Chapter 476 – Newfoundland Fishing Protection Fleet

“Hanky, Boris, I wonder what this visit to London is about.” Alan Wilson gave a warm hug as soon as he saw the visitors, Hanky is a member of the Newfoundland committee, as for Boris, he is the direct head of the tax haven, “It can’t be that something happened in Newfoundland, right?”

“Officer Allen, look at what you’re saying, it’s business as usual in Newfoundland.” Boris smiled, compared to a few months ago, finally got rid of that feeling of forced composure and actual embarrassment, it can be said that there is a change in the general transformation.

Alan Wilson is very warm, how to say is also his dedication to the place, then asked up after he left, Newfoundland development how.

When it comes to the Chinese workers, Boris said that after the departure of this batch of Chinese workers, to the European market demand and then after the Newfoundland parliamentary decision, whether to hire a second batch of Chinese workers.

“It’s best to get a new batch of new people, as is the case with any worker, once they start to adapt to their environment, they will start to cheat.” Alan Wilson listened and gave his own advice.

This reason is of course justifiable, but it is definitely not the main reason, the main reason is that replacing a batch of Chinese workers to improve their lives can expand the base, and in the end he doesn’t forget to emphasize, “Native-born Chinese can’t be trusted, and if you continue to hire, look for new immigrants, and by the way, Malayan high commissioner Gerard Edward is in London, and you’re coming just in the right time, and in the evening for so many days it may be that the other colonial commissioners will be leaving.”

“That’s very much appreciated, Officer Allen! If Commissioner Gerard is here, we can talk.” Hankey, who was already the Speaker of the Newfoundland Parliament, nodded happily, “Actually, we’re here in London for something else.”

“Please say, I will absolutely help if I can, Newfoundland has absolutely no ordinary feelings for me.” Alan Wilson punched the air, with a complete attitude of asking for what he wanted.

“It’s about the proposal for a five nautical mile no-fishing zone, which has been passed on the parliamentary side. But there is a continuous stream of ships of unknown nationality near the fishing grounds, even many ships from European countries.” Boris was busy speaking, “We only have fishing boats among the royal domain, in terms of tonnage and these far away fishing boats can’t be compared, not to mention expulsion, this time on the one hand, we hope that London will be able to test the pressure of the European countries’ ocean-going fishing boats, on the other hand, we also want to improve Newfoundland’s own self-defense ability, to see if we can strengthen the defense force a little bit. ”

Alan Wilson was quite relaxed at first, but when he heard it later, with a puzzled look on his face, he said, “The Newfoundland fleet?”

If he remembered correctly, he seemed to have mentioned this idea in the middle of a broadcast sometime during his tenure in Newfoundland. But it was just a casual remark, and having gotten used to reporting the good news, there were always times when he couldn’t find a point to blow.

It really didn’t occur to him that one day his off-the-cuff remarks would be greeted with feedback, and in a trance, Alan Wilson seemed to see the Cod War beckoning to him.

He seems to remember, he was in the middle of the radio mouth Hi is to use the battleship against poaching fishing boats, thought of this Alan Wilson lowered his voice, “Oh, my friend, you are not really looking at which battleship, right? Not to mention the purchase, even the cost of using it is quite high.”

Although Allen Wilson was not against it in principle, for the population of Newfoundland, it was still unimaginable to really keep a battleship, and could only be explained by having money with no place to burn it.

“How come? We just heard that the shipyards on the mainland have many warships in a derelict state, so let’s see if there are any suitable ones for Newfoundland, it’s not like we’re going to war with anyone.” Hankey hurriedly shook his head, stating that in fact, if it was used for fishing protection, it wouldn’t be necessary to use such a big guy as a battleship.

This let Alan Wilson breathe a sigh of relief, the tightly frowned eyebrows also stretch open, smiled and said, “Wait for me to go to the Ministry of Defense to see, if it is just to protect the fishing, then you guys can find the right person. It’s more appropriate to come to the mainland. The mainland has sold several aircraft carriers and battleships alone. I can still fight for the right price!”

The current financial problems of the United Kingdom, can maintain normal turnover are already burnt incense, everywhere peddling aircraft carriers and battleships is completely helpless, but the significance of the existence of discourse, depending on how to say, in Alan Wilson’s mouth, this is because of the need to carry out new technological research, so, had to use the valuable naval officers and men in the up-and-coming battleships.

He was the one who had sold the German submarines to India, and Junagadh Tohti appreciated them so much that they had even come back once to carry the wealth, including but not limited to the Maharaja of Junagadh Tohti, from India to London.

“It is better to get the Cabinet Secretary to ask for views on this matter first.” Alan Wilson spoke to the two Newfoundland representatives before him.

“The Cabinet Secretary is also in charge of this aspect of the matter.” Boris was rather surprised, it didn’t seem to have anything to do with the Cabinet Secretary’s authority.

“The British Empire is all about Sir Norman.” Alan Wilson shook his head slightly, indicating that you don’t understand.

It was now very obvious that Norman Brooke was completely different from his predecessor or even ex-predecessor.

He was interested in everything, otherwise he wouldn’t have created so many committees that corresponded to the work of various ministers.

It can be said that Norman Brooke, the Cabinet Secretary, has two characteristics, the first is to establish a deep personal relationship with the Prime Minister and the ministers, and then to use this personal relationship to clarify the terms of reference with the Prime Minister and the ministers.

So the external performance, that is, Norman Brooke is almost absolutely loyal to the current government, whether it is the Conservative Party or the Labor Party, as long as you win the election, Norman Brooke will wholeheartedly assist. As to how you win the election that has nothing to do with him as a Cabinet Secretary.

But in terms of civil servants in Whitehall, Norman Brooke has almost an authority that can be described as absolute power. He would not let the Cabinet interfere in the affairs of Whitehall. Also attends all Cabinet, formal anon matters, including top secret, nuclear war.

So hiding from Norman Brooke to look around first, Alan Wilson does not have the guts.

The key thing is that Allen Wilson has the home phone number of the Cabinet Secretary and can ask for instructions first.

“This matter? Come to the Cabinet Office tomorrow to talk about it, is doing carpentry, so first. By the way, you’re coming with Ismay.” Norman Brooke, with the microphone clamped around his neck and a saw in his hand, put the phone down and then scowled at the wood in front of him, as if to see how to get into it more appropriately.

Ismay had been Churchill’s chief military secretary until nineteen forty-three, before going to British India as secretary general. Ismay knew all the warships built on British soil during the war, even more than the current Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense.

Norman Brooke asked Allen Wilson to go with Ismay, also to hear the views of this wartime chief military secretary.

Alan Wilson did not know how this chief military secretary, in wartime, viewed Churchill’s various bright dog-eye operations, in his opinion, Churchill’s feats in the field of micro-manipulation, at least not below the standing public. Considering the international influence there was more than that.

After learning of Norman Brooke’s request, Ismay thought back a little and said, “So look at the combat class destroyer is very suitable, more than two thousand tons of displacement for ocean-going fishing vessels has been enough. The firepower is also more appropriate, after all, it is mainly used for air release.”

On the eve of World War II, the German dive bombers rose rapidly, and after the war began, the German army’s “Stuka” has raided Poland, bombed Dutch barracks, destroyed Belgium’s strong fortresses, crushed the counter-attack of the French tank force, and strafed the British expeditionary force waiting to retreat on the beach of Dunkirk, etc., and as the vanguard of the German Blitzkrieg, they made a great show of their power. The British were the pioneers of the German blitzkrieg.

Because of the experience of World War I, when the Royal Navy has a huge fleet, but basically does not have the ability to air defense, but focus on anti-submarine, plus for surface ships such as slow targets, the Stuka is definitely a lethal threat, as long as a heavy bomb will be enough to make a large and medium-sized ship scrapped.

The British government held an emergency meeting to discuss this, as part of the “wartime emergency destroyer” program, Churchill supported the construction of anti-aircraft destroyers, the Combat Class destroyer was born.

Ismay was Churchill’s Chief Military Secretary at the time he proposed building the anti-aircraft destroyers, so he was very familiar with this group of destroyers.

“The Combat class was a product of the war, but it was a late arrival and largely missed out on the baptism of World War II. Originally designed to counter German bombers, by the time the ships entered service after 1944, the Allies had entered a counter-offensive in Europe and the Combat class was no longer useful.

Like many of the ships in the Royal Navy today, they were very good, almost new, but behind the times.

There were two batches of thirty-eight Combat-class destroyers, twenty-four were completed and in service, the remaining fourteen were not unfinished but not in service, some of which had been dismantled, five were in a derelict state, and four were used for other purposes.

“Five destroyers are in the shipyards, completed so to speak, just not in service.” Ismay described them, “Quite fitting, I think, if Newfoundland needs them. These aren’t your average emergency warships, the construction standards are in accordance with the main ship, only they were born out of time. It wouldn’t be appropriate to keep it in the shipyard, and it would still be acceptable if we could collect some funds.”

“Alan, as you’ve heard, we don’t expect to recoup our costs. After all, Newfoundland is a royal territory, and the price is negotiable.” Norman Brooke instructed after hearing this, “You take Newfoundland’s representative to the shipyard properly, and if Newfoundland is interested, I believe the Prime Minister would be happy to facilitate this.”