The Second World War

Home > Other > The Second World War > Page 136
The Second World War Page 136

by Winston S. Churchill


  German troops held in area, 712–13

  need to retain landing-craft in, 714, 728, 737–8, 749, 755–9

  Americans opposed to operations in, 641, 684, 708–12, 714, 728

  Allied command of air over, 660–1, 670

  Allied strength in area of, 668, 681, 731, 739

  opened to Allied convoys, 680

  Germans deceived as to Allied intentions in, 682

  preponderance of British forces in, 725, 738

  making full use of forces in, 730, 738

  appointment of Supreme Commander for, 752

  Anglo-American differences about strategy in, 797–804

  Mediterranean Fleet, during Abyssinian War, 75–7

  dispersal of, before Albanian crisis, 146, 163

  and untested Italian Fleet, 378

  strengthening of, 384, 425

  at Battle of Taranto, 384–5

  escorts “Tiger” convoy, 425

  and battle for Crete, 430–3

  losses in, 431, 433–5

  hindered by loss of Crete, 484

  disasters to (1941), 490, 511

  Eastern, sent south of Canal for safety, 565

  Medjez, 642, 660

  Medway, the, Italian air attack on, 385

  Megara, 867

  Meiktila, 830–1

  Mein Kampf, 26–7, 45

  Melos, 430

  Memel, 141, 145

  Mentone, 279

  Menzies, Rt. Hon. L. R. G., 409

  Merchant Navy, and menace of mine, 146

  losses in, 224

  helps evacuate troops from Greece, 419

  valiance of, 676. See also Shipping

  Merchant ships, sinking of, 170

  arming of, 173

  sunk by magnetic mines, 174–5

  degaussing of, 176

  disguised German, 178, 185

  in Narvik harbour, 209

  carry American arms to Britain, 284

  losses in, 397–8, 676

  delayed by U-boat precautions, 399

  awaiting repair, 399

  repaired in U.S. shipyards, 402

  fighter aircraft launched from, 404

  lost in Arctic convoys, 723–4

  U.S. submarines attack Japanese, 834. See also Shipping

  Merchant-cruisers, armed, 176

  Mercier, Captain, 637

  Mersa Matruh, railhead at, 376

  defensive battle expected at, 380, 384

  British driven back to, 568, 578

  retreat from, 578–9

  attempt to cut off Germans at, 629

  Mers-el-Kebir, 316

  Mersey, protection for approaches of, 120, 398

  air attacks on, 353, 391

  shipping to, 397

  Messina, Straits of, 668, 682

  invasion across, 683, 699, 703–4

  Metauro, River, 806

  Metaxas, General, 381, 763

  Metz, 849

  Meuse, River, and Maginot Line, 187

  German break-through over, 421

  U.S. advance to, 844

  Germans driven back over, 860

  German drive for, 864–5

  flooded, 893

  Meuse-Antwerp line, 190

  Mexico, votes in protest against German rearmament, 64

  Mexico, Gulf of, 530, 533–4

  Mézières, 247

  Michael, King of Roumania, 815, 901

  Middle East, German threat to, 392–3, 438–40

  Germans lose opportunity in, 440

  improved British position in, 441–442

  War Cabinet Minister resident in, 446

  U.S. suggests abandonment of, 473–4

  Auchinleck disproportionately concerned with N. front of, 482–3

  U-boat attacks on supplies for, 535, 565

  danger of Japan and Germany joining hands in, 539, 551–2

  Sherman tanks sent to, 565

  Roosevelt on effects of loss of, 583–4

  means of sending aid to, 584

  Churchill’s flight to, 587–9

  wrongly named, 591

  shortened route for convoys to, 680

  divergencies of opinion regarding operations in, 707–14

  nationalist ferment in, 971

  Jewish nation in, 971–2

  Middle East Command, problems of, 377

  fails to fortify Suda Bay, 381, 427

  overloaded organisation of, 427, 442, 445–6

  member of War Cabinet to assist, 446

  increase in strength of, 469

  too wide responsibilities of, 560

  need for change in High Command of, 587, 589–93

  offered to Brooke, 589–90

  changes in structure and nomenclature of, 591–3, 595–6

  Alexander in command of, 592

  plans capture of Rhodes, 708–9

  Midway Island, Battle of, 537, 544–9

  Mihailović, General Draga, resistance movement of, 759

  relations of, with Germans, 759–60

  Allied assistance to, 760, 762

  dismissal of, 762–3

  Miklas, President, 51, 116

  Mikolajczyk, M., in Moscow, 818, 852, 856–7, 885, 933

  proposes political settlement with Lublin Committee, 820, 885

  announces surrender of Warsaw, 822

  and future Polish frontiers, 857, 883–4

  rejected by Polish Government in London, 876, 885

  and Polish elections, 890

  Molotov vetoes inclusion of, 902

  accepts Yalta decision on Poland, 908

  and new Provisional Government, 933

  Milan, bombing of, 270, 278–9, 289

  Partisans take control of, 917

  body of Mussolini displayed in, 918

  Military Co-ordination Committee, 204–6

  Mindanao, 835–6

  Mindoro, 843

  Mines, in Straits of Dover to protect invasion fleet, 335

  menace coastal trade, 397

  air-laid, damage Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, 532

  in Cherbourg harbour, 791. See Magnetic mines

  Mine sweeping, 176, 781

  in Scheldt estuary, 849

  Minqa Qaim, 578

  Missouri, U.S.S., 942

  Mogami, the, 548

  Möhne Dam, 692, 723

  Moldau, River, 919

  Molinié, General, 263

  Moll Flanders, 655–6

  Molotov, Vyacheslav, 150–1

  and Japanese Ambassador, 151

  negotiates pact with Germany, 157

  denounces pact with Finland, 196

  praises German exploits, 279–80

  on rumours of German attack on Russia, 453

  receives German declaration of war, 453–4

  at Chequers, 554–5

  Churchill’s aide-mémoire to, on “Sledgehammer”, 555–6, 607

  greets Churchill in Moscow, 599, 852

  at conferences in Kremlin, 600, 604, 605

  at Kremlin dinners, 608, 610–11

  sees Churchill off, 613

  on resumption of convoys, 717, 722

  and British sailors in Russia, 718, 720

  not present at Cairo talks, 726

  at Teheran Conference, 731, 734, 743

  and division of responsibilities in Balkans, 812

  and Mikolajczyk, 857, 902

  at Yalta Conference. 878, 886–7, 889–90

  suggests meeting of Poles in Moscow, 886–7, 890

  obstructs widening of Lublin Provisional Government, 901–902

  refuses to attend San Francisco Conference, 902

  accuses Western Allies of bad faith, 904–5

  refuses information on Poland, 909

  on missing Poles, 910

  at San Francisco Conference, 910, 912

  mentioned, 65, 450, 452

  “Molotov Cocktail”, 196

  Monastir, 415

  “Monday Cabinet Parade”, 233

  Monnet, Jean, 308

 
; Mons, 849

  Montecorvino, 698

  Montélimar, 802

  Montenegro, Italians join Partisans in, 768

  Montevideo, Admiral Graf Spee in, 184–5, 198

  Montgomery, Field-Marshal Sir Bernard (Viscount), in France (1940), 255, 590

  in Home Defence, 324–5

  to take Alexander’s place in “Torch”, 592–4

  in command, Eighth Army, 593–5, 614–16

  story of conversation of, about Rommel, 594

  Churchill with, in Egypt, 614–16

  prepared for Rommel’s attack, 614–15, 620

  austerity of, 616

  and Alamein, 626–9

  use of artillery by, 629

  supply difficulties of, in pursuit, 643–4

  and invasion of Italy, 667, 706, 707, 739

  Churchill intends visit to, 751, 754

  commands “Overlord” invasion force, 752, 793

  succeeded in Italy by Leese, 755

  wants assault in greater strength for “Overlord”, 775

  final conference at H.Q. of, 778

  Churchill visits, in France, 784–5, 792–3

  dangerously situated H.Q. of, 785

  strategic plans of, 788, 844–5, 861

  offensive of, 791

  advances up Channel coast 844–5

  and Arnhem landings, 846–7

  in Battle of Ardennes, 864–5

  in battles W. of Rhine, 893

  Churchill visits, on Rhine, 894–7

  his methods of conducting battle, 895–6

  drive of, for German coast, 898–9

  receives German surrender, 925

  frustrates Russian dart for Denmark, 934

  military government of, in Germany, 937

  and taking of Berlin, 953

  and Western Union military organisation, 960

  mentioned, 223, 905

  Monthermé, 240

  Moore-Brabazon, J. T. C. (Baron), 356

  Moran, Lord, accompanies Churchill to U.S., 497, 513

  to Cairo and Moscow, 588

  and Churchill’s illness, 655, 752, 756–7

  at Yalta, 878

  Moray Firth, 776

  Morgan, Lieut.-General F. E., plans for “Overlord”, 691, 693, 697, 775

  Morgenthau, Henry, Jr., 369–70

  Morocco, Churchill in, 82

  U.S. landings in, 636. See also Casablanca

  Morotai Island, 835

  Morrison, Rt. Hon. Herbert, at Vote of Censure on Chamberlain, 214

  in War Cabinet, 219

  Minister of Supply, 352, 361

  Home Secretary and Minister for Home Security, 362, starts National Fire Service, 363

  Morrison shelters, 363

  Morshead, Lieut.-General Sir L. J., 627

  Mortain, 794

  Morton, Major Sir Desmond, 38–9, 449

  Moscow, German threat to, 461, 466, 610

  Russian Army defending, 465, 471

  Harriman-Beaverbrook Mission to, 467, 469–71

  Germans held before, 471, 657

  Hopkins in, 475, 933

  Churchill’s visit to, 588, 599–613

  Churchill’s villa near, 599–600, 605–6

  military conferences in, 607, 610

  Germans driven from, 659

  German prisoners marched through, 815

  Polish Prime Minister in, 818

  Polish Underground leaders disappear in, 909–910. See also Kremlin

  Moselle, River, 849, 860

  Moslems, strife between Hindus and, in India, 967

  nationalist ferment among, 971

  Mosul, 440

  Mountbatten, Vice-Admiral Lord Louis (Earl), and “Sledgehammer”, 580

  presses for attack on Sardinia, 645

  advises landings in Normandy, 693

  and “Mulberry” harbours, 694

  appointed to Supreme Command in Far East, 696

  plans amphibious operation in Andamans, 747–9

  Chief of Combined Operations, 776

  Marshall’s telegram to, 786

  and Burma campaign, 826–7, 829–831, 861

  Moyne, Lord, 867

  Mozambique Channel, Graf Spee in, 179

  Mufti of Jerusalem, 437, 440

  Mukden, Japanese occupation of, 42

  “Mulberry” harbours, 694–5, 786, 789, 845

  schematic forerunners of, 298–9

  gale damage to, 790

  Churchill visits, 791–2

  Munich, Hitler in, 10, 24

  German Workers’ Party meeting in, 25

  Putsch in, 26

  Churchill in, 40

  “Night of Long Knives” in, 49–50

  Chamberlain with Hitler in, 133–4, 142, 148

  Mussolini brought to, 767–8

  Ciano in, 768

  Munich Agreement, 133–4

  debate on, 135–6

  “breathing-space” gained by, 136–9

  Hitler’s breach of, 142–3, 148

  Munitions: production in Germany, 85, 92, 136–7

  American aid with, 226, 326–7

  production in Britain, 327, 499–500

  division of American output of, 368, 499

  payment for, 369–71

  Russian demands for, 462, 467

  British shortage of, 470, 499–500

  U.S. production of, 510

  Murmansk, Russian concentrations at, 198

  convoys to, 462, 465

  British aircraft sent to, 465

  railway from Leningrad to, 813

  Murphy, Robert, 634

  Musashi, the, 837

  Mussolini, Benito, rise of, 10

  and rise of Hitler, 45

  supports Austrian independence, 45–6, 51, 73, 113

  meets Hitler, 46, 201, 279, 685, 767, 918

  African Empire envisaged by, 52, 72–3

  invidious speech of, at Stresa, 64

  and Anglo-German Naval Agreement, 68

  in alliance with Hitler, 72, 80, 113–14

  need to strike down, over Abyssinia, 73

  invades Abyssinia, 75

  estranged over sanctions, 76, 275, 277

  bluffs successfully, 76–8

  would welcome compromise, 80

  Chamberlain’s conciliatory approaches to, 105, 123–4, 275

  supports Hitler in Austria, 115–17

  rescue of, 117, 689, 767

  and German action in Czechoslovakia, 124, 127, 146

  at Munich, 133, 767–8

  on Chamberlain and Halifax, 140

  Chamberlain’s speech submitted to, 140–1

  asserts claims against France, 146

  on Roosevelt, 146

  seeks to avoid taking part in war, 154–5, 158–9

  wiser to have remained out of war, 275–6, 688

  Churchill’s letter to, 76–7

  intends war against France and Britain, 277–8, 324

  French approaches to, 277–8

  prepares to attack Egypt, 375

  demands attack on Egypt, 379–80

  attacks Greece, 380–1, 384, 395

  lowered prestige of, 384

  orders bombing of Britain, 385

  prepared to enter Egypt in triumph, 569, 577

  Italy loses faith in, 684

  fall of, 685–8

  career of, 688

  “Hundred Days” of, 767–9

  vengeance of, 769

  death of, 918, 924

  Mustafa Kemal, 705

  Mutual Guarantee, Treaty of, 17

  Myers, Colonel E. C. W., 763

  Myitkyina, 827

  Nagasaki, 12, 942

  Nagumo, Admiral, commands at attack on Pearl Harbour, 494

  at Battle of Midway Island, 544–8

  Naiad, H.M.S., 425

  Nairn, Mrs., 938

  Nairobi, 376

  Namsos, 211

  Namur, 189, 242, 864

  Nancy, 849

  Naples, air raids on, 660

  questi
on of attack on, 664, 683

  need to gain port of, 698–9

  capture of, 706, 707

  Tito and Subašić in, 763, 801–2

  Churchill in, 801, 807, 872

  Narvik, Swedish iron ore to Germany from, 193

  as base for help to Finland, 197–8

  British plan to land at, 200, 202–203

  British mine channel to, 206

  German capture of, 207, 209

  Navy attacks German ships at, 209–10

  attempts to take, 210–11

  Auchinleck at, 445

  National Coalition Government (1931–33), 22–3, 33

  fecklessness of, 43–4

  disregards German rearmament, 56–62

  under Baldwin, 66

  agitation for (1939), 147

  (1940–45) Chamberlain on need for, 216–17

  Churchill forms, 219–20, 227–230

  machinery of war direction under, 231–2

  strength and unity of, 568

  country’s need for stable, 574–6

  comes to end, 930, 949–50

  National Democratic Army. See E.D.E.S.

  National Fire Service, 363

  National Liberation Front. See E.A.M.

  National Socialist Party, following of, 8, 25

  Putsch of, 26

  progress of, in Reichstag, 27

  military and para-military formations of, 28

  loses ground in 1932 election, 34

  supreme in Germany, 35, 50. See also Nazism

  Nauplion, 418

  Naval disarmament (1921), 9–10

  Nazism, growth of, 10, 27

  Italian view of, 45

  in Austria, 45, 51, 110, 113–15

  in conflict with Communism, 454–5. See also National Socialist Party

  Nehru, Mr., 967

  Neisse River, Eastern or Western, 745–6, 884–5, 943–4, 947–9

  Nelson, Donald, 510

  Nelson, H.M.S., 171, 176

  Neurath, Herr von, 85, 112

  New Britain, 539

  New Caledonia, Japanese threat to, 537

  New Guinea, Japanese threat to, 537, 539, 541

  Japanese in, 543, 823

  U.S. conquest of, 834

  New York, U-boats off, 533

  convoys from, 534

  story of Molotov in, 611

  Churchill makes speech in, 956

  New Zealand, and Locarno, 16

  Achilles a ship of, 179

  Japanese threat to, 495, 675

  and defeat of Japan, 929

  New Zealand forces, in Greece, 413

  Freyberg in command of, 428

  in Crete, 429–30, 434

  in N. Africa, 487–9, 560–1, 616, 643

  break through at Mersa Matruh, 578–9

  at Alam Halfa, 620–1

  at Alamein, 627–8

  in pursuit, 629

  at Cassino, 771, 774

  Newall, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir C. L. N. (Baron), Chief of Air Staff, 234, 262

  Newcastle, H.M.S., 177

  Newfoundland, base for escort forces on, 401–2

  U.S. patrols operating from, 402

  Churchill and Roosevelt meet off, 474–478

 

‹ Prev