Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 95: Telegram
The Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
flash
C–67474. As part of my overall plan for unrelenting pressure on Communist forces by land, sea and air operation, until such time as an armistice may have been arranged and entered into effect, I have planned and expect to execute an all out air strike against Pyongyang, employing aprx 140 medium and light bombers and 230 ftr. Elaborate prior planning for this atk to include pinpointing mil tgt and warning civil populace by leaflet drops to be accomplished at least 36 hours prior to the atk, will constitute practicable guarantee against unnecessary killing of non-combatants.
This operation is planned for the first suitable wea on or after 24 July.
This tgt has been selected by reason of its large nr of mil tgt, including marshalling yards, motor veh repair shops, sup dumps, trp billets, afld, concealed aircraft parks and comm fac. The timing is planned to take advantage of the accelerated buildup of sup and pers in which this tgt is a key area; to strike a devastating blow at the North Korean capital; and to make up in part for the substantial curtailment in the nr of sorties in the past several days by reason of bad wea.
Fol is the text of the warning leaflets to be dropped at the proper time and places:
“Citizens of Pyongyang, Chinnampo, Kangye and Wonsan! Within a day or so United Nations bombers will atk one of your cities in which your Communist leaders have built war factories and concentrated mil sup to be used in killing other Koreans! UN planes will destroy all mil installations, including railway marshalling yards, com cen, war material factories, sup depots, barracks areas, afld and mil hqs.
“The UN Air Force will do everything possible to protect innocent [Page 719] civ from the war forced on Korea by the Communist traitors. But you must act quickly. Leave these cities. Many others have wisely left cities where the Communists have arms depots and war installations. Join them, and preserve your lives so that you can help build a strong, free Korea after the Communists have been driven out. The UN forces wish to avoid harming civ.”1
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The Joint Chiefs of Staff sent the following reply in telegram JCS 96938, dated July 21:
“Reur C 67474 without wanting to interfere with your overall plan JCS nevertheless believe that the specific strike and scale thereof have such serious and far reaching political implications at this time and under current circumstances that they desire you defer the specific scaled action until further instructions.” (Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 95)
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