Office of the Historian

Department of the Army Files: Telegram

No. 1336
The Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations Division, War Department General Staff (Hull) to the Deputy Chief of Staff, United States Army (Handy)

top secret
urgent
Babelsberg, 28 July 1945.

Victory 391. To Handy from Hull.

Look at paragraph 6 BG376 from PGC dated 26 July1 and my Victory out 370 to Handy of 27 July.2 The President has approved retention of liquidation commission3 together with minimum of security and maintenance personnel at Teheran.

Reference Craig’s 39585 of 27 July to Hull and Victory 331 of 25 July4 it is contemplated that US will withdraw from all of Iran except for ATC, Schwarzkopf and Ridley missions, liquidation commission, etc. However, no time limit has been set by the President except for 60 day deadline on Teheran as given in Victory 370. The summary given in paragraph 7 of Booth’s BG376 of 26 July appeared to me to meet the evacuation requirement insofar as Iran exclusive of Teheran is concerned. I have shown to Admiral Leahy the instructions issued by War Department in War 39586 of 27 July.5

[Page 1397]

Admiral Leahy informed me that the President understands the necessity of guarding our property in Iran and has no intention of directing a precipitous withdrawal. However, the President does desire that our troops be withdrawn from Persia without unnecessary delay.

  1. Not printed. Cf. document No. 1334.↩
  2. See document No. 1333, footnote 1.↩
  3. Assigned to dispose of surplus American property in Iran.↩
  4. Neither printed.↩
  5. Not printed. Cf. document No. 1335.↩