Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The British Commonwealth; Europe, Volume III

Defense Files: Telegram

The Acting Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater (Lee) to the War Department

secret

Leghorn, 14 April 1947.

F 75932. Your W 95575 and W 95664 and my FX 75866 refer.

1. Except for American Graves Registration Service, U.S. Troops in this Theater are mainly engaged in providing US share of Allied: United States-United Kingdom Mission as laid down by armistice terms and Combined Chiefs of Staff. Therefore I must make my reply as acting SACMED rather than as Commanding General MTOUSA.

2. General Harding reports and I agree that to maintain law and order in Zone A and to insure reasonable security of Allied communications and living areas in the province of Udine and to provide maximum reserves against a worsening of the internal situation, he requires a minimum of 15 and one half combat battalions for the forward garrison.

3. The foregoing estimate is predicated upon a continuation of present conditions until ratification and excludes the possibility of full scale Jugoslav intervention, military or political, should the ratification proceedings break down completely. In this latter case I would be unable to carry out my assigned mission with the troops at my disposal and must then request additional forces.

4. Allied combat forces now available in the forward garrison area are 7 and one half US battalions and 8 British battalions. General Harding plans and expects to maintain his approximate parity forward with 8 British battalions and necessary administrative backing. Attrition will reduce US forces by approximately 1500, including strength of 1 battalion combat troops, by 30 June 1947. This rate of attrition, i.e., 1 combat battalion each 60 days, if continued without provision for replacements, will very shortly make it impossible for me to fulfill my currently assigned mission. It can be seen that US combat forces cannot be reduced, but must be replaced unless R Day comes before 30 June 47.

5. Of United States troops elsewhere in Italy approximately 11,000 are engaged in administrative backing to 88th Division and in disposal of surplus and excess stocks and are located generally at Base Port Leghorn and along line of communications Leghorn–88th Division.¹

6. Balance of US forces are engaged in discharge of SACMED’s responsibilities important out of proportion to numbers involved. Main responsibilities concerned are:

(a) Allied Military Government in Zone A of Venezia Giulia and Province of Udine.

(b) G–5 activities in Rome, displaced persons, refugees and war criminals.

(c) Italian Armed Forces branches of Allied Force Headquarters. Reorganization and equipping of the Italian Armed Forces and enforcement of the armistice terms.

7. Actual current US strength approximately 25,500 against troop basis of 26,000. I can accept a troop basis reduction to anticipated actual strength on 30 June of 22,000 provided I have sufficient funds to hire required civ replacements. Beyond that I cannot go without relief by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of some of my current or contingent responsibilities.

8. Aside from the above, it is hoped that the political significance of a drastic reduction in US troops, which I understand would be paralleled by the British, prior to the coming into effect of the peace treaty, has received careful consideration both by the War Department and War Office as well as by the State Department and Foreign Office. My political advisers are making their views known to their respective Ambassadors.

9. The foregoing is concerned only with the situation prior to ratification of the Peace Treaty. The mission assigned me as acting SACMED by Fan 737 should Yugoslavia fail to ratify the treaty will be impossible of fulfillment under the conditions laid down in Fan 723 with only the TRUST and BETF or forces of 5,000 each.

1. In despatch 1, March 27, from Caserta, not printed, Joseph N. Greene, Jr., Acting U.S. Political Adviser, forwarded a copy of a letter addressed on March 19 by the Acting Chief of Staff, G–5, A. L. Hamblen, to Prime Minister De Gasperi explaining that Allied Force Headquarters would move to Leghorn on April 6, which would permit the closing out of substantially all of the Allied military installations in the Naples-Caserta area. (740.0011 EW/3–2747)