Scapegoat: The Death of Prince of Wales and Repulse (28 page)

There were others who should have been held to account for the sinking of
Prince of Wales
and
Repulse.
What books have been written about the design team responsible for a battleship that was not fit for purpose? Why do we not know the names of the Intelligence officers who failed so woefully to ascertain the true qualities of Japanese aircraft, and may have failed to tell Tom Phillips that he was within range of Japanese torpedo-bombers? Why has Tom Phillips’s name been dragged through the mud when Admiral Palliser told Phillips no fighter cover was available, failed to tell him that it was available when it clearly was and sent him off on a wild goose chase to the landing that never was? Why has no one been blamed for the biggest failure of all, the failure to pull back the two ships when it was clear that deterrence had failed? Who gained most from the circulation of the story that what was actually no more than a thought that
Indomitable
might be sent to join Force Z was in fact a firm intention? Is it right that the official historian could write on Phillips when he had had a clear falling-out with him, and is it right that the same historian should admit in private that Phillips had had a change of heart about the air threat to surface ships, but never admit so in public?

It is time the record was put straight. Admiral Sir Tom Phillips was no more perfect than any other mortal, but the things that ensured the command of Force Z was a poisoned chalice were none of them of his making. He has been made a classic scapegoat for the failings of others.

Notes

Chapter 1: The Military, Political and Historical Background.

1
. Richard H. Hough,
The Hunting of Force Z. Britain’s Greatest Modern Naval Disaster (1963) Collins, London, 88.

2
. PRO, PREM 163/3.

3
. Quoted in
Old Friends, New Enemies. The Royal Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy, Arthur J. Marder (1981) Oxford, Clarendon Press, 28.

Chapter 2: The Loss of
Prince of Wales
and
Repulse
The Action: The Case Against Tom Phillips

1
. Martin Middlebrook and Patrick Mahoney,
Battleship. The Loss of the Prince of Wales and Repulse
(1977) London, Allen Lane, 305.

2
. Edwin Gray
Operation Pacific. The Royal Navy’s War against Japan 1941–1945
(1990) Leo Cooper, London, 23.

3
. Ronald Bassett,
Battle-Cruisers. A History 1908–1948
(1981) Macmillian, London, 228.

4
. Middlebrook, 58.

5
. Lord Ismay
, The Memoirs of General The Lord Hastings Lionel Ismay
(1960) Heinemann, London, 240.

6
. Quoted Richard Hough, op.cit. 174 and others.

7
. Gray, 24.

8
. Ibid. 25.

9
. Ibid. 35.

10
. Sir Andrew Gilchrist
, Malaya 1941
(1992) London, Robert Hale, 163.

11
. Alan Warren
, Singapore: Britain’s Greatest Defeat
(2002) Hambledon and London, London/New York, 55.

12
. Arthur Nicholson
, Hostages to Fortune. Winston Churchill and the Loss of the ‘Prince of Wales’ and ‘Repulse’
(2005) Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 71.

13
. A comprehensive and verbatim list of all signals relevant to the action can be found in Nicholson, op.cit. 192–223.

14
. Ibid.105.

15
. Julian Thompson,
The Imperial War Museum Book of the War At Sea. The Royal Navy in the Second World War
(1996) Sidgwick & Jackson/Imperial War Museum, London,134.

16
. Gray, op.cit. 40.

17
. Stephen Roskill,
The War at Sea, Volume 1: The Defensive
(1954) London, HMSO, 565.

18
. Arthur Nicholson, op.cit. 117.

19
. Ibid.118.

20
. Ibid.

21
. Martin Middlebrook, op.cit. 175.

22
. Ronald Bassett, op.cit. 248.

23
. Nicholson, op.ci. 136.

24
. Ibid.137.

25
. Middlebrook, op.cit. 304.

26
. Gray, op.cit. 57.

27
. Alan Warren, op.cit.,
Singapore: Britain’s Greatest Defeat
(2002) Hambledon & London, London/New York, 78.

28
. Middlebrook, op.cit. 305.

Chapter 3: Admiral Sir Tom Phillips

1
. Michael Arnold,
The Sacrifice of Singapore. Churchill’s Biggest Blunder
(2011) Marshal Cavendish, Singapore, 40.

2
. Bassett, op.cit. 232.

3
. Admiral Sir Tom Phillips to TVG Phillips, 11 November 1941. Phillips Papers.

4
. Ibid. 25 July 1941.

5
. Bassett, op.cit. 232.

6
. Commander Michael G. Goodenough to Lady Phillips, 6 June 1947. Phillips Papers.

7
. Nicholson, op.cit.143.

8
. Ibid. 148–149.

9
. Letter, Arthur Marder to TVG Phillips, 2 February 1979. Phillips Papers.

10
. Marder, op.cit. 388.

11
. Post-war Memoir by Admiral John Godfrey. Phillips Papers.

12
. CA RMSY 2/45.

13
. Marder, op.cit. 31.

14
. A.V. Alexander to Lady Phillips, December 21 1941. Phillips Papers.

15
. Hough, op.cit.166.

16
. Letter Dudley Pound to Lady Phillips. Phillips Papers.

17
. Gray, op.cit. 31.

18
. Captain L.H. Bell, letter to Arthur Marder, 24 March 1975. Marder Papers. Quoted Nicholson, op.cit. 25.

19
. Field-Marshal Smuts, PRO, PREM 3 163/3.

20
. Nicholson, op.cit. 25.

21
. Quoted Marder, op.cit. 397.

22
. Letter Captain (later Admiral Sir) Ralph Edwards to Lady Phillips, December 19 1941. Phillips Papers.

23
. Letter, Marjorie Armitage to Lady Phillips, December 1941. Phillips Papers.

24
. Letter, Harry V. Markham to Admiral Dudley Pound, 11 December 1941. Phillips Papers.

25
. Letter, Gerald Warner to Lady Phillips, 12 December 1941. Phillips Papers.

26
. Letter, Stephen King-Hall to Lady Phillips, 26 December 1941. Phillips Papers.

27
. Letter, Robert Cassidi to Lady Phillips, 7 September 1942. Phillips Papers.

28
. Letter, Neville Napier to Lady Phillips, 17 December 1941. Phillips Papers.

29
. Copy of Letter to Winston Churchill from Lieutenant F.A. de Vere Hunt, RNVR, 1 February 1942. Phillips Papers.

30
. Letter, Captain L.H. Bell to Lady Phillips, 12 December 1941. Phillips Papers.

31
. Letter, Sidney E. Gobler to Lady Phillips, 14 December (1941). Phillips Papers.

32
. Letter, Captain Tennant to Lady Phillips, 9 January 1942. Phillips Papers.

33
. ‘Staff Work, August to December 1934’, undated note. Phillips Papers.

34
. Letter, ‘Tam’ to Lady Phillips, 17 December (1941). Phillips Papers.

35
. Letter, Admiral Sir Tom Phillips to Mildred Barker, 30 November 1941. Phillips Papers.

36
. Letter, to Mildred Barker, 14 February 1942. Phillips Papers.

37
. V.E. Tarrant,
King George V Class Battleships
(1991) Arms & Armour/Cassell, London,

Chapter 4: Singapore and Signals

1
. Hough, op.cit.181.

2
. Letter, Lady Phillips to Captain Russell Grenfell, 28 Nov 1950. Grenfell Papers, Churchill Archives.

3
. Roman Bose,
Singapore at War. Secrets from the Fall, Liberation & Aftermath of WWII
(2012) Marshall Cavendish, Singapore, 71.

4
. Ibid. 69–70.

5
. Ibid. 71.

6
. Ibid. 74–75.

7
. Letter, Commander Michael Goodenough to Stephen Roskill, 8 May 1951. Phillips Papers.

8
. Letter, Commander Michael Goodenough to Captain Stephen Roskill, 8 May 1951. Roskill Papers.

9
. Nicholson, op.cit.118.

10
. Stanley L. Falk,
Seventy Days to Singapore
(1975) New York, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 110.

11
. Ibid.

12
. Nicholson, op.cit.148–150.

13
. Letter, Captain S.E. Norfolk to T.V.G. Phillips, 2 December 1977. Phillips Papers.

14
. Middlebrook, op.cit. 210–211.

15
. Hough, op.cit. 224.

16
. Russell Grenfell,
Main Fleet to Singapore
(1987) Oxford University Press, Oxford,127.

Chapter 5: Churchill, and ‘The Secret Alliance’

1
. Quoted in Roskill,
Churchill and the Admirals,
124.

2
. Lieutenant R. Dyer, quoted Middlebrook, op.cit. 105.

3
. Hough, op.cit. 238.

4
. Bassett, op.cit. 244.

5
. Christopher M. Bell,
Churchill & Sea Power
(2013). Oxford University Press, 249.

6
. One such was from General Sir John Dill, sources for which are given in Bell, op.cit.239.

7
. Quoted Roskill,
Churchill and the Admirals,
79.

8
. Gray, op.cit. 20.

9
. Bell, op.cit. 239.

10
. Bell, op.cit. 232.

11
. See Roskill,
Churchill and the Admirals
, op.cit. 25.

12
. Winston Churchill,
Complete Speeches
Volume 6, 6, 532, and quoted widely.

13
. Nicholson, op.cit. 81.

14
. Letter, Churchill to G.R.G. Allen, 2 August 1953. Roskill Papers.

15
. Roskill,
Churchill and the Admirals,
100.

16
. Ibid. 278.

17
. Bell, op.cit. 249–50.

18
. Letter, Admiral Sir Tom Phillips to Mildred Barker, 19 November 1941. Phillips Papers.

19
. Letter, Churchill to Admiral Sir Tom Phillips, February 6th 1940, Phillips Papers.

20
. See Roskill,
Churchill and the Admirals
,182.

21
. Hough, op.cit. 169.

22
. Letter, Mildred Barker to T.V.G. Phillips, 22 March 1962. Phillips Papers.

23
. See Alan Matthews,
The Secret Alliance. Anglo-American relations and the prelude to war with Japan.
Paper in possession of the author.

24
. Report by Joint Planning Staff, War Cabinet, Chiefs of Staff Committee, ‘Implications of Japanese Penetration of Indo-Chinas and Thailand’, 27 October 1940, PRO, COS (40) 873, Cab 80/21.

25
. J.R.M. Butler,
Grand Strategy Volume 2: The History of the Second World War September >1939 – June 1941.
(1957) London, HMSO, 424–425.

26
. War Cabinet, ADB Conference, American Comments, para. 2(d), Report by Joint Planning Staff, 9 August 1941, PRO, JP (41) 648. Cab 79/13.

27
. Admiralty to BAD Washington, Most Secret Glean 150, 5 November 1941, PRO, ADM116/4877, Appendix V1.

28
. See Marder, op.cit. 74–75.

29
. Ibid.74.

30
. Marder, op.cit.194.

Chapter 6: The Ships:
Prince of Wales

1
. Tarrant, op.cit. 30.

2
. Churchill, quoted Nicholson, op.cit. 16.

3
. See Tarrant, op.cit.17.

4
. Bassett, op.cit. 246.

5
. Tarrant, op.cit. 124.

6
. R. A. Burt,
British Battleships 1919–1945
(2012) Revised Edition, Barnsley, Seaforth Publishing, 387.

7
. Ibid. 388.

8
. Martin Middlebrook and Patrick Mahoney, op.cit. 53.

9
. Quoted in Burt, 240.

10
. For a full discussion of this issue, see William H. Garzke Jnr, Robert Dulin Jnr, Kevin Denlay,
A Re-analysis of the Tragic Loss of HMS Prince of Wales
www.pacificwreck.com
.

11
. Bassett, op.cit. 245.

12
. Nicholson, op.cit .99.

13
. Alan Raven and John Roberts,
British Battleships of World War Two
(1981) London, Arms & Armour Press, Third Impression, 313.

14
. Garzke, 61–62.

15
. Tarrant. op.cit. 25.

16
. Public Records Office, ADM, 199/2232.

17
. Nicholson, op.cit.170.

18
. Tarrant, op.cit. 25.

19
. Raven, op.cit. 313.

Chapter 7: The Ships:
Repulse
and Escorts

1
. Burt, op.cit. 210.

2
. Ibid. 240.

3
. Marder, op.cit. 382.

4
. Grenfell, op.cit. 95.

5
.
Arthur Marder, Old Friends, New Enemies. The Royal Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy, Strategic Illusion 1936–1941
(1981) Oxford, Oxford University Press, 421.

6
. See Nicholson. op.cit. 209.

7
. Captain Bell to Arthur Marder, quoted Marder, op.cit. 418.

8
. See Nicholson, op.cit., p.p.208–9.

9
. Marder, op.cit., 422.

10
. James Leasor,
Singapore. The Battle That Changed the World
(1968) London, Hodder & Stoughton, 185.

11
. Marder, op.cit. 423.

Chapter 8: Intelligence, SS
Automedon
and ‘Matador’

1
. Middlebrook, op.cit. 304.

2
. Nicholson, op.cit. 91, footnote, 62.

3
. Warren, op.cit. 46.

4
. Admiral Farnhill, quoted in Marder, op.cit. 418.

5
. Ibid.

6
. Ibid. 87.

Chapter 9: Aircraft

1
. Nicholson, op.cit. 44.

2
. Ibid. 41–44.

3
. Thompson, op.cit. 38.

4
. Brian Cull with Paul Sortehaug and Mark Haselden, Mark,
Buffaloes Over Singapore
(2003) London, Grub Street. 9–10.

5
. Ibid. 215–216.

6
. Bassett, op.cit. 231.

7
. Middlebrook, op.cit. 298.

8
. Hough, op.cit. 128.

9
. Flight Lieutenant Terry Marra, writing in Brian Cull, op.cit. 6.

10
. Cull, op.cit. 56.

11
. Quoted widely, but see Cull, op.cit. 56.

12
. Ibid. 54.

13
. Sergeant George Scrimgeour, Cull, op.cit. 54.

14
. Lieutenant Haruki Iki, IJN, quoted in Marder, op.cit. 483.

15
. Hough, op.cit. 187.

16
. Ibid. 55.

17
. Ibid. 56.

18
. Bassett, op.cit. 225–226.

19
. See Hough, op.cit. 141.

20
. Leasor, op.cit. 162.

21
. Ibid.

22
. Bassett, op.cit. 244.

Chapter 10: Struggles for Power: Admiral Sir Tom Phillips and the Royal Navy in 1941

1
. BL ADD 52563, Somerville to Cunningham, 20 October 1941.

2
. IWM Wentworth Papers, Cunningham to Wentworth, 12 October 1941.