Triumph and Tragedy (The Second World War) (6 page)

The people are proud to share in a small way the perils
of our own soldiers and of your soldiers, who are so
highly admired in Britain. May all good fortune attend
your new onfall.

Stalin sent me his congratulations on the fall of Cherbourg, and gave further information about his own gigantic operations.

Marshal Stalin to

27 June 44

Prime Minister

The Allied forces have liberated Cherbourg, thus
crowning their efforts in Normandy with another great
victory. I greet the increasing successes of the brave
British and American forces, who have developed their
operations both in Northern France and Italy.

If the scale of military operations in Northern France
is becoming increasingly powerful and dangerous for
Hitler, the successful development of the Allies’

offensive in Italy is also worthy of every attention and
applause. We wish you new successes.

Concerning our offensive, it can be said that we
shall not give the Germans a breathing-space, but shall
continue to widen the front of our offensive operations
by increasing the strength of our onslaught against the
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German armies. You will of course agree with me that
this is indispensable for our common cause.

As regards the Hitlerite flying bombs, this expedient,
it is clear, can have no serious importance either for
operations in Normandy or for the population of
London, whose bravery is known to all.

I replied:

Prime

Minister

to

1 July 44

Marshal Stalin

This is the moment for me to tell you how immensely
we are all here impressed with the magnificent
advances of the Russian armies, which seem, as they
grow in momentum, to be pulverising the German
armies which stand between you and Warsaw, and
afterwards Berlin. Every victory that you gain is
watched with eager attention here. I realise vividly that
all this is the second round you have fought since
Teheran, the first of which regained Sevastopol,
Odessa, and the Crimea and carried your vanguards to
the Carpathians, Sereth, and Pruth.

The battle is hot in Normandy. The June weather
has been tiresome. Not only did we have a gale on the
beaches worse than any in the summer-time records of
many years, but there has been a great deal of cloud.

This denies us the full use of our overwhelming air
superiority, and also helps the flying bombs to get
through to London. However, I hope that July will show
an improvement. Meanwhile the hard fighting goes in
our favour, and although eight Panzer divisions are in
action against the British sector we still have a good
majority of tanks. We have well over three-quarters of a
million British and Americans ashore, half and half. The
enemy is burning and bleeding on every front at once,
and I agree with you that this must go on to the end.

In the last week of June the British established a bridgehead across the river Odon south of Caen. Efforts to extend it southward and eastward across the river Orne Triumph and Tragedy

39

were repelled. The southern sector of the British front was twice attacked by several Panzer divisions. In violent conflicts the Germans were severely defeated, with heavy losses from our air and powerful artillery.
1
It was now our turn to strike, and on July 8 a strong attack on Caen was launched from the north and northwest. The first of the tactical bombardments by Allied heavy bombers, which henceforward were a marked feature, prepared the way.

Royal Air Force heavy bombers dropped more than 2000

tons on the German defences, and at dawn British infantry, hampered unavoidably by the bomb-craters and the rubble of fallen buildings, made good progress. By July 10 all of Caen on our side of the river was gained and I could say to Montgomery, “Many congratulations on your capture of Caen.” He replied:

General Montgomery

11 July 44

to Prime Minister

Thank you for your message. We wanted Caen
badly. We used a great weight of air-power to ensure
quick success, and the whole battle area leading up to
Caen is a scene of great destruction. The town itself
also suffered heavily. All today the 9th and 10th Panzer
Divisions have been attacking furiously to retake Pt.

112, to the [northeast] of Evrecy, and another division
has been assaulting the 30th U.S. Division to the
northwest of St. Lô. Very heavy losses have been
inflicted on all three divisions, and the more they will
attack us, in this way the better. All goes well.

Smuts, who had now returned to South Africa, sent a prescient and suggestive telegram.

Field-Marshal Smuts

10 July 44

to Prime Minister

In view of the spectacular Russian advance, and of
the capture of Caen, which forms a welcome pendant,
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the Germans cannot, as things are now developing,
face both fronts. They will soon have to decide whether
to throw their main weight against the attack from the
east or that from the west. Knowing what to expect
from a Russian invasion, it is likely that they will decide
for concentrating on the Russian front. This will help to
ease our task in the west.
2

Having broken through at Caen, it is essential that
we should maintain the initiative and offensive without
pause, and that we should advance to the rear of the
German flying bomb bases as soon as possible.

I must express my regret at the decision affecting
Alexander’s advance.
3
Considering however your
success in coping with similar obstructions in the past, I
continue to hope that in the end your strategy will again
prove successful, backed as it is by every sound
military as well as political consideration.

Stalin, who followed our fortunes with daily attention, also sent his “congratulations on the occasion of the splendid new victory of the British forces in the liberation of the town of Caen.”

By the middle of July, thirty Allied divisions were ashore.

Half were American and half British and Canadian. Against these the Germans had gathered twenty-seven divisions.

But they had already suffered 160,000 casualties, and General Eisenhower estimated their fighting value as no higher than sixteen divisions.

An important event now occurred. On July 17 Rommel was severely wounded. His car was attacked by our low-flying fighters, and he was carried to hospital in what was thought a dying condition. He made a wonderful recovery, in time to meet his death later on at Hitler’s orders. In early July also Rundstedt was replaced in the over-all command of the

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Western Front by von Kluge, a general who had won distinction in Russia.

Montgomery’s general offensive, planned for July 18, now approached. “God with you,” I said. He replied:
General Montgomery

17 July 44

to Prime Minister

Thank you for your message. General conditions for
big attack tomorrow now very favourable, as main
enemy weight has moved to west of Orne, as was
intended, to oppose my attacks in Evrecy area, and
these attacks will be continued today and tonight.

For complete success tomorrow good flying weather
essential. Am determined to loose the armoured
divisions tomorrow if in any way possible, and will delay
zero hour up to 3 P.M. if necessary.

The British Army attacked with three corps, with the aim of enlarging their bridgeheads and carrying them well beyond the river Orne. The operation was preceded by an even greater bombardment by the Allied air. The German Air Force was totally prevented from interfering. Good progress was made to the east of Caen, until clouded skies began to hamper our planes and led to a week’s delay in launching the break-out from the American sector. I thought this was an opportunity to visit Cherbourg and to spend a few days in the “Mulberry” harbour. On the 20th I flew direct in an American Army Dakota to their landing-ground on the Cherbourg peninsula, and was taken all around the harbour by the United States commander. Here I saw for the first time a flying bomb launching point. It was a very elaborate affair. I was shocked at the damage the Germans had done to the town, and shared the staff disappointment at the inevitable delay in getting the port to work. The basins of Triumph and Tragedy

42

the harbour were thickly sown with contact mines. A handful of devoted British divers were at work day and night disconnecting these at their mortal peril. Warm tributes were paid to them by their American comrades. After a long and dangerous drive to the United States beach-head known as Utah Beach I went aboard a British motor torpedo-boat, and thence had a rough passage to Arromanches. As one gets older, seasickness retreats. I did not succumb, but slept soundly till we were in the calm waters of our synthetic lagoon. I went aboard the cruiser
Enterprise,
where I remained for three days, making myself thoroughly acquainted with the whole working of the harbour, on which all the armies now almost entirely depended, and at the same time transacting my London business.

The nights were very noisy, there being repeated raids by single aircraft, and more numerous alarms. By day I studied the whole process of the landing of supplies and troops, both at the piers, in which I had so long been interested, and on the beaches. On one occasion six tank landing-craft came to the beach in line. When their prows grounded, their drawbridges fell forward and out came the tanks, three or four from each, and splashed ashore. In less than eight minutes by my stop-watch the tanks stood in column of route on the highroad ready to move into action. This was an impressive performance, and typical of the rate of discharge which had now been achieved. I was fascinated to see the D.U.K.W.s swimming through the harbour, waddling ashore, and then hurrying up the hill to the great dump where the lorries were waiting to take their supplies to the various units. Upon the wonderful efficiency of this system, now yielding results far greater than we had ever planned, depended the hopes of a speedy and victorious action.