Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Indochina, Volume XIII, Part 1

751.5622/11–1853

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Merchant) to the Under Secretary of State (Smith)¹

secret

[Washington,] November 18, 1953.

Subject:

• French request for C–47 aircraft in Indochina.

I understand that Ambassador Bonnet discussed the matter of obtaining 25 additional C–47 aircraft in Indochina with you this morning,² although we had been informed beforehand that he would raise a different question. The French request for additional transport aircraft for Indochina has been under discussion for some time, the French having formally stated their need for such aircraft in their memorandum to us on September 1, dealing with over-all French plans in Indochina.³

General Trapnell, chief of MAAG in Indochina, had taken the position that the French did not have adequate air and ground crews in Indochina to handle effectively such additional aircraft. Recently, however, he withdrew his objections on the basis of over-riding political considerations (see attached telegram).⁴ General Navarre also discussed this problem with the Vice President during his recent visit to Indochina, and the latter subsequently sent a telegram to Navarre saying that he would pass on the French request to the President with a recommendation that we provide the additional aircraft.⁵

Consideration has been given within the Department that, if the President agrees, and if the aircraft are available, we might inform the French during the Bermuda meetings⁶ that we are prepared to provide the aircraft provided the French have adequate crews to handle them. This matter was brought to the President’s attention in the course of a meeting at the White House yesterday, which the Secretary, Mr. Nash, Mr. MacArthur and I attended.⁷ The President was sympathetic to the French request, and Mr. Nash indicated that we might provide the aircraft on condition the French increase their air and ground crews in Indochina sufficiently to handle effectively these aircraft, as well as the some 40 C–47 aircraft already there. You will recall that Ambassador Bonnet said this morning that the French had recently increased their ground crew strength in Indochina.

We hope that the O’Daniel survey group, which is scheduled to return to Washington this weekend, will have the complete picture on the aircraft as well as air personnel situation in Indochina. Taking into account their report, we can determine definitely how to respond to the French request and whether the timing will make it feasible for the President to give the French our reply during the Bermuda meetings.⁸

1. Drafted by Edgar J. Beigel of WE.

2. The memorandum by McBride (WE) of the Smith–Bonnet conversation read as follows with regard to discussion of the question of additional aircraft for Indochina:

   “Ambassador Bonnet stated that he wished first to mention the request of General Navarre for 25 additional C–47 transport aircraft in Indochina. He indicated that Navarre had 75 of these planes but needed the additional 25 in order to increase the size of possible parachute drops. He said the French forces had ten or twelve battalions of paratroopers and wanted to have the utmost possible mobility in any operation. He added those planes should be sent in well ahead of any scheduled major operation and not just on the eve of a drop when they would compromise operational secrecy.

   “The Under Secretary indicated he thought these planes might well be obtained and that he felt sure we would make them available to the French if we could locate them. Ambassador Bonnet added that the French situation insofar as crews to provide maintenance for their planes was much better now than it had been some months ago when this was a serious problem.” (751G.5 MSP/11–1853)

3. For text, see p. 770.
4. The attached telegram, 846 from Saigon, Nov. 13, is not printed.
5. The message of the Vice President to General Navarre is contained in telegram 873 from Hong Kong, Nov. 5, p. 856.
6. Reference is to the scheduled meeting of the Heads of Government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. President Eisenhower, Prime Minister Churchill, and Premier Laniel met at Bermuda, Dec. 4–7. Indochina was discussed at the 5th plenary session, Dec. 7; for an account of that discussion, see extract from telegram Secto 24, Dec. 7, p. 901.
7. No record of the meeting under reference has been found in Department of State files.
8. The following handwritten notation by Merchant, dated Nov. 19, appears on the source text: “The General instructed me to push ahead on this and not hold back for Bermuda. If we need backing we should call on him.”