“He’s half-American. He probably prefers poker.” Maitland Wilson opened the file he had brought with him. “The Italians have tried to break out through our blocking force at Beda Fomm. Our Flying Column arrived at the Benghazi — Tripoli road and set up roadblocks just 30 minutes before the leading elements of the Italian Tenth Army arrived. The Italians threw some 20,000 troops and a hundred tanks against what was little more than a reinforced battalion. The fighting was close and often hand-to-hand. At one point, a regimental sergeant major captured an Italian light tank by hitting the commander over the head with a rifle-butt.”
Maitland Wilson paused for a second to think about that and shuddered. “The final Italian effort came this morning. The last twenty Italian M13/40 tanks broke through the thin cordon of riflemen and antitank guns. But even this breakthrough was ultimately stopped by the fire of our field guns, located just a few yards from regimental HQ. Our blocking force has been reinforced by additional elements of the 7th Armoured Division, but it doesn’t really matter. The Italian Tenth Army is breaking up and surrendering. God knows how we’re going to cope with all the prisoners on top of the ones we have already got.”
Wavell wasn’t really worried. “Jumbo, that’s going to be a nonproblem. We’ve had an approach from Rome. They are offering an Armistice leading to a peace treaty. They’ll write off East Africa, in exchange for us pulling back to the Libyan-Egypt border and returning their prisoners of war. They’ll return the few of ours they hold, of course.”
“Can we rely on them? Or are we ourselves committing the same sin as That Man?”
That caused Wavell to stop dead. “It is a hell of a thing; isn’t it, Jumbo? We hesitate to make peace and end a war on favorable terms, in case it is seen as following the example laid down by That Man. I can’t think of anything more telling as an example of the damage he has caused. No, I don’t think we are doing the same thing at all. If anything, we have reversed the positions. Now we are the ones who will be dictating terms and the Italians are the supplicants.”
“Getting out of Cyrenaica is a good thing, Archie. The whole area is a deadly trap. It has to be occupied because that’s where all the ports are, but anybody can push a mobile force across the desert and cut them off the way we did. I would advise we include an agreement on force levels in Libya and a demilitarized zone along the border to secure our position and then we’ll be fine.”
Wavell nodded. “I’ll send the reply to Ciano in Rome.”
Maitland Wilson grinned. “And a copy to London?”
“Why on earth would I want to do that? Send one to Ottawa though. Calcutta of course, and Canberra. In fact, Jumbo, everybody but That Man.”
“We’ve won.” Victor Alexander John Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow and Prime Minister pro tem of India sounded disbelieving. “India has won. With a little assistance, of course.”
General Auchinleck made a polite choking noise. “I think, Your Excellency, that we had just a bit more than a little assistance from the Commonwealth of Nations.”
“Not as far as our people are concerned.” Pandit Nehru, Deputy Prime Minister pro tem of India, sounded more than thoughtful. “We have won a great victory over Italy and occupied Eritrea. It is with India that Italy is negotiating the surrender of that colony and its liberation under our tutelage. It is an absolute recognition of our status and independence. Our people recognize this and they rejoice in it.”
“Not you, Pandit.”
“Not Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.” Nehru sighed again. “I had dreams of an India that would stand for freedom, for peace and justice. An India that would use its power and authority to end wars and create a world of peace. Instead, India is becoming an imperial power, exerting its influence by force of arms. We have won a victory but it was one by our Jawans, not the force of our arguments. And my fellow Indians rejoice in this. Excuse my sadness, for this is indeed an auspicious day.”
General Auchinleck forbore the temptation to quote the old adage about artillery being the final argument of kings. Instead he sought and found an argument that would reconcile Nehru to the fact that being an independent country had its penalties as well as virtues. One of the former was the need to resort to military force now and then.
“Pandit, what matters surely is the moral compass that guides us, regardless of the means we adopt. If our aim is justice and we moderate the means so that we do not compromise that end, is not that the objective that you seek? Our objective is freedom, peace and justice for all. Our arms have won that for the Eritreans. We have not become their colonial overlord; we have freed them just as we freed ourselves. We may not be happy with the means but our moral compass remains intact.”
“Thank you, General. Your words comfort me a little, but they also highlight something that has been disturbing me for some time. The last six months have shown me how complex the problems facing our country are. They also show how ill-prepared I and my colleagues are to take over running the country in the face of these problems. General, you spoke of a moral compass. Mine must be the good of India and the proper rule of this country.
“Our original agreement was a two-year transition period from the colonial administration to an all-Indian government. I would like to modify that agreement to remove the time limit inherent within it. I believe we can achieve far more if we work together as the situation requires than if we try to comply with an artificial timetable. Also, I am not yet qualified to lead the government. I would like to suggest that Doctor Rajendra Prasad be considered as the first President of India, when the time comes. He is well-respected by every faction and a knowledgeable man of the world. We can present this change as a result of our victory in Eritrea; holding to the opinion that it shows how powerful India has become, provided all who live here work together.”
The Marquess of Linlithgow was silenced by the enormity of the gesture he had just heard. In effect, Nehru was surrendering the goals and achievements of a lifetime in order to enhance India’s chance of making it to a viable nationhood. In some ways, he thought, that must be just about the most remarkable thing I have ever heard.
“Pandit, India is indeed guided by a moral compass and I do not fear for its integrity, as long as it is in hands such as yours. Thank you for enlightening us and setting an example that the future will hold dear.”
Once again, silence fell on the meeting room. For the first time, the Cabinet gathered was united; even the hold-outs who had supported Sir Richard Cardew were silenced by the magnaminity of Nehru’s words.
Eventually, Sir Martyn Sharpe coughed quietly. “If I might move to the next item on the agenda. We have been in discussion with William Pawley, the head of the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO). Their position in China has become untenable and they have agreed to move their operations to Bangalore. The move is being funded by an Australian businessman, a Mr. Essington Lewis, who recently gained access to substantial American investment funds. The new company will be known as Hindustan Aircraft Limited and will be 50 percent owned by the Indian Government.” Sir Martyn gave a quick nod to Pandit Nehru at that.
“With them, they bring licenses to build two aircraft. One is the Hawk 75 that we already have in our inventory as the Mohawk. The other is the Vultee V-11 light attack aircraft. We are placing an order for 48 V-11s and for the same number of Hawk 75s. The first aircraft will, of course, be assembled from kits supplied by Curtiss and Vultee. However, as a result of a detailed memorandum from one of our American advisors, a Mr. Boyington, a new version of the Hawk 75 will be built. This will be powered by the R1820-86 engine rated at 1,450 hp and will be armed with six .303 machine guns. This aircraft will be called the Mohawk V; with its reduced weight and extra power, it will be the equal of any fighter in the region. The contract calls for the first Indian-built machines to fly on April 3, 1942. These are, of course, not just the first combat aircraft to be built in India; they are the first miltary aircraft to be ordered by independent India.”