Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Council of Foreign Ministers, Volume II

C.F.M. Files: Lot M–88: Box 2065: Deputies Documents

Report by the Committee of Naval Experts on the Draft Treaty of Peace With Italy⁷⁹

secret
C.F.M. (D) (46) 66

London, 15 April, 1946.

According to instructions from the Deputies (C.F.M. (D) (46) 14th Meeting), the Committee of Naval Experts have examined paragraph 35 of Document C.F.M. (45) 3 tabled by the U.K. Delegation on 12th September, 1945.⁸⁰

The Committee have reached agreement on a number of points but on others differences of opinion have arisen which the Committee desire to refer to the Deputies for their consideration.

Article 35 (para. 1)

The original wording of document C.F.M. (45) 3 reads “The Italian Navy to be limited to a fleet of:—

2	old battleships
3	6” cruisers
2	Fleet destroyers
20	Torpedo boats
20	Corvettes.”

The discussions have resulted in the following proposals:

Type	French Soviet	U.K.	U.S.
Old Battleships	2	2	2
6” Cruisers*	3	5	5 (4)
Destroyers	3	4	4
Torpedo Boats	18	16	16
Corvettes†	20	20	20

Article 35 para. 2

a) The Committee considered that the total number of ships of non prohibited categories covered by the second part of Article 35 owned by Italy at the present time can be manned with a complement of 4,500 officers and ratings.

b) After a discussion, the Committee agreed to the following text:

“Such number of small Naval vessels such as minesweepers, surveying vessels, small gunboats (excluding Motor Torpedo Boats) plus small non combatant servicing craft such as tugs, trawlers, depot ships as can be manned and maintained in full commission within the limits of a man power allocation of 2,500 officers and men.”

c) The Committee agreed to prepare a list of ships corresponding to this man power allocation.

d) The Committee suggested that the following sub paragraph be added to Article 35:

“During the necessary period of minesweeping due to the war, Italy shall be authorised to man temporarily an additional number of minesweepers with a surplus complement not to exceed 2,000 officers and ratings.”

Remarks

1. The Committee considers that it will be advisable to list the names of the ships to be left to Italy in a separate protocol appended to the Peace Treaty.

2. In order to facilitate the drafting of this protocol, the Soviet and French Delegations suggest that the Committee instructed to draw up this document might be authorised to vary slightly the numbers of ships in each category.

3. The Committee are also discussing the necessity or otherwise for including tonnage limitation and replacement clauses in this article.

79. This report was considered by the Council of Foreign Ministers at its third meeting, April 27, 1946; see the United States Delegation Record of that meeting, p. 128. For the decisions of the Council with respect to this report, see the Record of Decisions of the third meeting, p. 138.
80. The British paper is printed in Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. ii, p. 135.
81. The U.S. Delegation stated its preference for 5 Cruisers but suggested 4 Cruisers as a compromise. The U.K. Delegation was prepared to accept the U.S. Delegation’s compromise of 4 Cruisers providing the other Delegations agreed. The French and Soviet Delegations did not agree, and further pointed out their preference for the allocation to Italy of the older ships only. [Footnote in the source text.]
82. The Italian Navy possesses only 19 Corvettes in commission and would be authorised to complete one corvette under construction or to raise a sunken corvette. [Footnote in the source text.]