Memorandum for the President.
Subject: Transportation of Defense Aid Aircraft for the USSR.
1. The monthly average of Defense Aid airplaues for the USSR
which must be transported from U.S. ports to Basra, or possibly alter-
nate ports such as Karachi or Bombay, is approximately 100 P-40E,
100 A-20 and, after January, l2 B-25's. The distances involved are:
Hampton Roads to Basra, 12,452 miles, or San Diego to Basra via Torres
Strait, l2,830 miles.
2. The following comments have resulted from conferences with
representatives of the Army, the Navy and the Maritime Commission.
3. The Army plans to send officers and men to Basra for assembly
of planes. The Naritime Commission is prepared to furnish transporta-
tion for personnel to meet the Army's requirements. Thus the use of
a carrier for this purpose does not appear to be necessary, since it is
estimated that a carrier with accompanying cruiser escort would not
average over 18 kts, whereas the ship selected by the Maritime Com-
mission would probably not be appreciably less.
A carrier could transport about 83 assembled P-40 planes.
However, since Basra is some distance up river, the carrier would have
to fly off planes mud discharge personnel, spare parts, etc. at sea
some 90 miles from Basra, which would involve a difficult lightering
problem.
With allowances for refueling en route, unloading and re-
covering pilots, it is estimated that about 67 days would be required
for the round trip.
The use of the Navy's ex-Sea Train ships which are completing
their conversion was also studied. The combined capacity of these two
ships would be only 64 P-40's or 20 P-40's plus 20 A-20's per month.
These ships are sorely needed to transport both Army and Navy planes to
outlying stations.
4. The Maritime Commission, however, is prepared to undertake
the delivery of planes. There are many cargo ships which can carry 60
to 120 P-40 planes since these are crated. The B-25's are to be un-
crated and, due to their size, must thus be carried on the upper decks,
but since there are so few of these, it presents no problem. The
original plan in the case of the A-20's was to transport these in an
assembled condition. These are large planes and thus it presented a
difficult problem, if a total of 100 per month were to be delivered.
The Maritime Commission's studies indicated that using all available
ships, including the Navy's two ex-Sea Train ships and two large ore
carriers, no more than 65 A-20's could be delivered per month in an
assembled condition. As a result of this the Army is now making plans
to permit most of these planes (A-20's) to be shipped in a disassembled
condition, with assembly to be undertaken at or near the unloading port
which must in any event be done with the P-40 type. Under these condi-
tions the shipment of the 100 A-20 planes can be handled by the Maritime
Commission each month.
5. Any merchant ships which are used to deliver airplanes to the
Middle East can on their return voyage bring to the United States criti-
cal and strategic materials.
6. Since the Maritime Commission is prepared to deliver the planes
in the quantities and within the time limits desired, and is also able to
furnish transportation for the necessary Army personnel required for
assembly and. piloting, it is recommended that this be done.
Army concurs-
H. R. Stark.