BEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY OFFICE 01 THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPEMTIONB WASHINGTON 26 D C um nuns to 013-601ij 13 November 1959 TOP SECRET MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD A Subj Readiness of attack aircraft carriers for general war U 1 Comments concerni g Navy aircraft carriers have recently been made which are not based on fact The comments may be characterized by We never know where the carriers are-uyou can't count on the carriers doing their job The purpose of this memorandum is to address these comments 2 The tremendous job the carriers have done since World War II is clear to everyone including the critics of aircraft carriers Their performances in Korea the Matsus Lebanon and Quemoy are a few examples which are now history They had a job to do and they did it This is fact not specula- tion Since the role of the carrier in these limited war situations is so manifest that it cannot be questioned there is no purpose in pursuing it further in this analysis Accordingly the remainder of this memorandum will be concerned with the general war situation 3 A brief survey of the current situation regarding the attack carriers deployed to forward areas would be appropriate and useful Average Number Targets for Which Average Number Ave ge Number Assigned Primary Date CVA deployed to Attack Aircraft Responsibility Med WestPac Ii- 13 WestPac 9 59 5 3233 1958 2 3- 72 22 7 156 1959 2 2 5 Quilt I 72 152 All weather airc raft Rem m a this meme in hitch at in and '1 yrohmim except with m'ssicn of the i it' 8 'j I'l' issuing amt r highs sut drih or copies Page 1 of 4 pages TOP SECRET 30 Secret Cow u-I-In h-I-l-w- Fascism MW no 12959 a OPNAVINST 5513 16 SERIES leptons TOP SECRET Op-boljmk 13 November 1959 In addition to the initial phase primary targets indicated above and targets of opportunity which may arise the SIXTH and SEVENTH Fleets have the following targets assigned for attack in subsequent phases of general war 6th Fleet 37 7th Fleet 215 4 In addition to the above CINCLANT SACLANT assigns responsibility to the U S SECOND Fleet for attack on all his assigned targets for atomic attack 16 currently as signed The timing of these attacks will depend on the nature of the warning OI there nemy attack If strategic warning is received the Fleet will be in position for immediate strike In event of surprise attack the Fleet will move rapidly-from the Western Atlantic to launch positions in the Norwegian Sea I 5 Certain points in connection with the above summary are pertinent a 213 attack aircraft are now deployed in advanced areas ready to strike as signed targets on instant notice b Being relatively close to their assigned targets the results of their efforts will be felt in short order c These aircraft are based on moving bases and are no targets for ballistic missiles d Their precise geographic location is indeed not known to the enemy There is no necessity for them to be in a predetermined position in order to hit as signed targets e The Fleets have accepted responsibility for hitting assigned targets and have guaranteed that this will be done i Under all weather conditions the job will still be donem-it merely takes a few hours longer to do it and even so the targets will usually be hit quicker than can be done by o or aircraft g Carriers are in an alert status whether in port or at sea Obviously the higher or full alert status prevails at sea In With regard to sub paragraph b above the inevitableness of respons is more important than quickness of response on ith' a t 3 1 pr mz Page 2 of 4 pages TOP sacs excapt valh p nnis iou a the ends uttlce 3 higher who To SBETEE I 1 i FDECLASSIFIED MW 110 12958 OPNAVINST 5513 16 SERIES I Top Secret TOP SECRET Op-60 jmk 13 November 1959 i Inevitableness of response is guaranteed by the built-in mobility characteristics of attack aircraft carriers No expensive hardening digging of holes in the ground or airborne alerts are required 6 Atomic missions and European command strike forces are assigned by the U 5 Element SHAPE Effective 1 June 1959 SACEUR accorded first priority to the attack control centers 7 in USSR 4 in East Germany and scheduled them for immediate automatic attack when the President orders our forces into action The U S SIXTH Fleet is responsible for attacking five of these all in the USSR 7 The foregoing is a factual summary of the major aspects of Navy attack carrier readiness principally in those units deployed to forward areas It should be emphasized that attack carriers have no predetermined launch positions which must be reached before commencing attacks nor are such positions desired Even the optimum positions are variable and exible due to weather and enemy dispositions This compounds the enemy's task and avoids rigidity of planning a most desirable goal Deployed attack carriers are ready to launch wherever they are and the Time over Targets TOTS information furnished the Joint Control Centers reflect this capability Present catapults permit launching some strike aircraft at anchor alongside a dock or even in dry dock under most circumstances and when they cannot strike plans are changed accordingly 8 Another important facet of atomic readiness is that of delivery techniques Several years ago the Navy noted the rapidly increasing effectiveness of antiairc raft defenses against the high flying bomber Accordingly the Navy developed new techniques which permitted the safe delivery of atomic munitions from low flying aircraft Techniques such as toss loft and over-the-shoulder bombing have now been adopted by other Services and aircraft are being converted to permit use of these techniques Further to increase the effec- tiveness of low level atomic attack the Navy requested development of a laydown weapon This has been done and the Navy and Marine Corps have the only capability for this type ittack at the present time 9 In summary a Unified Commanders dep to a major degree on atomic strikes to be conducted from Navy attack aircraft carriers b The Fleet Commanders have accepted primary responsibility for a large number of important enemy targets and will accomplish their tasks of this document in whom or in harl is prohublted 1 age 3 0f 4 P3393 TOP SECRET with nanninmn of im fascism IAW no 12958 a 551336 SERIBS ' Opob0 jmk TOP SECRET 13 November 1959 c Complete plans for atomic 11trikea by carrier aircra It are pre- positioned in the Joint Control Centers in Europe and Hawaii and a re in the posaeesion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff a nd the Unified and Specified Commanders concerned d Carrier Force strike plans reflect the flexibility and mobility of naval strike forcea and avoid the fa l 9- on idence of rigid plans vi# A 'lLEIGH BURKE l ' t ' VWIII ll'lfl f I h s j cll ' ltnt Ill on a t 1wh httrd w11 u n 1 1 t u 10111 1 p age 4 Of 4 pages TOP SECRET f t IW fflio IAw E o 12 1 PNAVINST sst 16 SERIES w1i This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu