by David Row
Wavell and Blamey will shortly go to London to discuss further operations in the Middle East, and Blamey intends to show the report to Menzies. The report does point out that the situation is not irretrievable, but that prompt action needs to be taken in a number of areas. As the Middle East is looking far more stable, they see no reason why the resources cannot be made available; if the Japanese scare comes to nothing, the force can quickly be brought back into the Mediterranean theatre. Indeed it would be in some respects easier to pull trained men from Southeast Asia to North Africa, especially if (as may be the case if such a need came to pass) the Mediterranean became too dangerous for direct convoys.
16th July
A production line for the new Mosquito light bomber is being set up in Canada, although the first production versions are still be waited on in Britain. The trials of the prototype have proved very impressive, and in view of the different techniques required to manufacture the bomber, the Ministry of Aircraft Production feels that an early start will be beneficial.
The bombing campaign against the U-boat pens being built in Germany and France is intensified. The targets are easy to find, helping the still-poor RAF navigation, and it is hoped to do as much damage to any U-boats present and to the pens before they are completed. Intelligence has shown that once the pens are complete they will be immune to all current or planned RAF bombs, and investigation is started on if it will be possible to destroy them; since it is obvious any bomb will have to be heavy and ideally dropped from altitude to aid the penetration, the new high altitude bomber is the suggested delivery system.
In the Führer's headquarters, the German leaders plan how Soviet territory is to be divided after the final victory. All the resources are to go to Germany. The Ukraine and Crimean peninsula is to be German. Finland can have East Karelia, but the Kola Peninsula is for Germany. Hitler also orders that the preparations for the annexation of Finland into Greater Germany should be started in utmost secrecy. Alfred Rosenberg is appointed to the post of Reich minister of the occupied territories following a conference at Angersburg; he will be responsible for the exploitation of subject Soviet peoples and the elimination of Jews and Communists.
Prince Konoye resigns as Japanese Prime Minister. The Foreign Minister, Matsuoka, has been advocating joining Germany in the attack against the USSR; he will not be in the cabinet when it is reformed on the 18th, being replaced by Vice Admiral Chyoda Teifiro.
19th July
Churchill has decided to send the Russians high-level secret intelligence based on Enigma decoding. The Russians will not, however, be told that Britain has cracked the Enigma secret, for the Soviet Union's own codes are being read by the Germans. Instead, the "sanitized" messages are being disguised under the cover of "a well-placed source in Berlin" and passed on through the military mission in Moscow.
In the Mediterranean, General Montgomery is preparing for the first of a series of amphibious landings in the Dodecanese islands. At the moment there are shortages of landing craft and aircraft, and he considers the training of the bulk of his troops quite inadequate for the task. The first landings will be based around the Commando units, already better trained for such work, on small targets, while an intensive training program continues. As more landing craft become available, tougher islands will be targeted. He has also asked Cunningham for a skilled naval assistant (as while the current targets are small, it is obvious that at some point a large and far more complex landing will be needed), and Cunningham has suggested Admiral Ramsey, who planned Dynamo and is now at Dover, which is steadily becoming a less important command.
The Germans are continuing their thrust towards Leningrad in the face of increasing Russian resistance. There was heavy fighting yesterday near Lake Peipus where the German infantry has still not been able to break through in support of its advance tank units. Leningrad is now under attack from three directions: the Finns are approaching from the north and northeast, on both sides of Lake Ladoga, while the Germans are attacking through Estonia and the Luftwaffe are mounting heavy raids on the city and on the rail link with Moscow.
Guderian is ordered to move south and join the Kiev battle after the action at Smolensk is complete. He objects strongly that he should continue towards Moscow, but is overruled by Hitler.
Chapter 17 - Preparation in the East
20th July
Generals Wavell, Blamey and O'Connor arrive in London for discussions on the future of operations in the Mediterranean and the Far East. While the plans for operations in the Mediterranean are not contentious, and the situation for the next six months seen as readily achievable, there is far more concern about the Far East.
Blamey has discussed the Slim-Park report with Menzies, who is seriously upset. It seems like little that was planned had been done, and there are many issues to be addressed. Blamey agrees, but points out that Wavell feels that the situation is by no means irremediable, and that the recent successes in the Mediterranean theatre will allow much to be done. The discussions go on for some days. Churchill is reluctant to send too much East, however it is pointed out that after all, he's happy to send equipment to Russia, who was an enemy up until a few weeks ago. Menzies also points out that early and substantial forces being sent east, with more to follow, would be very beneficial to the Australian political issues and encourage Australia to do more to help the war effort.
The argument is decided by the views of the Chiefs of Staff, who surprisingly are in favour, particularly the RN and Army. Their arguments are as follows.
The actions possible in the Mediterranean by the Army are currently limited by the availability of landing craft and associated ships. A large scale operation is impossible before next spring due to the available numbers. So the troops can only be used in small numbers. Eighth Army is more than large enough at the present to cover contingencies, as anything more than a raid on North Africa is well beyond the Axis at present. While the situation in Russia may change and allow Germany to bring more pressure on the Middle East, this isn't going to happen suddenly, and with the action in Ethiopia basically over they have troops there available to be redeployed. The Army therefore suggests that I Australia Corps be sent to Malaya, and the armoured brigade enlarged to a full division (as already planned). There are already two divisions in Malaya, although they both require considerable training. An additional British division would be useful, and politically important to show Britain was defending with its own men, not just Imperial troops.
In Burma, at least one and preferably two more divisions are needed, as well as more armour. They suggest a good Indian division and one of the two African divisions soon to be available in East Africa. Again, the existing troops are in need of training, and sending experienced formations allows them to be given the intensive training they require.
The Navy is actually all in favour of sending carriers at least to the Far East. This is partly due to their current shortage of pilots, which they expect to weaken their air groups for some 4-6 months, due to the intensive effort they have put into Mediterranean operations. Deploying 2-3 carriers to Ceylon will allow them to use them to train up new air groups to full efficiency in a relatively safe area. The remaining four fleet carriers will allow one to be in refit, one in the Western Med, able to cover the Atlantic at short notice if required, and two in the Mediterranean fleet for operations against Italy and in support of the Dodecanese operations. It would be easy to move one of these east if necessary. As to battleships, they have no need of more in the Med, and moving 3-4 east again allows them to be worked up in quiet. They point out that if anything happens it is easy for them to pull these ships back into the Med, and indeed the same applies to the Army divisions.
The RAF is more reluctant to send too much east, as it is still foreseeing a heavy commitment in the North Sea and the Mediterranean, as well as increasing raids over Germany. The Australian production will not really start to feed in until the end of the year. The Dowding report did recommend a high
er commitment, and so do the defence plan for the area. They agree they can spare some squadrons of Sparrowhawks and Beaufighters until the Australian production line comes on stream, but they dig in their heels over Wellingtons. The Navy wants more air assets for use at sea, given the strength of Japanese air power; they offer to supply three squadrons of Cormorants and three of SeaLance (including some radar planes), although they will need to borrow RAF pilots. They suggest more Hudsons can be acquired from the USA, and a reconnaissance squadron would be most useful in the area. Again, these squadrons can be relocated to the Middle East in case of emergency,
The final needs are for improvements in support. Air Marshal Park has already pointed out that the radar and air defence organisation in both Malaya and Burma are quite inadequate and will lead to misuse and inefficiency. There are also Naval issues, as now the Japanese are much closer to Singapore they wish to use it only as a forward base, making Ceylon their main centre of operations. They would also like at least one northern Australian port improved as a base for submarine operations.
Menzies is delighted with the suggestions, and points out that this will allow him to go home and point out the success of his working with Britain - he is sure he will be able to use this to get Australia to also increase her forces available to defend the area.
It is agreed that the Chiefs of Staffs recommendations be accepted (subject to material limitations), and arrangements will be made to move I Australian Corps east as soon as shipping is available. The Navy will look at deploying the battleships and carriers as soon as they can get them ready (they wish to do a minor refit on some of the ships before they leave), but submit that the first heavy ships will be on their way before the end of August.
RAF squadrons can be deployed all the way by air now that North Africa is cleared (although fighters may still need to be shipped as far as Gibraltar). One of the points Parks made was inadequate support and maintenance for the RAF and as a start a base in eastern India will be prepared to be the end point of the air route, before the planes are deployed to active squadrons. The RAAF Beaufighter squadron in the Med will be sent out as soon as a replacement squadron can be supplied from Britain, and the new Mediterranean convoy route will make the supply of stores and equipment far easier.
In reality it will take longer than estimated to get the formations and their support in place, but it is seen as important to have the process underway; Menzies because of the political bonus it will give him, the British because they are hoping that the scale of the force will make the Japanese think twice about any offensive action. Unfortunately they do not realise that due to the oil and resource squeeze forced on Japan by the USA, the Japanese decisions have already been made, and it is too late for British action to change them.
24th July
The Japanese government presented an ultimatum (decided in the Japanese Imperial Conference on July 2) to the Vichy government of French Indo-China on the 19th, demanding bases in southern Indochina. They conceded today, and the Japanese will begin to occupy these bases on the 28th. This is viewed with great concern in Britain and Australia, as this will move Japanese aircraft into much closer range of Malaya and Borneo. The action is also denounced by the American government. It does however remove much of the remaining opposition to deploying more forces to the Far East.
25th July
In response to the Japanese takeover of French Indo-China, the British government announces that 'considerable' Imperial forces will be sent to SE Asia over the next months.
With the Grand Harbour at Malta unusually full with merchant ships from a newly-arrived convoy, high-speed Italian motor boats, their bow packed with high explosive, made a reckless attack at night. Fifteen Italians died when their MTL's came under fire from harbour defences manned by the Royal Malta Artillery. The attack had been planned for months.
One group of "frogmen" would blow up a hindrance net suspended from a bridge to all the MTLs access to the harbour. The MTL pilots would race down the harbour and aim their exploding boats at ships before diving over their sterns. The plan almost worked, except that one of the Italians, Major Tesei, blew up the bridge and himself, blocking access to the MTLs, which found themselves helpless under the guns and floodlit by harbour searchlights.
This attack will be followed tomorrow night by Italian E-boats, who make an attempt to penetrate Grand Harbour and Marsamxett and destroy ships in harbour and the submarine base at Manoel Island. What the Italians do not realise is that the harbour is covered by radar, and the boats are engaged by guns from St Elmo and Ricasoli. The force is wiped out, with eighteen Italians being taken prisoner.
The US War and Naval Departments send a message to the Pacific commanders advising them that the President was going to close the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping and would freeze all Japanese assets in the US, and those of banks situated in Japanese occupied China. The commanders were advised to “guard against possible eventualities”.
The British cruiser HMS Newcastle intercepts the German ship 'Erlangen' in the South Atlantic, which leads to the ship scuttling herself.
26th July
President Roosevelt incorporates the armed forces of the Philippines into the US Army and sends General MacArthur to take up the command of US forces in the Far East. MacArthur says that he is confident that the Philippines can be defended if war should spread to the Far East. The Army of the Commonwealth of the Philippines is called into Federal service.
MacArthur will continue as military advisor to the Philippine President. Upon learning of the mobilization of the Philippine National Army, he requests payment of the stipend of $50 per soldier serving in the Philippine National Army. This was provided for in his contract with the Commonwealth Government and had been approved by both Secretary of War Dern and the President in 1936. A number of other US Army officers had similar arrangements with the Commonwealth but one of them, Dwight Eisenhower, declined to accept his payment.
Soviet forces in and around Smolensk are cut off by the German pincer movement.
HMS Hood arrives in the US for a full refit. While the damage she suffered in the Bismark action has been fixed, the damage to her machinery and her general state means she is badly in need of a full refit, and dockyard space is not available in the UK. She will receive a general update and new machinery. It is hoped she will be ready in a year.
28th July
The crisis in the Far East worsened today when 30,000 Japanese troops entered French Indochina. The build-up includes elements of the Japanese navy, which have sailed into Camranh Bay and aircraft which are flying into Saigon. Japanese troops have also begun disembarking in Cambodia where 8,000 men will be within striking range of Siam.
Malaya is now seriously threatened from Indochina, which is providing the Japanese with a naval base within 750-miles of Singapore and airfields within 300 miles of northern Malaya. The Japanese move has isolated the Philippines and menaces the oil-rich Dutch East Indies.
The Vichy regime has given the Japanese a free hand in Indochina on the pretext that it was threatened by British and Gaullist plots. The fact that the Vichy regime no longer exists as a functioning government in France seems to have passed them by.
The USN forms its first experimental A/S group to be formed around a carrier. This will be escorting ships in the US section of the Atlantic, and is centred around the USS Ranger. The USA is building a number of escort carriers and merchant conversions for the UK, and has started to build additional ships for its own use. In addition to the escort duties the RN is using them for, the USN is interested in using an escort carrier for the transportation of planes. This would free up its fleet carriers for offensive uses, although they want the ships to ideally be faster and with a longer range for use in the Pacific. In the mean time, the Ranger will allow them to practice their own version of the RN escort tactics, which have been proving increasingly successful at keeping the U-boat packs away and shooting down long range reconnaissance planes.
30th July
Russia and the Polish government in exile signed a treaty of friendship in London today. The first result of the treaty will be the formation of a Polish army from prisoners of war held in Russia. Roosevelt's advisor Harry Hopkins arrives in Moscow to discuss ways to help the Soviet war effort.
Rolls-Royce has converted a Spitfire to use the new supercharged Merlin 60 engine. This has dramatically improved the high altitude performance. With the Gloster Sea Eagle due to come into service soon, the RAF has been putting pressure on the aircraft companies to improve Spitfire performance. It is hoped to have the new Mk8 with the new engine in production by the end of the year. A version of the Spitfire with the Griffon engine is expected to fly at the beginning of September, although the change to the much bigger engine means a longer development time is to be expected; it is intended that this aircraft will be the successor to the Mk8
2nd Aug
German forces attack Staraya Russa, south of Lake Ilmen, in their drive toward Leningrad.
US Lend-Lease aid begins for the Soviet Union, while the first Packard built Rolls Royce Merlin V-1650 aircraft engine is completed
The Royal Navy completes its assessment of shipping losses in July, and is quietly optimistic. Losses during the first six months of the year were running at over 400,000 tons of shipping in some months, but the losses have been steadily decreasing as the new escort carriers become available and more escorts allow proper escort groups to be formed. Escort groups are now formed on a long-term basis and practice as a group, and the combination is making losses drop steadily, although they are still concerned at what they see as the low level of U-boat sinkings. The biggest improvement has come from the decryption of the U-boat codes and the increasing use of HF/DF to locate U-boat packs, allowing evasive routing to slip through the searching submarines. This has been aided by using the carrier planes to keep U-boats closer to the evasive route down and allow the convoy to get through the gaps. The losses in July were around 90,000 tons. Losses need to be kept to under 200,000 tons a month to keep under the amount of new merchant ship construction in the Empire.
