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This Declassified briefing presents a Top Secret memorandum from Headquarters, Far East Air Forces, dated October fifth, nineteen-fifty-one, regarding Air Targets in China and Manchuria. This document, obtained via vault.fbi.gov, offers insight into early United States intelligence and strategic planning during the Korean War. This record, a two-page memorandum, was declassified by the National Archives and Records Administration under FOIA case number five-eight-zero-zero-four-seven, with a release date of August twenty-fourth, two-thousand-four. It is presented as retrieved from the Black Vault archive. The memorandum, subject Air Targets in China and Manchuria, is addressed to Commander-in-Chief Far East, attention Military Intelligence Section, General Staff. Quote: One. Reference your letter, subject Air Targets in China and Manchuria, dated September twenty-sixth, nineteen-fifty-one, file T slash Intel slash P and H, requesting a list of military targets in China and Manchuria, the following comments and recommendations are furnished. Two. The selection of targets for an air attack program should be based on an overall plan and concept of operations. The brief statement given in the request for a list of targets does not provide an adequate basis for preparing an air attack program. A concept of operations that envisages the use of atomic weapons, for instance, will provide initial interdiction of major proportions by the destruction of marshaling yards and associated facilities within target complexes. This would make it possible to reduce the interdiction target list and thereby reduce force requirements for the task. Therefore, the enclosed lists of targets are tentative and subject to revision as the plans are developed. Three. Recommended target categories are as follows: A. Air facilities. B. Transportation targets. C. P O L. D. Electric power. E. Industry. These priorities are general in nature. It may be desirable to effect early attack of targets in low priority target systems in order to increase the impact of the overall air effort but, in general, air attack would be concentrated on one or two systems at a time. Air Facilities. An airfield attack program is based for the most part on disposition of enemy units. A list of airfield targets for early attack would most likely radically change as an air offensive develops. For this reason this list must be considered as more subject to change than other target lists. For list of targets see Enclosure one. Interdiction. A selection of interdiction targets is based on the nature of the overall plan. An interdiction plan to isolate Manchuria from China for instance would be entirely different from one designed to isolate Manchuria from the Soviet Union. Each might be a logical phase of the overall plan. The attached list of targets, see Enclosure two, has been selected to accomplish three objectives: to isolate Manchuria from the present battle area in Korea, to inhibit the flow of…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

CIA This Declassified Briefing Presents A Top Secret Memorandum From Headquarters

◆ BLUF — The short version

This Declassified briefing presents a Top Secret memorandum from Headquarters, Far East Air Forces, dated October fifth, nineteen-fifty-one, regarding Air Targets in China and Manchuria. gov, offers insight into early United States intelligence and strategic planning during the Korean War.

Date: OCT 17 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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This Declassified briefing presents a Top Secret memorandum from Headquarters, Far East Air Forces, dated October fifth, nineteen-fifty-one, regarding Air Targets in China and Manchuria. This document, obtained via vault.fbi.gov, offers insight into early United States intelligence and strategic…

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What was CIA This Declassified Briefing Presents A Top Secret Memorandum From Headquarters about?: This Declassified briefing presents a Top Secret memorandum from Headquarters, Far East Air Forces, dated October fifth, nineteen-fifty-one, regarding Air Targets in China and Manchuria. gov, offers insight into early United States intelligence and strategic planning during the Korean War.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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CIA This Declassified Briefing Presents A Top Secret Memorandum From Headquarters

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