MOROCCAN SEA FONTIER FORCES
     
  B-8(10)/  
  Serial 00636  
                                                                                                         August 8, 1943  
  SECRET  
     
  Commander J. L. RIHELDAFFER, USN (Ret),  
  Op-16-Z, Room 3644,  
  Naval Operations, Navy Department,  
  Washington, D. C.  
     
  My Dear Commander,  
     
                  The following is a report of proceeding for Hardenburg and myself since leaving Algiers on August 1st.  We had been advised by despatch that a new group would be landed at Casablanca on that day and, accordingly, we finished up the 409 job as best we could and flew down there.  
     
                  The 13 in the group had just arrived and were still aboard the carrier.  There followed 24 hours of negotiations involved in getting them off the ship and properly billeted ashore.  It would have been desirable to keep them in naval custody throughout their sojourn here since we realized that this would only be a matter of days.  However, the Navy brig was not so constituted as to afford any segregation facilities, so that we were obliged to send the 3 officers to an Army holding camp 20 miles from town.  
     
                   We conducted the preliminary on 8 of the men at the Navy brig, and then sent them to another Army camp.  Every man among them had been very badly shaken up by the explosion, and we were obliged to send two leg fracture cases to the Naval hospital.  All 13 are being put aboard the Empress of Scotland today under our personal supervision.  We have made every effort to assure proper segregation in transit.  A despatch will go forward to you within the next 24 hours covering details of the shipment.  
 
                  All material having to do with preliminary interrogation is being sent directly from Commander Moroccan Sea Frontier to Director of Naval Intelligence for Op-16-Z.  I trust it will arrive before the bodies.  I am enclosing herewith PW correspondence and our own interrogation notes as well as a copy of a report which I drafted for the Chief of Staff at his request.  I believe it is self-explanatory.  These circumstances were most unfortunate but no blame attaches to anyone other than to the single officer involved.  I am not sure to what degree our interrogation was jeopardized in view of the fact that the subjects were highly secure in any case.  In order to allow you the maximum opportunity with these 3, we tried to maintain the illusion of "welfare officers" throughout, so they should arrive in U.S. feeling that they have not already been interrogated by Naval personnel.  
     
     

 

 
 

   
  B-8(10)/  
  Serial 00636  
                                                                                                         August 8, 1943  
  SECRET  
     
                 All 13 were treated exceedingly well aboard ship.  The reaction which set in when we slapped the men into the brig worked greatly to our advantage, and among those 8 there was not a single one who would not "give".  This was also true of the 2 men in the hospital.  
     
                  When the striking force came in in the Destroyer BADGER had aboard a collection of debris gathered after a successful depth charge attack on the same day as the other boat was sunk.  The skipper of the BADGER was very eager to have us forward this material and, in any case, we considered it within our providence to do so.  
     
                  We are, therefore, returning to Algiers by plane tomorrow, taking along a pouch bearing all the material from both boats which we will turn over to an officer courier at Lyautey for immediate transmission to you.  
     
                  With kindest regards to all,  
     
                                                                                               Most respectfully,  
                                                                                           
                                                                                              J. S. PLAUT,  
                                                                                              Lt., USNR.  
 
     
     
  cc.  
          (1)  ComMorSeaFron  
          (2)  JICA, NA