Hello All,
My goodness, hasn't everybody had a busy day.........................
That the main radio transmitters in PoW rendered the radar ineffective is obviously something somebody technical would have enquire into. Nobody needs to get Court Martialled to do this. The War Cabinet doesn't care why it happens. I gave an explanation for this years ago. Latching onto the magical word "Inquiry" does nor imply anything legal is going to happen.
I gave the relevant section of Pound's inaccurate, hastily-prepared report given to the War cabinet meeting back in September, when I did not have the capability to post images. When I did get it, it was far more important to present the entire maps of DS, from which Antonio was editing tiny postage stamps, so everybody could see what was being hidden from the rest of us.
I made it clear Pound was obviously prepared to throw Leach "under the bus" with his phrasing in this interim statement and his words literally invited that somebody would want elucidation. However nobody in the War Cabinet was qualified to understand or approve or disapprove Leach's decision even if they had all the details. Only someone with sea-going experience like Pound could try and then only with hindsight. Undoubtedly Pound had received an earful from WSC over the weekend, and this was a way of deflecting the PM's ire away. Or "kicking it into the long grass" as we say. There is no evidence Pound or anybody else demanded a fuller explanation than would be normally forthcoming when the ships returned to harbour and the various officers submitted their standard reports. Besides the far bigger disaster of Crete was happening simultaneously and this together with conscription in Northern Ireland takes up much more of the Cabinet's time. WSC's "Troubridge" phrase applied at least 50/50 to Cunningham actions off Crete. Cunningham had been told his proposals to defend Crete were inadequate in no uncertain terms and told to revise them. About 1800 sailors died as a result and Crete still fell.
The only person who
actually became a target of WSC's
sustained ire at this time was Sir Arthur Longmore, Air Officer Commanding Middle East, who was sacked from his post over the lack of any air defence of Crete or the Mediterranean Fleet. He had had pleading for months for resources which he did not get, and then blamed when there were no fighters to shoot down the Ju52 shuttle service delivering troops to Crete, or the bombers which knocked out half Cunningham's ships.
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography says the following about Longmore during the first few months of 1941:
Longmore's constant demands for reinforcements resulted in some unwelcome attention from Churchill, who hated pessimists and senior commanders who complained about their lack of resources. After some acerbic correspondence, in which Churchill accused Longmore of failing to make proper use of the manpower and aircraft he had, Longmore was recalled to London in May 1941. He was succeeded in the Middle East by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder.
As I believe I corrected reported back in September, it was only a query after two
whole months by the
Secretary of the War Cabinet at the end of July, obviously clearing up his "to do" file, that Pound's underling was asked where the further explanation requested back in May was. It still has not been responded to by the 19th September when Pound's underling suggested that it was said "a thorough investigation has been made regarding the action of the Commanding Officer in breaking off action" had been made, followed by an extract from the Board of Admiralty letter to Tovey wholly endorsing Leach's actions "accurate judgement and very high courage".
Months have elapsed without WSC or the War Cabinet showing
any interest at all in getting an explanation. Also there is no evidence any enquiry was mounted by the Admiralty.
[/i]If WSC had really wanted W-W and Leach's scalps, Tovey's showboating threat would have meant nothing. In time of war the C-in-C Home Fleet does not get the luxury of deserting his post to play at lawyers.
Tovey's interim report which he calls a "first report" is dated 30th May and says "The reports of Flag and Commanding Officers concerned, technical reports and further comments which I may wish to make, will be forwarded later". It is therefore clear that a revised report will be created later when he has had a chance to correlate with the other commanders some of whom are thousands of miles away. Not surprisingly it is different when he incorporates their information.
This argument still hinges around ridiculous concepts like arguing over the actual minute the Battle of Denmark Straits finished. Is it when the last German shell lands or the last British? Is the battle still going on even if no-one is firing? Did the Battle of Waterloo finish just because Lord Uxbridge's Household Cavalry retreated halfway through the afternoon? Changes to the timing of the "Last Minute" are irrelevant.
I speculate Pound, desperately defending his name on the "run out of fuel" signal said something like" that was nothing, if I had done what Winston wanted that weekend I would asked for a Court Martial!" To which Tovey might have answered, without meaning it for a minute "and I would have hauled down my flag" to which Pound might have said "Then I would have had to Court Martial you for desertion of duty." Unfortunately Tovey obviously turned this into an self promoting anecdote in which he came out the hero which he just to tell to Roskill and then wished he hadn't and didn't want published. We know his memory was faulty in 1954. What part of this threat is real and what part exaggeration? We know the War Cabinet took no action. We believe the Admiralty took no action because there is no evidence whatsoever of a "thorough investigation". Suggesting there had been one was just a way of allowing the Secretary of the War Cabinet to tick off his box. Eventually WSC put an end to this trivial to and fro with "Leave it!"
Cag I hope you will make that information about the gun failures available somewhere.
Antonio, we know what is on pages on 47 and 48 don't we?
All the best
wadinga
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