The Grand Alliance (165 page)

If it were allowed a twelve-month run at the peak, it may
be that a larger delivery would be possible from November on.

4. The criterion of bomber strength is the weight of
bombs deliverable per month on the reasonably foreseeable targets in Germany and Italy. Have the Air
Staff plans been applied to the figures of production
with this end in view? It may be that a heavier load
carried by a new machine would give better results. But
a machine which is good enough to carry two tons to
the Ruhr ought to have a long run in continuous production before it is discarded. There are no doubt other
instances. I have asked the M.A.P. to review their
programmes accordingly, having regard to the grievous
loss on too hasty change-overs.

5. The new programme is substantially less than the
March figures, and far below the October [1940]

figures. However, many materials have been accumulated on the October basis. A substantial expansion
should therefore be possible if all factors are fitted to
the optimum. The Air Ministry should show how this
latest programme, apart from any expansion, fits in with
their pilot production for the next twelve months, having
regard, on the one hand, to the reduced scale of losses
which has been found operative by experience, and, on
the other, to the much more lavish pilot establishment
now said to be necessary in proportion to machines.

Bombs, explosives, guns, and all accessories must be
measured in relation both to the existing programme
and the necessary expansion. In principle however we
must aim at nothing less than having an Air Force twice
as strong as the German Air Force by the end of 1942.

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This ought not to be impossible if a renewed vast effort
is made now. It is the very least that can be contemplated, since no other way of winning the war has yet been
proposed.

Prime Minister to Secretary

16.VII.41.

of State for Air

Investigations by the Ministry of Home Security into
the effect of German high-explosive bombs has shown
that a far greater amount of damage is done by blast,
which destroys buildings, etc., than by splinters, which
find very few useful targets, especially at night, when
most people are under cover.

The higher the proportion of high explosive to bomb-case the greater the blast. If the weight of the metal
case is increased, we get more splinters.

Our general purpose bombs have a charge-weight
ratio of about 30 to 70. The Germans work with a larger
ratio, about 50-50. These are not only more efficient for
destroying cities; they are also cheaper.

In these circumstances the charge-weight ratio of
our bombs ought to be reconsidered, especially now
that the Air Ministry have asked for such a large expansion in output.

Prime Minister to Secretary

16.VII.4I.

of State for Air

I should be glad if you could send me a brief report
on the blind-landing position, showing how far the R.A.

F. is equipped with this aid.

Prime Minister to Sir Edward

17.VII.41.

Bridges

I have a feeling that Parliament does not at all
understand the very great advance made in the refinement of priority questions through the development of
the allocation principle. Let me have a note on this not
exceeding one page. In fact, I think we hear very little
about priorities now. Here and there there may be a
focal point, but, speaking generally, am I not right in
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stance, how well the giving of first priority to the production of tanks on psycho logical grounds has been
adjusted. Priorities now resolve themselves into the
opening-out of bottlenecks. No one has an absolute
priority to the exclusion of all others. There have been
no recent clashes. Comment freely on this by Friday.

Prime Minister to General

17.VII.41.

Ismay, for departments

concerned

What is the cause of the failure to produce containers in June? A fall from fifteen hundred to five hundred
tons is shocking, and absolutely contrary to the express
instructions of the Cabinet over many months. Who is
responsible? The absolute maximum effort must be
used, with super-priority to make, store, and fill into
containers the largest possible quantities of gas.

Let me know exactly who is responsible for this
failure.

At any moment this peril may be upon us. Papers
must be prepared for Cabinet discussion next week.

Prime Minister to Home

19.VII.41.

Secretary

I should like to have my opinion put on record that
this sentence [of five years penal servitude on Miss
Elsie Orrin for saying to two soldiers that Hitler was a
good ruler, a better man than Mr. Churchill] is far too
heavy for expressions of opinion, however pernicious,
which are not accompanied by conspiracy. Nothing in
the internal state of the country justifies such unreasonable and unnatural severity. I consider such excessive
action defeats its own ends.

(Action this day.) Prime

20.VII.41.

Minister to First Sea Lord

and General Ismay forC.O.

S. Committee

I strongly deprecate bringing this [Glen] ship home.

We sent these three ships all round the Cape with
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much heart-burning in the hopes of “Mandibles” and for
other island attacks. Commandos have been fritted
away, and are now disbanded. The late régime in the
Middle East showed no aptitude for combined operations. There was no D.C.O. [Director of Combined
Operations], but only a lukewarm and uninfluential
committee. Nevertheless, we cannot exclude the need
of landing operations in the future. The other two Glen
ships are being mended, and it would be altogether
wrong to take this one away. I hope therefore the
Chiefs of Staff will consider the matter in all its bearings.

(Action this day.) Prime

21.VII.41.

Minister to C.A.S.

Under the directions given at the time when the
Battle of the Atlantic was declared in March, the
Coastal Command received a special flow of reinforcements. I understand that in pursuance of this all the
Flying Fortresses, B.24’s, that have come from the
United States recently have been sent to Coastal
Command. In the United States these machines are
considered the ideal bombers for Berlin, etc. Mr.

Hopkins has been asking me about their use, and
seemed to be recording an American impression that
they were lying idle because we had no crews where-with to man them. I am correcting this impression, but I
think on the widest grounds it would be a very good
thing if these bombers were used against Germany in
bombing raids. Furthermore, Coastal Command have
been reinforced by sixty-five Catalinas and many
Sunderlands, and the Battle of the Atlantic is very much
eased by recent results, as well as by the impending
developments following upon the United States occupation of Iceland, of which the First Sea Lord will tell you.

Pray let me have your views.

C.-in-C. Bomber Command says he is very short
and not expanding.

Prime Minister to General

23.VII.41.

Ismay, for C.O.S. Committee

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I wish the Commandos in the Middle East to be
reconstituted as soon as possible. Instead of being
governed by a committee of officers without much
authority, Brigadier Laycock should be appointed
Director of Combined Operations. The three Glen ships
and the D.C.O., with his forces, should be placed
directly under Admiral Cunningham, who should be
charged with all combined operations involving sea
transport and not exceeding one brigade. The Middle
East Command have indeed maltreated and thrown
away this invaluable force.

Prime Minister to General

25.VII.41.

Ismay

Let me have on one sheet of paper the exact
strength and details of the reinforcements and stores
which got into Malta, and also the previous strength of
the Malta garrison.

Prime Minister to Colonel

25.VII.41.

Jacob

Let me have a short account of what has happened
to our rifle production. What were the forecasts in
September, 1939? What have been the results? What
loss was attributed to the bombing? What are the new
forecasts up to the end of the year 1941?

Former Naval Person to

25.VII.41.

President Roosevelt

I am most grateful for your message about the tank
programme. This addition to our tank resources in the
coming critical months is splendid. As to the longer-term policy, all our experience goes to show that more
heavily armed and armoured vehicles are required for
modern battle, and we should therefore plan to
increase the output of medium tanks at the expense of
light tanks, but not of course at the expense of your air
programme.

2. I am much interested in your suggestion that men
for our Tank Corps should be trained in the United
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States. We are examining it here, and will let you know
our views as soon as possible.

3. We have been considering here our war plans,
not only for the fighting of 1942, but also for 1943. After
providing for the security of essential bases, it is necessary to plan on the largest scale the forces needed for
victory. In broad outline, we must aim first at intensifying the blockade and propaganda. Then we must
subject Germany and Italy to a ceaseless and evergrowing air bombardment. These measures may
themselves produce an internal convulsion or collapse.

But plans ought also to be made for coming to the aid
of the conquered populations by landing armies of
liberation when opportunity is ripe. For this purpose it
will be necessary not only to have great numbers of
tanks, but also of vessels capable of carrying them and
landing them direct onto beaches. It ought not to be
difficult for you to make the necessary adaptation in
some of the vast numbers of merchant vessels you are
building so as to fit them for tank-landing fast ships.

4. If you agree with this broad conception of bringing
Germany to her knees, we should not lose a moment
in: (a) Framing an agreed estimate as to our joint
requirements of the primary weapons of war, e.g.,
aircraft, tanks, etc. (b) Thereafter considering how
these requirements are to be met by our joint production.

5. Meanwhile I suggest that our combined staffs in
London should set to work as soon as possible on (a),
and that thereafter our technical experts should
proceed with (b).

Prime Minister to General

26.VII.41.

Ismay and Colonel Hollis,

for C.O.S. Committee

Great importance should be attached to furnishing
C.-in-C. Home Forces with a much larger number of
mobile anti-aircraft batteries, particularly of low-ceiling
guns, to work with the field divisions and accompany
the troops and armoured columns.

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The Germans are quite right in always keeping their
flak to the fore. No large body of troops should be
assembled or be on the line of march without mobile
Bofors batteries, to give them protection.

Do I understand that the two hundred and eighteen
guns will be employed in this way? If so, I think the
arrangement is very sound. If not, I should like the
Chiefs of Staff to consider this point.