THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1953.
TRIUMPH AND
PREFACE
THIS Volume concludes my personal narrative, of the Second World War. Between, the Anglo-American landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, and the surrender of all our enemies fourteen months later, 'tremendous events struck the civilised world. Nazi Germany was crushed, partitioned, and occupied). Soviet Russia established herself in the heart of Western Europe; Japan was overwhelmed; the first atomic bombs were cast.
In this, as in earlier, Volumes, I have told the as Prime story as I knew and experienced it Minister and Minister of Defence of Great Britain. i have relied, as before, on the documents and speeches composed under the daily ordeal, in the of what belief that these give a truer picture happened al
after the time than could any thoughts. The original text was completed nearly two years ago. Other duties have since confined me to general supervision of the processes of checking the statements of fact contained in there pages and obtaining the necessary consents to the publication of the original documents.
I have called this Volume "Triumph and Tragedy" because the overwhelming victory of the Grand Alliance has failed so far to bring general peace to our anxious world.
Chartwell,
Westerham,
Kent.
September 30, 1953.
WINSTON S. CHURCHILL
Chapter 1-The Tide D-Day Caught Germans
O
as the foremost
•
of
in-
guns
TRAGEDY
Beginning Today: The Sixth and Final
Book of the World War II Memoirs
.༈
The Right Honourable -
SIR WINSTON
His answer was prompt. and contained welcome news of the highest importance.
n
CHURCHILL
at once to were obliterated, and our radlo and Railar alds were secure. It may be mentioned that all the Allied effort in the radio war for D-Day was British.
Of
cab
taking too much of a risk if he made a habit of ruch proceed- be done ings. Anything once or for a short time, but custom, repetition, prolongation, Js always to be avoided when possible in war. He did in fact mave two days later, though not till he and his staff had ad another dose.
repeated this batterica have been largely Roosevelt, Stalin telegraphed overcome. The air landings again on June 11:
As is evident, the landing. were very successful, and on a large scale, Infantry landings
conceived оп
grandiose scale, are proceeding rapidly, and
has succeeded 20:11-
It is indeed remarkable that many tanks and self-propelled pletely. My colleagues and
the vast long-planned assault fell ashore. are already
that the cannot but admit Weather outlook moderate to history of warfare knows 210
on the enemy as a surprise both in time and place. The German other like undertaking from good.
It continued Ane, and apart the point of view of its scale, High Command was told that lis vast conception, and its the weather would be too rough masterly execution. As is that day for amphibious operam occasional air alarms and anti-aircraft fire there seemed well known, Napoleon in his tions and had received no recent
to be no fighting. We made a time failed gnominiously in air reports of the assembly of
considerable Inspection of our his plan to force the Channel.- our thousands of ships along the
limited bridgchend. I was English shore...
particularly interested to 500 the local ports of Port-en-Bessin und Oulstreham. We had not counted much en these Hittio harbours in any of the plans we had made for the great descent. a most valuable They proved acquisation, and soon were dis- charging about 4,000 tons a day.
I have received your com- munication about the success of the beginning of the "Overlord" operations, nives joy to us all and hope of further suLCESSES.
The summer offensive of the Soviet forces, organised In accordance with the agree- ment at the Teheran Co- ference, will begin towards the middle of June on one of
Of Victory. By Surprise
the important sectors of the front. The general offensive of the Soviet forces will deve- lop by stages by means of the successive bringing of armies into offensive operations, the end of June and during July offensive operations will become a general offensive of
At
15
highest order.
·
LET us
with on
principal battleground.
our
CIL
The hysterical Hitler, who boosted for two years that he would effect a forcing of the Channel, was unable to make up his mind even to hing at attempting to carry out his
MARLY en June 5 Rommel left threat. Only our Allies have his headquarters
to visit succeeded in realising with Hitler at Berchtesgaden and was honour the grandiose pints of in Germany when the blow fill, the forcing of the Channel. There had been much argument Ifistory will record this teed about which front the Allies un achievement of the would alinck. Rundstedt had
consistently
that belleved The word "grandiose" is the mun blow would be launched CMUTS, Branke, and I went · translation from the Russian across the Straits of Do
of Dover, as the shortest sea route
theme in the destroyer Kri- text which was given me,
I that was think that "najestle" was prob- and gave the best access to the vin. Admi. Vinn, who commanded ably what Stalin mennt, At heart of Germany. Rommel fer all the flotillas and Ught craft
the any rate, harmony was com long agreed with him.
Arromanche) Hitler protesting
board, He plete.
and his staff, however, appear to barbou, was have had reports indicating that watch the bombardment of the proposed that we should go and Normandy would be
the German position by the battle- and cruisers protecting the thips
British left Bank. Accordingly survey the
Even after we had landed. enemy's
Hiller
between the we passed dispositions and plans as wo uncertaluules continued.
two battleships, who were firing at Marshal lost a whole critical day in 20,000 yards, and through know them. DOW Rundstedt,
divisions, making up his mind to release cruiser squadron, firing at about was in command of the whole the two nearest Panzer divisions. 14,000 yards, and soon we were Atlantic Wall, from the Low to reinforce the front, The
10 within 7,000 or 8,000 yards nf, Intelligence Counir:es to the Bay of Biccay, German
Service the shore, which was thickly
the over-estimated and thence along the southern
grossly
ine wooded. French shore.
Under 3621
him number of divisions and the Itomme! held the coast
of fram amount
The sultable shipping Holland to the Loire. iis available in England. On their leisurely and continuous, but Fifteenth Army with 10 divisions held the sector about sources for a second big landing; en sald to Viun, "Since we showing, there were ample re- there was no reply from ing enemy. As we were about tỏ Calnis and Boulogne, and his
so Normandy might be only a WAS actually sending Stalin Seventh Army had nine intan- preliminary and subsidiary phe. are so near, why shouldn't we a fuller account of our pro- try and ang Panzer division at
have a plug at them ourselves his telegram ar hand in Normandy. The
On June 19 Rommel reported before we go home?" He
said, gress when lived.
Panzer divisions оп the whole to von Rundstedt
n Jorge. "Certainly," and in a minute er Prime Minister to Marshat Stalin Wodern Front were roved-
on the 7 June 41 eagled from Belgium to Borde-scale landing is to be expected two all our mins fired
on the Channel front
We were of course on both silent east. I am well satisfied with the Dux. How strange that the
Germans, now on the defensive, sides. of Cap Gris Nez or be well within the aluation up to noon todas made the same mistake as the tween the Somune and Le Havre" artillery, and the 7th. Only at one American
had fired Vlun beach has there been serious repeated the warning destroyer turn about and depart
week
Inter. Thus it was not dimculty, and that has now their most powerful weapon of the third week in July, six at the highest speci... been cleared
up.
counter-attack! Twenty
weeks after D-Day, 'ihat reserves thousand airborne troops are
When Rommel took up his from the Fifteenth Army were safely landed behind the
lata, January cominand in flanks of the enemy's lines, had been displeased with the Calais to join the battle.
he Bent South from the Pas de
defencer he found, and hu energy improved them greatly.
the Soviet forces.
I shall not fail to inform you in dug course of the offensive progress
of the
UR long months of still very rough from the preparation and bad weather of the day be planning for the fore, and a good many greatest amphibious the swimming tanks foun- operation in history ended dered on the way, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. As soon During the preceding night faury got ashore they dashed the great armadas of forward towards their objectives, and in every case except one convoys and their escorts made good progress. Ou "Omaha" sailed, unknown to the beach, northwest at Bayeux, the the swept Vth American Corps sur into enemy, along
severe resistance. By an unlucky channels from the Isle of chance the enemy
operations, clofences in Wight to the Normandy this sector had recently been const. Heavy bombers of the taken over by a complete Ger- Royal Air Force attacked na division in full strength and enemy coast-defence guns in very stiff fight all day to make the concrete emplacements, nay lodgment at all, and it was dropping 5,200
tons of not until the 7th that, after les bombs. When duwn broke several thousand men, the
wwere able to force their way in- the United States Air Force land. came on the scene to deal with other shore defences, followed... by medium. and fighter-bombers. In the 24
on the net. Our Allies hid
3
hours of June 6 the Allies Anoon en June 0·1 asked the
Houre of Commons to take
cf
flow over 14,600 sorties. Formal cognisance of the libela- tion of Rome by the Allied So great was our super- Armies under the ceranand Gen. Alexander," the Laws iority in the air that all the which had been released the enemy could put up during night before. There was intente daylight over the invasion excitement about the landinga in beaches was a mere hun were la progress at the encercat. France, which everyone know dred sorties. From mid- Nevertheles I night three airborne divi- minutes to the campaign in Italy sions were aligting, the and in paying my Gioue to the British 6th Airborne Divi- Allied Annien there. After thus keeping them on eestтhooks for a litle I said:
sion northeast of Chen to seize bridgeheads over the river between the town and the sea, and two American airborne divisions north of Carentan to assist the sea- borne
assault
the on beaches, and to check the movement of enemy re- serves into the Cotentin Although in peninsula. places the airborne divi- sions were more widely scattered than had been in- tended, the object was ill every case achieved.
As dawn
scene
came and the ships, great and small, began to file into their pre- arranged positions for the nssault the
might almost have been a review. "Immediate opposition was limited to an attack by torpedo-boats, which sank Norwegian destroyer. Even when the naval bom- bardment began, the reply from the coastal batteries was desultory and inoffee- tive. There was no doubt that we had achieved a tac- tical surprise.
N
·
Landing and support craft with infantry, with tanks, with self-propelled artillery, and
great
*
up
variety of weapons, and. engineer demolition teams to deal with the bench obstacles, all formed into groups and moved to- wards the beaches. Among them were, the 'D.D. (swim- ming) tanks, which made their first farge-scale ap pearance in battle. It was
devoted
10.
I have also to announce to 4ho House that during the night and the early hours of this morning the first of the series of landings in force upon the European continent has taken place. In this case the berting Dainult tell upon the coast of France. An immens arenado of upwards of 4,000 ships, together with several thousand smaller craft, crossed the Channel. Maised nirbarce landings have been successful- by effected behind the enemy
and dandings on
are proceeding at various points at the present time.
The
So for the commanders who are engaged report that every- thing is proceeding accordkig to plan. And what a plan! This vast operation is undoubtedly the most complicated and dif- cult that has ever taken place. 15 involves tides, winds, waves, visibility, both from the air and and the the sea standpoint, combined employment of land, und sea forces in the highest
degree of intimacy and conditions In contact with which could not and cannot be fully foreseen.
now
its
The battle that has begun will grow constantly In scalo and in intensity for many weeks to come, and I shall not attempt to speculate apon course. This may say, how- ever. Complete
unity
prevail throughout the Allied Armies. There is a brotherhood. In arms between us and our friends of the United States. There is completo confidenes in the Supreme Commander,
and Gen. Elsenhower,
his Houtenants, and also in the commander of the Expedition- ary Force, Gen.. Montgomery,
the afternoon I felt justjä fed in reporting to Stalln. Everything has started well, The mines, obstacles, and land
and have made contact in cach case with the American
concrete works
10
bombardment
↓
the
งบด
range of the!: moment we made the
We were spon nut of danger and passed through the cruise and battleship liner. This is the only time I have ever been on board one of his Majesty's ships when she fired "in anger
if it can be so called. I ad- Admiral's sporting mired the spirit."Smuls fo> was delighted." I slept soundly on the four-
Voyage
hour
Portsmouth. Altogether it had been a most interesting and enjoyable day.
Our deception measures both and British seahome forces. Along the coast there was a before and after D-Day had
We got across with small line of
with aimed at creating this confused losses. We had expected to all-round-defence, many nincs, thinking. Their success was lose about 10,000 men. By and difficult obstacles of various admirable and had far-reaching tonight we hope to have the patterns, especially below high- results on the battle. best part of a
water mark. Fixed guns point- quarter of million men ashore, including ed Seawards, and field artillery the beaches. While и considerable quantity of covered
there wea, no complete second armour (tanks), all landed
At our min we found the three American Chiefs of Staff. from special ships or swim- line of defence, villages in rear ming ashoro by themselves... were strongly forified.
reperled that he was all they had seen on the Rommel was not content with
and had sufficiently established ashore to American beaches, and full of are planning to construct very the progress made,
I therefore set confidence in the execution of time been left him our receive a visit. more 'quickly
dined together in a happy mood.
Most especially secret. Wo
harbours on the beaches of
ON June 10 Gen. Montgomery They were highly pleased with
two large synthetle
of task would have been harder, off in my train to Portsmouth, our long-cherished design. We this wide, sandy bay of the Our opening bombardment by with Scine estuary, Nothing like sea
не
Smuls,
Gen. Brooke, did not and sir
destroy Mar
Marshall,
All and Admi. King. works, three American Chiefs of Staff these has ever been seen be many of the concrete fore. Great ocean liners will but by stunning their defenders had flown to London on June be able to discharge and run set their Radar.
reduces their fire and also ups in
CRIC any vital military decision had to be taken at short by numerous piers supplies to
A British The German warming system notice,
and Dn the fighting troops.
This must
DURING the dinner I noticed be quite unexpected by the had been completely paralyzed. American destroyer awaited us,
to Guernsey the Smuts, Brooke, and I embarked triously, and presently the hand- the From Colais enemy, and will enable
Germans had build-up to proceed with very 120
no fewer than in the former, and Gen. Marshall ed me a message he had written
Mountbation, wilch, major pieces of Radar, and Adml. King, with their to Admi. Independence of AM great weather conditions. We hope equipment for finding our con- staffs, in the latter, and we he suggested we should all sign. to get Cherbourg at an early voys and directing the fire of crossed the Channel without in-
their shore batteries. These eldent to our respective fronts, point in the operations..... were grouped In 47 stations
We hope that this success. We discovered them all, and at- them... so succcesfully ful landing and the victory of tacked Rome, of which the fruits with rocket-fring alreraft that have still to be gathered from on the night before D-Day not the cut-off Hun divisions, will one in six was working. cheer your vallant soldiers after all the wolght they have had to bear, which no one outside your country has felt more definitely than 1.
Montgomery,
Reven
OF
smiling ang confident, met me at the bench as we scrambled out of cur landing-craft. His army had already penetrated eight miles inland.
There was very little firing or activity. The weather
brilliant, was
We drove through out limited but deceived by the device of tin fertile demain in Normandy. It
to see the prgs-,. was pleasant Since dictating the above, I fell strips known as "Wintlow, perly of the countryside. have received your message which simulated a convoy about the successful begin heading east of Fecamp, and ning of "Overlord " in which
which they thus failed to detect the you speak of the summer real landings. One piece of red and white cows barking or offensive the Soviet forces. equipment near Caen managed parading in the sunshine.
THE
serviceable ones were
I thank you cordially for this. to keep
а
The Delds, were full of lovely
nd it.
around
The
Gen. Marshall writing indus-
Teday we visited the Bria tish and American armies on the roll of Frances We sailed. through vast fleets of ships, with landing-craft of many. types pouring more and more
vehicles, men,
and stores ashore. We saw clearly the manœuvre in process of rapid development. We have shared and cur secrets in common .helped each other all we
could.
We wish to tell you at this
arduous moment in your campaign that we realise that of this remarkable much technique, and therefore the success of the venture, has its origin in developments effect- ed by you and your staff of Combined Operations.
and going
dr inhabitants seemed quite buoy- the I hope you will observe that covered.
approachi of unt and well nourished end
Its wayed' enthusiastic TE, but
Mont- force, the British we have mover asked you
about were
by gomery's
Arnold, Brooke, Churchill, Ignored Eingle question, because of reports
as they five miles inland, were in
King, Marshall, Smuls. our full confidence in you, the plotting centre,
lokes Mountbatten
indeed must your nation, and your armies were not corroborated by any chateau with fawns and
We lunched in 'a have valued this tribute.
The of the other stations. He replied:
tent. Nor was this the only menace looking towards the enemy. vast, intricate opemtion, with I have received your mess which
was
novel and ingenious Et The General was in the highest all its overecme.
asked him how far devices, could: not have been age of June 7 with the in-couraged by their success two spirits. I development of the operation passago up the Channel of the him if he had a continuous line. three Services, which had been formation of the successful years before in concealing the away was the actual front: He achieved without the Combined said about three miles. I asked Operations headquarters of all Overlord. We all greet you Scharnhorst and Gnelsenau, the He said, "No," "What is there created in 1940 under Adml. and the vallant British and enemy had built many more then to prevent an incursion of Keyes, and had been carried by American armies, and warmly famming stations for thwarting German armour - breaking up his successor to full fruition. *i with you further successes. both the ships which directed our luncheon?" He said he did
The preparation of the sum- our night fighters and the Radar not think they would come. (Continued on Monday!
mer offensive of the Soviet beams upon which many of our m armlos concluding To forces depended for an accurate Tho staff, told me the chateau morrow, June 10, the first landfall But they too word had been heavily bombed 'the -' stego will open in our eum discovered, and Bomber Com night before, and certainly there World Copyright, mer of have on the Lening- mand made me highly cone were at good, many craters Reproduction, even "partially,,'Iri bi tola" him he was any language; strictly prohibited. centrated raida - upon them.; All - around it.) rad front
arved:
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