Churchill’s War Cabinet Aims For Advantage Over German Militia With New Act

Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet passed a strategic military act proposed by Herbert Morrison in hopes of gaining advantage on formidable German army.

Secretary of State Herbert Morrison presented a new bill on the floor of Churchill’s war cabinet on Saturday, as tension and fear of German advancement increased. The ultimate goal of this act is outlined in the first line of the bill, “to wreak havoc and confusion behind German lines as well as harming German industrial capability.”

As Morrison explained during his presentation, the bill accomplishes these goals through “the creation of highly capable but small teams to drop in behind German lines, without the Germans even knowing they’re there.” The bill tackles this issue through its three sections, each breaking down a component of the plan: formation and training, deployment, and ground operation.

In formation and training, the act explains that troops for this act will be sourced from existing units to form an espionage unit known as the “Sons of Sgt. Simon.” The unit will be trained in several espionage and guerilla tactics in order to prepare for the crucial operation ahead. The deployment of these troops is outlined in the second section of the bill, where the current plan is for drop teams of 5 to be deployed from aircrafts.

Once they have arrived on German lines, the current strategy is to do as much damage as possible. As Morrison puts it, “Destroy industry lines, destroy units, destroy supplies, so the Germans are forced to withdraw their troops from the front to deal with the internal issue.”

Many in the war cabinet deliberated with Churchill over aspects of the act, such as lack of specification in plans for training and artillery, and ensuring the safety and protection of men dropped in dangerous enemy lines. Morrison addressed both concerns, stating training would be efficient due to units being drawn from already existing units, and advanced training and local support would keep troops safe.

The desperate times of active war left no time for the bill to be extensively debated, and in efforts to get ahead of the German military, the bill passed with a decent majority.

Immediately after the passing of the bill, requests for a recess were shot down, as there was no time to waste if the committee received news of an incoming crisis. Instead, the Cabinet immediately turned to organizing plans to send troops through France, as they continue to race for an edge over Germany’s commanding militia.

This article was written by Alison Chavez.