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PRIME MINISTER’S
PERSONAL TELEGRAM
SERIAL No T.595
MOST SECRET
FROM THE PRESIDENT TO CHURCHILL
18 September 1941
Secret information: I held a meeting on tank production this morning. This is coming along very well and goes up each month until it reaches 1400 a month in May 1942. I’m trying to speed this up but more importantly I’m going to develop a program to double our production up to a minimum of 2500 a month and a maximum of 3000 a month. As soon as I can hold a further meeting with the Army on Monday or Tuesday next week, I’ll tell you the number of tanks which we’ll send you each month beginning September 1, 1941 through June 1942. The number will be very large and I think will please you and the Russians.
No doubt the Admiralty [Navy] have told you that the transport plan has been completed.
PRIME MINISTER’S
PERSONAL TELEGRAM
SERIAL No T.595
MOST SECRET
FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE FORMER NAVAL PERSON
18.9.41
For your confidential information, I held a preliminary conference on tank production this morning. Present production schedule is coming along very well and goes up each month until it reaches 1400 a month in May 1942. I am making every effort to accelerate this rate but more important I am going to develop a program which I hope will double this monthly capacity and get our full tank capacity up to a minimum of 2500 a month and a maximum of 3000 a month. As soon as I can hold a further conference with the Army on Monday or Tuesday of next week, I will, cable the exact numbers of tanks which can be exported from this country each month beginning September 1, 1941 through June 1942. The number will be substantial and I think not a discouraging one from the point of view of our two missions going to Moscow.
You have undoubtedly been advised by the Admiralty that the transport plan has been completed.
This is a copy of a telegram from President Roosevelt to Winston Churchill, 18 September 1941.
This telegram gives details of how many tanks the US would be able to supply to Britain under the Lend-Lease arrangement from September 1941 to May 1942. It shows how quickly the Americans were switching over to a war-time economy and expanding their manufacturing of weapons and equipment to supply to Britain. At the time of this telegram, the US had not entered the war and the main area of fighting for the British forces was in the deserts of North Africa against German and Italian forces. This terrain needed tanks and armoured vehicles. Britain was also supplying tanks to its new ally, the USSR.
Germany had declared war on the Soviet Union in June 1941 and was making rapid advances. Britain had agreed to send aircraft, tanks and guns to the Russians but first needed to get these in greater numbers from the US.
Here Roosevelt is calling Churchill ‘Former Naval Person’. Churchill had been in charge of the Admiralty (the government department which ran the Royal Navy) in the First World War and it was a link he had with Roosevelt who, at the same time, had served in the US Navy as Assistant Secretary.
Remember, we’re hoping that this source can be useful to us in investigating what was special about the relationship between Britain and the US in the early years of the Second World War. Sources usually help historians in two ways:
Which of the inferences below can be made from this source?
On a scale of 1-5 how far do you agree that this source supports this inference? | Which extract(s) from the source support your argument? | |
The US is increasing its support for Britain. | ||
Roosevelt is trying to please Churchill. | ||
Roosevelt has won the support of the American people for Britain. | ||
This source suggests that the US is simply protecting itself by supplying Britain with resources. |
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