Naval Warfare in the English Channel 1939 - 1945 by Peter C. Smith

Author:Peter C. Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Bisac Code 1: HIS027150
ISBN: eBook ISBN: 9781844682478
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2007-11-12T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Attrition in the Winter Months

As autumn passed into winter in 1940, Britain began to realize that the crisis was over. The Luftwaffe had switched the main focus of its attacks from RAF Fighter Command to London. This had saved the former, which was faltering, while the latter target had just too large a population to be beaten by bombing alone, no matter how severe. Londoners 'took it' as stoically and bravely as did the German civilians later in the war. The myth that victory could be achieved solely by bombing cities was exposed early, but it took a long time for that chimera to die. More importantly, it was pretty certain that, as the weather worsened in the English Channel, the enemy (who would not face the Royal Navy in fine conditions) would certainly not test them in a challenge for control of the Channel in a risky invasion gamble. Thus Britain was reasonably secure from threat of invasion, at least until the following spring. The end of September saw the phasing out of one threat and the ushering in of a new phase of siege warfare. For this, the Navy was better equipped and the transition recorded in this chapter is from the offensive bombardment and patrol to a resumption of patient convoy work and waiting. Interspaced with these activities, serious efforts were made once more to end the activities of the elusive and skilful German destroyer flotilla, whose minelaying off the British coast proved to be both daring and effective, and whose continuing success was a hushed-up blot on the Navy's pride in its achievement to date.

A Lower Deck Viewpoint, Autumn 1940

Like the majority of fighting troops and civilians, the crews of the warships in the English Channel were told very little by their leaders; very little that was accurate or meaningful that is. The official line by the misnamed Ministry of Information (MOI), aided and abetted by the compliant and, in military matters, largely ignorant, BBC, was one of almost stupefying blandness in which the 'lower ranks' were not allowed to know what, who or how they were fighting to any great degree. Anything other than our relatively few victories was concealed from them by both their own officers and the media. But the majority of these men were not stupid, they could see for themselves how things really were, both at sea, on their visits home on leave to much-bombed London, and later, on a smaller scale, some of the provincial towns and cities. There was, therefore, a considerable degree of cynicism at the 'official line' as propagated generally; some even felt that even Lord Haw-Haw was more forthcoming than their own information outlets. This stultifying blanket policy of denial was only gradually moderated as the war turned in our favour, but that was not for several years ahead. Some of the best commanders, did go out of their way to inform their men more openly as to what the real picture was of course, but their hands were tied to a large extent.

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