The Battle of Britain Five Months That Changed History, May—October 1940 by James Holland (z-lib.org).epub

armaments that he envisaged would be needed. He thus planned to appeal
that day directly to President Roosevelt, but felt it worth sounding out
Ambassador Kennedy first.
Kennedy arrived at Admiralty House late on the 15th. The building was
already blacked out, and outside stood a guard of soldiers. Ushered through
Churchill’s outer office, he was then led into the Prime Minister’s study,
where three of his ministers, including Archibald Sinclair, the new
Secretary of State for Air, were waiting. Churchill was sitting in a
comfortable chair, a large cigar between his fingers and an equally large
Scotch at his side.
The PM immediately asked him whether he had heard any news about
Italy. Mussolini’s imminent entry into the war was a growing concern. ‘It
could make the difference,’ he told Kennedy. ‘It certainly will decrease our
chances.’ However, Churchill said, echoing the words he had told the
Chiefs of Staff earlier, come what may, Britain would fight on.
Churchill then asked whether the United States might be prepared to
give Britain some more destroyers. The entry of Italy into the war would
badly affect Britain’s situation in both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic;
the Italian navy was more developed than the rest of her armed forces.
Some American destroyers could make a huge difference as they would fill
a shortfall until those currently under construction in Britain had been
completed.
‘It isn’t fair to ask us to hold the bag for a war the Allies expect to lose,’
Kennedy told them. ‘If we are to fight, under these circumstances it seems
to me we would do better fighting in our own backyard. You know our
strength. Right now our navy is in the Pacific, our army is not up to
requirements, and we haven’t enough airplanes for our own use.’ Kennedy
could see no point in involving themselves in a war that was likely to be
over in the near future.
Despite his stance, Churchill insisted that he would be asking the
President for forty or fifty destroyers, as many aircraft as the US could
spare, more anti-aircraft guns and steel. Although the Allies were still
fighting in northern Norway, the situation looked bad there too. ‘We are
going to be in a terrible situation on steel with Narvik cut off,’ continued
Churchill, ‘trouble in the Mediterranean that will hit the supply of chrome
from Turkey and with Mussolini going in, Spain may follow.’ He paused
for a moment then added, ‘Regardless of what Germany does to France,