Post by Diarist on Jun 19, 2016 15:23:03 GMT 1
Sally arrived at the Dorchester at around 10 o'clock. From there we went shopping then drove home. After a change of clothes and a quick lunch we packed an overnight bag and I drove us to Cromer. A quiet weekend - just the two of us. The weather was dry but a little cool. Last weekend we couldn't go strolling around the town because Prince Edward was with us and he is an attraction. I like Cromer. We visited a few pubs and a couple of restaurants with very English food. We only used the self-service dining room for breakfast.
After lunch we drove to Norwich and had dinner at a riverside restaurant/pub before driving home. It wasn't too late so we went to the Saffron Hotel where we met George Patton and his wife Beatrice. George had spent the week at Colchester with the 4th Infantry so we had a lot to talk about.
We left the ladies at the table and walked to the bar. We quickly discussed the strategy for the exercise and he liked it. He asked if the infantry assigned to the ISV Battlegroup can be equipped with Thompsons. I told him that I am already working on it. I also told him about my chat with MAJ Shepherd and the SAW design and he immediately wanted to join the venture.
"Already fully booked but I have a second venture which is more in your line of work. I've ordered two V-12 Merlin motor blocks which should arrive at de Havilland, Edgeware, some time this month. The plan is to use them to build a tank engine for the next tank, the one after the Crusader with the 400 hp engine. The V-12 should be able to produce 600 to 650 hp. Rolls-Royce now has the contract to produce the 400 hp engine and as far as I know they have no plans to build a tank engine version of the Merlin."
"That does sound good," Patton replied. "There is no hurry though, correct?"
"Correct. It'll be for a 1939/1940 tank as opposed to the 1936/1937 Crusader. This tank will have the 17-pdr for its main gun. We can probably also use reject cylinder heads, etc. from the Merlin production. Tank engines don't need to have the high quality parts that aircraft engines do."
"That's true. Where would we produce it?"
"We don't. We let someone else produce it under license and we collect the license fees." I then explained the restrictions about us selling directly to the MoD and that it's probably the same in the United States. We then rejoined the ladies and after another drink we all left.
After lunch we drove to Norwich and had dinner at a riverside restaurant/pub before driving home. It wasn't too late so we went to the Saffron Hotel where we met George Patton and his wife Beatrice. George had spent the week at Colchester with the 4th Infantry so we had a lot to talk about.
We left the ladies at the table and walked to the bar. We quickly discussed the strategy for the exercise and he liked it. He asked if the infantry assigned to the ISV Battlegroup can be equipped with Thompsons. I told him that I am already working on it. I also told him about my chat with MAJ Shepherd and the SAW design and he immediately wanted to join the venture.
"Already fully booked but I have a second venture which is more in your line of work. I've ordered two V-12 Merlin motor blocks which should arrive at de Havilland, Edgeware, some time this month. The plan is to use them to build a tank engine for the next tank, the one after the Crusader with the 400 hp engine. The V-12 should be able to produce 600 to 650 hp. Rolls-Royce now has the contract to produce the 400 hp engine and as far as I know they have no plans to build a tank engine version of the Merlin."
"That does sound good," Patton replied. "There is no hurry though, correct?"
"Correct. It'll be for a 1939/1940 tank as opposed to the 1936/1937 Crusader. This tank will have the 17-pdr for its main gun. We can probably also use reject cylinder heads, etc. from the Merlin production. Tank engines don't need to have the high quality parts that aircraft engines do."
"That's true. Where would we produce it?"
"We don't. We let someone else produce it under license and we collect the license fees." I then explained the restrictions about us selling directly to the MoD and that it's probably the same in the United States. We then rejoined the ladies and after another drink we all left.