Was plan red

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The War Plan Red ( war plan Red , precisely Joint Army and Navy Basic War Plan Red ) was one of the color-coded war plans , which in the 1920s and early 1930s by the United States War Department were developed.

The War Plan Red discussed a possible war against Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations, and outlined plans to defend the Atlantic coast against a possible British invasion. In the Red-Orange War Plan, a two-front war against Great Britain and Japan was played out.

Work on the war plan began after the Geneva Naval Conference of 1927, which was to develop the Washington Treaty of 1922. It was approved in May 1930 by Secretary of War Patrick J. Hurley . In 1934 and 1935 the war plan was revised.

When war broke out in 1939 , it was decided that further planning work was not necessary. The plan that had already been drawn up was retained, however. It was not until 1974 that the war plan was released from secrecy.

Overview

The plan was based on the assumption that Great Britain would initially have the upper hand as it could fall back on a much more powerful fleet. It was also assumed that Britain would form a base in Canada and carry out defensive battles against US troops marching north. The Red War Plan was based on the assumption that the Americans would win, as Britain could ultimately be forced to surrender with a naval blockade and the ban on food deliveries.

The map first describes Canada's geography, military resources and transportation network. This is followed by various pre-emptive operations to occupy key ports and train stations in the event of war before the British armed forces can deliver supplies.

Army and Navy

In a first blow, US troops and the US Navy would occupy Halifax , cutting Canada off from British supplies.

army

The ground forces occupy the area around Niagara Falls , where important power stations are located. This is followed by an invasion on three fronts:

  • from Vermont to Montreal and Quebec
  • from North Dakota to Winnipeg, where a Canadian railroad hub is located
  • from the Midwest to the strategically important nickel mines of Ontario .

Navy

The US fleet becomes active on the Great Lakes , and ultimately blocks the Canadian Atlantic and Pacific ports.

Operating zones

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick

Halifax is taken with a first strike using poison gas. This denies the enemy supplies from Europe. The plan describes how the attack could take place via a landing in St. Margarets Bay, a bay that was hardly developed at the time, instead of taking the longer land route. Should the capture of Halifax fail, US troops could take New Brunswick and cut Nova Scotia from Canada by occupying the railway junction in Moncton.

Quebec and the Saint Lawrence River Valley

The occupation of Montreal and Quebec cut off Canadian supply routes. The plan deemed the roads from north New York state sufficient to carry an offensive and describes Quebec as the more critical target.

Ontario and the Great Lakes

In this area, Toronto and Canada's industrial areas are to be occupied. This should also prevent air and land attacks on the industrial heart of the USA. Ruling the Great Lakes was considered necessary for the success of the war plan; because only through the lakes could the own troops be adequately supplied.

Winnipeg

According to the plan, there should be no difficulty in getting to Winnipeg from Grand Forks, North Dakota. Winnipeg is a critical rail hub.

Vancouver and Victoria

Although Vancouver is far enough from Europe and therefore of little importance to enemy supplies, it should still be occupied because it deprives the British fleet of a base. Both Vancouver and Vancouver Island can be attacked easily - Vancouver by land from Bellingham, Washington , and Vancouver Island from Port Angeles, Washington. Prince Rupert's Haven has a rail link to the rest of Canada, but a sea blockade of this port is easy once Vancouver has been captured.

Attacks on British sea transport

Due to extensive simulation games at Naval War College , they refrained from attacking British supplies and the British navy on the high seas. It makes more sense to wait in the western Atlantic to enforce a sea blockade and, if this succeeds, ultimately to disrupt British trade routes.

Canada declares its neutrality

Although the planners had stated that Canada would likely declare its neutrality , the plan did not address how to attack Canada in this case. However, the plan advised only adopting a declaration of neutrality if Canada agrees to occupy Canadian ports and strategically important areas.

British strategy for a war against the US

The Royal Navy never developed a formal plan of war against the United States during the first half of the 20th century. We saw each other as allies, precisely because of a common culture, a common language and common goals. It was feared, however, that a war against the US would be necessary if Britain were to restrict its trade with other countries.

The officers of the Royal Navy believed it was possible to ship an army (large formation with several army corps ) to Canada, but it was impossible to defend Canada against the much more powerful USA. Likewise, the loss of Canada would be manageable for Great Britain, and a naval blockade against the USA could not be accomplished quickly enough. The British saw their weak points more in their trade routes, or a sea blockade of the motherland. The Royal Navy planned to disrupt American trade routes in the event of war from the Caribbean and Canada. Indian and Australian forces would also occupy Manila to better protect British trade in Asia and to forestall a possible attack on Hong Kong.

Web links

literature

  • John Major: War Plan Red: The American Plan for War with Britain. In: Historian. Volume 58, No. 1, 1998, pages 12-15.
  • Christopher M. Bell: Thinking the Unthinkable: British and American Naval Strategies for an Anglo-American War, 1918-1931. In: The International History Review. Volume 19, No. 4, 1997, pages 789-808.