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 751G.5/12-552:TOP SECRET FILE

INCOMING TELEGRAM

SENT DEPT 1149, RPTD INFO PARIS. 182, HANOI 127, MANILA 114.

Re DEPTEL 1141, December 3.

The French have not (rpt not) asked for additional aircraft. What they do request and General Trapnell is urgently recommending is that the 30 F-8's already programmed he expedited to arrive here not (rpt not) later than January aid that delivery of the 8 B-26's scheduled to arrive at rate of one a month during calendar year 1953 be accelerated.

The French yesterday made, however, urgent request on which in Trapnell's and my opinion immediately favorable action in some form or other should be taken. The request is that 150 American Air Force mechanics be detailed immediately to Nhatrang Air Base for one month to give 50-hour checks to 18 C-47's and 100 hour checks on another 18 C-47's. Nhatrang was chosen presumably because presence mechanics would be less conspicuous than if detailed to at Tonkin base or to Saigon. The French have made the same imperative request of the French Air Ministry, but according local information, French Metropolitan Air Force has only a few if any surplus mechanics for immediate despatch, The French request is entirely legitimate. When Salan asked for and was granted the 50 additional C-47's late

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