1940-08-31 — Page 8

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THE CHÍNA MAIL, AUGUST 31, 1940.

EIGHT DAYS OF HISTORY: BRITAIN ANSWERS ALLEGATIONS

AGAINST B.E.F.

FRENCH NEVER BEGAN THEIR ATTACK

A SENIOR STAFF OFFICER OF THE B.E.F. HAS TOLD IN LONDON THE FIRST FULL STORY OF THE MOMENTOUS DAYS FROM THE AP- POINTMENT OF GENERAL WEYGAND TO. THE DUNKIRK EVACUATION. HE WAS REPLYING TO ALLEGATIONS MADE IN FRANCE BY M. BAUDOUIN, THE FOREIGN MINISTER, IN PAR- TICULAR THAT THE B.E.F. DID. NOT CARRY OUT THE WEYGAND PLAN TO CLOSE THE GAP THE GERMANS HAD MADE IN THE ALLIED LINES.

The staff officer said that he did not want to enter into any recriminations nor to say anything in criticism of the French High Command.

"We are too busy getting on with our share of the war, and we have no time to say who did well or did badly," he said. "Some attack has been made on the B.E.F. for not having complied with the Wey- gand plan.

"The statement, to my mind, uffects the honour of the B.E.F.,

Arras Attack

BAUDOUIN'S LIES

M. Baudouin, Mar- shal Petain's Foreign Minister, made the following allega- tions:-

1. The British failed to close the gap dur- ing the German ad-

vance.

2

2. Four-fifths of the B.E.F. were saved. Only one half of the French forces were saved.

3. The British pro- vided 14,000 troops for rearguard actions at Dunkirk. The French threw in 200,000.

and I think it ought to be knock- On May 20 General Ironside, look at what is going on behind ed on the head."

Chief of the Imperial General the lines, at G.H.Q. and in-the Here is the story the officer Staff, went to G.H.Q. to discuss minds of the men trying to foil. told:

the position with General Billotte, the German break-through. When General Weygand took commanding the First French It is May 22, General Weygand, over the supreme command of the Army, and General Blanchard. who has been in supreme com- Allied forces on the Western At that time it was quite clearmand for three days, decides to Front on May 19 he found an that an effort had to be made to meet Lord Gort and explain his extremely serious situation. push forces from the B.E.F. and intentions.

The Germans had crossed the the First French Army in, a

A message is sent Lord Gort Meuse and by May 15 had en-southward direction to try to re-calling him to a rendezvous. larged and deepened the gap to gain contact with the French on a very great extent. Up to May the Somme.

But that message never turn- ed up until next day, the fate- ful May 23. Misfortune had struck the first of a series of blows which were to play an increasing part in this tragic story,

On the night of May 22 there

19 the French, with the resources It was also clear that to do at their disposal, had not been that an attack was necessary. able to plug the hole, which was There could be no question of án then something like a week old. unhindered march through the During that week about eight area of the gap because the Ger- German armoured divisions, fol-mans were in occupation of it. lowed by an unknown number, Now in modern warfare when was a meeting in Ypres at which but probably an equal number, an attack is to be launched it is were present the King of the Bel- of motorised infantry divisions, not a case of saying "Up, Guards,gians, Lord Gort, Commander-in- had been pouring into the gap. and at 'em." A considerable Chief of the B.E.F., Generat

What was the position of the amount of preparing had to be Billotte, who in addition to com- B.E.F. during these critical, done.

And remember that the manding the First French Army days? Was the Weygand plan B.E.F. had only two divialons in was entrusted with "power

between of co-ordination" to be revealed three days later reserve. -feasible even at this stage? Yet it was decided that these french," British, and--Belgian

two divisions-the 5th and the Armies. 50th would carry out an at- General Billotte explained Gen- tack from Arras, which they still

Moved Back

the

On May 19 the B.E.F. had taken held, to the south and across the era Weygand's plan, which, was that an attack should be made up positions on the line of the Scarpe.

line and two in reserve.

from the direction of Roye north-

be

Escut Canal, having fallen back! The attack was to be supported by the French from the south from positions cast of Brussels on the right flank by elements and Louvain. On that sector the of the 1st Cavalry (Mechanised) wards to join an attack to B.E.F. had seven divisions in the Corps. General Billotte agreed made from the north by the First to this plan and said that part of French Army and the B.E.F. The It had been obvious to the the First French Army would be First French Army and the B.E.F. British Command that their right available to continue the British were now in the neighbourhood it of Doual and Valenciennes, north rear was in a dangerous position left flank and cooperate with

of the gap which extended for owing to the German encircle-in the southerly direction.

about 30 miles to the Somme. ment, and they had extemporised stops by improvised forces at Gort's Decision Lens, Bethune, Douai, and Arras!

That same night General Bil lotte was killed in a motor acci- to to protect the right rear.

That attack was timed for 2 dent on his way from Ypres

the his headquarters. These stops were not only pro-fo'clock on May 21, but on

Misfortune had struck the tecting the B.E.F., but also the morning of May 21 the British First French Army.

second blow. were informed that the French

The following day telegraphic These improvised forces came division on their left were not

from London con- largely from untrained Territorial ready to attack and would not be instructions

Armed the Weygand plan and divisions, three of whom had ready before May 22. been sent out to France some, Nevertheless it was obvious fixed the day for May 24.

weeks before for work aerodromes.

The Belgians

So much for the B.E.F. what of the French and gians?

The instructions also made it on that the sooner we brought that

attack off the greater the chance clear that the Weygand plan was carried out solely of success. Time was pressing.not one to be The longer we left the gap there by the B.E.F. but by the French the more Germans were pouring forces in the south and a joint .Now in.

French and British force in the Bel-

On the left of the B.E.F., from Oudenarde to Ghent and the sea, were the Belgian Army. On the right were the First French Army'

So Lord Gort made his de-north. cision. The French were not ready to support the B.E.F. Fought From Brussels

left, but he ordered the attack: to proceed.

Arras

pecially in front of Arras.

Now back to the fighting front.

It reached its first objective Arrangements had been made on of between eight and ten divi- south of

and inflicted May 22 for three British divisions sions. They extended in a heavy casualties on the Germans. to be relieved. The French were curved line from St. Amand to It was supported by everything to take up a bit of the British Valenciennes.

in the way of infantry supporting sector on the right and the Bol-* The French divisions. were, in a tanks.

were glans were to take over a part on Many prisoners

the left. considerable state of disorganisa-| taken.

had These British divisions tion, and for several days were For the next two days these

of the way

back fully occupied in reorganising and divisions fought very hard, es- fought most

All from Brussels, and were to be trying to regain some cohesion.

They had fought their way that time the Germans were given a short rest hefore taking back from the line at Namur, and working round their western part in the southward attack- had suffered a scale of attack flank, and on May 23 were almost which was part of the Weygand

plan. which was probably heavier than completely round our troops.. the B.E.F. had been subjected On the evening of that day! When these divisions were taken Lord Gort decided he could not out they had to be used imme- Write, Call or Phone

South of the First French Army keep them there any longer or diately to protect the Allied right was the gap of some 30 ml'es to, they would be surrounded and flank, and they were pushed right back to St. Omer to meet the THE HONG KONG & CHINA GAS CO., LTD. the Somme and the situation was captured.

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They were withdrawn just: In German. drive towards Boulogne, To try, to delay the German time castwards to Douai. advance stops

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These divisions, while protect- Ing the British left flank,- doing a similor service to the mostly from Territorial divisions.[ Take your mind away for n First French Army.

Such was the position on May moment from the fighting, front. On May 23 Lord Gort went to

put the clock back. 24, hours, and,p) (Continued on Pago

19

..

THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 31, 1940

The French Attack That Never Came

could

(Continued from Page..8) chard was disturbed by the situă- General Blanchard, who had suc- tion on the Western Front. He and his staff were working out plans ceeded General Billotte,as.com- mander of the Allied Forces, and for a withdrawal as fast as lie proposed an attack in a southerly

That was the only thing. direction in accordance with what, he could do.' General Weygand, had in mind. In the view of the British, The attack was to be made by General Weygand's plan, on paper, two British divisions and three was admirable. In fact, as a plan French divisions and was to move it was the only one available. A southwards from the line between 'gap of that kind had to be closed- Sensee to St. Quentin canal, and either from the north or from the its objectives were to be the rail-south, or probably from both. The way at Havrincourt and Marcoing.

trouble was that the plan came too. late. They hoped that the French from, the south would join up with them in that direction.

But it came too late from two Įpoints of view first, there were too many Germans in that area,

Shortage of Munitions and, secondly, before it could be

brought off our left flank

had

Gen. Gort suggested that the at-gone and there was not sufficient tack should be made on May 26, rescurces to deal with both flanks 'because the only two divisions at the same time.

which he had available were the About that date the B.E.F. were divisions which had been fighting extended on a line of 75 miles. at Arras and the Scarpe. The That does not give many facilities French, whose troops had been for charging. The British, unsup- reorganising since May 19, press-ported by the French except for ed very hard for the attack to be their 1st Cavalry Corps, had put made on May 25.

everything they had in reserve into attack two days before. the General Weygand plan was evolved.

The British would have liked to have done so, but while the French had been able to have six days to reorganise, the British

were to attack with two divisions. which had already made an at- tack without French support and had just been withdrawn. Lord Gort asked for one more day.

Did Not Operate

There was another part of the Weygand plan-that the French should attack northwards That never matured at all. The French, During the night of Muy 23-24 it is believed, never gained any the French established a block in ground at all. Cambrai. They pushed out attacks There were two halves of the after the British had pressed them

to do it.

Another question which had to be considered was the munitions, situation, which was "not

And now consider what might] have happened.

Irina Baronova and Lea Bowman in "Florian," at the the Queen's Theatre to-day.

SACK 400 · PARSONS

-Says Vicar

Four hundred parsons! who belong to the Peace Weygand plan, and the southern Pledge Union should have half did not operate.

their licences withdrawn by the Bishops. This sug- Supposing Lord Gort had gone gestion is made by the ir 26. and let us suppose it had Rev. J. A. Carter, vicar of France at that time were just a achieved a major success and got Lillington, near Leaming- "gun Issue"-160 rounds. perjon down as far as Cambrai.

and small arms muni The position would then have ton Spa, Warwickshire.

rosy.

The

munitions available

gun tions were short.

bringing the munitions over.

too

on with-the Weygand plan on May

He writes in his parish 'maga-