Chapter 305
“So it is quite obvious that the Americans have retaken Midway, some weeks earlier than we expected. It did cost them at least two-hundred men though, and several warships. Unfortunately their official releases are even less reliable than ours, Sir. It is very hard to deduct what actually happened.”
The Prime Minister of the principal Allied Power nodded. “Truth is always the first victim in war.”
Churchill was due to embark on a tour of all the Commonwealth-Dominions and was not looking forward to the tour as it was to include a meeting with the Chairman of the American Central Committee off New York City and there were few that hated the communists more than Winston Spencer Churchill.
“What else do we know about their side of the Pacific?”
“Unfortunately there is nothing much to know. Their next step is invariably Wake, and then either towards Iwo Jima or the Mariana Islands. Unlike us they have not many routes towards Japan to choose from.”
Dill hesitated. “Sir, I am still not buying the whole 'independent Nation' thing regarding the Philippines.”
“Neither am I, Marshal.” Churchill replied.
“But St.Claire[1] thinks that it is most likely they can't be bothered doing Island hopping and clearing that particular quagmire for a Nation that was independent before the war and still contains an awful lot of US Loyalists.”
“Of whom some are working with the Japanese.”
Churchill snorted. The so-called 'American Liberation Government' was loud but about as free or significant as the Indian National Government that was operating out of Saigon and generally ignored by it's target audience, after all the 'vile British Empire' was 'perpetuating Colonial exploitation' by extending the vote and granting full internal self-government to all of India.
“I think we can discount them Marshal. Discounting the fact that they cannot be bothered with taking all these Islands, I think that they probably do not want to liberate a country where the local resistance movement is more than likely to attack them right after they stop shooting at the Japanese.”
Dill considered this and a report he had read some months ago. When the US Government had started to re-call it's overseas stations with varying degrees of success the Philippine Department had at first declared for the United States but when the war had turned it was clear that these forces would be stuck there due to sheer distance and slowly but surely the Department had dissolved. Some had managed to reach America and declared for one side or another, some had made it to Australia, but a lot, especially those with their families near them, had folded into the then-newly independent Philippine Army and were now, along with their local comrades, forming the core of the biggest pro-Allied insurrection behind Japanese lines.
“We need to look into aiding them in some form once we have re-taken Java and Sumatra, Marshal. We need to help them however we can.”
Some of the PM's fixed ideas were enough to drive any soldier to drink, some where plain impossible and some had merit. This was definitely one of the latter. If the locals could be aided and armed then they would tie down significant Japanese ground forces that the Allied Armies elsewhere would not have to face. The fact that they were even still around after so long and even had a radio station somewhere in the hills.
“Sir, we need to talk this over with Admiral Cunningham, but we use Submarines for supply runs to Singapore. We could use our longer ranged ones to runs small supply caches. Once contact is established, of course.”
Churchill nodded. “Indeed.”
He stubbed out his cigar. Sir John Dill, Marshal of the Empire and Chief of the Imperial General Staff knew what was coming next, the message concerning it had reached Aldershot before No.10.
“Frankly, Prime Minister, I think the Officer concerned has a very vivid imagination. We should do it.”
Dill might have been a political appointment as much as a military one, but Churchill had come to admit to himself that the CIGS knew what he was talking about.
“The..repercussions that Herr Hitler might unleash could be....”
Dill agreed. “That is true, but we should do it anyhow. From what we hear the situation in Poland can't get much worse and I do not even have to ask to get their agreement. The Dutch and the Belgians on the other hand are a case of their own, though they probably will participate. The Belgians I am more certain about, they fought like the Devil and though the Jackboot is nowhere near as heavy there as it is in Poland what we propose to do cold change that. Hitler isn't known for acting rationally, especially when we kick him in the balls like that.”
Something else Churchill had come to appreciate, Dill was a diplomat who was also capable of a refreshingly frank manner when the situation called for it.
“We need to consider public morale in our own country too, Marshal.” Churchill said and picked up the glass of Brandy he had been nursing for the last hour. He took a sip. “This war has been going on for a long time with no end in sight, and a high-profile operation like that we can mobilize them more for the war effort. Operation Chastise[2] has shown that.”
Dill agreed with that. “Have we spoken to the Poles yet?”
Churchill shook his head. “Not yet, Sir John. There is the matter of Operational Security to consider.”
If the British had learned anything about Intelligence Operations in this war it was that no one was beyond being compromised. The case of the Polish filing clerk who had been recruited by the Germans through the Soviets with promises of good treatment for his family was a lesson for all the Allied leadership.
“What are the forces at our disposal?” Churchill asked.
“Including the Belgian, Dutch and Polish Squadrons the plan calls for six Squadrons, three of ours and one each from the Dutch, Belgian and Polish Air Forces. That makes ninety-six planes with two 500 pound bombs each.”
Dill reached for his briefcase and took out a map of the target area.
“We took these with a high-altitude Wellington a few days ago. As you can see the Hall isn't finished and they have stopped work for the season. They reached approximately 136 feet of height, and according to the Admiral[3] they plan almost twice that. Apparently Hitler was none too pleased about the lack of progress.”
Churchill looked at the plans. “If it were finished these planes could carry nothing that would pierce the roof.”
“Yes, Sir. The Mosquito simply is too small to carry anything big enough. We might have to task Bomber Command on it at a later date.” He cleared his throat and pointed at the remainder of the Nuremberg Party Rally Grounds.
“The Congress hall is not finished. However we know that the Nazis will hold a massive parade, and that Stalin too will likely be present. Attacking it then and there will shatter their own self-image of invincibility more than our ground Armies can.”
“There are risks though, Marshal.” Churchill said. He had weighed them himself and was more interested in hearing if the CIGS was feeling the same. The argument was old and it would be discussed at least a dozen more times before the war was over, but never again would there be an opportunity like this.
“That is true, Sir. But as the saying goes: 'Better deal with the Devil we know.'. After all, whoever would replace Hitler and Stalin might do an even better job at fighting us. As things are we can determine with some accuracy how the Axis will react to anything that happens on the Battlefield.”
While Churchill somewhat doubted the second part he knew that there was some merit to what the Marshal was saying, in fact it would be the main argument when he presented the plan to the war cabinet.
“I did have the impression that Group Captain Gibson's men were becoming slightly bored lately. It will give them something to do at least.”
And thus it all started...
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Comments, questions, rotten tomatoes?
[1] British Ambassador in America.
[2] As OTL, only that it happened in summer 1942.
[3] Canaris.
Here are some examples of the Air Forces involved:
Air Forces of the Polish Republic
Belgian Military Aviation
Royal Netherlands Air Force