Triumph and Tragedy (The Second World War) (5 page)

The Allies Form a Continuous Front — The Flying
Bomb Attack on London Begins — Hitler’s
Conference near Soissons, June
17
— Our Build-Up Across the Beaches — The “Mulberry”

Harbours and “Pluto”— My Telegram to Stalin,
June
25
— The British Attack on Caen, July
8
—

Caen Captured — Congratulations from Smuts
and Stalin — Rommel is Wounded and Rundstedt
is Replaced — Montgomery’s General Offensive,
July
18
— I Fly to Cherbourg, July
20
— The
Wonderful D.U.K.W.S
—
Visit to Montgomery —

Another Attempt on Hitler’s Life — The American
Break-Out, July
25
— Canadian Attack Down the
Falaise Road
—
VireTaken
—
Correspondence with
Montgomery — Another Visit to Montgomery —

Eisenhower Arrives — Patton’s Drive Across
Brittany — The Fall of Brest, September
19
—

The Falaise Pocket
—
Eight German Divisions
Annihilated — The Liberation of Paris, August
25.

O
NCE ASHORE, the first need of the Allies was to consolidate the immediate defence of their beaches and form a continuous front by expanding from them. The enemy fought stubbornly and were not easily overcome. In the American sector the marshes near Carentan and at the mouth of the river Vire hampered our movements, and

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everywhere the country was suited to infantry defence. The
bocage
which covers much of Normandy consists of a multitude of small fields divided by banks, with ditches and very high hedges. Artillery support for an attack is thus hindered by lack of good observation and it was extremely difficult to use tanks. It was infantry fighting all the way, with every little field a potential strong-point. Nevertheless good progress was made, except for the failure to capture Caen.

This small but famous town was to be the scene of bitter struggles over many days. To us it was important, because, apart from the fact that there was good ground to the east for constructing air-strips, it was the hinge on which our whole plan turned. Montgomery’s intention was to make a great left wheel by the American forces, with Caen as their left-hand pivot. It was equally important for the Germans. If their lines were pierced there the whole of their Seventh Army would be forced southeastward towards the Loire, opening a gap between it and the Fifteenth Army in the north. The way to Paris would then be open. Thus in the Triumph and Tragedy

33

following weeks Caen became the scene of ceaseless attacks and the most stubborn defence, drawing towards it a great part of the German divisions, and especially their armour. This was a help as well as a hindrance.

The Germans, though the reserve divisions of their Fifteenth Army were still held intact north of the Seine, had of course been reinforced from elsewhere, and by June 12

twelve divisions were in action, four of them Panzers. This was less than we had expected. The tremendous air offensive had hampered all the enemy’s communications.

Every bridge across the Seine below Paris and the principal bridges across the river Loire were by now destroyed. Most of the reinforcing troops had to use the roads and railways running through the gap between Paris and Orléans, and were subjected to continuous and damaging attacks by day and night from our air forces. A German report of July 8

said, “From Paris to the west and southwest all rail communications are broken.” Not only were the enemy unable to reinforce quickly, but their divisions arrived piecemeal, short of equipment, and fatigued by long night marches, and they were thrown into the line as they came.

The German command had no chance to form a striking force behind the battle for a powerful, well-concerted counter-offensive.

By June 11 the Allies had formed a continuous front inland, and our fighters were operating from half a dozen forward air-strips. The next task was to secure a lodgment area big enough to hold sufficient forces for the decisive break-out.

The Americans thrust westward across the Cherbourg peninsula towards Barneville, on the western coast, which they reached on June 17. Simultaneously they advanced northward, and after sharp fighting stood before the outer defences of Cherbourg on the 22d. The enemy resisted stoutly till the 26th in order to carry out demolitions. These

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were so thorough that heavy loads could not be brought in through the port till the end of August.

Beyond the battlefield other events influenced the future.

On the night of June 12–13 the first flying bombs fell on London. They were launched in Northern France from places remote from our landed armies. Their early conquest would bring relief to our civil population, once again under bombardment. Part of the Strategic Air Force renewed attacks on these sites, but there could of course be no question of distorting the land battle on this account. As I said in Parliament, the people at home could feel they were sharing the perils of their soldiers.

On June 17, at Margival, near Soissons, Hitler held a conference with Rundstedt and Rommel. His two generals pressed on him strongly the folly of bleeding the German Army to death in Normandy. They urged that before it was destroyed the Seventh Army should make an orderly withdrawal to the Seine, where, together with the Fifteenth Army, it could fight a defensive but mobile battle with at least some hope of success. But Hitler would not agree.

Here, as in Russia and Italy, he demanded that no ground should be given up and all should fight where they stood.

The generals were of course right. Hitler’s method of fighting to the death on all fronts at once lacked the important element of selection.

In the battle area along the coast our consolidation was making headway. Bombarding ships of all types, including battleships, continued to support the armies on shore, particularly in the eastern sector, where the enemy concentrated the bulk of his armour and where his batteries were most troublesome. U-boats and light surface vessels Triumph and Tragedy

35

tried to attack, though with little success, but sea mines, which were mostly laid by aircraft, took a serious toll of Allied shipping and delayed our build-up. Attacks from enemy bases to the eastward, particularly from Havre, were warded off, and in the west an Allied naval bombarding squadron co-operated later with the American Army in the capture of Cherbourg. Across the beaches progress was good. In the first six days 326,000 men, 54,000 vehicles, and 104,000 tons of stores were landed. In spite of serious losses among landing-craft an immense supply organisation was rapidly taking shape. An average of more than two hundred vessels and craft of all types was arriving daily with supplies. The gigantic problem of handling such a volume of shipping was aggravated by bad weather.

Nevertheless remarkable progress was made. The Merchant Navy played an outstanding part. Their seamen cheerfully accepted all the risks of war and weather, and their staunchness and fidelity played an impressive part in the vast enterprise.

By June 19 the two “Mulberry” harbours, one at Arromanches, the other ten miles farther west, in the American sector, were making good progress. “Pluto,” the submarine pipeline, was also well advanced. But then a four-day gale began which almost entirely prevented the landing of men and material, and did great damage to the newly sunk breakwaters. Many floating bombardons which were not designed for such conditions broke from their moorings and crashed into other breakwaters and the anchored shipping. The harbour in the American sector was ruined, and its serviceable parts were used to repair Arromanches. This gale, the like of which had not been known in June for forty years, was a severe misfortune. We were already behind our programme of unloading. The

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break-out was equally delayed, and on June 23 we stood only on the line we had prescribed for the 11th.

The Soviet offensive had now begun, and I kept Stalin constantly informed of our fortunes.

Prime Minister to

25 June 44

Marshal Stalin

We now rejoice in the opening results of your
immense operations, and will not cease by every
human means to broaden our fronts engaged with the
enemy and to have the fighting kept at the utmost
intensity.

2. The Americans hope to take Cherbourg in a few
days. The fall of Cherbourg will soon set three
American divisions free to reinforce our attack
southward, and it may be 25,000 prisoners will fall into
our hands at Cherbourg.

3. We have had three or four days of gale — most
unusual in June — which has delayed the build-up and
done much injury to our synthetic harbours in their
incomplete condition. We have provided the means to
repair and strengthen them. The roads leading inland
from the two synthetic harbours are being made with
great speed by bulldozers and steel networks unrolled.

Thus, with Cherbourg, a large base will be established
from which very considerable armies can be operated
irrespective of weather.

4. We have had bitter fighting on the British front,
where four out of the five Panzer divisions are
engaged. The new British onslaught there has been
delayed a few days by the bad weather, which delayed
the completion of several divisions. The attack will
begin tomorrow.

5. The advance in Italy goes forward with great
rapidity, and we hope to be in possession of Florence in
June and in contact with the Pisa-Rimini line by the
middle or end of July. I shall send you a telegram
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presently about the various strategic possibilities which
are open in this quarter. The overriding principle which,
in my opinion, we should follow is the continuous
engagement of the largest possible number of Hitlerites
on the broadest and most effective fronts. It is only by
hard fighting that we can take some of the weight off
you.

6. You may safely disregard all the German rubbish
about the results of their flying bomb. It has had no
appreciable effect upon the production or life of
London. Casualties during the seven days it has been
used are between ten and eleven thousand. The
streets and parks remain full of people enjoying the
sunshine when off work or duty. Parliament debates
continually throughout the alarms. The rocket
development may be more formidable when it comes.