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

muttered, ‘won’t have to go as far as Naples and Pompeii in future.’
Churchill was determined to strike at Italy right away by launching a
bombing raid on the Fiat plant at Turin. So too were many British civilians.
After the declaration, Italians living and working in Britain were attacked,
ice-cream shops ransacked, restaurants damaged with bricks and stones.
The next day, Churchill ordered that all male Italians between seventeen
and seventy years of age resident in Britain for less than twenty-five years
should be interned. ‘Collar the lot,’ he said, which amounted to more than
4,000. It was draconian but few British people baulked at the measure.
Daidie Penna noticed that in her corner of Surrey, at any rate, there was
something like relief at Mussolini’s declaration. ‘You mark my words,’ the
village grocer told her, ‘in a month’s time, he’ll be a brick round Hitler’s
neck!’ Another shopkeeper told her cheerfully, ‘Now we can get the whole
bag.’
RAF Bomber Command had been busy since beginning its strategic
bombing campaign against Germany, although it had called a temporary
halt to help with the evacuation of Dunkirk, attacking German positions
every day of Operation DYNAMO. No fewer than 126 Blenheims and
Wellingtons had bombed the enemy on 31 May, a considerable effort. Yet
now that Italy was in the war, Britain was keen to strike immediately – a
show of strength that demonstrated they took no truck with their latest
enemy.
They had urged the idea of bombing Italy upon the Comité de Guerre at
the end of May when it had become clear Mussolini would make his move
sooner rather than later. Thus, an advance party of Bomber Command’s 71
Wing had been sent to Marseilles to prepare for such a strike and had taken
over two airfields, which would act as a base and refuelling stop for the
Wellingtons. These aircraft were duly sent to Marseilles on 11 June but had
barely touched down when the French informed them they were not to
bomb Italy under any circumstances. Since agreeing to the plan, Général
Joseph Vuillemin had thrown most of his southern fighters into the battle
further north and the French were now worried that if the Italians retaliated,
they would not have any means of defending themselves. Visions of
Marseilles and other French cities being razed to the ground by Italian
bombers loomed large.