Office of the Historian

345. Memorandum for the Record, by the Counselor of the Department of State (MacArthur)1

Washington, May 14, 1956.

SUBJECT

  • Operation Stockpile

Admiral Hedding (Special Assistant to Admiral Radford) called me this morning about Operation Stockpile. He said that the planning was moving ahead in the Defense Department and that as a result of further consultations with Admiral Burke, Chief of Naval Operations, the Department of Defense would probably propose a slightly different type vessel for the Arab part of the stockpile and also a slightly different composition of armament. I said to Admiral Hedding that we would be disposed to take the Navy’s recommendations on these matters and that I assumed we would keep in touch with each other, with which he agreed.

Subsequently, Captain Wagner (Defense member of the … group) called on me to convey the same information. He said that it was a question of whether it would be better to have a victory ship or an AKA (attack cargo ship). I told him that whichever type of vessel the Defense Department deemed would be appropriate for the mission would be entirely satisfactory to us. Captain Wagner also said that after consideration and since the Sky sweeper (75 mm. antiaircraft guns) cannot be utilized for almost a year because of the complicated training requirements, the Department of Defense would probably substitute some tanks which were also prestige items and which the Egyptians could utilize quite readily. I said that this seemed quite satisfactory from our viewpoint, particularly since elements in the Department of Defense felt strongly against including [Page 635] Skysweepers. The main thing was to have in the vessel in the Mediterranean the type of defensive arms for the Arabs which would indicate that we had done serious planning.

Captain Wagner said that the detailed planning was proceeding rapidly, that it would probably be completed this week and go to the JCS next week, following which he would be in touch with me so that the necessary operational instructions could be issued.

D MacA
  1. Source: Department of State, S/S–NEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Omega #4. Top Secret; Omega. According to a note dated May 14 from Howe to Macomber, “Mr. MacArthur asked that this be shown to the Secretary.” The note also bears a notation that the Secretary saw the memorandum.↩