211. Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Sebald) to the Acting Secretary of State1
SUBJECT
- Vice Admiral Pride’s Comments on Chinese Nationalist Request for Blockade and Bombing Operations
In the course of a conversation with our Ambassador at Taipei on April 12,2 Vice Admiral Pride, Commander 7th Fleet, expressed himself strongly in favor of the Nationalist request to blockade the mainland but described bombing of the coastal airfields as “a foolish idea”. Admiral Pride pointed out that losses to attacking Nationalist aircraft would be disproportionate to any advantage gained by bombing the coastal airfields, which were little more than runways without facilities or discernible ammunition or fuel storage areas. A serious weakness of the airfields was the fact that there were no railways or adequate highways leading to them; consequently fuel supplies must be brought in by sea. Communist use of the airfields would be virtually stopped if the Nationalists cut off the coastal shipping by naval blockade and air action.
Admiral Pride also commented on the remarkable Communist radar coverage along the entire coastline which extended to a depth of some 400 to 450 miles. The Admiral remarked that during the Tachen exercise he learned of take-offs of planes from 7th Fleet carriers by hearing the Communist radio reporting radar contacts before messages reached him through his own communications system.