Book Read Free

The Second World War

Page 135

by Winston S. Churchill


  Kohima, 826

  Kondo, Admiral, 548

  Korean War, 968–70

  Korysis, M., 394, 417

  Kovno, 815

  Kremenchug, 717

  Kremlin, the, Churchill in consultations in, 600–4, 605–7

  official dinner in, 608–9

  Stalin’s home in, 610–13

  Kristiansand, 207

  Kuibyshev, 471, 598–9

  Kulaks, fate of, 612

  Kunming, 827, 829, 861

  Kurile Islands, Japanese Fleet in, 494

  Kurita, Admiral, 837, 841–2

  Kursk, 715

  La Maddalena, 767

  Laborde, Admiral de, 638–9

  Labour, organisation of, 292

  Labour Government, in 1929, 19–22

  and McMahon Act, 963–4

  atomic research initiated by, 964

  and India, 967

  and Korean War, 969

  Labour Party, Ramsay MacDonald as head of, 14

  fails to cope with economic crisis, 21–2

  and National Government (1931–3), 22–3, 33, 161

  pacifism of, 33, 44, 55–6

  fatuity and fecklessness of, 43–4

  opposes rearmament, 57, 78, 84

  hatred of, for MacDonald, 66

  change in leadership of, 76

  divided on Abyssinian War, 78

  changed attitude of, 84

  opposes conscription, 146–7, 215

  attacks Chamberlain, 214–15, 228

  and National Government (1940), 216, 219–220, 228–9

  supports Churchill, 320

  Labour Supply, Director of, 293

  Laconia, the, 535

  Lamlash, 120

  Lampson, Sir Miles and Lady. See Killearn, Lord and Lady

  Lancaster aircraft, 692, 723

  Lancastria, S.S., sinking of, 307

  Lance, H.M.S., 485

  Landemare, Mrs., 356

  Landing Ship Tank (L.S.T.), 299–300

  Landing-craft, 297–300

  German need for, 328–9

  need for armada of, before invasion of Europe, 463, 550

  Japanese, at Singapore, 525

  shortage of, for “Sledgehammer”, 601

  for “Husky”, 681–2

  Churchill wants, for Ægean operation, 708–11, 714, 728

  for “Overlord”, 710, 714, 728, 737, 748, 755, 775–6

  shortage of, 713–14, 737–8

  and amphibious operation in Bay of Bengal, 727, 737–8, 747–9, 755

  in Pacific, 738–9

  for landing in S. France, 745, 749, 775–6, 798

  and amphibious operation in Italy, 754–8, 773

  returned from India to Mediterranean, 755

  rapidity of landing tanks from, 791–2

  for Burma campaign, 829

  at Walcheren, 848

  Landing-craft Tank (L.C.T.), 299–300

  Langsdorff, Captain, of Admiral Graf Spee, 179–82, 185

  prisoners released by, 198

  Lansbury, Rt. Hon. George, leader of Labour Party, 33, 56

  resigns leadership, 76

  Laos, 970

  Lashio, 831

  Lattre de Tassigny, General de, 859

  Latvia, signs non-aggression pact with Germany, 152

  in Russian sphere, 157

  occupied by Russia, 195, 281. See also Baltic States

  33—s.w.w.

  Lauder, Sir Harry, 505

  Laval, 794

  Laval, Pierre, Foreign Secretary (1934), 53–4

  visits Russia, 65

  and Goering, 66

  and Sanctions, 76

  and Abyssinian War, 79–81

  against Franco-Soviet Pact, 85

  demands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 310–11

  Foreign Minister of Vichy Government, 311, 375

  mentioned, 638

  Laycock, Major-General R. E., 776

  Le Mans, 794–5

  Leach, Captain John, 475

  Leads, Norwegian, question of prevention of German iron ore traffic through, 193, 197–8

  mining of, 202, 206

  League of Nations, President Wilson and, 3

  America abandons, 9

  potential strength of, 11–12, 37, 46, 59, 70–1, 85

  Germany enters, 16–18

  disarmament efforts of, 36–7

  Germany withdraws from, 37, 55

  and Japanese aggression in China, 42–3

  Japan withdraws from, 43

  Russia enters, 52–3

  examines German treaty violations, 63–5

  Abyssinia appeals to, 63

  powerlessness of, 65

  Baldwin appoints Minister for Affairs of, 66

  Anglo-German Naval Agreement a blow to, 68

  Abyssinian membership of, 72–3

  action in, over attack on Abyssinia, 73–8, 75–6

  Baldwin fights election on, 78

  led into fiasco, 83, 88

  and reoccupation of Rhineland, 86–8

  and occupation of Czechoslovakia, 128

  Litvinov’s warning at Assembly of, 131

  and Russo-Finnish War, 881

  Leahy, Admiral W. D. (U.S.), Ambassador to Vichy, 374, 603, 631

  at Teheran Conference, 731

  confers about atomic bomb, 940

  Leathers, Lord, 405, 663

  L.C.T., 299–300

  Lebanon, 765, 971

  Leclerc, Major-General P. E., 654, 795–6

  Ledo, 823–4

  Lee, Brigadier-General (U.S.), 473

  Leeds, air raids on, 365

  Leeper, Sir R. W. A., and threat to Czechoslovakia, 132

  and Caserta Agreement, 867

  and Greek civil war, 869, 872, 875

  meets Churchill in Athens, 891

  Leese, Lieut.-General Sir Oliver, at Alamein, 626

  succeeds Montgomery in Italy, 755, 782

  Churchill visits front of, 806–7

  Leipzig, 897–8

  Lend-Lease, 370–1

  effect of, 226

  and aid to Russia, 473

  schedule of deliveries temporarily stopped, 499

  Leningrad, protection of, 195

  retreat of Russian Army S. of, 461

  Hitler orders capture of, 465–6, 657

  threat to, 467

  relief of, 659, 810

  railway from Murmansk to, 813

  Leopold, King of the Belgians, clings to neutrality, 152, 192

  Weygand confers with, 249

  capitulation of, 255, 258

  Leros, 708–9, 711–12, 728

  Levant, the, French Army of, 438

  German propaganda in, 438

  Lewis, Lieut.-Commander R. C., 175

  Lexington, U.S.S., 540, 542–3

  Leyte Gulf, Battle of, 836–42

  Leyte Island, 835–7, 841–3

  Liberal Party, and disarmament, 19, 55

  break-up of, 22

  fatuity and fecklessness of, 43–4

  opposes rearmament, 57

  changed attitude of, 84

  supports rearmament, 99

  opposes conscription, 146–7

  and National Government (1939), 161

  Liberation, Committee of, in Rome, 767

  Liberator aircraft, in U-boat war, 536

  Liberia, danger to ferry route through, 584

  Liberty Ships, 226

  Libya, French concede to Italy territory on border of, 54

  action against Italians in, 377, 386–7

  Rommel in command of Germans in, 421

  Auchinleck’s campaign in, 499, 502. See also Western Desert

  Liège, 849, 864

  “Lightfoot”, Operation, 625–7

  Lille, 258

  German pincer movement round, 260, 263

  British in, 845

  Lindemann, Frederick. See Cherwell, Baron

  Lindsay, Sir Robert, 108–9

  Lindsell, Lieut.-General Sir W. G., 654

>   Lingayen Gulf, 495, 843

  Linz, 117, 898, 935

  Liri, River, 771, 782

  Lisbon, 671

  List, Field-Marshal von, 657

  Lithuania, German claim to port in, 141, 145

  in German sphere, 157

  occupied by Russia, 195, 281. See also Baltic States

  Littorio, the, 385

  Litvinov, M., 52–3

  on Russian action to support Czechoslovakia, 128, 131

  talks between British Ambassador and, 148–9

  superseded by Molotov, 149–50

  signs United NationsPact, 507–8

  Lively, H.M.S., 485

  Liverpool, convoys from, 171

  air raids on, 365, 391, 403

  Combined Headquarters in, 404

  Ljubljana Gap, 730, 745, 798, 800, 858

  Lloyd, Lord, 74

  Local Defence Volunteers, 293

  Locarno Conference, 16–17

  Locarno, Treaty of, 17–18, 86

  German violation of, 86–7, 89

  and French guarantee to Czechoslovakia, 126–7

  Loire, River, Germans reach (1940), 305

  destruction of bridges over (1944), 789

  London, Flandin in, 88–9

  possibility of air raids on, 138

  first air-raid warning in, 161–2

  air attacks on, 339, 344–5, 353–65

  daylight raids on, 344, 347–8, 354, 358

  air raids on Port of, 346, 348

  fighter groups covering approaches to, 347–51

  night raids on, 348, 353–60, 362–5, 391

  anti-aircraft defences of, 354

  taking precautions in, 355, 358, 360

  incidents in raids on, 355–7

  delayed-action bombs in, 359–60

  preparations for evacuation of, by Government, 361

  problems of government of, during Blitz, 362–3

  incendiary bombs on, 362–3, 365, 391–2

  raid on City of, 365

  “Baby Blitz” on, 392

  flying bombs on, 789

  London, H.M.S., 470

  London Conference (1942), 582–5

  Longmore, Air Chief Marshal Sir A. M., 424

  Lorient, 793

  Lothian, Marquess of, on reoccupation of Rhineland, 88–9

  and Dollar Problem, 368, 370

  death of, 371–2

  Louisiade Archipelago, 541–2

  Louvain, 189, 845, 864

  L.S.T., 299–300

  Lübeck, 899, 912–13, 925, 935

  Lublin Committee (Polish Committee of National Liberation), Russian support for, 818, 821, 856–7

  attempts to combine with Polish Government in London, 820, 857, 876, 886

  Churchill meets members of, 852, 856–7

  recognised as Government by Russia, 876

  antagonism between London Polish Government and, 882, 885

  unrepresentative of Poland, 886

  Stalin lauds, 886, 888

  “enlarged”, 886

  “reorganised”, 889

  and Polish Home Army, 889

  Lublin Provisional Government, Molotov obstructs widening of, 901–2, 908

  and San Francisco Conference, 902

  Russian treaty with, 908

  Stalin on, 911–12

  gains complete control of Poland, 934

  Lucas, Lieut.-General J. P. (U.S.), 769–70, 772

  Ludendorff, General von, 26

  Luftwaffe. See German Air Force

  Luleâ. iron ore from, 193, 202

  Lumsden, Major-General Sir Herbert, 626

  Luneberg Heath, 925

  Lützow, the, 207, 718

  Luxembourg, 240, 849

  Bradley’s H.Q. in, 864

  joins Western Union and N.A.T.O., 960

  Luzon, 495, 835–6, 841

  Lvov, 856, 883, 909

  Lyme Regis, 336

  Lyons, 802

  Lys, retreat to, 249, 258, 260

  Lyttelton, Rt. Hon. Oliver, War Cabinet Minister in Middle East, 446

  lends Churchill Captain Hornblower R.N., 476

  endorses replacement of Cunningham, 489

  Minister of Production, 571

  mentioned, 356

  Lytton Report on Japanese aggression in China, 43

  MacArthur, General D. (U.S.), in Corregidor, 268–9

  in command in Philippines, 494

  in New Guinea, 834

  in Morotai, 835

  and capture of Leyte, 836–7, 841–3

  and command of final operations, 843

  takes Philippines, 843

  and Korean War, 969–70

  MacDonald, Rt. Hon. Ramsay, Leader of Labour Party, 14

  Prime Minister, 19–20

  National Government under, 22–3, 33

  at Disarmament Conference, 32

  works for disarmament, 36, 41, 46

  pacifism of, 57

  on loss of air parity, 60

  resigns from Premiership, 66

  mentioned, 38

  “MacDonald Plan”, 36

  Macedonia, 394, 414–15

  Maclean, Major-General Fitzroy, 761, 801

  McLean, Lieut-General K. G., 693

  McMahon Act, 963–4

  Macmillan, Rt. Hon. Harold, 866–7, 872

  MacVeagh, Lincoln, U.S. Ambassador to Athens, 874

  Madagascar, 631

  Maddalena, 377

  Madeira, Hitler expects attack on, 534

  Madrid, 93

  Magdeburg, 919

  Maginot Line, 155, 187

  turning of, 189

  deficiencies of, in 1940, 191

  and strategic reserve, 244

  troops drawn from, 244, 285

  penetration of, 305

  Magnetic mines, 174–6, 403

  Maikop oilfields, 657

  Mainz, 893

  Maisky, M., approaches Churchill on Russian attitude to Czech crisis, 127–8

  and aid to Russia, 467–8

  and campaign in Persia, 480

  as interpreter, 554

  successor to, 721

  Malaya, Britain forced to jeopardise defence of, 462, 474

  Japanese threat to, 478

  Japanese invasion of, 495, 498, 519, 524, 537

  Communism in, 968

  Malaya, H.M.S., 425

  Malcolm, H.M.S., 635

  Maldon by-election, 567

  Maleme, 428–30, 433

  Malmedy, 864

  Malta, reinforcements for, 378, 380, 385, 393, 425

  an advanced base, 379

  air raids on, 392–3, 490

  aircraft based on, 424, 487, 625

  danger of seaborne attack on, 484

  “Force K” based on, 485, 490

  Axis abandons intention to take, 577–9

  re-victualled and rearmed, 660

  “Husky” shipping converge near, 682

  Italian Navy escapes to, 704

  conference between Churchill and Roosevelt at, 876–7

  Manchester, air raids on, 365, 391

  Manchester Guardian, demands National Government, 147

  censures strong action in Greece, 870

  Manchukuo, puppet State of, 42–3

  Manchuria, Japanese invasion of, 42–3

  League report on, 43

  Japan finds reinforcements in, 835

  Mandalay, 830–1

  Mandel, Georges, 201, 301–2, 310

  Manila, 495, 843

  “Manna”, Operation, 866

  Mannerheim Line, 196–7, 200, 813

  Manston airfield, 348

  Mantes, 795

  Marche, 865

  Mareth Line, 645, 661

  Margerie, Captain de, 269, 271

  Margesson, Captain David (Viscount), in air-raid incident, 357

  Margival, 789

  Mariana Islands, 833–4

  Marlborough, ist Duke of, 896

  Marne, River, 305

  Marrakesh, Lloyd George in, 82
/>
  Beneš in, 125

  Churchill and Roosevelt in, 650–1

  Churchill’s convalescence in, 756–7

  Marseilles, assassination of Alexander of Yugoslavia in, 53

  bombing Italy from, 279

  bombers prevented from starting from, 289

  landing aimed at seizure of, 729

  Marshall, Dr. Geoffrey, 655–6

  Marshall, General G. C. (U.S.), 235

  his relations with Dill, 234, 510

  supplies arms to Britain, 283–4

  agrees on priority of war against Germany, 512, 553

  in London to discuss Second Front, 550–2, 582, 584–5

  sends Shermans to Egypt, 565

  takes Churchill to Army camp, 566

  in disagreement with Admiral King, 581–2

  to command “Round-up”, 618

  flies with Churchill to Algiers, 666–7

  at Algiers Conference, 667–70, 710

  and command of “Overlord”, 725, 729, 742, 750–1

  at Teheran, 731, 743

  Roosevelt cannot spare, 750–1

  supports Anzio idea, 758

  visits Normandy front, 784, 786

  responds for President, 899

  frames answer to Stalin’s charge of bad faith, 906

  confers about atomic bomb, 940

  and N.A.T.O., 960, 962

  and economic help to Europe, 962

  mentioned, 561–2

  Marshall Plan, 962

  Martin, John, private secretary, 351–2, 877–8

  Martini, General, 531

  Martinique, French naval vessels at, 316, 319

  Marx, Herr, 15

  “Mass of manoeuvre”, French Army lacks, 243–4, 287, 330

  British, in Home Defence, 329–30

  in Egypt, 395–6

  Massachusetts, U.S.S., 636

  Massicault, 661

  Matapan, Battle of, 434

  “Matilda” tanks, in N. Africa, 386

  Maxton, Rt. Hon. James, 518

  Mayfield, 337

  Mechili, 422

  Mediterranean, piracy by submarines in, 106–7

  question of naval command of, 165, 378–9, 385

  French Navy in, 173

  suggested concessions to Italy in, 277–8

  elimination of French Fleet in, 316–18

  Italian aims in, 375

  dangerous to military convoys, 375, 378–9, 424, 484–5

  danger of German intervention in, 392

  naval risk of help to Greece in, 407

  convoy of tanks sails through, 423–5

  naval position in, after Battle of Crete, 434–5, 484

  German losses of ships crossing, 484–5, 620, 625–7

  “Force K” brought to, 485

  naval disasters in E., 490, 516

  minefield in, 490

  German air-power in, 516

  shortening sea-route through, 604

  “Torch” convoys in, 633

  operation in, to follow “Torch”, 641, 643, 645, 650

  campaign in, discussed at Quebec Conference, 691, 697–9

  British commander of operations in, 698, 729

  decision reached on operation in, 699

  need for subsidiary enterprises in, 707–8, 728, 730–1

 

‹ Prev