Post by Diarist on Nov 28, 2016 8:40:27 GMT 1
Admiral Keyes was already at the Dorchester when Sally and I arrived. She would keep Madame Colonel Rodriguez busy and send her husband to the Admiral and myself. We talked about Palestine and the plans to intervene there if the situation worsens. "I'm in favour of a tough response if wide scale fighting breaks out. What's your opinion?"
"What if they practice civil disobedience first?"
"If they work for the administration we close it down and fire the strikers. If it's shopkeepers we close their shops permanently and confiscate their goods."
"That'll create a massive response, Bob."
"Exactly, but an unprepared response. Given time they will prepare something massive and that would be a much more difficult situation to master. I am trying to avoid all this but the Grand Mufti has an uncompromising stance. I also want to make it quite clear to both sides that taking on the British Empire would be a huge mistake. The Grand Mufti should consider what happened to his friend Mussolini. That's why I'd like a couple of battleships to be visible on the horizon."
"I see you have the army being reinforced but what about the RAF?"
"There are about eight squadrons in theatre and isn't HMS Glorious at Alexandria? There are also aircraft at Aden and Port Sudan that are unoccupied at the moment."
"That's more than enough. What does Winston advise?"
"He hasn't advised anything but our plans have been approved by the PM."
"Who's in charge over there? LG Weir in Cairo?"
"No. He has his hands full with Egypt. Geoffrey Howard from the 5th Infantry is being promoted. Half of his division is already in Palestine and will eventually form the 5th Armoured Division."
"What are your plans with the 51st?"
"The division HQ plus a brigade and two-thirds of the divisional troops are being shipped to Eilat/Aqaba. A Brigade plus the remaining divisional troops are being deployed at El Arish near Gaza. Another topic. Spain. Do you have anything planned there?"
"Just observing at the moment and it's not very encouraging."
"Louis is working on a project. We support Franco if he stays away from Germany. If we can keep Gibraltar he can have the Balearic Islands."
"He'll jump at that idea. Why are you asking?"
"I know someone in the Spanish Embassy in London. He'll be here shortly. I give him letters for friends in Germany and he sends them to their Embassy in Berlin."
"That's a nice arrangement."
"There he is just arriving. He was at Windsor Castle last month. Do you remember him?"
Rodriguez joined the two of us and I introduced them to each other. "We were just talking about Spain. I travelled by train from Lisbon to Toulon in August and witnessed the unrest there. It's not getting any better is it?"
"No it isn't."
"Where does your family live in Spain?"
"In Zaragoza. My father is a retired General. Not his choice."
"Here, I have another letter for Admiral Canaris to let him know that I've arrived home safely. Are you aiming to become a General too?"
"I met him at Windsor last month. I like him. Me, a General. I haven't thought that far."
"I visited Admiral Canaris in Berlin last weekend. I stayed at his house in Berlin on Friday then in Erfurt, Thüringen on Saturday." I opened my briefcase and gave Admiral Keyes my Germany notes. Then to LTC Rodriguez, "I'm travelling to the United States next week so if Canaris can be there maybe I can introduce him to President Roosevelt."
"You met Heydrich?" Admiral Keyes asked.
"Briefly at Canaris' house. He inquired about Döhle. He's Himmler's number two now. From Lieutenant to Major-General in a few years? We need to keep an eye on him."
"I didn't know of that kind of promotion."
"He fixed the SA problem to everybody's satisfaction. Now he's creating an intelligence organization to compete with Canaris. Maybe we can supply him some juicy disinformation."
"Your people can do that but I do like it."
"What is General Franco doing now?"
"He is still the Chief of the General Staff in Madrid."
"Have you ever met him?"
"No, but my father knows him well."
"So if we wanted to contact him your father could give a letter to him personally?" Admiral Keyes gave me a cautious look.
"Of course. But what would you want to say?"
"Just to let him know that he has friends in England who wouldn't appreciate a government in Madrid taking orders from Moscow. We would also like to invite some of his trusted officers to visit London in the near future."
"I'd gladly pass on that letter for you."
I opened my briefcase and gave him a second letter. "For General Franco only. Here's a copy for you to read. I need it back."
"Could you show me your TRADOC?"
"Of course I could. How would Friday afternoon suit you? Sally and I could take you and your wife to Saffron Walden then bring you both back to London in the evening. We plan driving here Friday evening anyway.
"I accept, thank you."
"I need to talk to Admiral Keyes about Germany. We'll join you at the table in a few minutes."
"That's how you recruit people?"
"He's no stranger. If Hitler is gone who else can the Spaniards turn to."
"Now you really are counting chickens before they've hatched."
"I'm counting on the Nazis doing something stupid. They are almost predictable and Hitler badly needs a success story. If he waits until after January to make his move we shall be ready. Now there are two things you need to know that I haven't told Winston yet. If Hitler moves into the Rhineland Czechoslovakia will give the Sudeten Germans one hour to pack their bags then march them across the border into Germany. That will really screw their economy. Second, if it becomes a hot conflict we can put a fleet in the Baltic because Poland will not only provide air support for it but also attack German airfields in the east. Admiral, in February I'll start praying every evening that Hitler will do something stupid and the Wehrmacht takes over in Germany. They almost did last year because of the SA problem."
"That is dangerous information."
"I can't tell Winston that. It's the national security of other nations at stake. I'm telling you so you know it's safe to bombard Germany's Baltic ports and that we have an exit strategy. Germany won't survive a blow from the east and west even if there is no military confrontation."
"I agree with your assessment but we need to tell Winston in confidence."
"Then General Gort too. We don't mention our plans for Spain though. It's too early."
"I agree there too. Let's join the others."
"What if they practice civil disobedience first?"
"If they work for the administration we close it down and fire the strikers. If it's shopkeepers we close their shops permanently and confiscate their goods."
"That'll create a massive response, Bob."
"Exactly, but an unprepared response. Given time they will prepare something massive and that would be a much more difficult situation to master. I am trying to avoid all this but the Grand Mufti has an uncompromising stance. I also want to make it quite clear to both sides that taking on the British Empire would be a huge mistake. The Grand Mufti should consider what happened to his friend Mussolini. That's why I'd like a couple of battleships to be visible on the horizon."
"I see you have the army being reinforced but what about the RAF?"
"There are about eight squadrons in theatre and isn't HMS Glorious at Alexandria? There are also aircraft at Aden and Port Sudan that are unoccupied at the moment."
"That's more than enough. What does Winston advise?"
"He hasn't advised anything but our plans have been approved by the PM."
"Who's in charge over there? LG Weir in Cairo?"
"No. He has his hands full with Egypt. Geoffrey Howard from the 5th Infantry is being promoted. Half of his division is already in Palestine and will eventually form the 5th Armoured Division."
"What are your plans with the 51st?"
"The division HQ plus a brigade and two-thirds of the divisional troops are being shipped to Eilat/Aqaba. A Brigade plus the remaining divisional troops are being deployed at El Arish near Gaza. Another topic. Spain. Do you have anything planned there?"
"Just observing at the moment and it's not very encouraging."
"Louis is working on a project. We support Franco if he stays away from Germany. If we can keep Gibraltar he can have the Balearic Islands."
"He'll jump at that idea. Why are you asking?"
"I know someone in the Spanish Embassy in London. He'll be here shortly. I give him letters for friends in Germany and he sends them to their Embassy in Berlin."
"That's a nice arrangement."
"There he is just arriving. He was at Windsor Castle last month. Do you remember him?"
Rodriguez joined the two of us and I introduced them to each other. "We were just talking about Spain. I travelled by train from Lisbon to Toulon in August and witnessed the unrest there. It's not getting any better is it?"
"No it isn't."
"Where does your family live in Spain?"
"In Zaragoza. My father is a retired General. Not his choice."
"Here, I have another letter for Admiral Canaris to let him know that I've arrived home safely. Are you aiming to become a General too?"
"I met him at Windsor last month. I like him. Me, a General. I haven't thought that far."
"I visited Admiral Canaris in Berlin last weekend. I stayed at his house in Berlin on Friday then in Erfurt, Thüringen on Saturday." I opened my briefcase and gave Admiral Keyes my Germany notes. Then to LTC Rodriguez, "I'm travelling to the United States next week so if Canaris can be there maybe I can introduce him to President Roosevelt."
"You met Heydrich?" Admiral Keyes asked.
"Briefly at Canaris' house. He inquired about Döhle. He's Himmler's number two now. From Lieutenant to Major-General in a few years? We need to keep an eye on him."
"I didn't know of that kind of promotion."
"He fixed the SA problem to everybody's satisfaction. Now he's creating an intelligence organization to compete with Canaris. Maybe we can supply him some juicy disinformation."
"Your people can do that but I do like it."
"What is General Franco doing now?"
"He is still the Chief of the General Staff in Madrid."
"Have you ever met him?"
"No, but my father knows him well."
"So if we wanted to contact him your father could give a letter to him personally?" Admiral Keyes gave me a cautious look.
"Of course. But what would you want to say?"
"Just to let him know that he has friends in England who wouldn't appreciate a government in Madrid taking orders from Moscow. We would also like to invite some of his trusted officers to visit London in the near future."
"I'd gladly pass on that letter for you."
I opened my briefcase and gave him a second letter. "For General Franco only. Here's a copy for you to read. I need it back."
"Could you show me your TRADOC?"
"Of course I could. How would Friday afternoon suit you? Sally and I could take you and your wife to Saffron Walden then bring you both back to London in the evening. We plan driving here Friday evening anyway.
"I accept, thank you."
"I need to talk to Admiral Keyes about Germany. We'll join you at the table in a few minutes."
"That's how you recruit people?"
"He's no stranger. If Hitler is gone who else can the Spaniards turn to."
"Now you really are counting chickens before they've hatched."
"I'm counting on the Nazis doing something stupid. They are almost predictable and Hitler badly needs a success story. If he waits until after January to make his move we shall be ready. Now there are two things you need to know that I haven't told Winston yet. If Hitler moves into the Rhineland Czechoslovakia will give the Sudeten Germans one hour to pack their bags then march them across the border into Germany. That will really screw their economy. Second, if it becomes a hot conflict we can put a fleet in the Baltic because Poland will not only provide air support for it but also attack German airfields in the east. Admiral, in February I'll start praying every evening that Hitler will do something stupid and the Wehrmacht takes over in Germany. They almost did last year because of the SA problem."
"That is dangerous information."
"I can't tell Winston that. It's the national security of other nations at stake. I'm telling you so you know it's safe to bombard Germany's Baltic ports and that we have an exit strategy. Germany won't survive a blow from the east and west even if there is no military confrontation."
"I agree with your assessment but we need to tell Winston in confidence."
"Then General Gort too. We don't mention our plans for Spain though. It's too early."
"I agree there too. Let's join the others."