|
Qiu Chuji said, ?I?m afraid that a man of his stature coming to create havoc here has an ulterior motive. His kung fu originates from Western Tibet; he arrived in the central plains at the beginning of the year. He wounded the three heroes of Henan, and later on he single-handedly killed the seven Lords of Lanzhou. His name was spread widely throughout the land, we didn?t predict that he would have the nerve to come to our sect and cause trouble. The other Tibetan monk is called Da?erba; he has supernatural strength, and his kung fu is from the same school as Huo Dou. It appears that he is the senior apprentice brother. He is a monk, of course he hasn?t come here to get married; he?s here to aid Huo Dou.
When the rest of the evil men heard the two were coming, they remembered the matter of dueling for marriage. Years ago, in front of a crowd of people, Li Mochou had said the tomb contained mountains of treasures, and had countless kung fu manuscripts and manuals; saying there was the formulae to the ?Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms?, the ?Solitary Yang Finger? and numerous others. Although the crooks and scoundrels were unsure, they thought that if they went up to the mountain and opened up the tomb, they would be able to get a share of the spoils. About one hundred or so of them came up the mountain. Originally our ?Big Dipper Formation? could have easily repelled them away from the foot of our mountain, not allowing them to come through and teach them not to take one step into Chongyang Palace. We were resisting them when the misunderstanding occurred; there is no need to say anymore.?
Guo Jing felt very guilty and apologetic, and wanted to say a few words of apology. Qiu Chuji waved his hand and laughed, ?Letting a laugh out rids your worries and the moon is still in the sky above the western lake. The halls and buildings are just objects; human possessions mean nothing, so why worry about them? You have honed your martial arts for the last ten years, could it be that you do not understand the meaning of this??
Guo Jing laughed and said, ?Yes!?
Qiu Chuji laughed and said, ?Actually when I saw the back courtyard being burned down to the ground, I was very angry and furious, but after a while I calmed down. Compared to how calm apprentice brother Ma was, I am nowhere as enlightened as he is.?
Guo Jing said, ?You can?t blame yourself for getting angr and I
entirely agree with the principle that the first stage is the formulation of a
felt want by the fighting Service. Once this is clearly defined in terms of
simple reality it is nearly always possible for the scientific experts to find a
solution. The Services should always be encouraged to explain what it is that
hurts or hinders them in any particular branch of their work. For instance, a
soldier advancing across No-Man's-Land is hit by a bullet which prevents his
locomotion functioning further. It is no use telling him or his successor to be
D.S.R., Controller and Secretary. 16.X.39
559
brave, because that condition has already been satisfied. It is clear however
that if a steel plate or other obstacle had stood between the bullet and the
soldier, the latter's powers of locomotion would not have been deranged.
The problem therefore becomes how to place a shield in front of the soldier.
It then emerges that the shield is too heavy for him to carry, thus
locomotion must be imparted to the shield; and how? Hence the tanks. This
is of course a simple example.
2. In your list of Branches and Departments very little seems to be allowed
for physical investigation, the bulk being concentrated upon application and
development. I am therefore very glad to know that the Clarendon
Laboratory will be utilised for this purpose, and I shall be dealing with the
paper on that subject later in the day.
Requisitioning of Trawlers
I have asked the Minister of Agriculture to bring Mr. Ernest Bevin and his
deputation to the Admiralty at 4.15 o'clock tomorrow after they have
explored the ground among themselves. Let all be notified and an official
letter written to the Ministry of Agriculture inviting them here. I will preside
myself.
Meanwhile A.C.N.S., D.T.D. and Controller or Deputy-Controller should,
together with Financial Secretary, meet together this evening to work out a
plan, the object of which is the Utmost Fish, subject to naval necessity. The
immediate loss arising from our requisition should be shared between ports,
and the fact that a port has built the best kind of trawlers must not lead to
its being the worst sufferer. Side by side with this equalisation process a
type of trawler which can be built as quickly as possible, and will serve its
purpose, should be given facilities in the shipyards. As soon as these
trawlers flow in, they can either be added to the various ports or else be
given to the ports from whom th with its many refinements and
measureless possibilities, as ranking in priority with the Air Force,
of which it is in fact an essential part. The multiplication of the
high-class scientific personnel, as well as the training of those
who will handle the new weapons and research work connected
with them, should be the very spearpoint of our thought and
effort. Very great reliefs may be expected in anti-aircraft guns
and ammunition, although it is at present too soon to alter
present plans.
8. Apart from a large-scale invasion, which is unlikely, there is no
prospect of any large expenditure or wastage of military
munitions before the spring of 1941. Although heavy and decisive
fighting may develop at any time in the Middle East, the
difficulties of transport, both of reinforcements and of supplies,
451
will restrict numbers and expenditure. We have, therefore, before
us, if not interrupted, a period of eight months in which to make
an enormous improvement in our output of warlike equipment,
and in which steady and rapid accumulations may be hoped for.
It is upon this purpose that all our resources of credit, materials,
and above all of skilled labour, must be bent.
This policy was generally accepted by my colleagues, and the action of all
Departments conformed to it.
* * * * *
I found it necessary in October to add a further note about Priorities, which
were a source of fierce contention between the different Departments, each
striving to do its utmost.
PRIORITIES
NOTE BY THE PRIME MINISTER
October 15, 1940.
The very highest priority in personnel and material should be
assigned to what may be called the Radio sphere. This demands
scientists, wireless experts, and many classes of highly skilled
labour and high-grade material. On the progress made, much of
the winning of the war and our future strategy, especially Naval,
depends. We must impart a far greater accuracy to the A.A. guns,
and a far better protection to our warships and harbours. Not
only research and experiments, but production, must be pushed
hopefully forward from many directions, and after repeated
disappointments we shall achieve success.
2. The IA priority must remain with aircraft production, for the
purpose of executing approved target programmes. It must be an
obligation upon them to contrive by every conceivable means not
to let this priority be abused and needlessly hamper other vital
452
departments. For this purpose they should specify thein the
meanwhile, so long as he gets their light tanks. I am prepared to
risk the fifty Infantry tanks in the Mediterranean, provided their
personnel is distributed among H.M. ships; but there can be no
question of them or their personnel going by the Cape, thus
making sure they are out of everything for two months. The
personnel sent through the Mediterranean must be cut down to
essentials, the balance going round.
Pray let me have further proposals by tomorrow (Monday).
1. Just before the French went out of the war, Admiral Darlan
bombarded Genoa in full daylight without any Asdic destroyer
protection, or any aircraft protection, and returned to Toulon
unscathed. The Eastern Mediterranean Fleet has three times
advanced to the centre of the Mediterranean and returned to
Alexandria with only one ship ? Gloucester ? hit by one bomb. A
few weeks ago a fast and a slow convoy were conducted
uninjured from Malta to Alexandria ? two days of their voyage
being beset by Italian aircraft.
2. The Admiralty now propose to send six destroyers from
Alexandria to meet Force ?H.? These destroyers, which will
certainly be detected from the air, will be within air-attacking
distance of the very numerous, fast Italian cruiser forces in their
home bases. This movement should be rightly condemned as
hazardous in the extreme but for the just estimation in which
Italian naval enterprise is held by C.-in-C. Mediterranean and the
Prime Minister to First Lord and First Sea Lord.
13.VIII.40.
438
Admiralty.
3. We are now told that it is too dangerous for the powerful
forces we shall have in motion in the near future to carry through
to the Eastern Mediterranean two M.T. [mechanical transport If you keep on talking this rubbish, saying I?m your wife and what not, just watch me cut your head off.? She raised her saber as she said this.
Yang Guo held his head and jumped to the side and pleaded, ?Miss, I won?t say it anymore.?
The girl said, ?Look at you, even an ugly old hag wouldn?t marry you.? Yang Guo laughed foolishly and didn?t reply.
Now, the sky was dark, the two stood in the unkempt land; they turned around, and saw smoke from cooking rising up from the town and both felt hungry.
The young girl said, ?Sha Dan, go to the market and buy ten buns.?
Yang Guo shook his head and said, ?I won?t go.? The young girl?s face turned angry and she said, ?Why not?? Yang Guo said, ?I won?t go! You are tricking me to go buy some buns so you could sneak off.? The young girl said, ?I said I won?t slip away so I won?t.? Yang Guo shook his head. The girl curled up her fist wanting to hit him but he quickly jumped to the side. The two of them ran around the bull like they were playing hide and seek. The girl was lame and it wasn?t easy for her to move. She saw the boy tripping up in front of her crying and shouting out, yet, although she possessed lightness kung fu, she was still unable to catch up with him.
The girl was furious, she thought about her martial arts, yet for some reason, she had allowed an ugly and smelly country bumpkin Sha Dan to stay on her tail. She had no way to escape, it might be said that she was incompetent. Yang Guo had made himself so much like the character he was supposed to be that when the girl failed three or four times to kill the Sha Dan, she was not suspicious. She followed the main road south and she saw that Yang Guo was holding onto the bull and catching up. She thought that she must find a way to kill him unexpectedly. In the short time it takes to cook rice, the sky had become even darker. She saw an old and run down stone house; it looked abandoned and thought, ?Tonight I?ll sleep here and when that idiot is sleeping in the middle of the night, I?ll kill him with one slash.? She walked towards the house and entered, dust entered her nose, the chairs and tables were broken and it appeared that this house was deserted long ago. She cut some grass and wiped a long table clean; she lay on the table, closed her eyes and rested. She saw that Yang Guo hadn?t followed her, and called out, ?Sha Dan! Sha Dan!? She didn?t hear a reply and thought, ?Could it be that the fool knows that I was going to kill him and left!begins.
* * * * *
In October, Mussolini, undeterred by belated British naval movements, launched the Italian
armies upon the invasion of Abyssinia. On the tenth, by the votes of fifty sovereign states
to one, the Assembly of the League resolved to take collective measures against Italy, and
a committee of eighteen was appointed to make further efforts for a peaceful solution.
Mussolini, thus confronted, made a clear-cut statement, marked by deep shrewdness.
Instead of saying, ?Italy will meet sanctions with war,? he said: ?Italy will meet them with
discipline, with frugality, and with sacrifice.? At the same time, however, he intimated that
he would not tolerate the imposition of any sanctions which hampered his invasion of
Abyssinia. If that enterprise were endangered, he would go to war with whoever stood in
his path. ?Fifty nations!? he said. ?Fifty nations, led by one!? Such was the position in the
weeks which preceded the dissolution of Parliament in Britain and the general election,
which was now constitutionally due.
* * * * *
Bloodshed in Abyssinia, hatred of Fascism, the invocation of sanctions by the League,
produced a convulsion within the British Labour Party. Trade-unionists, among whom Mr.
Ernest Bevin was outstanding, were by no means pacifist by temperament. A very strong
desire to fight the Italian Dictator, to enforce sanctions of a decisive character, and to use
the British Fleet, if need be, surged through the sturdy wage-earners. Rough and harsh
words were spoken at excited meetings. On one occasion Mr. Bevin complained that ?he
was tired of having George Lansbury's conscience carted about from conference to
conference.? Many members of the Parliamentary Labour Party shared the trade-union
mood. In a far wider sphere, all the leaders of the League of Nations Union felt themselves
bound to the cause of the League. Clause 5 of their ?Peace Ballot? was plainly involved.
Here were principles in obedience to which lifelong humanitarians were ready to die, and if
to die, also to kill. On October 8, Mr. Lansbury resigned his leadership of the Parliamentary
136
Labour Party, and Major Attlee, who had a fine war record, reigned in his stead.
* * * * *
But this national awakening was not in accord with Mr. Baldwin's outlook or intentions. It
was not till several months after the election that I began to understand the principles upon
which ?sanctions? were founded. The Prime Minister had declared that sanctions destroyers, which have already gone into action
against a U-boat. Kindest regards.
Smuts, far off in South Africa and without the latest information upon the
specialised problems of Insular Air Defence, naturally viewed the tragedy of
France according to orthodox principles: ?Concentrate everything at the
decisive point.? I had the advantage of knowing the facts, and of the detailed
advice of Air Marshal Dowding, head of Fighter Command. If Smuts and I had
been together for half an hour, and I could have put the data before him, we
should have agreed, as we always did on large military issues.
We are of course doing all we can both from the air and by
sending divisions as fast as they can be equipped to France. It
would be wrong to send the bulk of our fighters to this battle,
and when it was lost, as is probable, be left with no means of
carrying on the war. I think we have a harder, longer, and more
hopeful duty to perform. Advantages of resisting German air
Prime Minister to General Smuts.
9.VI.40.
149
attack in this island, where we can concentrate very powerful
fighter strength, and hope to knock out four or five hostiles to
one of ours, are far superior to fighting in France, where we are
inevitably outnumbered and rarely exceed two to one ratio of
destruction, and where our aircraft are often destroyed at
exposed aerodromes. This battle does not turn on the score or so
of fighter squadrons we could transport with their plant in the
next month. Even if by using them up we held the enemy, Hitler
could immediately throw his whole [air I have little doubt that the President's
speech against dictatorships has been largely influenced by our talk, and I
trust that the ground on the tariff and currency side is also being explored.
Thank you so much for your letter of September 20, and for the generous
things you have written about Nyon, which I much appreciate. I thought
your summing up of the position at Nyon, ?It is only rarely that an
opportunity comes when stern and effective measures can be brought to
Mr. Churchill to Mr. Eden. 20.IX.37.
Mr. Eden to Mr. Churchill. 25.IX.37.
189
bear upon an evil-doer without incurring the risk of war,? effectively
described the position. Mussolini has been unwise enough to overstep the
limits, and he has had to pay the penalty. There is no doubt that the
spectacle of eighty Anglo -French destroyers patrolling the Mediterranean
assisted by a considerable force of aircraft has made a profound impression
on opinion in Europe. From reports which I have received, Germany herself
has not been slow to take note of this fact. It was a great relief, both to
Delbos and me, to be able to assert the position of our respective countries
in this way in the autumn of a year in which we have inevitably had to be so
much on the defensive. There is plenty of trouble ahead, and we are not
yet, of course, anything like as strong in the military sense as I would wish,
but Nyon has enabled us to improve our position and to gain more time.
I also cordially agree with you on the importance of the Anglo-French cooperation
which we have now created in the Mediterranean. The whole
French attitude was, of course, fundamentally different from that which
prevailed when Laval was in command. The French Naval Staff could not
have been more helpful, and they really made a great effort to make an
important contribution to the joint force. Our Admiralty were, I am sure,
impressed. Moreover, the mutual advantages to which you refer in respect
of the use of each other's bases are very valuable. Nor will Italian
participation, whatever its ultimate form, be able to affect the realities of the
situation.
The Nyon Conference, although an incident, is a proof of how powerful the combined
influence of Britain and France, if expressed with conviction and a readiness to use force,
would have been upon the mood and policy of the Dictators. That such a policy would have
prevented war at this stage cannot be asserted. It might easily have delayed it. It is the
and a small one, and we were very close, I
fired my two torpedoes from my tubes [aftevident,? wrote General Massy a few days later in his dispatch, ?that if the French
Chasseurs could not retire along this route, the Germans could not advance along it. This
was an error, as the Germans have since made full use of it and have advanced so rapidly
along it that our troops in Mosjoen have not had time to get properly established, and it is
more than likely that we shall not be able to hold the place.? This proved true. The
destroyer Janus took a hundred Chasseurs Alpins and two light A.A. guns round by sea, but
they left again before the Germans came.
* * * * *
We have now pursued the Norwegian campaign to the point where it was overwhelmed by
gigantic events. The superiority of the Germans in design, management, and energy were
plain. They put into ruthless execution a carefully prepared plan of action. They
comprehended perfectly the use of the air arm on a great scale in all its aspects. Moreover,
their individual ascendancy was marked, especially in small parties. At Narvik a mixed and
improvised German force, barely six thousand strong, held at bay for six weeks some
twenty thousand Allied troops, and though driven out of the town lived to see them depart.
The Narvik attack, so brilliantly opened by the Navy, was paralysed by the refusal of the
487
military commander to run what was admittedly a desperate risk. The division of our
resources between Narvik and Trondheim was injurious to both our plans. The
abandonment of the central thrust on Trondheim wears an aspect of vacillation in the
British High Command for which, not only the experts, but the political chiefs who yielded
too easily to their advice, must bear a burden. At Namsos there was a muddy waddle
forward and back. Only in the Andalsnes expedition did we bite. The Germans traversed in
seven days the road from Namsos to Mosjoen, which the British and French had declared
impassable. At Bodo and Mo, during the retreat of Gubbins' force to the north, we were
each time just too late, and the enemy, although they had to overcome hundreds of miles
of rugged, snow-clogged country, drove us back in spite of gallant episodes. We, who had
the command of the sea and could pounce anywhere on an undefended coast, were
outpaced by the enemy moving by land across very large distances in the face of every
obstacle. In this Norwegian encounter, our finest troops, the Scots and Irish Guards, were
baffled by the vigour, enterprise, and training of Hitler's young mweapon can be
provided with ammunition, predictors, and other aids which
realise an accuracy of hitting three or four times as great as that
which now exists, the ground will have taken a long step towards
the re-conquest of the air. The Navy will regain much of its old
freedom of movement and power to take offensive action. And
the Army will be able to land at many points without the risk of
being ?Namsossed.? 1 We must, therefore, regard the whole
sphere of R.D.F. [Radar 21.X.40.
(Action this day.)
Prime Minister to Minister of Information and Sir Alexander Cadogan.
24.X.40.
696
T.U.C. are paying all his expenses in connection with the purely
Labour side of the business, but I think that any expenses he
may incur in work useful in the national interest should be
defrayed by the Ministry of Information. Perhaps the Minister
would look into this and see what can be done. In any case, Sir
Walter should be treated with the greatest consideration, as I am
sure we can count on his entire loyalty and discretion.
NOVEMBER
How is it that when we have five hundred and twenty crews
available for bombing operations, and only five hundred and
seven aircraft similarly available, we do not draw on the aircraft
storage units, where a large number are awaiting use?
Let me have, on not more than two sheets of paper, an analysis
of the German aviators taken prisoner of war since July 1,
showing numbers, ages, amount of training, etc., distinguishing
between bomber and fighter prisoners. Any other information
about them would be welcome.
Although 1 feel sceptical about the pocket battleship going to
Lorient, the Air Force should be thinking of attacking him there at
the earliest moment and should be warned now. If he goes to
Lorient, he runs a chance of being caught by you on the way in,
bombed while he is there, and caught again on the way out.
There is only one way in and out of Lorient. Very different is his
position at Kiel, where he can come out via the Heligoland Bight
or through the Skagerrak or sneak up the Norwegian Corridor to
Prime Minister to C.A.S.
1.XI.40.
Prime Minister to Secretary of State for Air.
1.XI.40.
Prime Minister to First Sea Lord.
6.XI.40.
697
Trondhjem. f would much rather see him go to Lorient than break
south or stay out on the Atlantic route or go back one side or the
other of Iceland.
If he continues preying on the trade, you ought to be able to
bring him to action.
On further reflection I agree it is better our two heavy ships
should stay in the north.
These notes are only for your consideration.
You impressed upon me how important it was to have a first-rate
man in charge of the Home Guard, and what a compliment to
them it would be if the former Chief of the Staff in France was
chosen; so General Pownall was appointed. But a few weeks later
I was astonished to learn he was to go to America on the mission
now discharged by General Pakenham-Walsh. With some
di we had taken the necessary steps to
immunize Germany from this madman. At this time the prospect of war filled the great
majority of the German people with horror. We did not intend to kill the Nazi leaders?
merely to arrest them, establish a military Government, and issue a proclamation to the
people that we had taken this action only because we were convinced they were being led
to certain disaster.
The following were in the plot: Generals Halder, Beck, Stuelpnagel, Witzleben (Commander
of the Berlin garrison), Thomas (Controller of Armaments), Brockdorff (Commander of the
Potsdam garrison), and Graf von Helldorf, who was in charge of the Berlin police. The
Commander-in-Chief, General von Brauchitsch, was informed, and approved.
It was easy, as a part of the troop movements against Czechoslovakia and of ordinary
military routine, to hold one Panzer division so near to Berlin that it could reach the capital
by a night's march. The evidence is clear that the Third Panzer Division, commanded by
237
General Hoeppner, was at the time of the Munich crisis stationed south of Berlin. General
Hoeppner's secret mission was to occupy the capital, the Chancellery, and the important
Nazi Ministries and offices at a given signal. For this purpose it was added to General
Witzleben's command. According to Halder's account, Helldorf, Chief of the Berlin police,
then made meticulous arrangements to arrest Hitler, Goering, Goebbels, and Himmler.
?There was no possibility of a hitch. All that was required for a completely successful coup
was Hitler's presence in Berlin.? He arrived there from Berchtesgaden on the morning of
September 14. Halder heard of this at midday, and immediately went over to see Witzleben
and complete the plans. It was decided to strike at eight that same evening. At 4 P.M.,
according to Halder, a message was received in Witzleben's office that Mr. Chamberlain
was going to fly to see the Fuehrer at Berchtesgaden. A meeting was at once held, at
which he, Halder, told Witzleben that ?if Hitler had succeeded in his bluff, he would not be
justified, as Chief of Staff, in calling it.? It was accordingly decided to defer action, and
await events.
Such is the tale, which historians should probe, of this internal crisis in Berlin as told by
General von Halder, at that time Chief of the Staff. It has since been confirmed by other
generals? Mueller and Hillebrandt? and has been accepted as genuine by various
authorities whosuccessful offensive in Libya. Pray, after an examination of
whole problem with Wavell and Smuts, do not hesitate to make
proposals for action on large scale at expense of other sectors,
and ask for any further aid you require from here, including
aircraft and anti-aircraft [batteriesis already stopped by the winter ice, which must not be [allowed to
be If you keep on talking this rubbish, saying I?m your wife and what not, just watch me cut your head off.? She raised her saber as she said this.
Yang Guo held his head and jumped to the side and pleaded, ?Miss, I won?t say it anymore.?
The girl said, ?Look at you, even an ugly old hag wouldn?t marry you.? Yang Guo laughed foolishly and didn?t reply.
Now, the sky was dark, the two stood in the unkempt land; they turned around, and saw smoke from cooking rising up from the town and both felt hungry.
The young girl said, ?Sha Dan, go to the market and buy ten buns.?
Yang Guo shook his head and said, ?I won?t go.? The young girl?s face turned angry and she said, ?Why not?? Yang Guo said, ?I won?t go! You are tricking me to go buy some buns so you could sneak off.? The young girl said, ?I said I won?t slip away so I won?t.? Yang Guo shook his head. The girl curled up her fist wanting to hit him but he quickly jumped to the side. The two of them ran around the bull like they were playing hide and seek. The girl was lame and it wasn?t easy for her to move. She saw the boy tripping up in front of her crying and shouting out, yet, although she possessed lightness kung fu, she was still unable to catch up with him.
The girl was furious, she thought about her martial arts, yet for some reason, she had allowed an ugly and smelly country bumpkin Sha Dan to stay on her tail. She had no way to escape, it might be said that she was incompetent. Yang Guo had made himself so much like the character he was supposed to be that when the girl failed three or four times to kill the Sha Dan, she was not suspicious. She followed the main road south and she saw that Yang Guo was holding onto the bull and catching up. She thought that she must find a way to kill him unexpectedly. In the short time it takes to cook rice, the sky had become even darker. She saw an old and run down stone house; it looked abandoned and thought, ?Tonight I?ll sleep here and when that idiot is sleeping in the middle of the night, I?ll kill him with one slash.? She walked towards the house and entered, dust entered her nose, the chairs and tables were broken and it appeared that this house was deserted long ago. She cut some grass and wiped a long table clean; she lay on the table, closed her eyes and rested. She saw that Yang Guo hadn?t followed her, and called out, ?Sha Dan! Sha Dan!? She didn?t hear a reply and thought, ?Could it be that the fool knows that I was going to kill him and left!are
accurate they constitute a deadly danger, and one of the first
magnitude. I expect the Chiefs of the Staff to use all the
resources at their disposal and to give me a report by tomorrow
night (a) chanel j12 watch upon the reality of the danger, (b) upon the measures
to counter it. In making any recommendation for action the
Chiefs of the Staff may be sure that the highest priorities and all
other resources will be at their disposal.
The composition hat for air raids which Mr. Bevin is promoting
seems to me of the utmost importance, and if it gives a measure
of protection against falling splinters, etc., it should certainly be
Prime Minister to Captain, H.M. Destroyer ?Churchill.? 25.IX.40.
Prime Minister to Foreign Secretary.
25.IX.40.
Prime Minister to General Ismay, for C.O.S. Committee. 26.IX.40.
Prime Minister to Home Secretary.
26.IX.40.
684
mass-produced on a great scale, and eventually made a full issue.
Pray let me have a report today on the experimental aspect, and
in conjunction with the Minister of Supply let me have estimates
for production.
I was delighted with your hat, and something on these lines
should certainly be mass-produced as soon as possible for issue
pending steel hats. I think it is a mistake to call it a ?rag hat,? as I
see is done in some of the papers today. I hope you will think of
some better name.
I am calling for a full report today from the Home Secretary.
Considering that everything depends upon Lord Beaverbrook?s
success in obtaining the supply of aircraft, and the heavy blows
he is receiving at Bristol, Southampton, and elsewhere, I
earnestly trust you will see that his wishes are met fully and
immediately in the matter of these spares.
I am far from satisfied at the proposal to reduce pigs to one-third
of their present number by the middle of the autumn. This is
certainly not what was understood by the Cabinet. Why do you
not ask for a greater proportion of feeding-stuffs in the imports?
We could then see what, if anything, had to give way to it.
Meanwhile, what arrangements are you making for curing the
surplus bacon that will come upon the market through the
massacre of pigs? What increases have you been able to establish
in the pig population by encouraging people to feed individual
pigs from household refuse?
Prime Minister to Minister of Labour.
26.IX.40.
Prime Minister to Secretary of State for Air and C.A.S. 26.IX.40.
Prime Minister to Minister of Agriculture.
26.IX.40.
685
Reraids on
Lyons and Marseilles, that we should be able to strike back with
our heavy bombers at Italy the moment she enters the war. I
consider therefore that these squadrons should be flown to their
aerodromes in Southern France at the earliest moment when
French permission can be obtained and when the servicing units
are ready for their reception.
Pray let me know at our meeting tonight what you propose.
It is of the highest importance that we should strike at Italy the
moment war breaks out, or an overbearing ultimatum is received.
Please let me know the exact position of the servicing units which
are on their way to the southern aerodromes in France.
An early Italian plan, favoured particularly by Ciano, had been that Italian
action in Europe should be confined to the launching of an attack on
Yugoslavia, thus consolidating Italy?s power in Eastern Europe and
strengthening her potential economic position. Mussolini himself was for a
time won over to this idea. Graziani records that at the end of April the Duce
told him, ?We must bring Yugoslavia to her knees; we have need of raw
materials and it is in her mines that we must find them. In consequence my
strategic directive is ? defensive in the west (France) and offensive in the east
(Yugoslavia). Prepare a study of the problem.? 3 Graziani claims that he
advised strongly against committing the Italian armies, short as they were of
equipment, particularly of artillery, to a repetition of the Isonzo campaign of
Prime Minister to Secretary of State for Air and Chief of Air Staff. 2.VI.40.
Prime Minister to S. of S. for Air and C.A.S.
6.VI.40.
131
1915. There were also political arguments against the Yugoslav plan. The
Germans were anxious at this moment to avoid disturbing Eastern Europe.
They feared it would provoke British action in the Balkans and might
inadvertently tempt Russia to further activity in the East. I was not aware of
this aspect of Italian policy.
I have hitherto argued against going to war with Italy because
she attacked [i.e., if she were to attackmade it plain that if the Soviet
Government wished to make their own intervention contingent on
that of Great Britain and France, His Majesty's Government for their
part would have no objection.
It was a pity that this had not been explicitly stated a fortnight earlier.
It should be mentioned here that on May 12, the Anglo-Turkish Agreement was formally
ratified by the Turkish Parliament. By means of this addition to our commitments, we
hoped to strengthen our position in the Mediterranean in the event of a crisis. Here was our
answer to the Italian occupation of Albania. Just as the period of talking with Germany was
over, so now we reached in effect the same deadlock with Italy.
The Russian negotiations proceeded languidly, and on May 19 the whole issue was raised in
the House of Commons. The debate, which was short and serious, was practically confined
to the leaders of parties and to prominent ex-Ministers. Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Eden, and I
all pressed upon the Government the vital need of an immediate arrangement with Russia
of the most far-reaching character and on equal terms. Mr. Lloyd George began, and
painted a picture of gloom and peril in the darkest hues:
The situation reminds me very much of the feeling that prevailed in the early
spring of 1918. We knew there was a great attack coming from Germany,
281
but no one quite knew where the blow would fall. I remember that the
French thought it would fall on their front, while our generals thought it
would fall on ours. The French generals were not even agreed as to the part
of their front on which the attack would fall, and our generals were equally
divided. All that we knew was that there was a tremendous onslaught
coming somewhere, and the whole atmosphere was filled with I will not say
fear, but with uneasiness. We could see the tremendous activities behind the
German lines, and we knew that they were preparing something. That is
more or less what seems to me to be the position today we are all very
anxious; the whole world is under the impression that there is something
preparing in the nature of another attack from the aggressors. Nobody quite
knows where it will come. We can see that they are speeding up their
armaments at a rate hitherto unprecedented, especially in weapons of the
offensive? tanks, bombing airplanes, submarines. We know that they are
occupying and fortifying fresh positions that will give them strategic
advantages in a war with France and till after the end of 1940. Beware lest these fortification
people and other departmentals do not consume our strength upon longscale
developments which cannot mature till after the climax which settles
our fate.
I see the departments full of loose fat, following on undue starvation. It
would be much better from your point of view to come along with your
alguazils as critics upon wasteful exhibitions, rather than delaying action.
Don't hamper departments acting in a time of crisis; give them the
responsibility; but call them swiftly to account for any failure in thrift.
I hope you will not mind me writing to you upon this subject, because I feel
just as strongly about the husbanding of the money power as I do about the
war effort, of which it is indeed an integral part. In all these matters you can
count on my support, and also, as the head of a spending department, upon
my submission to searching superintendence.
* * * * *
In every war in which the Royal Navy has claimed the command of the seas, it has had to
pay the price of exposing immense targets to the enemy. The privateer, the raiding cruiser,
and above all the U-boat, have in all the varying forms of war exacted a heavy toll upon the
life-lines of our commerce and food-supply. A prime function of defence has, therefore,
always been imposed upon us. From this fact the danger arises of our being driven or
subsiding into a defensive naval strategy and habit of mind. Modern developments have
aggravated this tendency. In the two Great Wars, during parts of which I was responsible
for the control of the Admiralty, I have always sought to rupture this defensive obsession
by searching for forms of counter-offensive. To make the enemy wonder where he is going
to be hit next may bring immeasurable relief to the process of shepherding hundreds of
convoys and thousands of merchantmen safely into port. In the First World War I hoped to
find in the Dardanelles, and later in an attack upon Borkum and other Frisian islands, the
means of regaining the initiative, and forcing the weaker naval power to study his own
problems rather than ours. Called to the Admiralty again in 1939, and as soon as
immediate needs were dealt with and perils warded off, I could not rest content with the
policy of ?convoy and blockade.? I sought earnestly for a way of attacking Germany by
naval means.
First and foremost gleamed the Baltic. The command of the Baltic by a British Fleet carried
with it possithe new convoy, together
with estimated dates for their being mounted.
3. Relations with Vichy. We cannot accept the position that we
495
must yield to the wishes of Vichy out of fear lest they make air
raids upon Gibraltar, for there would be no end to that. We must
reassert our blockade of the Straits, dealing with vessels whether
escorted or unescorted, though without violating Spanish
territorial waters. We should assemble a sufficient force at
Gibraltar for this purpose at the earliest date possible. Meanwhile,
we must maintain as good a blockade of Dakar as possible, and
protect Duala, etc., from a counter-stroke by the French cruisers
in Dakar. The conversations with Vichy, if they take place, may
reach a modus vivendi falling somewhat short of these
desiderata. Of course, if we could be assured that Vichy, or part
of Vichy, was genuinely moving in our direction, we could ease
up on them to a very large extent. It seems probable that they
will be increasingly inclined to move as we desire, and I
personally do not believe that hard pressure from us will prevent
this favourable movement. It is becoming more difficult every day
for Vichy to lead France into war with us. We must not be too
much afraid of checking this process, because the tide in our
favour will master and overwhelm the disturbing eddies of the
blockade and possible sea incidents. I do not believe that any
trouble will arise with the French which will prevent the
impending movement of our convoy to Malta. The chance is
there, but it is remote and must be faced.
4. The greatest prize open to Bomber Command is the disabling
of Bismarck and Tirpitz. If Bismarck could be set back for three or
four months, the King George V could go to the Eastern
Mediterranean to work up, and could therefore play a decisive
part in the occupation of Malta by the Fleet. This would speedily
transform the strategic situation in the Mediterranean.
5. Should October pass without invasion, we should begin the
reinforcement of the Middle East by the Cape route to the utmost
extent our shipping permits, sending, as arranged, the armoured
units, the Australians and New Zealanders, in November, another
British division before Christmas, and at least four more during
January, February, and March. All this would be in addition to the
necessary drafts. Let me know how far your present programme
of sailings conforms to this.
496
6. The time has also come for a further strong rein which seems to contain a lot of loose thinking.
Evidently we must ?pull forward? everything that can be made
effective in the next five months, and accept the consequent
retardation of later production, but there is no reason whatever
to alter, so far as I can see, the existing approved schemes for a
three years? war. Indeed, they will be more necessary than ever if
France drops out.
Pray let me have your views.
I am much grieved to hear of the further delay in the proximity
fuze (P.F.).
Considering the enormous importance of this, and the directions I
have given that all possible pressure should be put behind it, it
Prime Minister to Professor Lindemann.
3.VI.40.
Prime Minister to Professor Lindemann.
3.VI.40.
Prime Minister to Professor Lindemann. (Secret.)
7.VI.40.
633
would surely have been right to have two or three firms
simultaneously making the experimental pattern, so that if one
failed the other could go on.
Please report to me what has been done.
You have not given me yet either a full statement of the
production which is already ordered in rockets for the proximity
fuze and in rockets for the ordinary fuze before we get the P.F.
It is of the utmost importance that you should go forward with
the stabilising bomb-sight, as we must knock out their aircraft
factories at the same rate that they affect ours. If you will gather
together (a) all the people interested in the P.F. and (b) all those
interested in the stabilised bomb-sight, I will next week receive
their reports and urge them on.
It was decided on December 22 at a conference on bomb-sight
design that urgent action should be taken to convert two
thousand six hundred A.B.s, Mark II, into stabilised high altitude
bomb-sights, over ninety percent of the drawings then being
completed. Please let me know exactly what followed. How is it
that only one bomb-sight was converted? I should be very glad if
you would look at the files and ascertain who was responsible for
stifling action.
This report 2 is most interesting, and I shall be glad if you will
arrange to use the squadron you mentioned yesterday for the
purpose of infecting the reaches mentioned, where the traffic is
reported to be so heavy. We do not need to ask the French
permission for this, but only for the continuous streaming of the
naval fluvials. This I am doing. Meanwhile you should act as soon
as you can on the lower reaches. Kindly report what you will do.
Prime Minister to Minister o4 have been a great disappointment
so far this war. The question of their alternative uses ought to be
considered by the Admiralty. I expect they have a large number
of skilled ratings on board. Could I have a list of these ships, their
tonnage, speeds, etc. Could they not carry troops or stores while
plying on their routes?
* * * * *
My indignation at the denial of the Southern Irish ports mounted under these
pressures.
* * * * *
Prime Minister to Minister of Transport.
27.XII.40.
Prime Minister to First Lord.
29.XII.40.
Prime Minister to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
1.XII.40.
599
The straits to which we are being reduced by Irish action compel
a reconsideration of these subsidies [to Irelandon Thursday, saw the gunner in
question and had a rocket fired off. Moreover, it was the
Admiralty Committee over which I presided early in the year
which produced the idea of using these distress rockets. I am,
therefore, well acquainted with the subject. The Air Ministry, not
for the first time, spread itself into very large demands, and,
using its priority, barged in heavily into other forms of not less
important production. I agree that P.A.C.8 rockets may be a good
interim defence against low-flying attack, but they have to take
their place in the general scheme. I thought myself about five
thousand a month would be sufficient, but I am willing to agree
to fifteen hundred a week, or six thousand a month. This figure
could be somewhat extended if the wire -recovery projects you
mention were further developed and proved an effective
economy.
(Action this day.)
Prime Minister to General Ismay. 25.VIII.40.
Prime Minister to Secretary of State for Air.
25.VIII.40.
(Action this day.)
Prime Minister to Secretary of State for War. 25.VIII.40.
666
War Office have accepted from the War Cabinet the responsibility
of dealing with delayed -action bombs. This may become a feature
of the enemy attack. A number were thrown last night into the
City, causing obstruction. They may even try them on Whitehall!
It seems to me that energetic effort should be made to provide
sufficient squads to deal with this form of attack in the large
centres. The squads must be highly mobile, so as not to waste
men and material. They must move in motor lorries quickly from
one point to another. I presume a careful system of reporting all
unexploded bombs and the time at which they fell is in operation,
and that this information will be sent immediately to the delayedaction
section of Home Defence, which has no doubt already
been established, and also the various local branches. The
service, which is highly dangerous, must be considered
particularly honourable, and rewards should follow its successful
discharge.
I should be very glad to see your plans for the new section,
together with numbers, and it will also be interesting to have a
short account of the work done up to date and the methods
employed. I presume you are in touch with all the scientific
authorities you need.
On the other hand, I am asking the Air Ministry for information as
to their reciprocating this process on the enemy.
(General Ismay to see.)
I cannot feel you are justifiedDominions, for
whom we are trustees. I have nevertheless always had in mind
your point and have raised it in various telegrams to President as
well as to Mackenzie King. If Great Britain broke under invasion, a
pro-German Government might obtain far easier terms from
Germany by surrendering the Fleet, thus making Germany and
Japan masters of the New World. This dastard deed would not be
done by His Majesty?s present advisers, but if some Quisling
Government were set up, it is exactly what they would do, and
perhaps the only thing they could do, and the President should
bear this very clearly in mind. You should talk to him in this sense
and thus discourage any complacent assumption on United
States? part that they will pick up the debris of the British Empire
by their present policy. On the contrary, they run the terrible risk
that their sea-power will be completely overmatched. Moreover,
islands and naval bases to hold the United States in awe would
certainly be claimed by the Nazis. If we go down, Hitler has a
very good chance of conquering the world.
I hope the foregoing will be a help to you in your conversations.
Nearly a month passed before any result emerged. Then came an encouraging
telegram from the Ambassador. He said (July 5/6) that informed American
opinion was at last beginning to realise that they were in danger of losing the
British Fleet altogether if the war went against us and if they remained
Prime Minister to Lord Lothian.
9.VI.40.
390
neutral. It would, however, be extremely difficult to get American public
opinion to consider letting us have American destroyers unless it could be
assured that in the event of the United States entering the war the British
Fleet or such of it as was afloat would cross the Atlantic if Great Britain were
overrun.
At the end of July, under the increasing pressure from so many angles at
once, I took the matter up again.
It is some time since I ventured to cable personally to you, and
many things, both good and bad, have happened in between. It
has now become most urgent for you to let us have the
destroyers, motor-boats, and flying-boats for which we have
asked. The Germans have the whole French coastline from which
to launch U -boats and dive-bomber attacks upon our trade and
food, and in addition we must be constantly prepared to repel by
sea-action threatened invasion in the Narrow Waters, and also to
deal with break-outs from Norway towards Ireland, Iceland,
She In addition to the above, at
least three batteries of British artillery, although horse -drawn,
must be embarked immediately from India for Suez. Admiralty to
arrange transport.
10. Most of the above movements should be completed between
September 15 and October 1, and on this basis the Army of the
Delta should comprise:
(1) The British Armoured Force in Egypt.
(2) The four British battalions at Mersa Matruh, the two at
Alexandria, and the two in Cairo ? total, eight.
(3) The three battalions from the Canal Zone.
(4) The reserve British Brigade from Palestine ? total, fourteen
British Regular infantry battalions.
(5) The New Zealand Brigade.
(6) The Australian Brigade from Palestine.
(7) The Polish Brigade.
(8) Part of the Union Brigade from East Africa.
(9) The Fourth Indian Division now in rear of Mersa Matruh.
(10) The new Indian division in transit.
(11) The eleven thousand men in drafts arriving almost at once at
Suez.
(12) All the artillery (one hundred and fifty guns) now in the
Middle East or en route from India.
(13) The Egyptian Army so far as it can be used for field
operations.
420
11. The above should constitute by October 1, at the latest thirtynine
battalions, together with the armoured forces; a total of
56,000 men and 212 guns. This is exclusive of internal security
troops.
(Part II)
12. It is hoped that the armoured brigade from England of three
regiments of tanks will be passed through the Mediterranean by
the Admiralty. If this is impossible, their arrival round the Cape
may be counted upon during the first fortnight in October. The
arrival of this force in September must be deemed so important
as to justify a considerable degree of risk in its transportation.
(Part III) Tactical employment of the above force:
13. The Mersa Matruh position must be fortified completely and
with the utmost speed. The sector held by the three Egyptian
battalions must be taken over by three British battalions, making
the force homogeneous. This must be done even if the Egyptian
Government wish to withdraw the artillery now in the hands of
these three battalions. The possibility of reinforcing by sea the
Mersa Matruh position and cutting enemy communications, once
they have passed by on their march to the Delta, must be studied
with the Naval Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet.
Alternatively a descent upon the communications at Sollum or
farther west may be preferred.
14. All water supplies between Mersain the first nine
months (many more than are there now), but also an Indian
Corps fought by Christmas in France. Our weakness, slowness,
lack of grip and drive are very apparent on the background of
what was done twenty-five years ago. I really think that you,
Lloyd, and Amery ought to be able to lift our affairs in the East
and Middle East out of the catalepsy by which they are smitten.
* * * * *
This was a time when all Britain worked and strove to the utmost limit and
was united as never before. Men and women toiled at the lathes and
machines in the factories till they fell exhausted on the floor and had to be
dragged away and ordered home, while their places were occupied by
newcomers ahead of time. The one desire of all the males and many women
was to have a weapon. The Cabinet and Government were locked together by
bonds the memory of which is still cherished by all. The sense of fear seemed
entirely lacking in the people, and their representatives in Parliament were not
unworthy of their mood. We had not suffered like France under the German
flail. Nothing moves an Englishman so much as the threat of invasion, the
reality unknown for a thousand years. Vast numbers of people were resolved
to conquer or die. There was no need to rouse their spirit by oratory. They
165
were glad to hear me express their sentiments and give them good reasons
for what they meant to do, or try to do. The only possible divergence was
from people who wished to do even more than was possible, and had the idea
that frenzy might sharpen action.
Our decision to send our only two well-armed divisions back to France made it
all the more necessary to take every possible measure to defend the island
against direct assault. Our most imminent dangers at home seemed to be
parachute descents; or, even worse, the landing of comparatively small but
highly mobile German tank forces which would rip up and disorganise our
defence, as they had done when they got loose in France. In close contact
with the new Secretary of State for War, my thoughts and directions were
increasingly concerned with Home Defence. The fact that we were sending so
much to France made it all the more necessary to make the best of what we
had left for ourselves.
I should like to be informed upon (1) the coastal watch and
coastal batteries; (2) the gorging of the harbours and defended
inlets (i.e., the making of the landward defences); (3) the troops
held in immediate support of t The only scale of attack which it seems to me
need be contemplated for the centre of Government is, say, five
hundred parachutists or Fifth Columnists. What is the present
plan, and what is the scale against which it is being provided?
You might do something for Jos. He is a grand-hearted man.
I am rather doubtful, from information which has reached me,
whether our home timber resources are being adequately
developed.
This, of course, is primarily a matter for the Minister of Supply,
who I know has made certain departmental adjustments recently
with this particular end in view.
Let me have a statement showing the scheme of defence for the
Central Government, Whitehall, etc. What was the scale of attack
prescribed, and who was responsible for taking the measures?
What was the reason for attempting to put an anti-tank obstacle
across St. James?s Park? Who-ordered this? When was it counterordered?
Prime Minister to Secretary of State for War.
20.VII.40.
Prime Minister to Minister without Portfolio.
20.VII.40.
Prime Minister to General Ismay.
21.VII.40.
Prime Minister to General Ismay.
23.VII.40.
647
I am told that the refuelling of fighter aeroplanes could be much
more rapidly achieved if there were more tankers on the
aerodromes, and considering that an attack by air would make
every minute gained in returning the fighters to the air most
precious, I should be glad if measures were taken at once to
double it or greatly increase the fuelling facilities.
I do not seem to have had any answer from you to my query
about whether the 2d Canadian Division and all it stands for is
being frittered away in Iceland.
1. It is, of course, urgent and indispensable that every effort
should be made to obtain secretly the best possible information
about the German forces in the various countries overrun, and to
establish intimate contacts with local people, and to plant agents.
This, I hope, is being done on the largest scale, as opportunity
serves, by the new organisation under M.E.W. None of this
partakes of the nature of military operations.
2. It would be most unwise to disturb the coasts of any of these
countries by the kind of silly fiascos which were perpetrated at
Boulogne and Guernsey. The idea of working all these coasts up
against us by pin-prick raids and fulsome communiques is one to
be strictly avoided.
3. Sir Roger Keyes is now studying the whole subject of medium
raids ? i.e., not less than five nor more than tenthat the first eight battalions leave India on
their voyage round the Cape, arriving only July 25.
2. The Australians are coming in the big ships, but they seem to
have wasted a week at Capetown, and are now only proceeding
at eighteen knots, instead of the twenty I was assured were
possible. It is hoped they will be here about the 15th. Is this so?
At any rate, whenever they arrive, the big ships should be
immediately filled with Territorials ? the more the better ?
preferably twelve battalions, and sent off to India at full speed.
As soon as they arrive in India, they should embark another eight
Regular battalions for this country, making the voyage again at
full speed. They should then take another batch of Territorials to
India. Future transferences can be discussed later? . All I am
asking now is that the big ships should go to and fro at full
speed.
3. I am very sorry indeed to find the virtual deadlock which local
objections have imposed upon the battalions from Palestine. It is
quite natural that General Wavell should look at the situation only
from his own viewpoint. Here we have to think of building up a
good army in order to make up, as far as possible, for the
lamentable failure to support the French by an adequate B.E.F.
during the first year of the war. Do you realise that in the first
year of the late war we brought forty-seven divisions into action,
and that these were divisions of twelve battalions plus one
Pioneer battalion, not nine as now? We are indeed the victims of
a feeble and weary departmentalism.
4. Owing to the saving of the B.E.F., I have been willing to wait
for the relief of the eight battalions from Palestine by eight native
Prime Minister to black and white chanel Secretary of State for War.
6.VI.40.
164
Indian battalions, provided these latter were sent at once; but
you give me no time-table for this. I have not yet received any
report on whether it is possible to send these British battalions
and their Indian relief via Basra and the Persian Gulf. Perhaps
you would very kindly let me have this in the first instance.
5. I am prepared also to consider as an alternative, or an
immediate step, the sending home [i.e., to Britainfrom the United States as yet. We have not
expected them to send military aid, but they have not even sent
any worthy contribution in destroyers or planes, or by a visit of a
squadron of their Fleet to southern Irish ports. Any pressure
which you can apply in this direction would be invaluable.
We are most deeply grateful to you for all your help and for [the
four Canadianfrom her pockets, two ?ting? noises were heard as they collided with each other, she said, ?Little brother, if you follow my instructions then I?ll give these ingots to you.?
Yang Guo originally didn?t want to have anything do with her, but he heard that her words were suspicious and wanted to find out what she wanted so he pretended to be stupid, and looked at the ingots and said, ?What use do those shiny rocks have??
The Taoist priestess smiled and said, ?It?s money. If you want new clothes, chickens, rice, you could buy them with this.?
Yang Guo put on a baffled expression and said, ?You want to lie to me, I don?t believe you.?
The Taoist priestess laughed and said, ?When have I lied to you? Hey, little kid, what is your name??
Yang Guo said, ?Everyone calls me ?Sha Dan? (Dumb Egg), don?t you know that? What?s your name??
The Taoist priestess laughed and said, ?Sha Dan, you can call me Angelic Priestess, where?s your mother??
Yang Guo said, ?My mum just scolded me, and went over to the other side of the mountain to chop firewood.?
The Taoist priestess said, ?I need a hatchet, go to your home and get one, and then lend it to me.?
Yang Guo was curious, he opened his eyes wide, drooled and made himself look even more like a stupid person, he shook his head incessantly and said, ?I can?t; I can?t lend my family?s hatchet. If dad finds out I?ll be punished.?
The Taoist priestess smiled and said, ?When your parents see the money, they?ll be too pleased to punish you.? As she said this she passed an ingot in his direction. Yang Guo extended his hand to catch it, and then pretended to miss it, and let the ingot hit his shoulder and when it came down it hit his right foot, he held his right foot with his hands and hopped on his left foot and called out, ?Ah, ah, you hit me! I?m going to tell mother!? He called and shouted; he ignored the ingot and ran forward.
The Taoist priestess thought that he was interesting, and smiled. She took off her belt, and waved it at his right foot. Yang Guo heard the wind sound and turned his head around, he was alarmed, and thought, ?That?s our Ancient Tomb sect?s kung fu! Isn?t she a disciple of Quanzhen?? He didn?t dodge and let her belt wrap around his right leg, he fell on the ground and relaxed his body, letting her pull him towards her, and secretly feared, ?Is she going up the mountain to attack Gu Gu??
He thought about Xiao Longnu, he didn?t know whether she was dead or alive, he was extremely worrithat the shore batteries could be
either destroyed or dominated to such an extent as to permit
transports to enter? If so, how many ships and what type would you
propose?
On this Admiral Forbes asked for details about the Trondheim defences. He agreed that the
shore batteries might be destroyed or dominated in daylight by battleships provided with
suitable ammunition. None was carried at that moment in Home Fleet ships. The first and
most important task, he said, was to protect troopships from heavy air attack over the
thirty miles approach through narrow waters, and the next to carry out an opposed landing
of which ample warning had been given. In the circumstances he did not consider the
operation feasible.
The Naval Staff persisted in their view, and the Admiralty with my earnest agreement
replied on April 15 as follows:
We still think that the operation described should be further studied.
It could not take place for seven days, which would be devoted to
careful preparation. Danger from air not appreciably less wherever
these large troopships are brought into the danger zone. Our idea
would be that in addition to R.A.F. bombing of Stavanger
467
aerodrome, Suffolk should bombard with high-explosive at dawn,
hoping thereby to put the aerodrome out of business. The
aerodrome at Trondheim could be dealt with by Fleet air -arm
bombers and subsequently by bombardment. High-explosive shells
for fifteen-inch guns have been ordered to Rosyth. Furious and First
Cruiser Squadron would be required for this operation. Pray,
therefore, consider this important project further.
Admiral Forbes, although not fully convinced of its soundness, therefore addressed himself
to the project in a more favourable mood. In a further reply he said that he did not
anticipate great difficulty from the naval side, except that he could not provide air defence
for the transports while carrying out the landing. The naval force required would be the
Valiant and Renown to give air defence to the Glorious, the Warspite to bombard, at least
four A.A. cruisers and about twenty destroyers.
* * * * *
While plans for the frontal attack on Trondheim from the sea were being advanced with all
speed, two subsidiary landings were already in progress designed to envelop the town from
the landward side. Of these the first was a hundred miles to the north, at Namsos, where
Major-General Carton de Wiart, V.C., had been chosen to command the troops with orders
?to secThe Cabinet, including the Foreign Secretary, appeared strongly
favourable to this action.
It is therefore necessary to take all steps to prepare it.
First Lord to First Sea Lord and others. 19.IX.39.
400
1. The negotiations with the Norwegians for the chartering of their tonnage
must be got out of the way first.
2. The Board of Trade would have to make arrangements with Sweden to
buy the ore in question, as it is far from our wish to quarrel with the
Swedes.
3. The Foreign Office should be made acquainted with our proposals, and
the whole story of Anglo -American action in 1918 must be carefully set forth,
together with a reasoned case.
4. The operation itself should be studied by the Admiralty Staff concerned.
The Economic Warfare Department should be |
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