296. Memorandum From Commander Robert Jay Williams to the Chief of the Special Procedures Group (Cassady)0
Washington, July 23, 1948.
SUBJECT
- Project Ultimate, Critical Delay in
- 1.
- In the original plan for Project Ultimate as submitted to this agency by Captain Orville, it was indicated that it would be desirable to initiate operations in the European theatre as soon as possible. For this reason every effort was made to complete technical development by 1 July and to be prepared for operations not later than 1 August.
- 2.
- Continuing delay in implementation of this project is jeopardizing whatever success it might have. A study of weather conditions in the proposed operating area has revealed that many factors will work against the project after 1 November. These factors include increased risk in launching due to unfavorable ground conditions; less favorable wind conditions which may result in depositing the load over neutral territory, and considerably less effect in the target areas due to difficulty of finding the leaflets on snow-covered ground.
- 3.
- When all of these factors are considered together, it may be concluded that the value of this project after 1 November may be so little as to argue against its inception during the winter months. It is, therefore, requested that every effort be made to obtain permission to start the project immediately in order that satisfactory weather conditions anticipated in September and October may be taken advantage of to insure an effective operation.
- Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG–606, Job 83–00036, Box 4, Folder 10. Secret. The source text is a transcript made for the CIA Historian in December 1952. Williams was the chief of “Project Ultimate,” which appears to be the same as the plan discussed in Document 293.↩