Post by Diarist on Jun 21, 2015 18:18:22 GMT 1
First thing this morning I gave General Gort the documents I had brought back from Gibraltar - all nicely sorted with the unopened ones on top. We then had a meeting a 10 o'clock. Present were the General, AVM Freeman, COL Fuller and CPT Wales - since he will be sitting at my desk when I'm not there it would be difficult to keep it secret from him. We then waited 25 minutes for Winston Churchill and FM Montgomery-Massingberd, CIGS, to arrive.
The change of emphasis was a surprise but greeted - trains are very mobile but if they have wind of the operation they would be waiting for us. I explained that only a few outside of Gibraltar know of this change and possibly nobody in Paris! They were less pleased about committing 3rd Infantry Division as a floating reserve. They also agreed that we would have to open hostilities without formally declaring war - we could inform them after breakfast in case they didn't already know.
The naval part did interest them, especially Secretary Churchill. He liked the idea of using the old destroyers as 'fire-ships'. Also, landing troops all along the coast to capture the ports and railway stations and cause general confusion. There would be no supporting fire beforehand. The plan is to sneak ashore and seize the objectives. The ports aren't big but are larger than fishing villages. Although we were talking about trains a lot, the parallel roads would also be used. We don't know how far we could advance by rail before being force to detrain.
Good news is that the division normally stationed around Imperia, the 5th Infantry Division, is preparing to be shipped to Benghazi, Libya. It is bad news for our forces in Egypt but Benghazi is a long way from the border. There are reports that the Italians in Somaliland are attempting to purchase American trucks through agencies in Tanganyika. Let them, I suggested, and when they arrive we confiscate them....customs problems.
I informed them that my plane leaves at midday so any dispatches needed to be sent to Gibraltar needs to be NLT 1000 Friday morning. They then retired for lunch without us two lowly Captains. All in all, a successful meeting.
The change of emphasis was a surprise but greeted - trains are very mobile but if they have wind of the operation they would be waiting for us. I explained that only a few outside of Gibraltar know of this change and possibly nobody in Paris! They were less pleased about committing 3rd Infantry Division as a floating reserve. They also agreed that we would have to open hostilities without formally declaring war - we could inform them after breakfast in case they didn't already know.
The naval part did interest them, especially Secretary Churchill. He liked the idea of using the old destroyers as 'fire-ships'. Also, landing troops all along the coast to capture the ports and railway stations and cause general confusion. There would be no supporting fire beforehand. The plan is to sneak ashore and seize the objectives. The ports aren't big but are larger than fishing villages. Although we were talking about trains a lot, the parallel roads would also be used. We don't know how far we could advance by rail before being force to detrain.
Good news is that the division normally stationed around Imperia, the 5th Infantry Division, is preparing to be shipped to Benghazi, Libya. It is bad news for our forces in Egypt but Benghazi is a long way from the border. There are reports that the Italians in Somaliland are attempting to purchase American trucks through agencies in Tanganyika. Let them, I suggested, and when they arrive we confiscate them....customs problems.
I informed them that my plane leaves at midday so any dispatches needed to be sent to Gibraltar needs to be NLT 1000 Friday morning. They then retired for lunch without us two lowly Captains. All in all, a successful meeting.