Hopkins Papers
The British Minister of Supply (Beaverbrook) to the Vice President (Wallace)1
Dear Mr. Vice President, We spoke yesterday of the drawings for the 6–pdr. guns.2 These are in Washington with the Ordnance Corps. They were delivered some months ago. But I gather from conversation this morning that the gun does not find favour with the American Army. Their own type is more easily produced, and that is always an advantage.
There are two six-pdr. guns here, sent from Britain some time ago.
The 3-inch gun mentioned yesterday is duplicated in Great Britain and is known as the 17-pdr. You have 600 on order and you propose to increase to 1,200. We have 500 on order in Britain and hope to get into production shortly.
The 3-inch gun is longer than the 6-pdr. and is not suited to a medium tank, but we believe it will make the best anti-tank gun. The gun can be used in a heavy tank.
Our 6-pdr. is adapted to our heavy tanks now in production and to cruiser tanks.
It will be necessary to raise your fighter programme in 1942.
An adequate force of fighter aircraft is essential on the Pacific Coast now. If Britain fails to hold the Atlantic, fighter aircraft will be needed on the Atlantic Seaboard in numbers far outstripping the present provisioning plan.
It is my belief that the programme should be:—
| Heavy and Medium bombers | 17,800 |
| Light, dive and torpedo bombers | 10,800 |
| Fighters | 24,000 |
| 52,600 |
If you add to this total 1,500 fighters and 4,500 medium bombers for Russia, the total output will be 58,600.
Now this programme is beyond the American capacity in 1942. But that capacity should be driven up to meet the programme.
The programme of 45,000 tanks is not beyond the capacity of the manufacturing plants of the United States in the new year. Special machine tools are not needed in any quantity for a tank programme. We can get along with the tools that are available, since engine capacity exists.
[Page 339]Armour plate is essential. If you are satisfied that armour plate is available, all other difficulties can be dealt with.
The 75 mm. gun will be in short supply. But Great Britain and Canada can produce a number of 6 pdr. guns for the purpose if given plenty of notice. These 6-pdrs. may be adapted to the M.3 medium tanks in place of the 75 mm. without difficulty. This substitution is already practised by Great Britain.
It seems to me the plan of production should be founded on supplying the soldier with everything he asks. In addition, a vast quantity of tanks and aircraft, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns should be prepared as a reserve.
Besides, there is a demand in foreign countries for these weapons of which the soldier knows nothing.
Unless the “higher direction” takes hold of the situation the supplies will be inadequate to the necessities, and the war will be prolonged for many years.
I am, Mr. Vice President,
Yours sincerely,