Office of the Historian

144. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Atlantic (Dennison) to the Commander of Special Task Group 81.8 (Clark)0

Norfolk, April 19, 1961, 10:46 a.m.

191546Z. Bumpy Road. Exclusive for RAdm Clark from Dennison, info Gen Gray.

A.
CTG 81.8 191448Z.1
B.
JCS 994247 DTG 172035Z.2
C.
JCS 994309 DTG 181837Z.3
D.
JCS 994369 DTG 190838Z.4
1.
Close air support cannot be furnished. Restrictions of ref B are applicable. Only exceptions to 15 mile limitation so far authorized are refs C and D.5
  1. Source: Naval Historical Center, Area Files, Bumpy Road Materials. Top Secret; Operational Immediate; Exclusive. Repeated to JCS.↩
  2. In this telegram, sent to Dennison and Gray at 9:48 a.m., April 19, Clark reported a request to his Task Group from the CEF for close air support to meet an attack led by tanks against the CEF position on the beach. (Ibid.) Clark had reported 34 minutes earlier that CEF forces on Blue Beach were under artillery fire. (CTG 81.8 telegram 191414Z to CINC-LANTFLT, April 19; ibid.)↩
  3. Document 115.↩
  4. Document 122.↩
  5. Document 140.↩
  6. At 10:33 a.m., Clark reported to Dennison that the CEF commander had repeated his plea for close air support; the CEF was under continuing artillery fire and had been attacked twice by aircraft. (CTG 81.8 telegram 191533Z to CINCLANTFLT, April 19; Naval Historical Center, Area Files, Bumpy Road Materials) At 11:09 a.m., Clark suggested that he be authorized to take advantage of the fact that two hostile planes were circling near one of his destroyers in order to launch an air strike from the Essex. (CTG 81.8 telegram 191609Z to CINCLANTFLT, April 19; ibid.)↩