750G.00/10–254:Telegram

No. 289
The United States Political Adviser in Trieste (Sims) to the Department of State 1
top secret
priority

102. Following is draft plan which British, PolAd and I have prepared for handing over Zone A to Italians. Plan approved by Winterton and Dabney.

D–Day is day agreement is made public.

“D plus 1 Winterton receives Italian representative at Duino presenting him US/UK Guard of Honor. Only Dabney, British PolAd, Italian PolAd and self to be present this meeting. Press poll to be present conclusion meeting.

“D plus 2 staff delegation goes to Udine to discuss details of handover. Delegation to consist of Chiefs of Staff of Britain and US military forces and representatives of AMG and the Venezia Giulia Police Force, with one observer each from Political Advisers’ Offices.

“D plus 4 Italian military reconnaissance parties of 20 individuals, in plain clothes, enter Zone A. Approximately 15 police officers in plain clothes enter Zone A to start study of VG police organization.

“D plus 6 certain extra Italian civil servants arrive, and will be employed in existing Italian offices in AMG.

“D plus 11 further Italian police officers, not exceeding ten, in plain clothes, enter Zone to continue talks on detailed arrangements for taking over responsibility for Venezia Giulia Police Force.

“D plus 19 Italian military advance parties, limited to 200, arrive in plain clothes, and start arrangements for taking over of barrack accommodations.

“D plus 21 main bodies of Italian military forces arrive, passing block post or entering port, from 0700 hours. Formal handover, details of which will be formulated at staff talks, will take place later same day”.2

Sims
  1. Repeated for information to London, Rome, and Belgrade.
  2. In telegram 178 to Trieste, Oct. 3, the Department of State concurred in the draft plan for turning over Zone A to Italy, except that, as established in previous U.K.–U.S. Chiefs of Staff instructions to Winterton, the Italian military advance parties, at D plus 19, were to be in uniform. (750G.00/10–254)