The Grand Alliance (147 page)

Prime Minister to Commander-

20.I.41.

in-Chief, Home Forces

How would you propose to deal with a limited
number of large amphibian tanks which got ashore and
roamed about? Am I right in supposing that your light
forces would surround them and follow them about at
the closest quarters, preventing the crews from refuelling or getting food and sleep, or from ever leaving the
armour of their vehicles? If, say, not more than forty of
these tanks came ashore, would they be followed and
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hunted to death in this manner, apart from anything that
artillery, mines, and tank traps could do?

Anyhow, please let me know what would be your
plan.

Prime Minister to Lord

21.I.41.

President of the Council

I see that deliveries of coal to London during recent
weeks have been running at 250,000 tons per week. It
appears, if the Mines Department’s estimates of requirements are correct, that there will be a shortage
unless 410,000 tons a week are delivered from now
until the end of March. I should be glad to know
whether you agree with the estimates of the Mines
Department, and, if so, what steps you propose to take
to increase deliveries by the required amount. I find it
hard to understand why deliveries by rail during the last
three months should have fallen to only three-fifths of
last year’s figure.

Prime Minister to Minister of

21.I.41.

Health

Is it not possible to reduce more rapidly the number
of homeless people in the London rest centres? I am
hoping that this week will show that they have
practically all been dispersed. One cannot tell when
another heavy attack may not be made upon us, and a
quiet week should be a precious gain.

Prime Minister to General

22.I.41.

Ismay, for C.O.S. Committee

I should like to feel sure that the Chiefs of Staff have
carefully considered whether this operation against the
Lofoten Islands
4
is likely to stir up the Norwegian coast
and lead to reinforcements of the German forces in the
peninsula. It seems to me that as the attack is on
islands, and obviously connected with blockade measures, this danger is obviated. There would be no need
to go on to the mainland, as I understand the operation.

Pray advise me.

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Prime Minister to C.A.S., First
23.I.41.

Sea Lord, and Fifth Sea Lord

(Copy sent to First Lord and

Secretary of State for Air.)

I wish to draw your attention to the prime importance
of arranging as speedily as possible for a dozen or
more Grumman Martletts or converted Brewsters being
embarked upon aircraft-carriers operating in the
Mediterranean. I have pressed for this for some time,
and now the C.-in-C. Mediterranean, 824, says quite
definitely that “Fulmars are really not fast enough.” It is
absolutely necessary to have a comparatively small
number of really fast fighter aircraft on our carriers.

Without these the entire movement of our ships is
hampered. I am well aware of the difficulties of non-folding wings, absence of arresting hooks, etc., but I
cannot easily believe that they cannot be solved before
April.

I beg that you will give your earnest consideration to
antedating this. Even if only a small number could be
supplied you would gain an important relief and advantage. Surely a few dozen could be converted to folding
wings by hand-labour as a special job.

I am not satisfied that the urgency and significance of this comparatively small change is realised.

Prime Minister to Minister of

23.I.41.

Supply

Rifles, New. Since August the production of rifles
has fallen off as follows: August, 9586; September,
8320; October, 7545; November, 4363; December,
4743 (mainly from existing stocks of component parts).

I understand that this fall is due to raids on Small
Heath, Birmingham, which completely stopped production. Pray inform me what progress has been made
towards resuming production.

2. A.A. Mountings, 3.7-inch. Production of 3.7-inch A.

A. mountings, which control the assembly of equipment, was at the rate of about eighty per month in
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September, October, and November. In December
however it was down to 67 per cent, which I am informed is a repercussion of the raids on Birmingham
and Coventry. How will the forecasts of deliveries be
affected?

Prime Minister to General

6.I.41.

Ismay, for C.O.S. Committee

I was much concerned when I visited Dover on
Friday to find the slow and halting progress in the
installation of the latest and best batteries.

(a) Some guns which are ready mounted cannot be
brought into action because ancillary material, such as
sights and control instruments, has not been delivered.

A suggestion of the Controller indicated that these guns
could be brought into action quickly by the intelligent
improvisation of simple means of control, workable,
although not so technically satisfying as those to be
supplied eventually.

(b) Some guns cannot be completed for action
owing to delay in the work involved in anchoring the
mountings, reasons given for this being lack of shutter-ing timbers for concreting, inefficient labour, and the
weather.

As regards (a), the attached Progress Report shows
the situation, and it is difficult to escape the conclusion
that there is a lack of initiative on the spot when such a
bald statement as “no dates given for delivery” is
accepted.

As regards (b), the lack of the necessary facilities for
progress seems to demand some immediate action,
while the labour position might be referred to the
Ministry of Labour.

I was informed that all the causes of delay had been
reported through the “usual channels,” but as far as
those on the spot were aware nothing very much
seems to have happened. It would seem best therefore
to start from the other end of the “usual channels” and
sound backwards to find where the delay in dealing
with the matter has occurred.

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I gathered from Admiral Ramsay that in his opinion
the lack of drive behind this work was due to the fact
that no one senior officer seemed to regard the whole
matter as his personal interest, although several,
somewhat less senior, were active in their own particular spheres.

The Controller said that he could deal with the two
points raised about deficiencies in ammunition – i.e.,
shortage of 5.5-inch fuzes and 6-inch cartridges – but
the report of this too seems to be grounded in mid-“usual channels.”

The completion of these batteries is of the utmost
urgency, and I request the Chiefs of Staff to give all the
necessary instructions and to call for a weekly report to
be forwarded to me.

Prime Minister to Dominions

31.I.41.

Secretary

I agree with the general line of your talk [with Mr.

Dulanty]. I could in no circumstances give the
guarantee asked for, and for the reasons you state.

About arms. If we were assured that it was Southern
Ireland’s intention to enter the war, we would of course,
if possible beforehand, share our anti-aircraft weapons
with them, and make secretly with them all possible
necessary arrangements for their defence. Until we are
so satisfied we do not wish them to have further arms,
and certainly will not give them ourselves.

The concession about Lough Swilly is important and
shows the way things are moving. No attempt should
be made to conceal from Mr. de Valera the depth and
intensity of feeling against the policy of Irish neutrality.

We have tolerated and acquiesced in it, but juridically
we have never recognised that Southern Ireland is an
independent Sovereign State, and she herself has
repudiated Dominion status. Her international status is
undefined and anomalous. Should the present situation
last till the end of the war, which is unlikely, a gulf will
have opened between Northern and Southern Ireland
which it will be impossible to bridge in this generation.

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FEBRUARY

Prime Minister to Minister of

1.II.41.

Economic Warfare (Copies to

Chancellor of the Exchequer,

Minister of Supply.)

You have no doubt been considering what we can
do to prevent Germany obtaining supplies of copper, in
view of the fact that although she may be able to
substitute aluminium, she may well become subject to a
severe stringency in the two metals taken together.

I understand that considerable excess capacity
exists in the South American copper mines. I am told
that we have no evidence that copper has proceeded
from South America to Germany, but that last year
South America exported about 70,000 tons to Russia
and 150,000 tons to Japan, whose stocks are
estimated at a year’s consumption. As soon as Germany exhausts her stocks, it is obvious that she will
make every effort to obtain South American copper,
and it is vital to take measures in advance to prevent
Japan and Russia building stocks and to prevent
Germany obtaining access to the surplus capacity
which exists in Chile.

Apparently we are importing about 600,000 tons of
copper from Canada, Rhodesia, South Africa, and the
Belgian Congo, As these sources are under our control
we should be able to divert purchases to South
America without danger that Germany would obtain
supplies from the sources we gave up.

I understand that you have been giving consideration to this problem, and that the Treasury is doubtful if
the expenditure of dollars on preemptive purchase is
justifiable. Will you let me have a report on your plans?

Prime Minister to General

2.II.41.

Ismay, for C.O.S. Committee

“Marie” [Jibouti] might be an operation of the
greatest value. The Senegalese should not be sent into
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Abyssinia, but should be kept till the Foreign Legion
battalion arrives. Where would they be kept, and how?

One must consider that at any moment Weygand
might move our way, in which case the Free French
troops could go into Jibouti to animate the converted
garrison, and even begin operations against the Italians.

Another favourable situation might be reached if, as
a consequence of our advance in Eritrea, the British
forces were able to get into touch with the French
colony at Jibouti. Anyhow, with these favourable
possibilities in the wind it would be a great pity not to
keep our Free French force in hand. As for the political
consequences, they can only be judged a few days
before launching operations.

Prime Minister to Secretary of
4.II.41.

State for War

Please see the Times of February 4. Is it really true
that a seven-mile cross-country run is enforced upon all
in this division, from generals to privates? Does the
Army Council think this a good idea? It looks to me
rather excessive. A colonel or a general ought not to
exhaust himself in trying to compete with young boys
running across country seven miles at a time. The duty
of officers is no doubt to keep themselves fit, but still
more to think for their men, and to take decisions
affecting their safety or comfort. Who is the general of
this division, and does he run the seven miles himself?