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

considerations, long-term plans, four-engine heavy-bomber projects – all
were to be put to one side.
Within the first few days, Beaverbrook had established a new ministry
that was like no other, and which was mostly funded by himself. The
Supply Committee had been a sign of progress but it was still yet another
committee of multiple people which needed consensus before anything
could be agreed. Beaverbrook didn’t like committees. In his office he had
two notices. One said, ‘Committees take the punch out of war’, while the
second read, ‘Organization is the enemy of improvisation.’ The buck
stopped with him; he liked to be informed and then he made his decision.
Scientists, businessmen, industrialists – men he respected and trusted –
were all brought in and given loose job titles. ‘They are all captains of
industry,’ Beaverbrook explained, ‘and industry is like theology. If you
know one faith, you can grasp the meaning of another.’ There was little
hierarchy, and Beaverbrook used his closeness to Churchill and his force of
personality to cut through tedious red tape. Nor did he much like memos
and letters for conducting business; the telephone was quicker. And while
he was gracious to a point with men like Dowding, he was happy to make
enemies should it be necessary. Nothing was to get in the way of speeding
up aircraft production. Nothing at all.
Feldmarschall Hermann Göring had put one of his closest buddies in
charge of the vitally important job of overseeing aircraft production, and so
too now had Churchill. Whether this diminutive press baron, with his great
experience, drive and authority, could achieve all that he, Churchill, and
Dowding dearly hoped remained to be seen. But one thing was not in doubt:
in almost every respect, the Canadian was the German’s superior for the
task.