Post by Diarist on May 24, 2015 10:37:43 GMT 1
Everybody in the Italian Planning Group, (IPG), was at this morning's meeting so we could carry on where from we had left off.
We need to start convoys as soon as possible so that the Italians become accustomed to them. Before the end of this month a reinforced French infantry regiment will be sent to Djibouti. It will have an extra artillery battalion and a dozen FT-17 tanks. A British aircraft carrier will escort the French convoy and on the way home it will leave a squadron of aircraft at Port Sudan. This will be repeated in July and August.
The British army forces designated for the operation have already been agreed upon but it will be recommended that the 3rd Infantry Division be earmarked as a floating reserve to be used wherever necessary, if necessary. Considerable changes have been suggested and approved. The French 27th and 28th Mountain Divisions will be sent through the tunnels of the Alps, (Mont Blanc and Mont Cenis), with supporting forces using the nearby roads. This means deploying without advanced warning and possibly without a declaration of war or with one at the last minute. That needs approval from our political leaders.
The 25th Motorized Division is to rapidly advance by road and rail along the Italian coast. The boarder crossing must be secured quickly and hopefully quietly. The element of surprise is paramount. The goal is to reach Savona and secure it while its mobile force will advance in the direction of Turin blocking possible reinforcements from the east. We intend landing troops from destroyers as quietly as possible at all the Italian ports between the French border and Savona. Cruisers off the coast will provide fire support.
The 31st Mountain Division is to pass through the Alps via the Col de Tende in the direction of Cúneo thus tying down the Italian 5th Alpine Group which is stationed in the region.
All participating troops will be loaded on trains/trucks in the belief that they are part of the AEF and are travelling to Toulon/Marseille for embarkment on transports. In other words, there will be no troops massing at the Italian border. There will be troops already in Italy to facilitate the advance as well as to secure the stations at the Italian ends of the Alpine tunnels. The latter is still in planning.
My idea of using "fire-ships" has been included in the plan. Additionally, using ships to block the main channels of ports is being considered. There will a naval exercise planned for August which will give us a reason to station extra aircraft on Corsica, i.e. very near to Italian ports in Tuscany.
All the Italian naval ports as well as shipbuilding yards will be targeted but the plans must remain flexible because we won't know the disposition of the Italian Navy until the last minute.
It is emphasized that it is not the objective of this campaign to capture Turin, instead to threaten to capture it. Our prime goals are the destruction of the Italian Air Force and Navy which will make the situation of their forces overseas untenable. Our operations against these forces must be tailored to further aggravate their supply situation. They will have to abandon their colonies and give up all hopes of a new Roman Empire.
The promise of operations against the Italian Dodecanese islands will hopefully entice Greece to join us from day one. There are bases along the Italian Adriatic Coast which need to be attacked, notably the Foggia airfield complex and the submarine shipbuilding facilities at Brindisi. Air bases on Crete are important for operations against Rhodes and North Africa. There are no plans for ground operations in Libya but the capture of the Giarabub Oasis complex is being considered.
Well, at least we know what we want, now the detailed planning follows. Good news for me is that the courier duties will be only one per week. Someone will meet me Friday evenings in Lisbon and we shall depart on Sundays. Weekends in Lisbon sounds fantastic.