Minutes of the Forty Fourth Meeting of the Committee (Deputy Directors) Held in Conference Room "H", at the Ministry of Defence, S.W.1. on Wednesday, 3rd May, 1950, at 11.00 a.m.

3. INTELLIGENCE ON ALBANIA. SECRET THE COMMITTEE considered a telegram+ from the Joint Intelligence Committee, Middle East, asking whether the Committee had any confirmation of reports which had recently been received that the Russians had purchased the port of Valona from the Albanians for some £8 million. The members of the Committee reported that their Departments had no information on these reports. said that although his Department attached no value to the reports, they were investigating the matter further and would report any results to their representatives in the Middle East. MR. BRAIN questioned whether the Russians would have any object in buying the port of Valona since they would appear to be obtaining all that they required in that country already. The Russians were supplying a great deal of material to Albania, and it was possible that port rights and facilities and the title of certain installations might have been transferred to the Russians as repayment for supplies delivered. This was, however, only a theory which might account for the reports and was unsupported by any evidence. THE COMMITTEE:- Instructed the Secretary to reply to the Joint Intelligence Committee, Middle East, in the light of their discussion. + 60483/JIC. 4. SOVIET AIRCRAFT DEVELOPMENTS. TOP SECRET AIR COMMODORE RANKIN referred to the May Day Parade in the Soviet Union and said that the Fly-Past had consisted of 227 aircraft, as follows:- 1 TU.4 escorted by 4 Type 14 swept back jet fighters. 63 TU.4's. 24 new twin jet aircraft, probably light bombers. 135 Type 14 jet fighters. He also reported that a Staff Officer from a Fighter Division in the Soviet Zone of Germany had deserted to the United States Zone and was being interrogated by the Americans. The Air Ministry had already been informed of preliminary results of these interrogations, some of which confirmed intelligence already received and also contained additional valuable information. In the Soviet Zone of Germany there were some 1,400 aircraft all belonging to the Tactical Corps. All fighter aircraft in the Soviet Zone were to be replaced by swept beck jet types. Of the 800 fighters in the Zone, 300 were already re-armed. In addition to the 800 fighters, there was a Bomber Corps amounting to some 250 aircraft, and these were to be replaced by the end of the year with jet bombers (this information might be taken as confirming that the new twin jet aircraft in the May Day Parade was in fact a light bomber). -2-