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In various place on the internet, a story circulate about a scrapped CIA plan in which they would airdrop very large condoms labelled "Small" or "Medium" as a way to imply american were "anatomically superior".

I wanted to double-check that claim and found multiple articles cross-referencing each others without ever really pointing to a primary source.

In one article (the one seemingly most referenced), at point 9, they claim it was Frank Gardiner Wisner that supposedly made these plans. Some other articles claim the plan was made 'sometimes in the 50s'.

While it would seem that Frank Wisner was indeed Deputy Director of Plans at the CIA at the time, I couldn't find anything related to that particular plan.

Is there any direct evidence that supports that this was an official plan ? Or at least was actually taken with any degree of seriousness at the CIA at the time ?

Dastardly
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    Understand that no doubt hundreds of oddball schemes were suggested to security agencies in that era. Very few of them would have made it very far, especially one which (due to the violation of Soviet airspace) could have started a nuclear war. – Daniel R Hicks Apr 02 '21 at 00:48
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    The link does not say it was 'scrapped' but an 'idea' that came from the Office of Policy Coordination. Being an actual plan that had to be scrapped belongs in the script for *Dr Strangelove*. More likely it became a party piece: "Did you know, some wierdo actually suggested dropping condoms over Russia?" – Weather Vane Apr 02 '21 at 07:18

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Adding this as a notable claim. I can't tell if it is true or not.

The story is usually told about Winston Churchill, during or shortly after WWII. While it is sometimes told as a psychological stunt against Nazis, it is usually described as a prank on his allies, either USA or Russian.

In some descriptions, the objects in question were intended as protective waterproof covers for rifles, or for large guns. They were bigger than even the largest condoms. Churchill suggested that they should be labelled Condom - Medium.

In one version of the story the Russians sent back a note saying they had tried using the covers for sex, but had found them too tight.

If this anecdote actually happened at all, Churchill was probably joking, and it was probably never seriously considered.

Some sources for the claim.

https://www.eetimes.com/book-review-napoleons-privates-by-tony-perrottet/

Later in the book, we discover that during the Second World War, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was asked by Soviet leader Josef Stalin to help out with the Russian army’s serious shortage of condoms. According to this (possibly apocryphal) tale, Churchill ordered a special manufacturing run of condoms made at double the regular size, and then had them shipped to Russia in boxes that were stamped with the label Made in Britain – Medium (you have to laugh).

https://richardlangworth.com/churchills-naked-encounter

Less likely but equally amusing is the legend of a shipment of British condoms to Murmansk as part British aid to Russia. The British have only one size: “extra large.” So Churchill orders that each box be marked: “Made in England. Size: Medium.”

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Churchill_Factor/meodAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=churchill+condom+medium&pg=PT137&printsec=frontcover

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2cokrz/did_churchill_actually_stamp_weapon_protecting/

The story goes that during WWII it was discovered that condoms could be used to protect gun barrels during shipping and non-use periods. The condoms were so effective that Winston Churchill ordered thousands to be manufactured that were 3 times normal size - in order to accomodate the quite large barrels of military weapons. It is said that in order to demoralise the Germans, Churchill also ordered each package to be labeled "One Condom. Made in England. Medium size"

Pete
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