Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, Volume I

740.00119 Potsdam/6–2545

No. 93
Memorandum by the Commanding General, United States Sector, Berlin District (Parks)

Berlin, June 24, 1945

Excerpt From Major General Parks’ Report of Visit to Berlin, June 24, 1945¹

1. Following instructions given me on 16th June, 1945, I departed at 1600 hours Frankfurt time, 22nd June and arrived at Tempelhof Airdrome 1900 hours Moscow time, same day. Moscow time is now used in Berlin by the Soviet troops and I agreed to its use by the U. S. forces in Berlin in order to avoid confusion. It is one hour earlier than double summer time used at Frankfurt and three hours earlier than Greenwich time.

2. Lt. Gen. Vlasik, Deputy to Col. Gen. Kruglov, met me at the airdrome. Gen. Kruglov is Chief of Security for Marshal Stalin and in charge of arrangements for the Big Three conference. Permission was given to set up the radio communications to establish direct contact with SHAEF, ample transportation was provided, and aircraft and crews were cared for at Tempelhof airdrome.

3. My staff and I were conducted by Gen. Vlasik to Babelsberg by way of Unter den Linden, Brandenburg Gates, Tiergarten, and the Grunewald Forest. I conferred immediately with Gen. Kruglov at his Headquarters, and also present were Gen. Vlasik and Maj. Gen. Gorlinsky, Commandant and Security Officer, Greater Berlin District, who was in charge of arrangements at Yalta.

4. General Kruglov stated that the Russians had intended to be the hosts and had selected Babelsberg to accommodate the official parties because it was a community of fairly pretentious residences and had comparatively light bomb damages. He also pointed out that it was convenient to the Crown Prince’s palace at Potsdam, where the conference itself is to be held and that the routes from the billeting area to the conference building were easily protected and policed.

5. He stated that as his authority extended to arrangements for the conference only and these arrangements were confined to the Babelsberg–Potsdam area, he could not discuss entry into the Berlin District itself by U. S. troops. General Kruglov promised to arrange for me a courtesy call on Marshal Zhukov’s Chief of Staff, or his representative, at which meeting I might ascertain whether or not any instructions had been received from Moscow permitting discussions relative to Berlin itself.

6. Gen. Kruglov indicated on a map the billet area which would be turned over to the U. S. for exclusive occupancy of conferees, administration, and guard. Everything within this area would be the responsibility of the U. S. and outside of this compound the Soviets would maintain security and guard. I pointed out that approximately 400 to 450 officials would be present with a corresponding number of service personnel to cater to them; that, in addition, there would be well over 1,000 other troops for the supply, maintenance, guard, etc. and that I felt the area was too small. Gen. Kruglov expressed great surprise at the size of the U. S. party and stated that Mr. Hopkins had estimated the number to be 150. He had not received a list of U. S. officials but assumed that approximately the same number would come that came to Yalta; they had planned to run the conference similar to the Yalta meeting and were installing approximately the same signal communication facilities.

7. When I pointed out to Gen. Kruglov that it would be necessary to begin truck movements of tentage, rations, petrol, etc. at once and that we desired to use the route Dessau–Berlin, he stated this would be satisfactory and would be arranged. I also stated that we desired to institute air courier service between Berlin–Halle–Frankfurt at once, using the direct route to Halle and he said this would be satisfactory.

8. Gen. Kruglov stated that since the airfield at Gatow (Kiadow) was only six miles from Potsdam, it had been designated as the terminus for the conference. I stated that we had no objections if it was adequate for C–54s and that I would have our air officer inspect it. I have no report from my air officer yet, but I flew over Gatow leaving Berlin and it appears even better than Tempelhof as to approaches, length of runways, etc. Both are sod fields.

9. Gen. Kruglov stated that he would have the motor echelon of my recce party met the following day at the junction of the Berlin Ringbahn and the Dessau Autobahn.

10. My staff and I were conducted to a billet by Gen. Kruglov. It was completely outfitted with beds and clean linen. Since our rations had not arrived from the airdrome, he sent over rations for us and a cook to assist our cook. He also sent me a case of wine and General Vlasik sent me some champagne. The meal was delicious.

11. Maj. Gen. Gorlinsky conducted me through the billets of the U. S. compound on Saturday morning, June 23. There are about 70 houses, well built, but old, with one to two baths each, and the Soviet authorities are in the midst of completely renovating them, promising to complete it. The majority are middle-class homes, a few being large enough for VIPs. The one earmarked for President Truman is old-fashioned, but spacious. Others suitable for the various high military and civil officers are nearby. They will be adequate for the short sojourn of the party, if the party is small. A hasty survey indicates that from 500–600 individuals can be housed, this figure including orderlies and mess attendants. There will not be enough houses if 450 officials arrive and although tentage can help to some extent, it is not a solution. The matter will be solved only if the U. S. Sector, Berlin District, or the Zehlendorf portion thereof, is turned over to us and the excess stationed therein.

12. I conferred again with Col. Gen. Kruglov at 1230. A telephone message was received during this conference that the motor serial of my recce group had arrived at the border and was in excess of the agreed 50 officers, 175 EM and 50 vehicles. I requested Gen. Kruglov to pass only the agreed number. It developed later in this conference that he could not give the authority which he had promised yesterday for our trucks to use the Dessau–Berlin Autobahn for purposes of resupply. He did say, however, that the Soviet authorities agreed to the use of the airdrome by our courier planes.

13. General Kruglov, at 1300 hours, escorted me through the Crown Prince’s palace in Potsdam where the conference itself will be held. While I have not seen other conferences, Lt. Col. Pantuhoff, who is my interpreter, states that the facilities are infinitely better than at Teheran or Yalta. There is a large vaulted banquet hall in which a round table will be placed for the conference and there is space in the wings for offices, committee rooms, conference rooms, etc. The Soviet authorities have put the building and grounds in excellent shape.

14. As no information had been received as to visiting Marshal Zhukov’s headquarters, I proposed to depart for Frankfurt at 1500 hours. Just before leaving for the airdrome, I received a message that Marshal Zhukov’s Chief of Staff would meet me at the airdrome.

15. He met me at Tempelhof and I expressed my appreciation at his courtesy for coming to see me in order to save my time and thanked him for the cordial hospitality I had received from Col. Gen. Kruglov. I told him that the only difficulty I had at the moment was in operating trucks between Berlin and Dessau for supply of rations, gasoline, tentage, etc. He stated he had no authority for permitting more than 50 vehicles in the Russian zone but that the 50 which had entered Babelsberg would be permitted to operate between Berlin and Dessau for supply purposes. Feeling that Gen. Kruglov’s statement was sufficient, I did not mention the matter of aircraft to him. However, as I was boarding my plane, and after the departure of the Chief of Staff, Gorlinsky and the Field Commander at Tempelhof stated it would be necessary to get permission for aircraft to return. After much discussion I told General Gorlinsky I would return and the courier plane would return, and that we would send a radio message for the information of Gen. Kruglov giving the ETA. I stated that the route would be direct from Halle to Berlin and that it would be impracticable for me to secure permission from Moscow every time a plane was flown to Berlin with supplies. He agreed that this advance notice of ETA would be satisfactory and said that agreement would be reached after my return to Berlin as to procedure thereafter, whereby no notice would have to be given.

16. We departed Tempelhof at 1600 hours, Moscow time and flew over Swan Island in the Havel River, the alleged home of Goebbels; with one or two exceptions, the houses on Swan Island are severely damaged. We flew the direct route from Berlin to Halle, observing the Autobahn. One arch bridge over a ravine had been blown, and there are at least five overhead bridges which have been dropped on the Autobahn. At 1645, Moscow time, I noted the head of the column of my motor serial on the Autobahn about three miles east of [the] Elbe River.

17. At Halle I stopped and gave instructions to my Chief of Staff and arrived at Frankfurt at 1745 Frankfurt time.

recommendations

1. Recommend acceptance of the Crown Prince’s palace at Potsdam as suitable for the Big Three conference.

2. Recommend that the Soviet plan for a compound of billets for the U. S. conferees at Babelsberg be accepted.

3. Recommend expedition of negotiations to make available U. S. Sector, Berlin District, for quartering and bivouacking of supply troops, minor officials, press, etc. as there is no room for them at Babelsberg. If adjustment of all zones of occupation is not effected on 1 July, pressure should be brought to bear to permit erection of camps and bivouacs in Zehlendorf which adjoins Babelsberg and is sure to be part of the U. S. zone. We urgently require authority for immediate reconnaissance in Berlin.

1. The extract printed here constitutes the first enclosure in toto to an informal letter of June 25, 1945, from Robert Murphy, the Political Adviser in Germany, to H. Freeman Matthews, Director of European Affairs, Department of State. Murphy’s letter contained the following summary:

   “You will note therefrom, in the event this information has not already been conveyed to you, that the Schloss Cecilienhof, formerly the property of the Crown Prince, situated on the Jungfern See in the Neuer Garten, Potsdam, has been selected as the meeting place. The U. S. billet compound is in Babelsberg. We have now succeeded in establishing in that compound 50 officers, 175 enlisted men, and 50 motor vehicles, and the Russians have been informed that we would provide everything for ourselves. They had intended to provide service and act as hosts. According to General Parks, the house selected for the President, as well as the other houses, is none too satisfactory. While he was there the Russians were in the process of emptying them completely of their contents, the German residents having very recently been evacuated. All this household equipment was being loaded on trucks and dispatched to an unknown destination and other trucks were arriving with new furniture requisitioned from other houses. General Parks, however, believes that while the house allocated for the President is old-fashioned and not what he would like to see the President have, it probably will do for the purpose. He said that from what he could ascertain during the course of his visit, no other convenient arrangement would probably be possible in the short time remaining. As the compound is situated on the Griebnitz See, the President could proceed to the Schloss Cecilienhof if he wished by speedboat.

   “I enclose a town plan of Potsdam [not found] indicating the conference site and the U. S. billet site. The British billet site is immediately north of ours, and the USSR billet site immediately north of the British, all of them in Neu Babelsberg.”