The Grand Alliance (143 page)

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by a number of small brigade groups, whose mobility
and equipment would be exactly fitted to the particular
task foreseen, each task being a study in itself. It is not
necessary, unless required on strategic grounds, to
stay in the captured or recaptured islands. It will be
sufficient to destroy or make prisoners of the garrison,
demolish any useful installations, and depart. The exact
composition of the forces for each undertaking and
enterprise is a matter for separate study. According to
our experiences, it would seem essential that there
should be adequate cover by seaborne aircraft and
detachments of tanks and tank-landing craft. The
enemy cannot possibly be prepared, and must be
highly vulnerable at many points. After even a few
successful enterprises of this character, all of which are
extremely valuable experiences to the troops and
commanders for instructional purposes, he will be
terrorised out of holding places weakly, and will be
forced to concentrate on a certain number of strong
points. It may then be possible for us to secure very
easily suitable islands, provided we do not try to hold
too many, in which air and refuelling bases of a temporary or permanent character can be improvised. The
establishment of a reign of terror among the enemy’s
detached garrisons would seem to be an extremely
valuable preliminary to the larger operations for reconquest and the building-up of strong bases as stepping-stones from Australia northward.

This paper I gave to the President.

When I got back to the White House I found that great progress had been made by the Combined Chiefs of Staff, and that it was mostly in harmony with my views. The President convened a meeting on January 12, when there was complete agreement upon the broad principles and targets of the war. The differences were confined to The Grand Alliance

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priorities and emphasis, and all was ruled by that harsh and despotic factor, shipping. “The President,” says the British record, “set great store on organising a ‘Super-Gymnast’ – i.

e., a combined United States-British expedition to North Africa. A tentative time-table had been worked out for putting ninety thousand United States and ninety thousand British troops, together with a considerable air force, into North Africa.” It was settled to send two divisions of American troops to Northern Ireland, with the objects which have been described. The President had told me privately that he would, if necessary as quickly as possible, send fifty thousand United States troops to Australia and the islands covering its approach by the Japanese. Twenty-five thousand were to go as soon as possible to occupy New Caledonia, and other stepping-stones between America and Australasia. On “Grand Strategy” the Staffs agreed that

“only the minimum of forces necessary for the safeguarding of vital interests in other theatres should be diverted from operations against Germany.” No one had more to do with obtaining this cardinal decision than General Marshall.

One evening the General came to see me and put a hard question. He had agreed to send nearly thirty thousand American soldiers to Northern Ireland. We had of course placed the two “Queens” – the only two 80,000-ton ships in the world – at his disposal for this purpose. General Marshall asked me how many men we ought to put on board, observing that boats, rafts, and other means of flotation could only be provided for about eight thousand. If this were disregarded, they could carry sixteen thousand men. I gave the following answer: “I can only tell you what
we
should do. You must judge for yourself the risks you will run. If it were a direct part of an actual operation, we should put all on board they could carry. If it were only a question of moving troops in a reasonable time, we should not go

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beyond the limits of lifeboats, rafts, etc. It is for you to decide.” He received this in silence and our conversation turned to other matters. In their first voyages these ships carried only the lesser numbers, but later on they were filled to the brim. As it happened, Fortune stood our friend.

The time had now come when I must leave the hospitable and exhilarating atmosphere of the White House and of the American Nation, erect and infuriate against tyrants and aggressors. It was to no sunlit prospect that I must return.

Eager though I was to be back in London, and sure of ultimate victory, I felt continually the approaching impact of a period of immense disasters which must last for many months. My hopes of a victory in the Western Desert, in which Rommel would be destroyed, had faded. Rommel had escaped. The results of Auchinleck’s successes at Sidi Rezegh and at Gazala had not been decisive. The prestige which these had given us in the making of all our plans for the Anglo-American descent on French North Africa was definitely weakened, and this operation was obviously set back for months.

Prime

Minister

to

12 Jan. 42

Lord Privy Seal

As I shall soon be silent for a while, though I trust
not for ever, pray cable tonight any outstanding points
which require decision here before I leave.

On the 14th I took leave of the President. He seemed concerned about the dangers of the voyage. Our presence in Washington had been for many days public to the world, The Grand Alliance

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and the charts showed more than twenty U-boats on our homeward courses. We flew in beautiful weather from Norfolk to Bermuda, where the
Duke of York,
with escorting destroyers, awaited us inside the coral reefs. I travelled in an enormous Boeing flying-boat, which made a most favourable impression upon me. During the three hours’ trip I made friends with the chief pilot, Captain Kelly Rogers, who seemed a man of high quality and experience. I took the controls for a bit, to feel this ponderous machine of thirty or more tons in the air. I got more and more attached to the flying-boat. Presently I asked the Captain, “What about flying from Bermuda to England? Can she carry enough petrol?” Under his stolid exterior he became visibly excited.

“Of course we can do it. The present weather forecast would give a forty miles an hour wind behind us. We could do it in twenty hours.” I asked how far it was, and he said,

“About thirty-five hundred miles.” At this I became thoughtful.

However, when we landed I opened the matter to Portal and Pound. Formidable events were happening in Malaya; we ought all to be back at the earliest moment. The Chief of the Air Staff said at once that he thought the risk wholly unjustifiable, and he could not take the responsibility for it.

The First Sea Lord supported his colleague. There was the
Duke of York,
with her destroyers, all ready for us, offering comfort and a certainty. I said, “What about the U-boats you have been pointing out to me?” The Admiral made a disdainful gesture about them, which showed his real opinion of such a menace to a properly escorted and fast battleship. It occurred to me that both these officers thought my plan was to fly myself and leave them to come back in the
Duke of York,
so I said, “Of course there would be room for all of us.” They both visibly changed countenance at this. After a considerable pause Portal said that the matter The Grand Alliance

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might be looked into, and that he would discuss it at length with the Captain of the flying-boat and go into weather prospects with the meteorological authorities. I left it at that.

Two hours later they both returned, and Portal said that he thought it might be done. The aircraft could certainly accomplish the task under reasonable conditions; the weather outlook was exceptionally favourable on account of the strong following wind. No doubt it was very important to get home quickly. Pound said he had formed a very high opinion of the aircraft skipper, who certainly had unrivalled experience. Of course there was a risk, but on the other hand there were the U-boats to consider. So we settled to go unless the weather deteriorated. The starting time was 2

P.M. the next day. It was thought necessary to reduce our baggage to a few boxes of vital papers. Dill was to remain behind in Washington as my personal military representative with the President. Our party would consist only of myself, the two Chiefs of Staff, and Max Beaverbrook, Charles Wilson, and Hollis. All the rest would go by the
Duke of York.

That afternoon I addressed the Bermuda Assembly, which is the oldest Parliamentary institution in the Western Hemisphere. I pleaded with them to give their assent and all their aid to the establishment of the United States naval and air bases in the island, about which they were in some distress. The life of the whole Empire was at stake. The smooth working of our alliance with the United States made final victory certain, however long the journey might be.

They did not demur. The Governor, Lord Knollys, gave a banquet that night to the island notables and their fleeting guests. We were all in high spirits. Only Tommy,
2
my Flag Commander as I called him, was in terror that there would be no room for him. He explained how deeply wounded he The Grand Alliance

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was at the idea of going home by sea. I reminded him of his devotion to the naval service, and of the pleasures to a hardy sailor of a life on the ocean wave. I dwelt upon the undeniable hazards from the U-boats. He was quite inconsolable. However, he had a plan. He had persuaded one of the stewards of the flying-boat to let him take his place; he would do the washing up himself. But what, I asked, would the Captain say? Tommy thought that if at the last moment the Captain were confronted with the arrangement he would make no objection. He had ascertained that he weighed less than the steward. I shrugged my shoulders, and on this we went to bed in the small hours of the morning.

I woke up unconscionably early with the conviction that I should certainly not go to sleep again. I must confess that I felt rather frightened. I thought of the ocean spaces, and that we should never be within a thousand miles of land until we approached the British Isles. I thought perhaps I had done a rash thing that there were too many eggs in one basket. I had always regarded an Atlantic flight with awe.

But the die was cast. Still, I must admit that if at breakfast, or even before luncheon, they had come to me to report that the weather had changed and we must go by sea, I should have easily reconciled myself to a voyage in the splendid ship which had come all this way to fetch us.

Divine sunlight slapped the island, and the favourable weather prospects were confirmed. At noon we reached the flying-boat by launch. We were delayed for an hour on the quay because a picket-boat which had gone to the
Duke of
York
for items of baggage had taken longer than expected.