1953-11-17 — Page 4

Page

THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1953.

AN INDICTMENT OF

DANGEROUS

German army has flicting emotions the English mind.

Tinspired curiously con

На

in

There is admiration for formidable and cour- ugecus fighting force. There is also detestation of Prussian militarism and all that it stands for.

of

former Today the these sentiments is in the ascendant. Fear of Rusain has driven out fear of the Germans.

The world sees the extra ordinary spectacle of Bri- tain and America reviving and rearming that same military caste whose total obliteration had been one of their chief war alms only nine years before,

By no means everyone has felt happy at this as tounding volle fnce. Doubts About the wisdom of re- will be arming Germany greatly enhanced by the publication of one of the most important books contemporary history bo produced in the last 20 years."

on to

THEIR INTRIGUES

MR JOHN WHEELER-

BENNETT has told the story of the German army in politica from 1918 to 1946. It is a work of .great scholarship and nc- curney and It is fascinat- ingly written.

MEN

- servility which

• Should the Geïmans be re-almed? ́ Côn ́they bo'trusted? And even if most of them can be trusted, does the same apply to their military loaders? Or is the lust for power of the Prussian military costa too deeply ingrained over to be removed?

• These questions of the moment are thrown into sharp focus by this unimpassioned appraisal of the past history ond motiver of the man who twice this century have had all Europe by the throat-the rulers of the Garman army

By Robert Blake

Tho

army

only

Into

out B

nothing but disgust.

con

Inspiro

No one can lay down this fascinating book without a senso of profound alarm at Western polley towards Germany today:

the

for

It may be that the leaders of

new German army

von the time being, like Steckt, in favour of a republican It may be that un- Germany. like von Seccit, they are more anti-Russian than anti-Western. But one thing is certain: they pro above all pro-German,

If ever they should follow ona of their oldest traditions and interpret Germany's interests as Corp a mortal blow. But re- and again the generals allowed an alliance with Russla, or if covery was astonishingly quick. themselves to be browbeaten or equally menneing-they should alltempt by force to recapture lebeers

carrying naw bribed

the Eastern provinces and="85)» they must accept the stralcky which they new to be start World War II, the Western that

Fupporting Powers wil bitterly lament the Republic as a disagreeable tem- disastrous and

necesally. It survived thanks to their support, regime whose lender they knew day that they placed such form- a criminal lunatic-dolný idable power into ruch dan- oriental gerous hands, But this support was never so moreover with an support for a parlamentary nyk Letn, it was support for that mysterious entity the "German Releh," And the interests of the German Reich were-what the army said they were.

porary

Henes. the significance of Generul von Serckt's reply to un an President Ebert when

Presklent occasion of crisis the

asked:

"Will the Army stick to us. General?"

"The Army, Mr President, will stick to me," repiled van Steckt.

In return for the Army's mig- port the Republican leaders coll-

ved at wholesale evasion of the

Versalles disarmament provi- sion, and agreed to restore in practice, it not in theory, the privileged position of the prewar

meer class,

to be

T

GREETINGS FROM THE TORIES

IF YOU GET OUT

OF EGYPT

SA

Cummings

GREETINGS FROM NEGUIB IF YOU DON'T GET OUT OF EGYPT

0

"Oh, dear! My smile charms neither away!”

London Expoem: Service

CHAPTER THREE OF "TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY," THE SIXTH AND FINAL VOLUME OF THE WORLD WAR II MEMOIRS OF “THE ARCHITECT OF VICTORY"

THE BREAK-OUT AND ENTRY INTO PARIS

came

By Sir Winston Churchill

HE hour of the great American break-out under Gen. Omar By 1921 the composition of the

Bradley omeer Corps was actually more

ht 1944. aristocratic than it had been in

last. On July 25,

When the main American 1f14. By 1925 a Prosion field

struck offensive began and their VIIth Corps marshal, Hindenburg, had

Lo, Canadian Corps was check- Officer southwards from St President. The

the next day the ed on the Falaise road, some come Corps had come to regard its and

Corps, as that VIIth

on their Invidious comparisons were

be.

the

Mr Wheeler-Bennett, who is the greatest English ex- pert on modern Germany, own status not merely knew personally many of powerful body within the right, joined the battle. The made at our expense. the German generals whose State balat 23 the very State bombardment by the United Prime Minister to Gen.

of In 1932 the intrigues intrigues and machinations itself.

enn General von Schielcher over-States Air Force had been Montgomery,

threw the last vestiges of parlia- devastating, and mentary democracy.

itler became Chancellor.

he describes. No one necuse him of the ignorant

'LOYALTY'

to

the in- In 1933 fantry nasault prospered. prejudice against a conser

Then the armour leaped vative officer caste so often

through and swept on found in pink and leftist

the key point of Coutances. Nevertheless, his Acircles.

route The German escape 800 pages add up to a ter-

coast of Nor- odlous down that rible indictment, all the NEW things are more

than the complacency with mandy was cut, and the for the more darnning

which the allegedly honourable whole German defence west learning upon which it is Prussian officer class hadled the of the Vire was in jeopardy based and the moderation accession to power

of the most

retreating with which it is express terrible lyrant of modern times and chaos. The roads were

with When Hiller, after two days of jammed ed.

and the Allied had troops, bloodthirsty TASKFONE -

fighter clminated his only opposition, bombers and

tho and

S.A. Field bombers took a destructive Rohm Marshal yon Blemberg issued in toll of men and vehicles. Order of the Day:

The advance drove for-

Bound"

27 July, 44.. It was announced from S.II.A.E.F. last night had that the British sustained "quite a serious setback." I am not aware

of any facts that justify

statement.

It

nur

cheaply. I rejolee that armour and forward troops have taken Vire. It looks on the map as if you ought to have several quite substantia! cops.

quarters

Laval was

Was

to

su

drove of Patton's Third Army cas/ward in the "leng book'

which was to carry them to the gap between the Loire and Paris and down the Seine towards

The lown of ------·Rouen,

entered on Aug. G. and Le Mans on Aug.' 9. Few Germans were found in all this wide and the main dimeulty supplying the advancing Ameri- cans over long and ever-length- cning distances. cn

Except for a limited air-lift. everything had still to from the beaches riginal landing and pass

the western side of Normandy through Avranches to reach the front. Avranches therefore be enme the bottleneck, and offer- ed a tempting opportunity for a German attack striking west- ward from the neighbourhood of Falaise.

thero

one points no fewer than eight German Resistance divisions were

annihilated. troops. What had been the Falaise pocket was their grave.

ISENHOWER

After a brief and brusque dlr- cussion the capitulation of the Harrison was signed, and one by their remaining strong- were occupied by the

the and

regular

The clly was given over to a rapturous demonstration. Ger- man prisoners were spat ai, collaborators dragged through the streets, and the liberating troops feled. On this scene of

triumph Long-delay cu

was region

deter-

ihero 4 mined to avoid a battle for arrived Gen. de Gaulle, At Furis. Stalingrad

the Ruc St and Warsaw p.m. h; reached had proved the horrors of front Dominique, and tel.

-up. his al areaults and patriotic risings, beadquarters in the Ministry of and he therefore resolved to en- War.

Two hours later at the Hotel circle the capital and force the garrison to surrender or flee. By

tho Aug. 20 the time for action had come. Patton had crossed Seine near Mantes, and his

coma

of the or- down

bicau.

the

de Ville he appeared for first time as the leader of Free France before the -Jubilant population in company with the Resistance main Agures of the and Gens. Leclere and Juin, spontaneous burst

flank had reached a fight EACH

The French Underground had revolted. The police were

Patriot hands. An strice. The Frefecture the Resistance, Patton's

on

was in officer of reached

There was a of wild enthusiasm.

Next afternoon, on Aug. 20, de Gaulle made his formal entry foot down the. Champs

headquarters with on

ing or wes to Elten- to Notre Dame. There was one

~"The Fahrer-hay-personally I ward.Avranches-was-taken of talk here. I should like hower my surprise, Elsen- HE idea caught Hitler's tancy, these were

was

the

of

On Aug. I went again to Montgomery's headquarters by air, and after he had given me à vivid account with his maps, un American colonel arrived to The take me to Gen. Bradley. route had been carefully plan ned to thow me the frightful de-

on of the towns and v VDEtoilen <f

ages through which the United fought their Stats trapps had way. All the buildings were pul- verised by air bombing. such

We reached Bradley's hear

o'clock. about four me that only seems to minor retirements of, say, The General welcomed me cor- a mile have taken place dially, but I could feel on the right wing of your was great tension, as the battle was at its height and every few

arrived. recent attack, and that minutes mesinges there is no justification therefore cut my visit short and The Prussian Officer Corps

vital reports, and on the morn- Elysees to the Place de la Con- for using such an ex- motored back to my aeroplane,

Aug. 23, corde, and then in a Ale of cars was for a century and a half a

pression. body without parallel since the

Naturally this which awaited me.

to go on board I was about has created a good deal when, to

hower at Le Mans.

fusilade from the roof-tops by Praetorian Guard of the Roman

and he gave orders for the He had flown

The crowd Attached to Patton

hidden collaborators. Empire.

maximum possible_force_to_at___ By

direct allegiance to the Kaiser, atond- attacked and wiped out the

way French 2nd Armoured Division scattered, but after a short on July 31, and soon after-

of tack Mortain, burst its to know exactly what the frem London to his edvanced

through to Avranches, and thus landed in Normandy en Aug.

under Gen. Leclere, which had moment of panic the solemn order headquarters, and, hearing ing above civilian Low and mutineers with soldierly deci-

dedication of the liberation position is, in wards the sea corner, open-

my movements, intercepted me.

cut and

Patton's government, self-elected, socially sta

to maintain confidence He had not yet taken over the The German commanders were exemplary

communications and played an honourable part Paris proceeded to its end. courage. privileged, rigidly disciplined, it The Wehrmacht plodges new its ing the way to the Brittany

among wobblers or critics actual command of donors, but unanimous in condemning the arrived the same day, and was in the advance. De Gaulle was the most important institu- devotion and loyalty."

peninsula, was turned. The

the field from Montgomery; under Gen. tion in the German State.

Canadians,

project. in high places..

he supervised everything with

for assured by the Allied Suprente time before Hinden-

It certainly seems very vigilant eye, and

Realising that the battle

Commander that when the time Jost, Cama important for the British knew better than he how to The abdication of the Kalser, burg's death the army could Crerar, made a simultaneous

was already Normandy

crossing the Seine at many case have

suppressed attack from Caen down the

road. This

would Haler. Instead the army leaders Falaise

to a tremendous they wished to use four divisions came and as had been long Bug 30 our troops, were Army to strike hard and stand

points. Enemy Icsses had been win through; otherwise event without impairing the which had just arrived from the agreed-Leclerc's iroeps

Paris. That tremendous: 400,000 men, half swore a solemn personal oath of effectively, opposed by four

news of street of them prisoners, 1,300

tanks, there will grow. compari. authority he had delegated to Fifteenth Army in the north to be the first in

carry out an orderly retreat to evening the others,

Hitler S:ine. the two

on fighting in the capital decided 0.

20,000

1,500 vehicles,

field

guns. sons between the

having his way, and on Aug. 7 Elsenhower to und Leclerc

The German Seventh Army, and armies which will lead to

five Panzer and twd infantry was told to march.

all divisions that had been sent to dangerous recrimination

divisiona delivered vchement

→

Leclerc wrote to dd Gaulle: “I reinforce it, were torn to shreds, attack on Mortain from the cast. have had the impression of The Allied break-out from the

The blow fell

a single living over again the situation beach-bead had been delayed by

of 1940 in reverse complete bad weather and Hitler's mis United States division, but

firm and three others disorder on the enemy tide, taken resolve. But

once, that held came to its rid. After five days th

their columns completely

sur

battle e was over everything went of severe fighting and con- prised." Ho decided to act with a run, and the Seine was

air, centrated bombing from the

and evade. rather than boldly

reached rix days ahead of the the audacious onslaught was reduce the German concentra

planned time. thrown back in confusion, and, lons. On Aug. 24 the Arst de-

There has been criticism of as the enemy generals bad pre- tachments moved on the

city

slowness on the British front in dicted, the whole salient from

Rambouillet, where they Normandy, and the splendid Falalse to Mortain, full of Gex had arrived from Normandy the American advances of the later man troops, was at the mercy of converging attacks from three day before.. sides.

At any

reemed to have dealt the Omeer with

• The Nemerit of Power, by J. W. allegiance to the Fuhrer. If they Panzer divisions,

Wheeler-Bennett,

879 pager.

Macmillan,

» Bayer's « TONIC

THREE

Largest Morning"

Circulation

30%.

hoped to find in Hitler a mere

puppet they were disastrously mistaken. Under the Nazi regime the army was destined to reach the depths of humillation

was

commanded the whole and degradation, and to lose all MONTGOMERY, who still vestiges of independenes until in August 1944 n German field-battle line, thereupon trans- marshal was put to death by ferred the weight of the Bri- slow strangulation suspended tish attack to the other front from a meat hook.

and gave orders to the Bri-

The fact that a few brave men tish Second Army, under attempted in July 1944 to over-Gen. Dempsey, for a new throw Hitler when German thrust from Caumont to

close

In

по onc

and affect the fighting THE Third United States Army, Allied Tender Gems Patton, had now of the value crganisation. As you been formed and was in action. know, I have the fullest He detached two armoured and three infantry divisions for the confidence in you and you westward and southerly

drive to clear the Brittany peninsula. may count on me.

The cut-off enemy at once re- treated towards their fortified Forts. The French Resistance Movement, which hire number- ed 30,000 men, played a notablo part, and the peninsula quickly overrun

dolcat had become pulpably Vire. Preceded again by MONTGOMERY replied: the lamentable record of the heavy air bombing,

Inevitable should not blind us to

this

vast majority of the Officer started on July 30, and Vire Corps from 1934 onwards. Again was taken a few days later:

SILENT

Largest Afternoon, i

·Olsculation

SALESMEN

Largest Sunday.

Dicculation

had reached.

· #Mul-

insiste

on

16

from

THE

tho

stages reemed to

to indicate greater I know of no "serious sot-

muccess on their part. than on back." Enemy has massed

By the end of the first week

To the south of it one corps

ours. It is therefore necessary great strength in area south in August the Germans, amount-

to emphasire again that the of Caen to oppose our advance ing to 45,000 garrison troops of the Third United States Army in that quarter. Very terday and bem pressed into their de which they reached on Aug 13, northwards

whole plan of campaign was to of four divisions, had been diverted Bghting took place yesterday had beca

through Alencon to Argentan, main thrust, led by Col. pivot on the British front and Billotte son of the command- draw the enemy's reserves in arx the day before canadian. fensive perimeters ut St, Male, The First United States Army, er of the First French Army that direction in order to help result the troops of Brest, Lorient, and St. Namire, under Gen. Hodges, thrust Group, who was killed in May, the American turning move- Corps were forced back 1,000

southwards from Vire, and the That night

the 1940, moved up frem; Orleans. ment... yards from farthest poslans Here they could be penned and

left to wither, thus saving Second British Army

tho thes

vanguard of tanks towards unnecessary losses which Immo-

my reached the Porte d'ilalic, and My policy since the begin diets gehulls would have re- Conde. The Canadian Army, ning has been to draw the quired. The damage done to supported again by heavy bomb at 0.22 precisely entered the main enemy armoured strength Cherboug had been enormous, ers, continued to press down the squire in front of the Hotel de

THE object of the Second- Bri- on to my eastern flank and.to and it was certain that whon road from Caen to Falaise, and Ville.

this time with greater success, Early Hext morning Billotte's tish Army was described in fight it there, 50` that our the Brittany ports ·wera cap-

columns held both its original plan as "to protect affairs on western flank could tured they would take a long for they reached their goal on armoured

In this time to repair.

Aug. 17.

banks of the Seine opposite the the flank of the United States proceed the easier.

Cite. By the afternoon the armies while the latter cap- policy I have succeeded; the

The fertility of the

headquarters of German tured. Cherbourgh, Angora, main enemy armoured berry" at Arromanches, the ahel- strength is now deployed on tered anchorages, and the

commander, Gen, von Choltitz, Nantes, and the Brittany porta

the Hotel Meurice, had bren By determination and hard my castern flank, to east foreseen development of small-

surrounded, and Choltitz sur Aghing als was achieved. the river Odon, and my er harbours on the Normandy UHE Allied air forces swept on

French, lieutenant, Gen. Eisenhower, "who fully affairs is the west are pro- coast had lessened the urgency to the crowded Germans with rendered to a

who brought him to Billette, comprehended the work of his eceding, the easier and the

of capturing the Brittany ports, in the long and narrow pocket,

arrived 'British comrades wrote in his Americans are going great which had been so prominent and, with the artillery, in Leclere had meanwhile

and established himself at - the official report:::"WI

Without guns,

in our carly plans. Moreover, flicted fearful slaughter. The

io Gare Montparnasso, - moving

sacrifices made by the Montgomery's optimism was with things

we Germany hold stubbornly going so well, justified by events, and on Aug, could count on gaining soon the the jaws of the gap at Falaise down in the afternoon to the Anglo-Canadian armies. In the

of Police

brutal, alugging battles for Caen 3 I telegraphed:

and, giving far better French ports from and

Profecture Argentan,

arid to thele: armour, tried - About four priority

Falalso the spectacular I am delighted that the un Havre to the north.

elsewhere by folding of your plan, which Brest, however, which held a to extricate all that, they could, Chollitz was taken before him, advances made you explained to me, has pro large garrison, under an activo But on Aug. 17. command and This was the end of the road the Allied forces could never cooded so well. It is clear that commander, was dangerous, and control broke down and the from Dunkirk to Inko Chad and have come about." buyurgan the enemy will hold on to his to be eliminated. It surrendered setne became a shambles, home again in low voice Continued Tomorrow) cartern Bank and hinge with on Sept. 19 to violant attacks The jaws closed on Aug. 20, Lectere spoke, his thoughts:

In by three United States divisions, and although by then a consid aloud: "Maintenant, ca y est" (World Copyright'reserved: Re- desperato vigour. ́ ́T'am clined to feel that the Brest While Brittany was thus, bo erable part of the enemy had and then In German he intro production, even partiallyzing peninsula will mop up pretty ing cleared or cooped, the best born able to scramble castward, duced himself to the vanquished, aby language, strictly prohibited.)

un-

in

o'clock

yon

j

the

A