1950-11-27 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL,” MONDAY, NOVEMI

Chapter 23 Of "The Hinge Of Fate"

MONTGOMERY

THE

and

BY

EIGHTH

WINSTON

TO

ARMY

LEAD

CHURCHILL

to

1 sent Col. Jacob by air to his headquarters with the following letter:

SPENT all August 7 visiting the 51st High- land Division, who had "just Janded. As I went

conversation. Montgomery them in order to feed and rearm than orally, up the stairs after dinner spoke of the trials and hazards the fighting line. at the Embassy I met Col. of a soldier's career. He gave Jacob. "This is bad about his whole life to his profession. Gott," he said. "What has and lived long years of study self-restraint, Presently happened?" "He was shot fortune smiled, there came a down this afternoon flying glearn of success, he gained ad- vancement, opportunity prezen- into Cairo." I certainly feit ted itself, her bat a great com- grief and impoverishment mand, at the loss of this splendid soldier, to whom I had re- solved to confide the most direct fighting task in the impending battle.

He won a victory, he became world-famous, his name was on every lip. Then the luck chang- cd. At one, stroke nil his life's work flashed away, perhaps through no fault of his own, All my plans were dislocated, and he was flung into the end- less catalogue of m11tary Auchinleck fallures. of The from

the Supreme Command was to have been balanced by

removal

"But,"

expostulated Ismay, the appointment to the Eighth "you ought not to take it so Army of Gott, with all his badly as all that. A very fine Desert experience and prestige, army is gathering in the Middle

nd the whole covered by Alex- East.

It may

well be that Inder's assumption the you are not going to disaster."

Middle East. What Was to happen now?

Prime Minister to Deputy Prime

Minister.

1 Aug., 42.

Deeply regret Gott has just been shot down in the air and kill-

ed,

There could be no doubt who his successor should be.

Prime Minister to Deputy Prime

Minister.

recommends Montgomery for Eighth Army. Smuts and I feel this post must be filled at once. Pray send him by special plane at earliest moment.

C.1.G.S. decisively

Advise me when he will ar- rive.

Acute moment

the War It appeared that Cabinet had already assembled nt 11.15 p.m. on August 7 to deal with my telegrams of that day, which had just been decoded.

Discussion was still Peratur

проп them when a

came in with my new messages, stating that Gott was dead and, secondly, asking that Gen. Montgomery should be sent out at once..

I have been told this was an acute moment for our friends in Downing Street. However, as I have several times observed, they had been through much and took it doggedly. They sat till nearly dawn, agreed in all essentials to what I had pro- posed, and gave the orders about Montgomery.

Hove Tante

This was a staggering blow for these eager men. It was my task to go from brigade brigade and explain to all the officers gathered together, two or three hundred at a time, why they must suffer this mutilation after all their zeal and toil. But I had good news as well. The 350 Shermans were already ap- pronching through the Red Sea, and in a fortnight the division would begin to be armed with the most powerful armoured vehicles current at that time,

I told them the story of my morning with the President and Gen. Marshall on the morrow of Tobruk: how these Shermans had been longed and thirsted for by the 1st United States Ar moured Division, and how they

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10. Mu, wh

Mr Churchill's directive to Gen. Alexander.

For this.

them

Cairo, Aug. 8, 1942. Dear Gen. Auchinleck,

telegram to the CI.G.S. the On June 23 you raised in your

question of your being lieved in this Command, and you mentioned the name of Gen. Alexander as a successor, At that

TC-

crisis to the Army his Ma- jesty's Government did not wish to avail themselves of At your high-minded offer. the same time you had laken, over the effective

between me and Gen. Auch- Inleak. C.I.G.S jained us.......

The Prime Minister's mind is entirely fixed on the defeat of Rommel, and on geiting Gen. Alexander into complete charge of the operations in the Western Desert. Ho does no understand how a man while in Calro can remain great events are occurring in the Desert and leave the coa- duct of them to someone else. He strode up and down deciaum-

Ing on this point, and he mcans to have his way. "Rommel, Rommel, Rommel, Rommell he cried. "What also matters but beating him?"

command T

of the battle, as I had long desired and had' suggested to you in my telegram of May. 20. You stemmed the adverse, tide, and, at the present time the front la' stabilised.

The War Cabinet have now. de

Meets The Auk

On the morning of August 9 arrived, and Gen. Alexander breakfasted with the CIGS. and mo. Gen. Auch nicek reached Cairo just after midday, cided, for the reasons which and we had an hour's converss- you yourself had used, that tion, which was at once bleak the moment has come for ⚫ and impeccable. I telegraphed chango, It is proposed to

to accordingly.

detach Irak and Persia from

the present

sent Middle Eastern Prime Minister to Gen, Imaj theatre.

will be

10

10 Aug., 42, the Gen. Auchinleck is disinclined

to

Appointed Middle East, command the Eighth Army, and I offer you the command of Irak and Persia, Including the Tenth Army, with head- quarters at Basra or Baghdad.

Smaller sphere

to accept the command of the Irak Persia theatre... AB however, I am convinced that he is the best man for tho job, I have given him a few. days more to consider the day matter further. I shall not

press him unduly, but I am anxious that he should not take his decision while under the immediate effects of the blow, which he has accepted with dignity, but naturally not without distress....

It is true that this sphere is to- day smaller than the Middle a few East, but it may in months become the scene, of decisive operations, and rein- forcements for the Tenth to see me that evening, and final Army are already on the way, arrangements for the changes In this theatre, of which you in command were drafted.

have special experience, you

will preserve your associa- tions with India.

General Alexander came back.

Directive

and Prime Minister to Gen. I may

for those concerned.

10 Aug., 42.

OC-

I hope, therefore, that you will

comply with my wish directions with the same dis- interested public spirit that you have shown on all oce casions. Alexander will rive almost immediately, and I hope that early next week, subject of course to the move-

I have given Gen. Alexander the following directive, which is most agreeable to him, and in which C.I.G.S: concurs.

ments of the enemy, it may be. Your prime, and main duty

possible to effect the transfer

of responsibility on the Wes- tern battle-front with the utmost smoothness and efficiency.

I shall be very glad to see you

at any convenient time if you should so desire.

Bellove me,

Yours sincerely,

Winston S. Churchill.

P.C. Col. Jacob who bears this letter, is also charged by me to express my sympathy the sudden loss of Gen. Gott.

Mind fixed

in

necessary "What!" cried Montgomery, had been taken from

ailling up in the car. What do almost as soon as they had been When sending my message to you mean? I was talking about Issued in order to give us a

of Romme

chance or perhaps I said the the Cabinet telling them Gott's death I asked that Gen.

certainty of saving Alexandria, Eisenhower should not be told I spent the Bh with the Yeu- Cairo and Egypt from conquest, Division. These fine They would have the Shermans, hat we had proposed to give many

hitherto of troops,

wasted and They would become the leading im Montgomery in place

lexander. But this was too ever yet effectively engaged armoured unit in the world: I te; he had been told already. With the enemy, were camped think they were consoled by he further change of plan in- along the Kassassin road. volved a consequent dislocation two years they had served in

the Middle East, mainly of a vexatious kind

Palestine, and I had not been road to Cairo, and reached the paration of "forch" the forth. Pale coming landing in French North able to have them equipped and city before 5 p.m. Africa), Alexander had been worked up to the high quality

I now had to inform Gen. chosen to command the British of which they were capable. At First Army in that great enter- last they had reached the back Auchinleek that he was to be prise. He had already worked of the front and were to go into relieved of his command, and, The Prime Minister was asleep.

from the past for

Gon. action. Now, at this moment in having learned with

that kind of unpleasant Eisenhower. They were getting their career, it had been neces that on splendidly together, as they sary to take all their tanks from thing is better done by writing always did.

some weeks

in

the

Two changes

Conower for

upon

Now Alexander had been taken frat him for the Middle East. Ismay was sent to convey the news and my apologies to this break in and disturbance of contacts which the hard' neces alty of war compelled. Ismay dliated

Montgomery's brillant qualities as a comman der in the Geld. Montgamery ar rived at Eisenhower's headquar ters almost immediately, and all the civilities of a meeting of this *Kind between the commanders of armies of different nations woven into a single enterprisa had been discharged.

The very next morning, the 0th, Elsenhower had to be in- formed that Montgomery minut fly that day to Cairo to com- mand the Eighth Army. This

· tusic, also fell to

hower

man,

WID:

Ho

dealing with carne in cool.' naturally, however, felt discon certed by the two changes, in two days in this vital post in the vast operation confided to him. He was now to welcomČ G third British Commandat.

Story of Monty

Can we wonder that he naked Ismay, “Are the British "really- Making Terch', seriously?

Nevertheless the death of, Chall was a war fact, which” `a" good #older understoode, Genl Ans

Was:Appolated

VPÓROST,

and

dutor the airūska:

In I cluttered back on

"If we gave him comradeship we could

will be to take or destroy at the earliest opportunity the German-Italian Army com- manded by. Field Marshal Rommel, together with all its supplies and establishments in Egypt and Libya.

"2. You will discharge or cause to be discharged such other duties as pertain to your Command withouf projudice to the task described in pora- graph ; which must be con-

in sidered paramount his Majesty's interests."

It may no doubt be possible in a later phase of the war to alter the emphasis of this directive, but I am sure that simplicity of task and single- ness of aim are imperative

In the evening Jacob return- ed. Auchinleck had received

now. the long this stroke with soldierly dignity, He was unwilling to accept the new command, and would come to see me the next day.

be comrades-in-arms"

"Oui if we gave him arms.'

D

Jacob's diary records:

He awoke at six o'clock, and I had to recount to him as best I could what had passed

Alexander's reply sen: months later will be recorded in due course.

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