The Grand Alliance (166 page)

Otherwise I am in full agreement with the redeployment proposed.

Prime Minister to Minister of

27.VII.41.

Food

I understand that you have under consideration a
flexible coupon system, should it become necessary to
ration the secondary foodstuffs, which would make the
coupons available for the purchase of a variety of
alternative goods and dispense with registration at
particular shops. Though rigid rationing might be easier
to administer, some system which left the consumer a
reasonable freedom of choice would seem much better.

Individual tastes have a wonderful way of cancelling
out. Besides, your power of varying the prices of the
different commodities both in money and coupons
would enable you to exercise great control over demand.

Should you decide that the extension of rationing is
inevitable, it would seem therefore that the flexible
coupon system has much to commend it. I look forward
to hearing your views about this in due course.

Prime Minister to Lord

27.VII.41.

President of the Council,

Minister of Labour and

National Service, and

Secretary of State for War

Evidence is accumulating that the figure of
2,195,000 men is too small for Army needs, and that
the number ought to be increased as soon as possible;
and the Secretary of State for War is now engaged on
a detailed examination of his additional requirements.

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2. Accordingly, the comprehensive review by the
Man-Power Committee which has already been
ordered by the War Cabinet must be pressed forward
with all speed. As soon as the main facts have been
assembled, and without waiting for the full report, I
should be glad if the Lord President of the Council, in
consultation with the Ministers concerned, would give
consideration, as a matter of urgency, to the additional
requirements of the Army in the light of the general
man-power position, and report on the measures that
will be necessary to meet these requirements.

Prime Minister to Minister of

30.VII.41.

Aircraft Production

I shall look forward with interest to hearing of the
success or otherwise of the trials of the Whittle engine
in the fortnight’s time. I hope they will be favourable, but
I gathered from you that the present turbine blades
were working. We must not allow the designer’s desire
for fresh improvements to cause loss of time. Every
nerve should be strained to get these aircraft into
squadrons next summer, when the enemy will very
likely start high-altitude bombing.

Prime Minister to General

31.VII.41.

Ismay

I shall want plenty of photographs of Port Sudan,
Massawa, the new port which is being developed in the
Red Sea, Asmara, Basra, Tobruk, etc.

AUGUST

Prime Minister to Lord

9.VIII.41.

President

I understand there is a proposal to make it a penal
offence for any motorist who gets a supplementary
ration of petrol not to keep a logbook in which every
journey is entered.

To create and multiply offences which are not
condemned by public opinion, which are difficult to
detect and can only be punished in a capricious man-The Grand Alliance

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ner, is impolitic. To make it a penal offence not to keep
a logbook might come under this heading, especially as
only one-twenty-fifth of our oil consumption is involved.

I understand there is an alternative proposal to tell
motorists that unless they can produce a logbook they
will risk having their supplementary ration refused or
reduced. Might not this be sufficient?

Prime Minister to Chairman

9.VIII.41.

of the Import Executive

I understand that the Import Executive will shortly
consider the arrangements made to provide cargoes for
the additional ships to be put at our disposal by the U.S.

A. in the near future. It is of the first importance that all
the shipping space that becomes available to us,
whether from United States sources or from an improvement in the shipping position, is fully utilised to
bring in cargoes which willl increase our war effort and
give the people a healthy and varied diet.

2. Cargoes must be readily available for shipment as
opportunity offers, and a report should be prepared at
once, showing the steps taken to this end by increasing
our orders and by building up reserve stocks close to
ports overseas.

3. I see that it is proposed to import 748,000 tons of
softwood and 422,000 tons of hardwood in the second
half of the year. This is far more than the figures mentioned at a recent Battle of the Atlantic meeting. Is this
large import of timber being brought in because no
more useful cargoes are available? Has the Minister of
Agriculture been given the chance of suggesting any
alternatives? For example, half a million tons of maize
(which should be obtainable in the United States) would
be of great value in keeping our chicken population
going.

Prime Minister to First Lord

16.VIII.41.

of the Admiralty, Secretary

of State for Air, and Minister
of Aircraft Production

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This is a melancholy story. You will see from reading
the minutes that we were promised Grummans, with
folding wings, at twenty a month, beginning in April. We
still have none, and are only promised the schedule set
out in the First Lord’s minute of July 26.
21

2. I regard the supply of from six to twelve Grummans to Victorious and Ark Royal as of first importance.

Especially is this the case with any carrier operating in
the Mediterranean. The surprise which will be effected
upon the enemy when these fast fighters rise to engage
them may give considerable easement, almost at once.

The cutting-down of enemy bomber aircraft attack at
sea far exceeds in importance and urgency any other
duty which can be performed by a carrier in the Mediterranean. Even if they can only work within forty to fifty
miles of the parent ship they can do all that is necessary. The enemy must be made to feel that to go near a
ship convoyed by an aircraft-carrier is to incur heavy
losses from aircraft almost equal to shore-based
fighters.

3. We have now no aircraft-carriers in the Eastern
Mediterranean. Therefore, there is no point in sending
folding-wing Grummans there at present. The August,
September, and October quotas for Grummans now
assigned to the United Kingdom (total twenty-two), and
the twenty-four now assigned to the Middle East in the
September and October quotas – total forty-six –

should all be made available in the United Kingdom for
the equipping of our aircraft-carriers. Deliveries to the
Middle East after October should be considered later.

Let me have a monthly report of the equipment of
the aircraft-carriers with Grummans.

4. When do we get our next new aircraft-carrier,
Indomitable?

5. Unless there is some reason to the contrary of
which I am not aware, the following orders should be
given now: “The September and October batches of
twelve Grummans with folding wings should be sent to
the United Kingdom and not [repeat not] to the Middle
East.”

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COMMANDOS

Prime Minister to General

16.VIII.41.

Ismay

I settled with General Auchinleck that the three Glen
ships were all to remain in the Middle East and be
refitted for amphibious operations as soon as possible.

2. That the Commandos should be reconstituted, as
far as possible, by volunteers, by restoring to them any
of their former members who may wish to return from
the units in which they have been dispersed, and that
Brigadier Laycock should have the command and
should be appointed Director of Combined Operations.

3. The D.C.O. and the Commandos will be under the
direct command of General Auchinleck. This cancels
the former arrangement which I proposed of their being
under the Naval Commander-in-Chief.

(Action this day.) Prime

19.VIII.41.

Minister to C.I.G.S., and

General Ismay, for C.O.S.

Committee

The important thing is not so much to reduce our
troops in Iceland as to make it a training ground for
Alpine units. Can you not give some mountain guns to
the artillery, instead of withdrawing them? Let me have
a scheme for providing skis, snowshoes, etc., for the
largest number that can be trained in mountain fighting
under glacial conditions. The fact that a few more
Americans have come should make the training all the
easier. I regard the creation of these Alpine units as a
vital feature in our organisation. I ask that this may be
taken up with the utmost vigour.

Prime Minister to C.A.S.

19.VIII.41.

Thank you very much for your full explanation.
22

Even if the airmen had been in error they would not
have been to blame, because it is the system that is at
fault. The lack of effective and intimate contact between
the air and the ground forces calls for a drastic reform.

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The needs of the Army should be met in a helpful spirit
by the Air Ministry. It is the responsibility of the air force
to satisfy the Army now that the resources are growing.

I hope I may have your assurance that you are striving
night and day to end this lamentable breakdown in the
war machine. We need not go into the past, but if the
Army is not well treated in the future the Air Ministry will
have failed in an essential part of its duties.

(Action this day.)Prime

20.VIII.41.

Minister to Minister of

Supply

Pray see the attached statement [on gas and gas
weapons] prepared at my direction by Lord Cherwell.

We must expect gas warfare on a tremendous scale. It
may break out at any moment. Please see the alarming
restriction which has had to be imposed on the production of mustard gas; and also the explanation of this.

What do the Air Ministry mean by stopping the charging
of two-hundred-and-fifty-pound bombs? This seems
most improvident, and is contrary to a number of
Cabinet decisions, which are to the effect that the
maximum possible gas is to be produced and charged
into suitable containers, or otherwise stored.

I invite you to give your personal attention to this
new aspect. The whole matter is dangerous and urgent
in the last degree.

Prime Minister to Lord

20.VIII.41.

President

I am by no means convinced that there are sufficient
reasons for imposing this additional obligation [of
keeping a logbook by motorists] on the public. There is
a growing and justifiable impatience of multiplying the
filling-up of forms and providing a new foundation upon
which further layers of officials may build their homes. If
you feel there is no other means of securing your
objects it would be better to bring the matter before the
Cabinet.

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1002

Prime Minister to Secretary

20.VIII.41.