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'''Plan W''', during [[World War II]], was a plan of joint military operations between the governments of [[Ireland]] and the [[United Kingdom]] devised between 1940 and 1942, to be executed in the event of an invasion of Ireland by [[Nazi Germany]].
Although Ireland was [[Irish neutrality|officially neutral]], after the German [[Blitzkrieg]]s of 1939–40 that resulted in the defeat of [[Poland]], the [[Low Countries]] and [[France]], the British recognised that Germany planned an invasion of Britain ([[Operation Sea Lion]]) and were also concerned about the possibility of a German invasion of Ireland. German planning for [[Operation Green (Ireland)|Operation Green]] began in May 1940 and the British began [[Ultra (cryptography)|intercepting communications]] about it in June. The British were interested in securing Ireland, as its capture by German forces would expose their western flank and provide a base of operations for the [[Luftwaffe]] in the [[Battle of the Atlantic]] and in any operations launched to invade Great Britain as part of Operation Sea Lion.
Irish-British co-operation was a controversial proposal for both sides, as most members of the Irish political establishment had been combatants in the [[Irish War of Independence]] between 1919 and 1921. However, because of the threat of German occupation and seizure of Ireland and especially the valuable Irish ports, Plan W was developed. [[Northern Ireland]] was to serve as the base of a new [[British Expeditionary Force (World War II)|British Expeditionary Force]] that would move across the [[Irish border]] to repel the invaders from any beach-head established by German [[paratrooper]]s. In addition, coordinated actions of the [[Royal Air Force]] and [[Royal Navy]] were planned to repel German air and sea invasion. According to a restricted file prepared by the [[British Army]]'s "Q" Movements Transport Control in Belfast, the British would not have crossed the border "until invited to do so by the Irish Government,"<ref>Fisk pp. 237–238.</ref> and it is not clear who would have had the operational authority over the British troops invited into the State by [[Éamon de Valera]].<ref name="ReferenceA">de Valera had agreed to the plan "wholeheartedly" although was more reluctant in private about which would be worse – a German or a British occupying force.</ref> The document added that most people in Ireland probably would have helped the British Army, but "there would have been a small disaffected element capable of considerable guerrilla activities against the British."<ref name="autogenerated1">Fisk pp. 237–238. This is certainly true. While the IRA of the time considered de Valera and the rest of those who had accepted partition of the island as traitors, the act of extending an invitation to British troops back into the 26 counties would have emboldened them even further.</ref>
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The first meeting on establishing a joint action plan in the event of a German invasion was on 24 May 1940.<ref>A phoney war had been waged through public statements prior to this by Churchill hinting at possible invasion of Britain and Ireland.</ref> The meeting was held in London and had been convened to explore every conceivable way in which the German forces may attempt an invasion of Ireland. At the meeting were [[Joseph Walshe]], Irish secretary of External Affairs, Colonel [[Liam Archer]] of Irish Military Intelligence (G2), and officers from the [[Royal Navy]], [[British Army]], and the [[Royal Air Force]]. The [[War Office]] wanted direct liaisons between the Irish military authorities in Dublin and the British General Officer Commanding in [[Belfast]]. Walshe and Archer therefore agreed to fly in secret to Belfast with Lieutenant Colonel [[Dudley Clarke]].<ref>Dudley was a British staff officer who had practical experience of the failed British attempt to [[Allied campaign in Norway|conquer Norway]] and the subsequent evacuation [[Operation Alphabet]].</ref> In Belfast, two British Army staff officers were collected and the group travelled back to [[Dublin]] by rail. This meeting was held underneath Government buildings in [[Kildare Street]] and included a number of Irish Army officers. The meeting was informed that General Sir [[Hubert Huddleston]], the General Officer Commanding (GOC.) Northern Ireland, was already under orders to take a mobile column south of the border to help the Irish Army if the Germans invaded.<ref>Huddleston was awaiting the command from London.</ref>
Clarke also met with the Irish Army Chief of Staff, General [[Daniel McKenna (general)|Daniel McKenna]], who explained that the British would not be allowed into the south of Ireland before the Germans arrived. Clarke also met with the Irish Minister for Co-ordination of Defensive Measures, Frank Aiken, and discussed "new ideas for the mechanical improvement of the war."<ref name="fisk235">Fisk p. 235</ref> The point of these meetings was to secure an understanding on the threat faced by both Britain and Ireland, and the benefit of joint action – the details would later be worked out by the respective armed services.
Clarke returned to London on 28 May 1940, where he reported that the Irish Army had given him full details of their organisation and equipment "without reservation" and had in return requested information on British troop strength in Northern Ireland.<ref>At that time around 10,000 but 8,000 were later withdrawn, although the [[Ulster Defence Volunteers]] were about to be raised like the [[Local Security Force]] had been in Ireland.</ref> It had been agreed that in the event of a German invasion, the Irish would call for assistance from Huddleston in Belfast. The British Army's advance from Northern Ireland into neutral Ireland was to be called Plan W.
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==See also==
* [[Operation Dove (Ireland)]]
* [[Operation Mainau]]
* [[Plan Kathleen]]
==References==
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