Their radar
sets alone have enabled me to close the Denmark strait. Jerry has made two runs
out that way in recent months, and he’s been caught flat footed and turned
about in every case. I would like to take all the credit, but I’m afraid I
would be remiss to do so. The Russian radar sets have given me the warning I
need, and in each case I’ve been able to move my fast battleships into position
to dissuade the Germans from any ideas they may have had about breaking out.”
“And what about the Bismarck ,”
said Pound. “What about Hindenburg . Yes, I know I do nothing but tighten
the noose about my own neck to bring them into this conversation again. I’ve
already admitted my culpability in that affair.”
“Well,” said Tovey. “They can
either sit in those French ports, or come out to see if they have what it takes
to challenge HMS Invincible , and may she live up to her name should that
ever be the case. As to our operations against the Atlantic islands, I assume
that meets with the Former Naval Person’s approval?”
Churchill
agreed that action now was imperative, and with a favorable eye on the Royal
Marines and commandos, he pushed for more decisive and timely action soon.
“The
Joint Planning Group has argued the “Marines” are that in name only,” said
Pound. “Being newly raised units, with no real experience in amphibious
landings, they insisted that regular army units should spearhead any major
amphibious operation, but Churchill told Keyes to continue building up his
amphibious striking force.”
“Well,”
said Fraser, “the Admiral continued collecting his “Marines,” in any case, and
now he has a pair of “Brigades,” which are also that in name only, as they are
each comprised of only two battalions of Royal Marines at this stage.”
“We can
augment that force with units under War Office control,” said Pound, “though
the Joint Planners still consider our amphibious forces inadequate for any
significant operation against Vichy held territory. Remember also that these
island outposts are not all French territories, they are held by Spain and
Portugal.”
There
were political considerations there until that fateful meeting at Hendaye that saw Spain defect to the Axis banner. Now Keyes
argued his men were well suited to the task of seizing these islands, and he
eventually won out with the fall of Gibraltar.
The
loss of Britain’s Rock had been a hard blow, but one that galvanized planners
to look for an alternative place to base Force H. It was determined that this
force had to maintain a watch on the West African coast, and operate as a
counterfoil to the French Force De Raid based out of Casablanca and
Dakar. While no single harbor could match the facilities and capacity they once
enjoyed at Gibraltar, the combined facilities available in the island outposts
would allow sufficient force to be kept in theater.
The
first target in Britain’s new Atlantic island campaign had been the Azores, an
operation that had been mounted at Churchill’s urging even while the fighting
was underway at Gibraltar. Led by Captain Christopher Wells aboard HMS Glorious ,
1st and 5th battalions, Royal Marines, had been put ashore against no more than
a mild diplomatic protest logged by Portugal. It had been far easier than all
the hand wringing and discussion that preceded it. Churchill was elated when he
got the news that the Black Hole in the Atlantic, the place where Britain had
little or no air cover, would now be well patrolled by planes from the airfield
at the Azores. Now the question of how to proceed was on the table, with the
Canary Islands Operation Puma on one side, and the combined Dakar Cape Verde
Islands Operation Shrapnel on the other.
As it
happened, the positioning of French Naval assets weighed heavily in the balance
of that decision. The first battle off Dakar had convinced the Royal Navy that
the French could pose a significant threat to any amphibious operation
sets alone have enabled me to close the Denmark strait. Jerry has made two runs
out that way in recent months, and he’s been caught flat footed and turned
about in every case. I would like to take all the credit, but I’m afraid I
would be remiss to do so. The Russian radar sets have given me the warning I
need, and in each case I’ve been able to move my fast battleships into position
to dissuade the Germans from any ideas they may have had about breaking out.”
“And what about the Bismarck ,”
said Pound. “What about Hindenburg . Yes, I know I do nothing but tighten
the noose about my own neck to bring them into this conversation again. I’ve
already admitted my culpability in that affair.”
“Well,” said Tovey. “They can
either sit in those French ports, or come out to see if they have what it takes
to challenge HMS Invincible , and may she live up to her name should that
ever be the case. As to our operations against the Atlantic islands, I assume
that meets with the Former Naval Person’s approval?”
Churchill
agreed that action now was imperative, and with a favorable eye on the Royal
Marines and commandos, he pushed for more decisive and timely action soon.
“The
Joint Planning Group has argued the “Marines” are that in name only,” said
Pound. “Being newly raised units, with no real experience in amphibious
landings, they insisted that regular army units should spearhead any major
amphibious operation, but Churchill told Keyes to continue building up his
amphibious striking force.”
“Well,”
said Fraser, “the Admiral continued collecting his “Marines,” in any case, and
now he has a pair of “Brigades,” which are also that in name only, as they are
each comprised of only two battalions of Royal Marines at this stage.”
“We can
augment that force with units under War Office control,” said Pound, “though
the Joint Planners still consider our amphibious forces inadequate for any
significant operation against Vichy held territory. Remember also that these
island outposts are not all French territories, they are held by Spain and
Portugal.”
There
were political considerations there until that fateful meeting at Hendaye that saw Spain defect to the Axis banner. Now Keyes
argued his men were well suited to the task of seizing these islands, and he
eventually won out with the fall of Gibraltar.
The
loss of Britain’s Rock had been a hard blow, but one that galvanized planners
to look for an alternative place to base Force H. It was determined that this
force had to maintain a watch on the West African coast, and operate as a
counterfoil to the French Force De Raid based out of Casablanca and
Dakar. While no single harbor could match the facilities and capacity they once
enjoyed at Gibraltar, the combined facilities available in the island outposts
would allow sufficient force to be kept in theater.
The
first target in Britain’s new Atlantic island campaign had been the Azores, an
operation that had been mounted at Churchill’s urging even while the fighting
was underway at Gibraltar. Led by Captain Christopher Wells aboard HMS Glorious ,
1st and 5th battalions, Royal Marines, had been put ashore against no more than
a mild diplomatic protest logged by Portugal. It had been far easier than all
the hand wringing and discussion that preceded it. Churchill was elated when he
got the news that the Black Hole in the Atlantic, the place where Britain had
little or no air cover, would now be well patrolled by planes from the airfield
at the Azores. Now the question of how to proceed was on the table, with the
Canary Islands Operation Puma on one side, and the combined Dakar Cape Verde
Islands Operation Shrapnel on the other.
As it
happened, the positioning of French Naval assets weighed heavily in the balance
of that decision. The first battle off Dakar had convinced the Royal Navy that
the French could pose a significant threat to any amphibious operation
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