28 Oct 1935 - Ministry of Defence

[Diarist]

This morning Sally and I first went to the HQ before leaving for London at around 09:00. I drove Sally to the Annex then met LTC Rodriguez from the Spanish Embassy at a nearby café. I also invited him and his wife to my wedding party. At the MoD my In-box was full. It took almost one hour to read everything. I found COL Sharpe's preliminary report about the new Umpire rules and was very encouraged with what had been written. There were several suggestions how to improve the rules and I agreed with all of them. Unfortunately there had been no opportunity to test the air support rules.
I then wrote a report based upon conversations with WgCdr Bill Sowrey, the commander of 70th RAF Squadron. He told me that there is growing unrest in Persia because the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company is not abiding by the 1933 Oil Concession Agreement. Under this Agreement the AIOC had promised better pay for workers and more chance for advancement, to build schools, hospitals, roads and a telephone system. This was not being done. The Iranians were already dissatisfied with the Agreement and this only compounded the grievances. Given the importance of Iranian oil for the war effort it is imperative that action be undertaken.
After I had finished the report I called Sally to ask about her plans for lunch. She'll be in my office in 10 minutes and we'll eat in the MoD restaurant. We weren't the only ones who had that idea. We joined General Gort and the four 'front' commanders, incl. Irvine Miller.
"Does Churchill have the reports?" General Gort asked.
"About an hour ago, Sir." Then, "what's Irvine doing here? He doesn't understand English."
"We'll figure something out."
"May I suggest that Sally and Irvine sit a row behind us so she can translate everything for him while making notes for me?"
Sally nodded. Problem solved. After lunch we made our way to the large conference room.

[Diarist]

There were already a couple of dozen people in the conference room when we arrived. We were introduced to LG Francis Gathorne-Hardy, GOC of Aldershot Command which controls 1st and 2nd Infantry Divisions, and MG Alan Brooke who is the designated commander of the planned Mobile Division, (the compromise artillery officer). Most of the others I already know. They include the CIGS, Duff Cooper from the Admiralty and Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister from the Air Ministry as well as a few division GOC's including MG Archibald Wavell. We were given copies of 2nd Infantry Division's FTX report. I quickly read it and had to smile because it was missing a lot of embarrassing details.
"Nice report, General, but it is missing a lot of details."
"It contains the essentials," smiling.
Winston Churchill opened the meeting. "Good afternoon, General Gort. I see you have brought your frontline commanders with you. There are several people here who aren't too happy about Blue force's conduct during last week's FTX. You completely disregarded the rules and made a mockery of the entire exercise. I understand that COL Patton and MAJ Carter were the main architects of your plan. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Mr. Secretary. I believe in giving my junior officers a chance to prove themselves. It was a good plan and it had, and has, my full support."
Churchill looked towards George and myself.
"Luckily it was just an exercise. If it were the real thing we would have Nazis goose stepping down The Mall before Christmas." I said what went through my mind. "I am really sorry if we hurt someone's feelings but the FTX was supposed to be as authentic as possible. The objective was to prevent Red forces from achieving their objective and that is precisely what we did, Sir. Maybe Red forces should have taken the FTX more seriously."
George said, "I agree entirely. We completely disrupted Red force's operation. Within one hour my advance guard had neutralized 5th Bde's HQ, captured an artillery unit and were using the captured guns against other artillery units assigned to 5th Bde. Within a second hour 5th Bde had effectively ceased to exist as a fighting force. For the next five hours we advanced unopposed behind enemy lines until linking up with MAJ Carter's airborne force which had captured and taken over the Division's HQ. I accepted MG Wavell's surrender just after 05:30. Mission accomplished. Where's the mockery?"
"And which rules did we disregard?" I asked. "It was a well planned and superbly executed operation."
"People snooping around Red force's area before the exercise had started, for example," LG Gathorne-Hardy said.
"That's strange because when in August my fiancée and I pretended we were on our honeymoon in NW Italy we were taking photos along the planned invasion routes, taking photos of the beaches where landings were planned, taking photos of important buildings and buying street maps in every town we visited. I can't remember anyone complaining. In fact we were praised for the invaluable information. Here we were collecting intelligence information. Trying to ascertain what the enemy's plans were so we could plan our own effective counter. What is wrong with that?" I'm beginning to get annoyed. I need to calm down.
"In principal nothing but it was against the rules of the exercise."
"In the rules there is nothing saying that military personnel on vacation can't visit Salisbury Plain."
"Just because it isn't specifically forbidden it doesn't mean that it's permitted."
"A question of interpretation, Sir. If Red forces had prevailed would you be here complaining?"
"That's beside the point."
"Then let's get to the point, Sir. Your 2nd Infantry got annihilated because they did everything wrong that one could do wrong. Despite being bombed just after midnight almost all the HHC was still asleep. We took the three roadblocks without a shot being fired because most of the troops were sleeping. At the HQ area we neutralized most of HHC personnel by throwing grenades into their tents then MG'ing them to death. We took the command tent without a shot being fired. The highest ranking officer on duty was a major. The Salvation Army could have done better. Their operational security was so terrible that the deaf, dumb and blind could have realized their plans.
We did the opposite. Apart from the blocking force, which we wanted them to see, our troops didn't arrive until the evening of the 23rd. No radio communications at all. No military sign posts, etc. and before our artillery bombardment started we had already captured the division's HQ and neutralized their right flank. They lost the battle in the first hour mainly because they were asleep. So did we break any rules after midnight, Sir?"
MG Brooke answered. "I've been told that you kill as many as possible so that there are only a few enemy left the for the 2nd echelon to take prisoner, or something like that. Does the new doctrine mean that British soldiers will become mass murderers?"
"Sir, I told General Wavell that we hit his 5th Bde like a ton of bricks and that he'll find there are more dead and wounded than captured troops. That way we have less enemy troops in our rear and the 2nd echelon has less work to do. That's combining massive firepower with mobility, not mass murder."
"A question of interpretation?" he replied.
"If you don't agree with my interpretation then you are the wrong person for the Mobile Division, Sir."
"I presume you could better," sarcastically.
"Definitely, Sir. But I'm only a major. Goddamn it, you don't use armour to tickle the enemy, you crush them!" and slammed my fist heavily on the table.
"Who would you suggest, MAJ Carter?" the CIGS asked breaking the silence.
"On the 15th Hitler ordered three Panzer Divisions be created. I say let's do the same but better. I would suggest BG Percy Hobart, COL George Patton, COL Jean de Tassigny and LTC Henry Crerar as the four commanders. They wouldn't be divisions at first so we don't need major-generals. Let's create four brigades then expand them later. Secondly we don't have any major-generals with armoured warfare experience. Thirdly the commander of the 2nd Panzer Division is a 'friend' of ours, namely COL Heinz Guderian. Hopefully he will be visiting us in a couple of weeks."
"An interesting thought. If the Germans can do it so can we. Do you already have TO&E's?"
"No, Sir but an armoured battalion would be the same as the ISV battalion TO&E which was in the package I delivered this morning. We do have a provisional Organization Chart for a brigade-sized battlegroup. Then one, two or three of these could be assigned to a division HQ."
Could you submit a document to me before the end of the week?" Churchill asked.
"Yes, Mr. Secretary."
Field Marshall Montgomery-Massingberd, the CIGS, said, "I've heard both sides of the argument and I was with Secretary Churchill in Salisbury during the FTX. We saw the battle unravel and were both very impressed. TRADOC was created to develop a new doctrine to overcome the deadlock of trench warfare. This doctrine worked against the Italians last month. Forcing their capitulation within a week. It also worked last week with devastating effect and I am convinced we are on the right path. I would like to see a very comprehensive document, gentlemen. Do you need more time?"
General Gort answered. "We can give you an appetizer this week with the main course next Friday."
"Then let's do that. Mr. Secretary?"
"That's fine with me. Let's finish for today. Thank you being here on such short notice. You'd like to add something, major?"
I'd raised my finger. "I'd just like to make it unmistakably clear that all the 'tanks' currently assigned to the units within the Royal Tank Corps are totally useless. The new tanks won't be available in any numbers until this time next year, at the earliest. That means a fully equipped Armoured Division won't be operational before the Spring of 1938 although brigades will be available earlier. The current ISV's will be replaced and reassigned to Infantry Divisions."
"Explain that in next week's report."
With that the meeting was over.