Closing the Ring (89 page)

Q
UADRANT
: The Quebec Conference, 1943.

R
OUND-UP
: Plan for liberation of France in 1943.

S
ATURN
: Establishment of an Allied force in Turkey in 1943.

S
EXTANT
: The Cairo Conference, 1943.

S
HINGLE
: Amphibious operation south of Rome at Anzio.

S
LEDGEHAMMER
: Plan for attack on Brest or Cherbourg in 1942.

S
TRANGLE
: Air attack on railway lines in Northern Italy.

T
ENTACLE
: Floating airfield, constructed mainly of concrete.

T
ORCH
: Allied invasion of French North Africa in 1942.

T
RIDENT
: The Washington Conference, 1943.

T
UBE
A
LLOYS
: Atomb bomb research.

W
HALE
: Floating pier used in artificial harbours

W
INDOW
: Tinfoil strips used to confuse German radar.

Z
IP
: Signal used by Commanders-in-Chief to denote the start of an operation.

Appendix C, Book One
PRIME MINISTER’S PERSONAL MINUTES AND TELEGRAMS

June–October
, 1943

J
UNE

Prime Minister to Minister of War Transport and First Sea Lord
    6 June 43

I should be obliged if you would let me have a note on the ships that have passed through the Mediterranean in the different convoys, the character of the cargoes, and what stores have been carried for the British Red Cross to Russia.

Let me also know what is proposed in the future.

Prime Minister to Secretary of State for Air and Minister of Home Security
    8 June 43

Please let me have a report setting out what is being done to protect our reservoirs from attacks like those we have made recently in Germany. [On the Mohne Dam.]

POST-WAR CIVIL AVIATION
A P
RELIMINARY
N
OTE

Prime Minister to Lord Cherwell
    10 June 43

My ideas about post-war civil aviation are based on the principle of “a fair field and no favour.” All the airports of the world should be open to the through traffic of all nations (except the guilty nations) on the payment of reasonable expenses for maintenance and service. No country would however have
the right
to operate an air company, state or private, inside the territory of another. If possible no subsidies should be paid by any Governments. If the traffic proved unremunerative, the necessary support should be given on a schedule agreed by the countries concerned, and in part on the basis of air mail contracts. Subject to the above, any company or corporation, state or individual would be free to operate throughout the world.

2. After the war it is proposed that a world organisation responsible for maintaining peace should be set up. Air-power resulting from civil aviation would necessarily be subject to the control of this body. A sub-committee of the world council or sub-committees of the Continental councils (if any) would regulate disputes and supervise or control quasi-military developments and
implications. Subject to this, nations would be encouraged and afforded all facilities to render the best service from the point of view of safety, comfort, and speed of which they were capable.

3. The difficulty of getting agreement among the Dominions at this stage should not prevent the formulation of British policy after consultation with them. At the same time it is of the utmost importance and urgency to ascertain the views and wishes of the United States. Everything will be much easier if agreement is reached with them. …

Prime Minister to Major Morton
    11 June 43

What is the truth about the tales I hear of application by various bodies for the leading captured generals to visit some of our education centres and generally to be taken about the country to see things? There was an idea, for instance, that [the Italian] General Jesse should visit Eton. I should be opposed to any of this nonsense. These generals are not to be moved out of their places of internment without my being informed beforehand in each case.

Prime Minister to Sir Edward Bridges
    13 June 43

Please draft for me a further warning to all Ministers, high officials, Parliamentary Private Secretaries, etc., about speaking with extreme caution and reticence to foreign [neutral] diplomatic representatives in this country. Although these are very often quite friendly and sincerely wish us to win the war, they do not hesitate to magnify their own positions with their Governments by reporting anything they can pick up, and the Governments may trade this to the enemy in return for other items. Only those who have the duty and authority, either general or special, to impart information should discuss war matters with them or in their presence.

2. Even general war matters and items appearing in the newspapers should not be discussed, because confirmation of these is obtained by these foreigners when they come into contact with persons who have secret knowledge. Lunches and dinners of an informal character with members of the diplomatic staffs should be avoided. You should be consulted in any particular case, and you have my authority to advise. Personal intimacy with foreigners should be reduced to a minimum.

Prime Minister to First Lord
    13 June 43

Admiral Cunningham expressed the opinion to me that our light naval craft could have achieved even more in the Mediterranean if the engines of the motor torpedo boats had been more reliable. Let me have a report on this, and let me know whether this is a local problem connected with the maintenance of these craft or whether there is a basic weakness in the design.

Prime Minister to Foreign Secretary and Minister of Information
    13 June 43

I have read the report on German morale in Tunisia. It is hardly possible
to pay a higher tribute to the fighting qualities of the German soldier, and the introduction of words like “brutish” in no way detracts from the formidable impression this account gives. Their “extraordinary stupidity” certainly does not extend to the use of their arms or to their seizing of tactical opportunities.

Prime Minister to General Ismay and Sir Edward Bridges
    15 June 43

Will you please make the following terminology effective in all British official correspondence:

For “aeroplane” the word “
aircraft
” should be used; for “aerodrome” either “
airfield
” or “
airport.
” The expression “airdrome” should not be used by us.

It is a good thing to have a rule and stick to it.

Prime Minister to Minister of Aircraft Production
[
Sir Stafford Cripps
]   15 June 43

I am very pleased to see that you are keeping so well up to your programme. You are quite right about the harm that is done by overcalling the hand. Promises which cannot be fulfilled lead to a large waste of effort by the Air Ministry in training, buildings, etc., quite apart from the effect on your own factories.

What I am not quite clear about is your labour situation. I note that you have received a very much smaller quota than was allocated to you. Had you discounted this when you made the programme, or does the fact that you could fulfil it mean that efficiency has increased beyond your expectations? These matters will all have to be considered most carefully in view of the constantly increasing labour stringency. You certainly seem to have received a smaller fraction than any other department so far.

  I approve of your list of aircraft with special priorities. As you say, anything that can be done to exceed the programme would be particularly valuable for these types.

I am very pleased that you are pushing ahead with new types of fighters. I am particularly interested in the jet-propelled type of aircraft, of which you showed me a model the other day. Please report progress from time to time, and let me know when we may expect these machines to become available for operations.

Prime Minister to Director of Military Intelligence
    15 June 43

What is your present most detailed estimate of the strength in Sicily? First, the Germans: we know the strength in detail of the division which is forming. It is under seven thousand. What oddments are there, including air groundsmen? What reinforcements have reached them, or are on the way?

Secondly, give me an analysis of the Italians there. There was a story about eighty-four battalions for coastal garrison purposes; also, another estimate said seven or eight divisions. How are they divided? The easy surrender of the
fifteen thousand men on Pantelleria and the four or five thousand on Lampedusa shows the temper of these Italian masses.

Prime Minister to Chief of the Air Staff
    16 June 43

The air forces in Egypt, etc., are very large indeed. Pray let me know how they are to play their part in the next few months. They seem to be doing very little at present. What state of preparation have the plans for reinforcing Turkey reached? What proportion of the air forces in Egypt, etc., are employed in helping in Sicily? We cannot afford to have any part of the Air Force standing idle.

Prime Minister to General Ismay
    17 June 43

I am strongly of the opinion that wound stripes should be issued as in the last war. Pray bring this to the notice of the three departments. The War Office are of course the principal party concerned. I wish to make a submission to the King by Monday. The matter must have been previously considered. Let me have any papers on the subject. There must be no further delay in this, on account of the “Purple Hearts” which the Americans are giving to their own soldiers and are distressed not to give to ours.

2. The second question is the issue of chevrons for every year of service abroad, which I think also would be greatly appreciated by the soldiers.

Prime Minister to General Ismay, for C.O.S. Committee
    17 June 43

I am anxious about deception plans for Sicily, and therefore asked last night for a special report. The newspapers all seem to be pointing to Sicily, and, to judge by the maps and cartoons that are published in so many organs here, and, I have no doubt, in the United States, this objective would seem to be proclaimed and common property.

2. Safety lies in multiplication and confusion of objectives. A helpful note seems to have been struck this morning in some papers in saying that we have sufficient forces to attack several objectives at once. This should be stressed. Mr. Bracken is seeing the press representatives this afternoon. Also, surely Greece requires some prominence?

Prime Minister to General Ismay, for C.O.S. Committee
    18 June 43

Why cannot we fit some of these Fijian Commandos into the Burma fighting or elsewhere?

Prime Minister to Chief of the Air Staff
    19 June 43

I quite understand the relief given to Takoradi by the new route through Casablanca, and by the opening of the Mediterranean. Indeed, the time has come to consider economies of personnel on the Takoradi route, and I shall be glad to receive your proposals to this end.

Prime Minister to Secretary of State for India
    20 June 43

I entirely agree with the Deputy Prime Minister that the pay of the Indian
Army should be increased. Broadly speaking, I should make a twenty-five per cent reduction in the numbers and spread the saving over the pay of the rest.

Prime Minister to Lord President of the Council
    20 June 43

Would it not be well to instruct the Minister of Works and Buildings to use his compulsory powers for land acquisition and to build these three thousand cottages [for agricultural labourers] exactly as if they were airfields or war factories, and to fit them in as best possible with the necessary war requirements, assigning them a reasonable priority? To ask local authorities all over the country, unarmed with the necessary powers, to get a move on in respect of this handful of cottages and to make their way through the inevitable correspondence with all the public departments engaged in war activities would lead to an immense amount of futile effort. It seems to me that everybody is being disturbed and that we are becoming involved in discredit through this comparatively small job. Broadly speaking, my view is, either do it or don’t do it.

Prime Minister to Brigadier Jacob
    22 June 43

Please make out the table about the coast defences of Tripoli, showing the contrast between the pre-war estimates and what was actually found. Naturally, as the war progressed, we learnt through frequent contacts more about the defence armaments of Tripoli. We shall now however be attacking a number of new places with which we have not been in contact, and for these the inflated pre-war estimates may exercise an undue influence. This was the whole point of my inquiry.

Prime Minister to C.I.G.S.
    25 June 43

What is the position about the increased proportion of rifle strength in an infantry battalion? It was agreed that it should be increased by thirty-six, and I hoped that it might be by seventy-two.

Prime Minister to Lord Chancellor
    25 June 43

What is the position of the King’s elder daughter? At what age does she become officially of age, (
a
) while still the Heir-Apparent, and (
b
) should she succeed?