The Second World War
Page 136
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