)
If not, who should be given the cruiser “Savoia”—Yugoslavia or Greece—or should it be put up for allocation between the Four Powers.

  1. This Report was discussed by the Council of Foreign Ministers at its 42nd Meeting, July 12, 1946. For the decision of the Council with respect to the claims by Greece and Yugoslavia to the Italian fleet, see item III of the Record of Decisions of the Council meeting, p. 937.↩

  2. C.F.M.(D) (46) 44, March 18, 1946, not printed, contained the text of a note of March 16, 1946, from the Greek Ambassador in London to the Council of Foreign Ministers, The note stated that the Greek Government felt fully justified in claiming one cruiser of 8,000 tons from Italy. The Greek Government was prepared to accept two units of smaller displacement, however, if there were any reasons which made it difficult to meet the claim to a cruiser. (CFM Files, Lot M–88, Box 2065, Deputies Documents)

    C.F.M.(46) 29, May 2, 1946, not printed, circulated to the Council of Foreign Ministers a memorandum of April 29, 1946, from the Yugoslav Embassy in France concerning Yugoslav claims to the Italian Navy. The claims put forward were as follows: 1 cruiser, 6 destroyers, 4 submarines, 8 motor boats, 8 mine-sweepers, and 21 auxiliary ships and floating equipment. (CFM Files, Lot M–88, Box 2061, CFM Documents)

    C.F.M.(46) 69, May 11, 1946, not printed, circulated to the Council of Foreign Ministers a memorandum of May 9, 1946, from the Greek Government concerning Greek claims on the Italian Navy. The claims put forward were as follows: 1 cruiser of 8,000 tons, 6 fleet destroyers of 1,400–1,600 tons each, 8 escort destroyers of about 1,200 tons or less each, 6 submarines of about 700 tons, 4 minelayers, 6 mine-sweepers, and 22 auxiliary ships and floating equipment. (C.F.M. Files, Lot M–88, Box 2061, CFM Documents)

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