Telegram from Prime Minister Winston Churchill to President Harry S. Truman

FOP SECAL P mon CLORET - TOT Return to Map Room for File 3 June 1945 From: United States Military Attache, London 11 To: The President of The United States Nr: 68 Fld: 031535Z Prime Minister to President Truman. Personal and TOP SECRET. Number 68. Shortly after the Italian surrender it was agreed at Teheran that a number of Italian merchantships and warships should be handed over to the Red Navy for use against Germany. The Combined Chiefs of Staff however expressed grave anxiety that at a critical stage of the Italian campaign the confis- cation of the Italian ships might jeopardize the success of the operations by pre judicing the cooperation of the Italian fleet and dockyards. The Admiralty also emphasized that the Italian ships were unsuited to northern waters. Accordingly, the late President and I agreed to find between us equivalent ships to meet the Russian request. In the event, the United States provided the cruiser and half the merchant tonnage while we handed over the battle ship, eight ex-American destroyers, four submarines and the other half of the merchant tonnage. DECLASSIFIED E.O. 11652. Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or D Dagte of State letter, Aug. 10, 1673 E NET-HE KAEC Data 11-4-97 T Read: 032010Z 03 1820Z. File Copy