Post by Diarist on Dec 22, 2014 10:14:25 GMT 1
It was an important meeting at the MoD yesterday. Chaired by Winston Churchill, all the top military leaders were present. TRADOC was well represented as well as members of the scientific community.
We first discussed the Foreign Secretary's visit to Berlin over the weekend. Although there was a general consensus that the Kriegsmarine is not an immediate threat to the Royal Navy concern was expressed about an accelerated U-Boat production and German air-power. Admiral Keyes dismissed the Kreuzerkrieg, (Cruiser war), threat because we already have an anti-cruiser weapon - they are called battleships. We need to concentrate on ASW and anti-air and that includes aircraft-carriers, which can be used for many other missions. There may be naval battles in the future in which the surface vessels will never sight each other.
The Army was next on the agenda. The new battle tank was still on the distant horizon but the decision to utilize a 6-pdr gun was agreed upon but there was still the question of a stopgap vehicle using the 2-pdr gun. No decision was made. I gave a 5 minute presentation of the parachute infantry program - I thought it went down well, especially the need for a suitable rifle and a transport aircraft.
Which led to the RAF. The all-metal monoplanes aren't scheduled to have their maiden flights before next Spring so it was decided to build the Hawker Fury II with a more powerful Rolls Royce Kestrel engine, currently being tested, until newer aircraft are ready.
We, at TRADOC, questioned the wisdom of a single-engine, three-seat day bomber which would be using the same engine as the planned fighters. The original aircraft was designed to Air Ministry Specification P.27/32 as a two-seat day bomber, to replace the ageing Hawker Hart and Hind biplane bombers, and to act as an insurance policy in case heavier bombers were banned by the 1932 Geneva Disarmament Conference. At that time, Britain expected any future war would see France as its likely enemy and so the distance to Paris was a factor in determining the range it needed. We argued that the design was totally antiquated and a twin-engine aircraft should have priority. No final decision was made.
In a meeting after the meeting, in fact it was a working lunch, a smaller group of us discussed the Italian problem. I learned that in France the PM, War Minister and Foreign Secretary couldn't agree on a common policy and that a political crisis was brewing....all we needed. As if Mussolini would wait for France to get organized. Admiral Keyes was convinced that sabotage and subterfuge should be employed against Italian forces in Eritrea, even before a conflict begins. That raised a few eyebrows. I came home with the realization that we may have to operate alone against the Italians. Great news!
We first discussed the Foreign Secretary's visit to Berlin over the weekend. Although there was a general consensus that the Kriegsmarine is not an immediate threat to the Royal Navy concern was expressed about an accelerated U-Boat production and German air-power. Admiral Keyes dismissed the Kreuzerkrieg, (Cruiser war), threat because we already have an anti-cruiser weapon - they are called battleships. We need to concentrate on ASW and anti-air and that includes aircraft-carriers, which can be used for many other missions. There may be naval battles in the future in which the surface vessels will never sight each other.
The Army was next on the agenda. The new battle tank was still on the distant horizon but the decision to utilize a 6-pdr gun was agreed upon but there was still the question of a stopgap vehicle using the 2-pdr gun. No decision was made. I gave a 5 minute presentation of the parachute infantry program - I thought it went down well, especially the need for a suitable rifle and a transport aircraft.
Which led to the RAF. The all-metal monoplanes aren't scheduled to have their maiden flights before next Spring so it was decided to build the Hawker Fury II with a more powerful Rolls Royce Kestrel engine, currently being tested, until newer aircraft are ready.
We, at TRADOC, questioned the wisdom of a single-engine, three-seat day bomber which would be using the same engine as the planned fighters. The original aircraft was designed to Air Ministry Specification P.27/32 as a two-seat day bomber, to replace the ageing Hawker Hart and Hind biplane bombers, and to act as an insurance policy in case heavier bombers were banned by the 1932 Geneva Disarmament Conference. At that time, Britain expected any future war would see France as its likely enemy and so the distance to Paris was a factor in determining the range it needed. We argued that the design was totally antiquated and a twin-engine aircraft should have priority. No final decision was made.
In a meeting after the meeting, in fact it was a working lunch, a smaller group of us discussed the Italian problem. I learned that in France the PM, War Minister and Foreign Secretary couldn't agree on a common policy and that a political crisis was brewing....all we needed. As if Mussolini would wait for France to get organized. Admiral Keyes was convinced that sabotage and subterfuge should be employed against Italian forces in Eritrea, even before a conflict begins. That raised a few eyebrows. I came home with the realization that we may have to operate alone against the Italians. Great news!