1951-10-20 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1951.

¡CONTINUING THE SECOND WORLD WAR MEMOIRS OF BRI- TAIN'S WARTIME PRIME MINISTER. THIS IS THE TWELFTH CHAPTER OF THE FIFTH BOOK, "CLOSING THE RING"

THE PAINFUL EPISODES OF RHODES AND LEROS

Mr Churchill hoped use British forces still under the command of Gen. Mail- land-Wilson in the Middle Fant for the capture of the Egean islands — especially Rhodes and Cos, with Litele valuable alrfelds. This almı had been approved by the Quebec conference.

A parachute BHİSSİON 20 Rhodes led by Major Lord Jellicoe was unsuccessful in to persuading the tallans resist

6,000 the

Germans there. Leros was occupied, but a British battalion land ed at Cos was overwhelmed.

The assault shipping re quired to support more am- bitious operations In the Egean was diverted by the Chiefs of Staff in Washing! Lan to viher Theatres 145 prranged at Quebec.

O

N Sept. 22 Wilson re- ported his minimum and

for

on

modest needs attack All Rhodes aboul Oct. 20. 1'sing the 10th Indian Division and

of part an armoured bri gade. he required only naval escorts and bombarding forces, three L.S.T.: [lam!- ing ships. tunks]. a few М.Т. I motor transport] ships, a hospital ship, an enough transport aireraft 10 lift ne parachute bat.

talion.

I was greatly troubled at our Inability to support the Agan operations. Ara

Sept 25 1

cabled to Gen. Eisenhower!

You will have seen the tele

grams from the Commander - in-Chief Middle East about Rhodes. Rhodes is the key both to the Eastern Mediter- ranean and the

Mgean.

disaster if are able {u there.

The quirements which the Middle East ask for are small.

will be a great the Germans .consolidate

-

The small aids needed seemed very little to ask from our American friends in order to gain the prize of Rhodes and thus retain Lerts and retake COE.

concessions The

which they had made to my unceasing pressure during the last three months had been rewarded by astounding success. Surely I was entitled to the very small aid which I required to supplement the British forces which available for action

In

were the

Egean, or had, with the ap-

By Winston Churchill

I bebeve it will be found that the Hahne und Ballon penin- eulas are militarily and poli- tically united, and that realty at is the theatre with which we have to deal. It may - deed not be possible to con- duct a successful Hallan cam- paign ignoring what happens The Germans the Agean. evadenty attach the

utmest inportance to this Eastern sphore, and have no hesitated li d-vert a large part of their

straitened air force to main tan themselves there.

diversion of forces or equipment smal reinforcement required for should prejudice 'Overlord' 2.9 planned."

our

the attack on Rhodes. Akhough I To pretend that the

could understand how, in the delay of six weeks in the return of nine landing craft for "Over- altered situation, the opinion of lord" out of over 500 involved, the generals engaged in which would in any case have had Italian campaign had been six mouths in hand, would come affected, I remained and remain premiss the main operation of in my heart unconvinced that May, 1944, was to reject all sense the capture of Rhodes could not of proportion.

have been fitted in. Nevertheless, with one of the sharpest pangs I suffered in the war, I submited with, the best gracz possible.

Nothing was gained by all the The capture of over-caution. Rome proved to be eight months distant. Twenty times the quantity fort-

Roosevelt not

in sympathy

Don't forget that we probably drowned the best part of 2,000 Germans on the way which, together with those killed in action, at any rate an offset to our 3,000 prisoners. It

may well be that the Germans have paid much more than life for

pri- life, including soners, in this struggle. None the less it is just to say that it is our first really grievous reverse since Tobruk, 1942... Grieved at resistance

in Italy.

CHIC?

Well, I'd hardly say they're going MAĎ about British utility,

L

Miss Herbison.

PARIS. EARNING from Miss Margaret Herbison, Joint Under-Secretary for Scotland, that British utility dresses are "selling like mad" in Paris, I went along to the Printemps store investigate.

to

There was no crush. A large sign over the dress department read: "Britain's best collection of woollen dress on show Fifteen

all at a. un1L-

here.

models

PARIS

price Newsletter 10,000

francs (210). from

dress SAM

The British woollen -suits πιοετ

figure."

even the

dimeult WHITE

The manageress of the depart- ment told me there was nothing novel in the store showing British woollen dresses: they sold them before the war with

THE painful episodes of Rhodes and Leros constitute, hep- pily on a small scale, the most OOKING back upon the far-

acute difference I ever had with Gen. Eisenhower. For many They have to apprehend deser- reaching favourable results

months, in the face of endless my tion by Hungary and Rumania which had, followed from

resistances, I had cleared the success. and a violent schism in Bul- journey with Gen. Marshal to

euk shipping tha would have way for his successful campaign Of the 1,000 dresses the store garia At ally

moment Tur- Algiers in June, from which the key

Instead of only gain-imported at the beginning of had helped to take Rhodes in a lean may

her weight whole cf our good fortune We can all see sprung. I thought I might ask for light were employed throughout ing Sardinia, we had established September, they have so far sold against them.

This the managerese de- to the enemy the same procedure, and I make the autumn and winter to move a large group of armies on the 350, huw adverse are the conditions in Greece all preparations to fly at once to the Anglo-American heavy bomb Italian mainland. Corsica was scribed as, "quite satisfactory." and Yugoslavia...

She went on: "Some of the models we find it impossible to sell. French women do not like all these pale blue and pale like models which are a com- green shades. And they do not bination of town and country clothes,"

Summing-up: the dresses are

ke red-hot cakes,

DELICATE TASK

I have never wished to send an army indo the Balkans. buf only by agents, supplies and commandes to stimulate the intense guera activity pre- valling there. This may yield results measureless in their consequence al very small cost to main operations

Car

أنت

What I ask for is the capture of Rhodes and the ther islands

the Dodecanese. The movement northward of Middle Eastern Air Ferces and their establish- ment

these in

islands and pussibly On the Turkish shore, which last might well be obtained, thus forcing a diversion on the enemy far greater than that required of It would also offer the us

eppertunity of engaging the enemy's waning વાઇ ન Bower and wearing if down in new region. This a power is all cne, and the mere con- tinmally it can be fought the better.

6

I

Rhodes is the key to all this.

do not feel the present plan * of taking it is good enough.

11 will require and is worth at least up to a first-class divi- slon, which can of course be replaced by static troops once the place is ours. Even i

and landing

assaul! craft ships on the scale of a divi- sion were withheld from the build-up of "Overlord" for a few weeks without altering the zero date, it would be worth while. I feel we may easily 'hrow away an immense bui fleeting opportunity....

proval of the Combined Chiefs The President's

of Staff, already been send to dangerous positions.

for

Allied

landing-craft The single division, a few days' as- sistance from the main Air Force, ani Rhodes would be ours.

telegram

WAS pained to receive from the President a legram which practically amounted to the refusal of all help and left me, already The Germans, who commited with

this and the had now regripped the situa- American

Chiefs cl Staff's tion, had moved many of their approval, to face the impending planes to the gean to frustrate blow. The negative forers which the very purpose which I had hitherto had been 50 narrowly in mind.

overcome had indeed resumed

Fighting.in

mountains

I

LAID the issue before the President in its full scope. Former Naval Person to Presl-

7 Oct., '48. I on much concerned about the situation developing in the Eastern Mediterranean

dent Roosevelt,

Cos has, already fallen except for some of our troops fight- ing in the mountains. Leros may well share its fate. Our enterprists

against Rhodes

have not yet succeeded.

their control. President Roosevelt to the Prime

Minister. 8 Oct., '43.

I do not want to force on Eisen- hower diversions which limit the early 'he prospects for successful development of the Itailan operations to a secure lize north of Rome....

It Is my opinion that no diversion of forces or equipment should pejudice "Overlord as plan- ned. The American Chiefs cf

Staff agree.

I noticed in particular the sen- dence, "It is my opinion that no

Tunis

President Roosevelt to the Prime

Minister. 9 Oct., '43.

I was in accord with obtaining whatever hold we could in the Dodecantas without heavy commitments, but the presen picture involves "well

organised, but operation. follow-through.

not only

determined

a necessary

er bases from Africa to Italy. Rhodes remained a thorn in our side. Turkey, witnessing the extra- ordinary

inertia of the Allies near her shores, became much less forthcoming, and denied us her airfields.

scale iz

хать

air

are

E bonus in our hands.

We had drawn an important part of the German reserves away from the decisive theatre. The Italian people and Govern ment had come over to our side. Their Fleet was

added to

our

own. Mussolini was selling like good rock buns not

The liberation of Rome

'THE French Academy

will

BOON elect a successor Marshal Petain,

tu

not far distant. Nineteen man divisions, abandoned by

Italian their

comrades, Lay scattered throughout the Balkans, in which we had not

officers used a thousand

and me. The date of "Overlord" had not been decisively affected. Two favourites are Generals 1 had been instrumental in Juin and de Lattre de Tassigny. British and For either, election will pose a finding from the

problem--making the Imperial forces in Egypt four celicate

over and aditional speech of eulogy of rst-class divisions above those which the North- s predcessor. west African Supreme Head- quarters had deemed possible.

THEY SAID IT

Q General

We have almost all the facts now at our disposal on which to Judge the commitments prob- ably involved in the Rhodes The American Staff bad en- As I see it, it is not forced their view; the price had operation. merely the capture of Rhodes. now to be paid by the British. but must mean of necessity: Gen. Wilson to Prime Minister. and must be apparent to the

17 Nov., 43 Germans, that we intend to go further. Otherwise Rhodes will

Leros has fallen, after a very be under the guns of both Cos

gallant struggle against over- and Crete.

whelming

1 altack. was a near

between thing success and failure. Very little was needed to turn the our favour and to bring off a limph. Instead we have suffered a reverse of which the consequences only too easy to foresee.... This in turn

QUOTES of the week: German involves the necessity of draw-

Prime Minister to General Wil-

Not only had we aided Gen.

SPEIDEL (here ing for ine means, langely

Anglo American for talks on 18 Nov., 43. Elsenhower's

European Army), shipping and air, not ground

staff

their upon

victorious on whether he should be referred troops, from some other source,

we had furnished to as. General Speidel or your messages career, but which inevitably must be Italy. Thank you for

about Leros. I approve your thern with unexpected resources, General Speidel: "Overlord,"

-"Call 1," or possibly Mouni-

disaster might doctor." conduct of the operation there. without which batten's amphibious operation.

Like you, I feel this s

well have occurred. I was

ALY KHAN at the serious loes and reverse, and grieved that the small requests Paris

Molor Show: **My like you I feel I have been

had made for strategic our favourite car is a jeep, but I fighting with my hands

poses. almost as high as those can't afford it. It uses too much behind my back.

achieved should have I hope to already have better

been arrangements

obdurately resisted and Petrol." rejected. made as a result of our next Conference.

Of course when you are win- ning a war almost everything GEST dress order of the that happens can be claimed to year-estimated a £9,000. be right and wise. It would, has been placed by musical-hall however, have been easy, but star Josephine Baker with Pierre for pedantic denials in the Balmain, It includes all her WITH the loss of Leros all

minor sphere, to have

"added stage costumes for an eight-week at New York's our hopes in the Egean the control of the gean, and engagement

the accession of Roxy Theatre. were for the time being ended. very likely

Woolworth helress Barbara We tried at once to evacuate the Turkey, to all the fruits of the small

Hutton, "tired of being stared garrisons in Samos and Italian campaign.

{ at,"

dress asked

designer cther islands, and to rescue sur- vivors from Letos. Over

Jacques Fath to show his collec- thousand British and Greck

tion to her privately at her Ritz World Copyright reserved. Repro- troops were brought off,

Eight well

mannequins duction, even partially, in as many friendly Italians and language, strictly prohibited.

paraded In Miss Hutton's drawing-room. Present to view it-only Barbara Hutton,

The problem then is, are we to enter inlo a Balkan campaign. starting with the southern up. or is there more to be gained, and with security, by pushing

the rapidly to

agreed upon position north of Rome?

a greater appears to me that

threat against the Balkans Greek Navy's Allied

Is implied in this than by મ necessarily precarious amphi- part bious

operation against Rhodes,

With

a lack evident to the enemy of the necessary means for the follow-through.

as

tied

а

Six

Strategically, if we get the Agean islands, I ask myself where do we go from there? and, vio- versa, where would the Ger- mans 80 if for some time they retain possession of the islands As to the meeting you proposed German prisoners, but our navai for Sunday [10th in Africa, losses were again severe. this would be in effec: another destroyers and two submarines meeting of the Combined Chiefs were sunk by aircraft or mine{ of Staff necessarily involving and four cruisers and four de only a partial representation stroyers damaged. These trials and in which I cannot partici- were shared by the Greek Navy, pate. Frankly, I am not in which played a gallant part sympathy with this procedure throughout, under the circumstances.... Hitler's sudden decision

MR Roosevelt's reply quenched

row

my last hopes. All I could do was to ask that the President's original negative message should not prevent a free discussion of the issue at the conference of Commanders-in- Chief. This was accorded for what it was worth..

Was

At the critical moment of the

information conference received that Hitler bad decided to reinforce his army in Italy, and fight a main battle south of Home This tipped the scales against the

To Anthony Eden, who had now returned home from Mos- cow, I telegraphed:

et

Leros is a bitter blow to me. Should it be raised in Parlia- ment...no attempts should be made to minimise the poignancy of the loss of the Dodecanese, which we had a chance of getting so easily and so little cost and which we have

now lost after heavy lex- penditure. Yas

should also stress the tremendous effort made by the Germans, their withdrawal

almost half nf their air forces from Italy, where they were already out- matched, and the assistance given to our troops thereby.

If it's a case of QUALITY...

then it's a case

of

Carlsberg

Prince

DRESS BILL: £9,000

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