The Sound of Drums - A British Hearts of Iron AAR
Part Fourteen
30th September - 31st December 1938
If Nodikus, Chief of Army, could dream, it would be of a land force that was equal across the entire British Empire. At the moment India was short of standing armies at a time that Japan was battling its way across China, at a time that the Soviet Union eyed up the potential for pushing into Iran and threatening British interests in the Middle East, at a time that the situation in Europe demanded that all funding devoted to his forces be spent on building up the British and Egyptian forces.
And of this he couldn’t complain. The British Expeditionary Force - ready to be deployed at a moments notice - was seven divisions strong. Egypt Command was being reinforced by the day, and for the past year equalled (in numbers) their Italian counterparts. Artillery, anti-tank and anti-air brigades were being constructed by the month, and he had been assured that Stuart Mark V. and Matilda tanks would be built within the year could be deployed anywhere in the European theatre. His armies were stretched, but they were well trained, and in the next year would be well-equipped to deal with any foe.
If Chief E350tb, Chief of the RAF could dream, it would be of an airforce in which every air wing overlapped each others airspace from hallowed London to beloved Delhi. However, it was only within this past year that the RAF had received serious funding towards building up a dedicated force, and it was only within the last few months that the British Home Isles itself could be considered safe. Two Spitfire and two Hurricane wings defended the isles, along with a series of RADAR and Anti-Aircraft batteries in Britain’s chief cities.
However Egypt and India remained poorly defended. Dilapidated aircraft lay dormant on poorly managed airfields, if they were present at all. Yet 1939 was coming and the airforce was promised better funding, particularly given the poor end-of-year statistics for the strength of the British Royal Air Force. Spitfire wings were under construction, Parliament greatly wanted new strategic bombers, and a great debate raged over whether close-air-support wings should begin development!
If Chief Pugwash could dream, it would be that there was no gap between the most recent deployment of his fleets, and that no other nation, be it friends such as the U.S.A. or rivals such as Japan, could dare catch up with the most renowned navy of the world. As it stood, he knew that for the next year he would have many restless nights as the Royal Navy prepared to upgrade itself.
But he could not complain! Britannia still ruled the waves, from the Atlantic to the North Sea, from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean to the Pacific! The Italians remained the biggest threat, and there were no protests that the Royal Navy could not withstand them. The Germans were building a submarine fleet, and Parliament had responded by ordering destroyer fleets specifically designed towards anti-submarine missions. Britannia would continue to rule the waves.
If Chief Peck of Arabia could dream, it would be that his three chiefs of staff would stop coming to him with new problems. Alas, for it would never be…
