Mission to Britain Page 10
He again looked at the maps and then returned his gaze to Brand and Jameson. But his main gaze was kept on Brand as if he were trying to gauge his strength of character and intelligence.
“So, Lieutenant Brand, this is the total war in which we are engaged. You have undoubtedly heard my speeches which do much to shore up the public and dare I say, myself. Now looking at the present world condition, what say you again are the greatest obstacles to victory?” Churchill looked up at Jameson, back at Brand, and puffed his cigar while he waited for a response.
General Brooke looked intrigued at this line of questioning from the prime minister, for he had heard many times the same question but from members of the Imperial Staff or the various production ministers. Usually, the answers were specific to a person’s area of expertise or branch of service, so this young man might have something to offer new or unique.
Brand moved to the wall of maps. He looked at each major area of conflict with the European area first, followed by North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea, then the Russian campaign and finally the great expanse of the Pacific.
Appearing confident Brand answered the great man’s question. “Sir, the greatest challenge is the tyranny of distance. Distance to move troops and supplies; distance that is too great for most aircraft to reach their target; distance to help supply a friend or attack a foe. Yet, distance is also on our side. The enemy is stretched on every front. He too must supply his armies, fuel his ships and planes, move to conform to the movements of the Allies. Our opportunity is to use this distance first to deceive the enemy of where the next blow will fall and secondly focus our efforts on the location of our attack with the sufficient resources to ensure success.”
James paused for a minute and walked back to the map of North Africa. “Here is where we must put our first effort. Stopping Rommel is the first of many steps in slowing the enemy’s advance and using distance as a weapon. Here in Egypt, the resources of America and the combat skills of the Commonwealth Army can stop him and push him back.”
James then pointed to the area around Gibraltar and resumed speaking. “An Allied invasion of North Africa from Oran to Algiers would cause the Germans to react violently. They would take over the rest of France and push troops to Tunisia. This is another distance equation. It is easier for the Germans to get to Tunisia than for an Allied force to get to there from Algeria, but it pulls him further into the hangman’s noose. Once in North Africa, we can cut his supply lines to Italy and further degrade his combat capacity. It would show the Russians we are serious about the second front but without us overstepping our capabilities. We need practice in amphibious warfare. We need to build up our bases in Britain and build more ships, more planes and train more men.”
Brand turned to General Brooke and had no fear in his next comment. “General, how long did it take you to rebuild your losses from Dunkirk in terms of trained soldiers and equipment?”
General Brooke did not like the impertinent question from the young American but answered to see his response. “Lieutenant, we are still rebuilding from the BEF retreat from France. It took us over a year just to resupply the men we brought out let alone set up new divisions.”
“Thank you, General, for your candor and your bravery. I know you led your division out of France while holding a skillful rear guard.” Brand turned back to Churchill and Jameson noticed that the commander in chief of the British army smiled a bit concerning the comment made by his young protégé, thus winning another one over for the American side.
Brand now came to his final conclusions. “Prime Minister, I know America wants to go right at the Germans, but from what we learned in the Great War, it took us a good year to build an army and now with the technologies being employed in war, it will take longer. We need to test our troops and our equipment plus, sir, we need to test our leaders. You have not shirked from changing leaders to find the right ones for these conditions. It will take a leader not only of great courage but one who has the insights into the overall strategy of the war and the knowledge of the logistical needs of the entire spectrum of warfare. This may mean that many will be tested, and many will fail before one finds the truly gifted leaders for these efforts.”
Churchill puffed once more on his cigar and smiled at the young man. “Lieutenant Brand, I have been lectured by many a great man in my career, starting with my father, Lord Randolph Churchill. Yet, I have enjoyed your words and thoughts. Perhaps they echo mine, but you challenge me, and that is a good thing. Your comments on the perils of distance are true, and they are hurting us now, but I see how we can turn these perils to our triumphs. Please let me know what you need while you are here, and if there are any suggestions you think I should know, contact me directly.”
Churchill looked over at the general and then said to the Americans, “I have a duty to many people in this nation. A duty to every man, woman, and child to see us through this dark night of war and into the new light of tomorrow’s promise. But I must go and do my duty to my King and inform him of our progress. So, I will take my leave of you, Mr. Brand, and I do hope we will meet again soon.” With a final handshake, Churchill walked out of the room leaving the two Americans alone with General Brooke.
The general waited for the door to close behind the prime minister and then stated, “Gentlemen, I believe you have made a very favorable impression on the prime minister. Mr. Brand, if I may say so, I am also impressed by your knowledge and your ability to communicate it.”
He turned to escort them out of the bunker and into the fading evening light, but he turned once more to Brand. “Lieutenant, I like your comment about the perils of distance and how it helps and hurts us. I shall use your ideas a great deal soon, and I too look forward to seeing you again.”
The general escorted them to where the Royal Marine sergeant major was waiting with Gunny Jones, and both men jumped to attention when he approached.
“Sergeant Major, please escort these officers out of the complex and make sure they are properly signed out.” The general shook the hands of both officers. Looking at James, he said, “Lieutenant, take safe care of yourself. We need a dozen more just like you, but I doubt they exist. Come see me anytime you are in London.”
The officers and two sergeants snapped to attention and saluted the chief of staff, as he turned and walked away. The Royal Marine sergeant major turned to the American navy captain and pointing with his hand said, “Sir, if you would follow me, I will get you up to where the sun shines, and the skies are usually wet.”
When the Americans got into their car at the entrance to the Admiralty, Margret noticed that something had happened but was afraid to ask any questions. As they drove off, the gunny looked towards the back seat and asked, “Captain, is Mr. Churchill as impressive as he sounds in his speeches?”
Jameson smiled at the gunny who had seen them talking to the prime minister and decided to tell the faithful Marine what had happened. “Gunny and Petty Officer Bagley, the prime minister is quite an interesting man. He is full of confidence in the outcome of the war and has an incredible memory for all the events swirling around him. He quickly detailed what was happening in the world and demonstrated an uncommon sense of strategy and history at the same time.”
The captain noticed the interest that Petty Officer Bagley had been showing James, so he decided to pique her interest further, hoping that the lieutenant would take the bait and spend some time with this young woman. He knew James worked way too much and his intensity was so great he was afraid the young lieutenant would burn out like a light bulb and go dark.
“The prime minister spent a great deal of time talking to Mr. Brand. I was just window dressing for the meeting.”
Margret listened intently but was confused by Jameson’s last statement. “Captain, I fear I do not understand the meaning of window dressing, could you elaborate?”
“Certainly, Petty Officer, window dressing is what you see in a store window that looks pretty but does not do very m
uch for the buyer or the seller. It simply helps get the customer in the door. Lieutenant Brand is the real item. I was just standing there looking good in my uniform.” Jameson could see her looking at him in the rearview mirror. He smiled at her, and she smiled back but quickly focused on the road ahead.
Gunny Jones now asked his question which he had been saving up for just such an event. “Captain, I know you and the lieutenant are meeting with many of the big wigs here in London but are they more interested in meeting the lieutenant, sir? No offense, sir.”
Jameson knew the gunny was a lifer and well-schooled in military protocol. So, when things don’t appear to be as they seem, interest increases in old timers like Sergeant Jones.
“Gunny, you are correct and, no, I don’t take offense. Just be careful of what you have seen this day and for the rest of our days in Britain. Mr. Brand is the star of this show, and I am happy to be of assistance to him in his mission. Petty Officer, what I just told the gunny goes for you as well. Do not tell others what you have seen or meetings you think we are having. Understand?”
“Yes sir, Captain. I certainly would not share any of the things I have seen or heard without your direct permission.” Petty Officer Bagley looked back at the captain to see him nod his head in acceptance. She knew her leadership wanted to know everything she saw and heard and knew she was playing a difficult game. The Americans were their Allies and as Churchill had said, the great hope of mankind, but she was still British and a serving member of the Royal Navy. She hoped she could serve both masters and not hurt her budding relationship with James.
The captain also noticed her looking back and knew that she was not only a beautiful young woman but also in the employ of the Royal Navy and as such, had a duty to keep her masters informed just as he kept his leadership informed as to the attitudes and abilities of the British military. He hoped the two young people could survive this tug of war between two nations and two navies both intent on being the dominant leaders in the war. He wondered about that, and how the United States was in the ascendancy and the British were slowly dropping in both power and significance.
The Great Empire was weakening, and its far-flung colonies were gaining strength and would leave their colonial status sooner rather than later. Jameson knew Churchill was still a nineteenth-century man at heart and “the sun never sets on the British Empire” feelings he had were of a bygone age. But he realized Churchill still intended to fight for the old way of doing things, and this meant trying to preserve all the powers the Empire had given to Britain. Cracks were appearing each day, and Britain could no longer count on the Commonwealth countries to blindly provide manpower and wealth to sustain the Empire.
Australia wanted her troops back to fight the Japanese. They feared an invasion and had lost an entire division at Singapore. Now their best fighting units were in Egypt and not at home waiting for the Japanese to land. Canada had provided immediate aid, but the large French-speaking minority did not share the same feeling and soldiers from Quebec could not be sent to Europe without their consent. Burma and Malaya had fallen, and India, the crown jewel of the Empire, was mired in near mutiny. Getting the Muslims and Hindus to agree on anything was nearly impossible. Added to these fundamental stirrings were the teachings of Gandhi, constant riots, and inadequate food supplies. The huge subcontinent of nearly three hundred million people looked less stable daily.
Churchill, Jameson thought, was having to defend everywhere and attack somewhere just to show movement to the Soviets and to impress the Americans. But the losses during the battles of the Great War, such as the Somme where Britain suffered sixty thousand casualties in one day, held Churchill and most of his generals back. They did not have the manpower to match Hitler and only with the Americans could they build a superior number of forces. The British were a nation of sixty million and the United States had a population of over one hundred thirty million. The British would soon exhaust its capacity to add new soldiers while the United States was ramping up to an army of twelve million men. Churchill knew these numbers would matter, and he not only needed to win some battles soon but also needed to win over the support and goodwill of the Americans before they became the dominant partner.
The one thing Churchill could offer was the technical, scientific, and operations experience of his country over the past years of war. The Tizard mission to the United States in late 1940 jump-started the relationship. This British mission shared many of their secrets and inventions, especially radar and the development of the cavity magnetron which was five hundred times more powerful than anything the Americans had seen or thought possible. This sharing enabled the Americans to quickly add their expertise to the development and rapid manufacture of new and more powerful radar systems for ships, land bases, and now even airborne units. This single breakthrough along with other electronic and weapons platforms helped the United States quickly modernize their forces and build a technological edge that their enemies would never be able to match.
Jameson thought about these things and glanced over at Brand who was looking out the window. He hoped the young man’s thoughts were not all about the war or science but hopefully a bit on the young woman driving the car.
The captain was correct about what Brand was thinking, but the meeting with the other half of the great Atlantic Partnership still echoed in his brain. Brand glanced at Margret and wanted to ask her out but feared this would not be an appropriate time or place. He figured once they got to the embassy and everyone else was gone he could talk to her alone and look at those lovely eyes once more. Then he began to think about the maps and the flames of war that had engulfed the entire world. For once, he feared his contribution would not be enough to swing the tides of war, but he could try, he thought, to use his intelligence and his creativity to help in some new ways.
Part 3
6
20 March 1942
Commando Training School
Achnacarry, Scotland
• Battleship South Dakota (BB-57) is commissioned at New York City.
The Marines have landed! The team wondered aloud about the kind of landing they made in the cold, wet, miserable climate of northwestern Scotland. The Commando School had little time for visitors, especially tourists from America, but the orders came from Combined Operations, so they would be obeyed. Flannigan arrived after being driven in a small truck with his men in the back across very miserable roads to a more miserable place. Sergeant Laird would later claim the place was a colder version of hell but with more devils in charge.
It was dark when they arrived at the camp, and they were taken to the main building which was the former Highland castle home of the Clan Cameron, that had been given over to the commandos for the duration of the war. The entire area was sealed off from the rest of Scotland to maintain the extreme secrecy of the training and the planning of missions. The training regimen was difficult and almost barbaric, but the result was to be an elite force of shock troops who knew how to get in and get out with or without extreme violence. The commander of the facility met Flannigan and his men after they were shown quarters and given dinner, which was barely suitable for livestock.
The base was under the command of Colonel Charles Vaughn, whom his men called the Rommel of the North because of his strict discipline and the harshness of the training. No man who completed the school ever doubted the importance of what they learned. Any man could be dropped from the training for a myriad of reasons and then shipped back to his previous unit. This was called being RTU’d (Returned to Unit) and was not considered a dark stain on any man’s record because very few passed through the ten-week long program. After completing this initial phase came more intense training depending on the needs of the forces and the specific mission.
“Captain Flannigan, good to meet a member of the American Marines.” The colonel was an austere-looking man who appeared to be in great physical shape and who focused on each man’s face to see how they would react to his every word.
“I received the notice of your arrival from Lord Mountbatten with a request to allow you and your men to participate in some of our training. It would appear that no one consulted me, but I am used to requests that are not well thought out. What do you say about that, Captain?”
Flannigan had a feeling that a commander of any organization would rebel at being told to do something that was probably a waste of his command’s time and effort. Like a good Marine officer, he replied, “Sir, I am sorry for the inconvenience, and I would feel the same way as you do, sir.” He looked hard at the colonel who walked around his desk and then looked the young American over once more.
“Captain, we follow orders, even when we are not happy with them, is it the same way in the American Marines?” The colonel was now only inches away from him and smelled of bad tobacco and maybe coffee, but it could be that terrible English tea.
“Sir, Marines always follow orders. That is why we are Marines and the first in and usually the last out.” He hoped this would win some favor with the colonel who now stared out the window overlooking mountains with clouds slowly dropping down from the heights.
“Tell me, Captain, was it not your Marines who held out so bravely at Wake Island?”
“Colonel, you are correct. They were out gunned and out manned but fought bravely and took more of the enemy than the enemy took of them.” Flannigan stood taller thinking of those brave SOBs who knew they were doomed from the start, just like his friends remaining in the Philippines.
“Captain, there are brave men in every army or Marine unit as well. It is important they survive long enough to do their mission and escape to fight again. We teach those skills at Commando School. It would be a pleasure to have you attend some of the training we offer, and I am certain that any skill you learn here, can be passed onto your comrades. Welcome to Achnacarry, Captain. Please sit down and tell me about yourself and your men.”