40. Editorial Note
On May 16, Admiral James L. Holloway, Jr., in his capacity as Commander in Chief, U.S. Specified Command, Middle East (CINCSPECOMME) sent to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Burke, for the consideration of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, an outline plan for combined U.S.–U.K. military operations in Lebanon in support of the Lebanese Government. Holloway noted that the combined outline plan, prepared at his headquarters in London, had been coordinated with and received general approval from the British Joint Chiefs of Staff. The plan, which took 17 pages to develop, was given the code named “Blue Bat.”
The mission outlined in the plan was to support or, if necessary, to reestablish the authority of the Lebanese Government. A subsidiary mission was to protect U.S. and British nationals and national interests. The concept of operations was limited to Lebanon and the use of the minimum force necessary to reestablish effective control over the country by the Lebanese Government. The initial objective of the operation was the Beirut area. The primary assumption of the plan was that U.S. Marines would secure a beachhead in the Beirut area as a base of operations, and British land forces would be deployed in the area thereafter. An alternative assumption was that the initial base of operations would be secured by a U.S. airborne battle group flown in from European bases, and again supported by a subsequent commitment of British land forces. (Telegram 162001Z from CINCSPECOMME to CNO, May 16; National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, JCS Files)
A May 16 message from the Chairman of the British Chiefs of Staff to General Twining, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reiterated British support for the plan, but expressed concern that U.S. amphibious forces in the Mediterranean could not respond to a call for help from President Chamoun in less than 48 hours, given the position of the Sixth Fleet. The British Government felt that it was important to bring U.S. airborne forces in Europe to a state of readiness to enable them to react quickly to an emergency situation in Lebanon. (The text of this message was passed to the Joint Chiefs of Staff by the British Embassy in Washington; ibid.) The Joint Chiefs of Staff approved the Blue Bat outline plan of operations in telegram 941935 from JCS to CINCSPECOMME, May 17. (Ibid.)