1951-10-08 — Page 4

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EW PORTRAIT

OF

THE AUTHOR-

daylight air-cover alona

the In this book, our wartime Prime

whole route. The U-boat packs,

and kept underwater

were

Barried continually, while the Minister

oir and surface escort of the convoys eoped with the

writes the history of

attackers. We were new strong the period from the invasion of

enough

to form independent flotilla groups to act like cavalry

divisions, apart from Sicily to the Normandy landings

all escort duties. This I had long desired to see.

ФУСТ

our

Coastal

de

Simultaneously they

deter-

mined to seize the Solomon

Islands. Américan and Austra-

an resistance to these two as-

saults forin an admirable exam- ple of bold inter-Servico action

resting on maritime power.

On July 4, 1942, air recorinals. sance disclosed that the enemy were already constructing an For D time the enemy's Together with the catapult airfield on Guadalcanal. Adml.

commanding Ghormley,

the over aircraft merchant ships (C.A. South Pacific area, without wait- It was at this time that the activity"

was dispersed F125 [radar) apparatus,

the remote wastes of the South M.S.), which had preceded them ing to perfect his plans, struck scribed in Volunto IV, of which Atlantle and Indian Oceans, with a rather different techni

on Aug. 7 with the fat Marine been handed where our defences were re- que, they marked a new depare Division, aiready in Now Zeh- 11 number had

The we turo weak, but where latively

In naval warfare. tumewhat reluctantly by

land. The uncompleted Japan. Pomber

to presented fewer targets. Command

Our merchant ship had now taken Command, played a

tured and the bottle for instead of merely defending it Guadalcanal began. notable part. The Germans hair offensive in the approaches. the offensive against the chemy se air base was quickly cap-

To the

the U-boat bases in the Boy

It was to of Biscay continued to gather between the combatant and non- attacked. The line learn how to delect the com- of

Inst six months. paratively long waves used in strength. In July 37 of our carlier radar, and to dive were sunk, 31 by air attacks, combatant ship, already Indie before our flyers could attack and of these nearly half were tinkt, had almost vanished.. them. It was many months be- sunk in the Bay. In the last forg they discovered how to three months of 1049, 63 U-boats detect the very short wave

vore destroyed in sinking only used, in

melhed. 47, merchant ships, Hitler complained that. this single invention was the ruin of the U-boat campaign. This

was an exaggeration.

Our

new

THE TURN OF

IN BOTH EAST

of

fortune or

strik

now

self when

Marines left ashore alone

The immense United States war production was new.reach- ing is ptak Long-range ROM their main Fleet base in and from the Carolinės aircraft and ships of many types,

Rabaul the Japanese could Throughout a stormy autumn including the escort carriers we the U-boats struggled valnly to so greatly needed, were flowing

ascendancy

the from American yards and work regain the

in

THE TIDE

AND

WEST

reinforced with escort

find them.

by air attack,

Ini April 1043 we could see the balance turn. Two hundred All-British

thirty-five U-boats, the

number the Germanis conception greatest ever achieved, were in action.

and

we

More

been

maintain greatly superior naval and air forces in there waters. The Japanese commander in Rabaul at once sent a strong force of cruisers' and destroyers · to Guadalcanal. In the early hours of Aug. 9; alded by heavy rain squalis, the Japanese sur- prised the Allied-naval forces guarding the approach to landing-place and almost nihilated them.

the 7-

commander

In about 40 minutes they sank three American heavy cruisers and the Australian cruiser Can- . berra, while receiving them- Our combined shops. Many of those, and much selves only minor damage. Had the Japanese admiral followed followed ARLIER volumes of unseen danger, is lighted by

In the Bay of Biscay, how North Atlantic.

equipment, especially sea and air defence was by that special

this remarkable success ho have led us to the incident and drama..

ever, the Anglo-American bir sen ireng that they suffered radar, were placed at our dis could have swept through the point where the. But for the individual aller effenslye was soon to make the heavy losses for smalt results posal to help our own industry. strait to the eastward and de-

in the U-boat war life. of U-boats in transit hl in every convoy battle. In anti- ond American naval and afr

stroyed the American transports, aggressors, both in or airman

moments

still discharging most unbearable.. had there were few

The rocket U-boat warfare the air weapon forces joined in the battle every which were Europe and Asia,

Like their troops and stores. the exhilarating action to break the

fired from aircraft was was now an equal partner with where. been driven to

monotony of on endless succes-

ollier Japanese commanders be- in sion of defensive. Stalingrad

damaging that the enemy the surface ship.

Although in the face of the fore and after him in this war, anxious, uneventful so

never be started sending the U-boats Qur convoys.were guarded harsh facis Adml. Deenliz was February, 1943, marked the days. Vigilance could

Dire crisis might at through in groups on the sur- by more numerous and formid- forced to recoll, he continued to he missed his opportunity and

19 withdrew. turn of the tide in Russia. relaxed.

many U-boats By May all German and ment nash upon the face, fighting off the aircraft able surface escorts than ever maintain as

with gunfire in daylight. This before,

sea an ever. But their attack The Amerienn scche with brilliant Italian forces in the African glare with mortal tragedy. desperate experiment was vain. carriers giving cloze and was blunted and they seldom could, hewever, no longer sup

cut through our port the landing. After unload- continent had been killed or

Many gilant actions and in- In March and April 1943, 27 advanced air protection.

U-boats were destroyed in the than captured.

He did not, however, ing all that he could he retired, The American credible tents of endurance are

this, we had the, means detence to

Jan, 20, 1944, he leaving his 17,000 Marines out and destroy the despair. On victories in the Coral Sea recorded, but the deeds of those Atlantic alone, more than half to seck

U-boots wherever

could eald, "The enemy has suc- ashore alone an a hostile island be and at Midway Island a year who perished will never

ceeded in gaining the advantage without air cover and exposed known. Our merchant seamen

in defence. The day will come to reinforced land attack, This before had stopped Japanese displayed their highest quali-

when I shall offer Churchill a was indeed a grim moment. expansion in the Pacific tice, and the brotherhood of

first-rate submarine war. The Ocean, Australia and New the sea was never more

But the United States Marines submarine weapon has not Zealand were freed from the ingly shown than in their deler.

broken by the setbacks of 1943, were undaunted. In spite of ceaseless alr attack they held threat of invasion. Hence- mination to defeat the U-boat.

But their crews were beginning THE combination of support On the contrary. It has become

In 1044, which will end Improvod their position, . forward in Europe the Axis Co-operation at to waver. They could never groups of carriers and escort stronger.

* feel safe.

Their

attacks, even vessels, aided by long-range sir be a successful but a hard year, while a supply service by sea must expect and await the

when conditions were favour- craft of Coastal Command, which we shall smash Britain's supply was improvised and the captur- was brought Into assault all levels Anglo American

A new submarino ed atrocid able, were no longer pressed now included American squad [line] with

From this moment fighters 102 which had so long been pur- N March 1843 an

proved decisive, One such

such weapon."

and dive-bombers manned by The tremendous Convoy

Atlantic home, and during this month ons, Pommanded by Capt. F. posed.

Marines worked from shipping losses in the group our Conference met 'in

This confidence was not wholly the

and Kave armies of the United States Washing on. under Adml. King, Atlantic fell by nearly 300,000 J. Walker, R.N., our most out-

tons. In May alone 40 U-boats standing U-boat killer, resources in

was unfounded. At the beginning of Guadalcanal itself were growing in strength to pool all Allied

the Atlantic. This system did perished in the Atlantic. responsible for the destruction of 1044 a gigantic effort was being instant relief, and

made in Germany to develop a quality with every

six U-boats in a single cruise. no! amount to full unity of com- month that passed.

new type of U-boat which could Japanese seek mand. There was well-knit co-

The German Admiralty The so-called merchant air move

under quickly more

Water operation at all levels and com- watched But the Western Allies could plete accord at the top, but the strained attention, and at the which came out at this time, was

with craft-carrier, or M.A.C. ship, and travel much farther. At the decision at sea

the older strike home at Hitler's

two

same time many of

now sought a Europe, und thus bring the war Allica approached the prob- end of the month Admi, Doenitz an entirely British conception. boats were withdrawn so

that THE Japanese with differences of

decision at sea. On August O recalled the remnants of his An to a decisive end unless another em

could be fitted with the method. The United States had

ordinary cargo ship or tank-

24 an inconclusivo action was major favourable change

to the north of the fight rest or to

In less for naval aircraft. While pre tub

fought and work in British Command, through which on hazardous waters. By June 1943 serving its

This new device en- Solomons. Enemy transports time power,"

a modern

mercantile status let the British or reception side of the shipping losses fell to the and carrying cargo it helped to abled them, to recharge their

approaching Guadalcanal were expressing the ccanbined

On the ocean air operations were fowest strength of naval and air forces

figure since the United defend the convoy in which it batteries while submerged with driven off by air attack.

Baratoga was ven together, be controlled by a single authority. States had entered properly Woven

the war. salied. There were 19 of these only a small tube for the intake August 31 the and under the

convoys came A high degree of flexibility The

through vessels in all, two wearing the of air remaining above the sur damaged by a submarine, and fortnight later the carrier caroe supreme on

and surface of the neas the had been attained. Formations intact, and the Atlantic supply Dutch flag, working in the North face. Their chances of cluding

Atlantic,-

detection from the air were. oceans during 1943. It was not could be rapidly switched from-line was safe.

the until April and May. that

quict to dangerous areas, and and the the command U-bers were beaten

was being rein- Read This First: mastery of the life-lines across forced largely from American the Atlantic was finally won. sources. In

never

came

had

their chants

to pass. Angio-American "inario organisallon like our Constal fleet from the North Atlantic er was fitted with a flying

control

to

deck "Schnorkel" "Sport" best

Mr Churchill's

Volume

the was exerted through a number Preface To The Present

In the Mediterranean

of autonomous subordinate U-boats were also mestered. Our commands called "sea fron- tiers, each with its allotment

armies for the Sicilian

and

Italian campaigns were as of aircraft.

sembling and could now

110

launched across the sea against

The under-belly of

Hbler's Responsibility

Europe. Besides this the Medi- for convoys

terranean was, the main artery

the communications of the

British Empire. The exspation

losses, the N spite of heavy

of operational

number

of Axis power in North Africa -boats at Admi. Doemitz's. dis- opened to our convoys the direct route to Egypt, India and Aus- posal at the beginning of the tralia, protected from Gibral- year rose to 212. In March were over a hundred of tar to Sucz by sea and air forces there. working from the newly won them constantly at sea, and the in which they hunted The packs bases along the route,

could

no longer be evaded by Cape, which long haul round the had cost us dear in time, Sulful routeing. The issue had effort and tonnage, would soon to be fought out by combined be ended. The saving of an

and air forces round the Rea convoys

Sinkings average of 45 days for each con-

themselves, voy to the Middle East increased throughout the world rose to magnificently at one stroke the nearly 700,000 tons in that fertility of our shipping.

month.

New tonnage curve rises

Amid these stresses n'new agreement Was reached In Washington whereby Britain and Canada assured entire responsibilly for convoys on the main North Atlantic route 10

INTIL the end of 1042 the

U-boats cank ships faster than that. The decisive battle the Allies could build them. The with the U-boats was now foundation of all our hopes and fought and won, Control was schemes was the immense ship vested in two joint naval and building programme of

air headquarters, one at Liver- United

By the beginning States. of 1843 the curve of new ton- pool under a British and the

The

noge was rising sharply and Canadian admiral.

other at Halifax under a

and

losses fell. Before the end of that year new tonnage at last

Naval protection in the North surpassed losses at sea from all

Atlantic was henceforward causes, and the second quarter

LC provided by British saw, for the first time, U-boat

Canadian ships, the United losses exceed their rate of re

States

responsible remaining placement.

their convoys to The Battle of the Atlantic was Mediterranean, and their own

dominating factor alled

troop transports. In the alr through the war. Never for one British, Canadian and

Utilted moment could we forget that States forces all complied with everything Happening dise

the the day-to-day requisements of where, on land, at sea, or the joint commanders at Liver-

in, the alr, depended ultimately on outcome, and amid all other pool and Halifax. cares. wo viowed its

In the North air cap charging The

with Atlantic, southeast cf. Green- fortunes, day by day hope

apprehension...The land was now closed by means tale of hand and unremiting of the very long range (V.LR.) nquadrózis based In toll, often under conditions of Liberator scule discomfort and trusten. Newfoundland and Iceland, „By tion and always in the presence April « shuttle service provided

ՈՒ

N the "Hinge of Fate" I described the decisive change for the belter in our fortunes, which lighted the winter of 1942 and the spring of 1943. "Closing the Ring" seta forth the year of conflict from June, 1943, to June, 1944. Aided by the, command of the

mastery of the the oceans, the U-boats and our ever-growing superiority in the air, the Western Allies were able to conquer Skeily and Invade Italy, the with the result that Mussolint was overthrown and Italian Nation came over to our side. Iitler and the circle of countries he had occupied was isolated, and with, the immense onslaught of Russia from the East was completely surrounded. At the same time Japan had been forced on to the defensive and was vainly trying to hold the vast ter- ritories she had overrun.

The danger which faced the United Nations was no longer Defeat but Stalemate. Before them lay the formid- able task of invading the two aggressors in their homelands and liberating from their grip the peoples they had struck dawn. This worldwide problem was faced at the Conferences between Great Britain and the United States at Quebes and Washington in the summer, and at the Triple Meeting of the main Aliles af Teheran in November. There was no difference between us of atm or of resolve to give all to the common cause. Grave divergencies of method and of emphasis were Inevitable because of the various angles from which the three partners naturally approached the decisions which were re- quired. How agreement was reached upon all the supreme Larues is the tale I now have to tell. It carries us to, the liberation of Rome and to the eve of the British and Amert- can pressing at the Channel and entry into Normandy,

I have 'followed the method -I used In earlier volumes. I do not seek to do more than make a contribution, to bistory from the tiandpolat of the British Prime Minister and Minis ter of Defence. In this my Directives, Talegrams and Minutes written at the time and not in the afterlight, are my stepping- stones. It has been suggested that the answers to many of these documents should also be included.

1, on the other it hand, have found

this necessary in volume to

to practise com- pression and selection in an increasing degrés. A final volume is already needed to record and complete the story, I can dherefore only make my excuses to any who may feel

of view is not fully that their

not fully set forth. More than seven years have passed since the events here recorded happened. Many International relationships hava changed. Deep rifts have opened between former comrades. Old foes Now and perhaps darker clouds have gathered. have become friends and even allies. In this solling some of the sentiments and expromiony confafood in telegrams, – rminutes and reports of Conferences may Jar upon she readers in other countries. I can only remind them that these doct ments have an historical value and that wo were then en- raged in a fieron and terrible War. When men are fighting for their lives they are not often disposed to be compliment. tary to those who nae trying to kill them. On the other hand do sofien all harsh expressions about the enemy nailons of those days would prevent a true ploture being prostrited, Time and Truth are healers.

Westerhamn, Kent.

Chartwell,

Hopd. 1, 193. «..................sh)

STON 8. CHURCHILL..

waters.

was sunk Both sides built-up

improved, and it soon asp, of Mediterranean repute, evident that the Schnorkel their strength. dispute the passage, of the Eng- night

the

fitted boats were intended

lish Channel whenever Allied invasion was launched.

U. S. regains

superiority

A

and the

10

Early in October, in another

engagement,

strong

force of Japanese cruisers was beaten off, one being unk; but two enemy battleships bom- barded the airfield, and present- ly landed 4,500 reinforcements at a stroke.

The climax of the battle on land now came. For 10 days RETROSPECT is necessary from

October 19, 1042, the here to remind the reader of Marines in close jungle fight- the stirring far-flung operations ing held all their poslilons and. which had changed the whole beat the Japanese to a stand- scene in the Far East in 1042.

another fleet action. While British sea-power was in deployed mainly in the Atlantic mainly fought by aircraft north the carrier the Solomons, Mediterraneen, the o

ai Waop, was sunk.

The carrier United States was bearing al- Hornet, which had replaced the most alone the whole burden of Enterprise, the battleship South

Our

Dakota, and two cruizers wero the war against Japan: depleted Eastern Fleet, now over

The Japaness damaged.

disabled. Admi. based in East Africa, could do

who Halsey,

had succeeded no more for a time than pro- two carriers tect our convoys. In the Pacific, Adml. Ghormley, and who found bowever, the balanes had turned. himself for the moment without any carriers, now appealed 'The naval superiority of the United States was re-establish through Admi. Nimitz for one

or more British carriers.. ed, and the Japanese, while try ing to consolidate their gains in Our strength the East Indies, had nothing to spare for incursions into the in carriers Indian Ocean. Admi. Nimliz, with

hts headquarters at Pearl Har- bour, controlled Central and South Pacific.

the North, I

hud

EARNESTLY' desired to help but In this heroic struggle with the main navel respon- Gen. MacArthur, who had sibility for landing the Anglo- from the American Army in Northwest reached Australia Philippines in March 1942, com- Africa upon us we could make manded the Southwest Pacific, no immediate proposal. It was extending from the China Coast not until Decerober that the to Australls, and including the strain and climax of "Torch" (the Philippines,

Bismarck, Jandings in Northwes: Africa] Archipelago, New Guinea, oll Isened. I then sent the Pre- a full account of our the east coast of Australia and ident

carrier position and made the the Solomon Islands.

best offer in our power,

the

The Imperial Japanese Navy, deeply conscious of defeat in the Central Pacific, turned once the Southwest." Here, more to moto remote from the main sources of American power, they

renew their trium advance. Their

haned to

Arat

#

Our carrier sirength cum of four long-endurance Wo armoured fleet auriers.

withdraw are -- prepared, 40, Illustrious from the Easter, Ficet, and give Adml. Somer- ville the Unicorn and an

thrust, towards Port: DONT Lauxillary.carrier. We are also

In New Guinea, having folled by the Battle of the Coral Sea, the enemy resolved. tovallack by land across the Owens Stanley Mountains, Thun "began the struggle "for New

...prepared to withdraw Vie

forious from the Home Flect and 10 send you both Vic- torious and Illustrious K. you can. aliów [your] Ranger fa smaller carrier) to join thes Home Fleet,

L (Continued in Faro **Col. 3)