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The Second World War

Page 137

by Winston S. Churchill


  air cover from, 535

  Newman, Lieut.-Colonel A. C, 533

  Nice, 279

  Niemen, River, 815

  Nieuport, 260, 266

  “Night of the Long Knives”, 50

  Nijmegen, 846–7

  Nile, Army of the, 394, 396, 407

  Nile, River, 587, 589

  Nimitz, Admiral C. W. (U.S.), and Battle of Coral Sea, 540, 543

  and Battle of Midway Island, 544–5

  Intelligence of, 548–9

  approaches Philippines, 834

  urges invasion of Leyte, 835–6

  and command of final operations, 843

  Ninth Army, U.S., 860, 919

  Noble, Admiral Sir Percy, 404

  Noguès, General, 636

  Non-aggression pacts, Germany suggests, 85, 87–8

  between Germany and Esthonia and Latvia, 152

  Russo-German, 157–8

  Non-Intervention in Spain, 94

  Nore, the, 328

  Norfolk, H.M.S., 722

  Norge, the, 207, 209

  Normandy, invasion preparations in, 330

  as site for “Overlord”, 693, 695

  Churchill visits front in, 784–5

  harbours on coast of, 785

  German forces in, 787

  difficult country for fighting in, 787–8

  Allied strategic plan in, 788, 796

  Allies consolidate strength in, 789

  artificial harbours on coast of, 789–90

  submarine pipe-lines to, 789, 790 n.; victory in, 794–6

  front line sustained from, 845. See also “Overlord”

  North Africa, French concessions to Italy in, 54

  possibility of France fighting from, 271, 288, 302–3, 309

  French encouraged to escape to, 374

  Italian Army in, 375–6

  coast road in Italian, 376

  importance of maintaining Desert Flank in, 421

  Second Front in (1942), 501–2, 512, 552–4, 557, 580–2, 584–6 (see also “Torch”); control achieved of whole of, 502, 641, 652, 662, 675

  setback to campaign in, 516

  danger of German occupation of, 584

  advantages to Russia in conquest of, 603

  General Giraud in, 634, 637

  Darlan orders “Cease fire” in French, 637–8

  Allied check in, 642–3, 660

  Churchill tours, 670–1. See also Western Desert

  North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, 960–961

  North Foreland, 336

  North Sea, naval base on, 171

  search for Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in, 177

  possibility of invasion from across, 331

  shipping attacked in, 397

  Norway, concerned about naval balance in Baltic, 65

  German iron ore traffic along coast of, 193, 197–8, 202

  German plan to invade, 193, 195, 199–200

  Nationalist Party in, 195

  and passage of supplies to Finland, 197–8, 200–1

  possible Russian designs on, 198

  capture of Altmark in waters of, 198–9

  German concentration against, 202–3

  invasion of, 206–10

  Britain attempts to help, 210–13

  Russian comments on attack on, 280

  German aircraft transferred from, 340

  long-range aircraft refuelled in, 399

  Russia expels representative of, 452

  Hitler prepares for attack on, 530

  Churchill wants Second Front in N., 552–4, 557, 581, 611

  German Fleet concentrated in N., 715, 722

  joins N.A.T.O., 960

  Norwegian Navy, 207, 723

  Nova Scotia, U.S. patrols operating from, 402

  Nuclear weapons, 963–5. See also Atomic bomb

  Nuri es-Said, 971

  Nyon Conference, 106–7

  Observer Corps, 349, 352

  O’Connor, Captain R. C., 490

  Oder, River, Polish frontier on, 734, 745, 884, 943, 949

  German defences on, 919

  Oil pipe-line, to supply “Overlord”, 789, 790 n.; to Burma, 827

  Oilfields, German threat to Persian, 438, 440

  loss of, with loss of Middle East, 583

  German drive for Russian, 657

  Oise, River, 305

  Okinawa Island, 940

  Oklahoma, U.S.S., 494

  Okulicki, General Leopold, 910–11

  Olav Tryggvason, the, 207

  Oran, action with French Fleet at, 316–18

  Anglo-U.S. landing at, 636

  Orel, 471, 715

  Organisation for European and Economic Co-operation (O.E.E.C.), 962

  Orion, H.M.S., 432, 877

  Orkneys, blockade line north of, 176

  Orleans, 305, 794–5

  Orzel, Polish submarine, 206

  Oslo, 206–7

  Osóbka-Morawski, M., 857

  Ostend, 339

  Ottawa, Churchill in, 503, 505–6

  “Otto”, Operation, 112, 116

  Ouistreham, 785

  Ouvry, Lieut.-Commander, 175

  “Overall Strategic Objective”, 95

  “Overlord”, Operation, question of Command in, 326, 697–8, 725, 729, 742, 750–2

  fortunate postponement of, 502

  U.S. fears that action in Mediterranean may prejudice, 641, 684, 710, 714, 728

  choice of site for, 693–5

  synthetic harbours for, 694, 786, 789–90

  dominating assumptions for, 693, 697, 735–6

  to hold first priority over resources, 697

  preponderance of U.S. troops in, 697

  landing-craft for, 710, 714, 728, 737, 748, 755, 775–6

  divisions withdrawn from Italy for, 713, 731, 738, 797

  German forces facing, 713, 787–8

  Churchill asks for easement in date of, 714, 757

  need for Anglo-U.S. accord on policy regarding, 725

  Churchill’s aims regarding, 729–30

  subsidiary landings to support, 730–1, 737, 739, 745, 748, 773, 797

  forces for use in, 731, 739, 798

  Stalin suspects British sincerity regarding, 736, 737

  choice of date for, 737–8, 740, 748, 757

  importance of campaign in Italy to, 753–4, 774

  difficulties to be overcome in, 775

  postponed date of, 776–7, 779–80

  training of forces for, 776

  timing of, 777

  deception measures for, 777–8, 787

  concentration of troops for, 778

  final conference before, 778

  achieves surprise, 780–1, 787

  launching of, 781, 783

  Stalin’s congratulations about, 784

  air support for, 789

  gale hinders consolidation of, 790

  “Anvil” too late to be of value to, 797–8, 803

  joins hands with “Anvil” (“Dragoon”), 802, 808

  Oxford Union resolution, 41, 74

  Ozawa, Admiral, 836–7, 841–2

  Paasikivi, Mr., 195, 200

  Pacific, American naval successes in, 224, 539–49

  shipping losses in, 227

  Americans lose mastery of, 494

  measures to gain command of, 501

  America regains command of, 549, 675

  landing-craft in, 738

  American touchiness about, 739

  Japanese island defences in, 833

  Pacific Fleet, U.S., destruction of, 494

  idea for rapid build-up of, 496

  dispersed carriers of, 539–40

  gathers for battle, 540

  at Battle of Coral Sea, 541–4

  at Battle of Midway Island, 544–9

  Page, Sir Earle, 523

  Paget, General Sir Bernard, 764

  Pakistan, 967

  Pakokku, 830

  Palau Islands, 835

  Palermo, 660

  Palestine, thre
at to, 438

  troops from, in Iraq, 438–40

  defensive works in, 482–3

  post-war strife in, 971–2

  Palm Beach, 511

  Papagos, General, 381, 414, 417

  Papandreou, M., Prime Minister, 765

  meets Churchill in Italy, 801, 804–5

  signs Caserta Agreement, 866–7

  in Athens, 867–9

  loses authority, 871, 874–5

  Papen, Franz von, Chancellor, 33–4

  supports Hitler, 34

  spared in “Night of Long Knives”, 50

  Minister in Vienna, 51, 113–14

  presents ultimatum to Schuschnigg, 115

  Parachute troops, German, in Crete, 429–430

  U.S., in “Torch”, 636

  Polish, 847. See also Airborne landings

  Paris, Peace Conference in (1918), 3

  Churchill visits (1940), 243–6, 250–2, 269–72

  Germans expected in, 243, 246

  preparations for evacuation of, 244

  seat of Government moves from, 286

  Churchill urges defence of, 287

  Germans enter, 289, 305

  Armée de, 305

  German triumph in, 339

  air raid on, 355

  liberating troops enter, 795–6

  Churchill visits (1944), 859

  Park, Air Chief Marshal Sir K. R., 348–51

  Parliament, functioning of, in Blitz, 358–9. See also Commons, House of

  Partisans of Yugoslavia, 759–60

  British missions to, 760–1

  seize Italian equipment, 761

  Italians join, 761, 768

  Russian mission to, 762. See also Resistance movements

  Pas de Calais, invasion preparations in, 330

  German dive-bombers in area of, 340

  as site for “Overlord”, 693

  Germans deceived about landing on, 776–8

  cleared of enemy, 846

  Patras, 867

  Patton, General G. S. (U.S.), in Sicily, 681

  Third Army of, in France, 793–5, 849, 860

  in Battle of Ardennes, 865

  at Trier, 893

  Paul, Prince, Regent of Yugoslavia, 409–11

  Paulus, Field-Marshal, 658

  Pavlov, M., interpreter, 599, 608–9, 611, 731, 744, 852

  Pearl Harbour, Japanese attack on, 491, 494–5

  Japanese threat to, 537, 544

  carriers recalled to, 543

  Peck, Mr., 567

  Pegu, 831–2

  Peipus, Lake, 810

  Peirse, Air Chief Marshal Sir R. E. C., Vice-Chief of Air Staff, 262

  at Washington Conference, 663

  Pembroke Dock, 120

  Pendar, Kenneth, 650–1, 652

  Penelope, H.M.S., 485

  Penney, Major-General W. R. C., 770

  Pennsylvania, U.S.S., 494

  People’s Liberation Army. See E.L.A.S.

  Percival, General A. E., 521, 524–6

  Pereyaslav, 717

  Péronne, 246, 252

  Persia, German threat to oilfields of, 438, 440, 480

  preparations for defence of, 461, 481

  passage of aid to Russia through, 468–9, 480–1, 583

  German influence in, 480

  Russo-British operations in, 480–1

  detached from Middle East Command, 592–3, 595

  Churchill in, 597–8, 613

  Russian pressure on, 955. See also Trans-Persian Railway

  Persian Gulf, 437, 583

  Perth, Lord, 140

  Perugia, 769

  Pescara, 703

  Petacci, Signorina, 918

  Pétain, Marshal, influence of, on French military thought, 187

  appointed Vice-President of Council, 246

  at meeting of Supreme War Council, 269, 286

  defeatist attitude of, 271–2, 290, 309

  on defence of Paris, 287

  paper of, on need for armistice, 289–90

  against union with Britain, 309–10

  Government of, 310–11, 374, 639

  and supplies to Rommel, 635

  Darlan’s communications to, during “Torch”, 635–6, 638

  Darlan the heir of, 640. See also Vichy Government

  Peter, King of Yugoslavia, 411

  escapes to England, 759

  forbidden to return to Yugoslavia, 762

  dismisses Mihailović, 762–3

  attempts to heal breach between Tito and, 801–2, 813

  Peters, Captain F. T., 636

  Petersfield, 337

  Petsamo, Russia demands lease of, 195

  Philippines, Japanese threat to, 478

  Japanese plan naval battle near, 494

  Japanese invasion of, 495, 537

  U.S. forces approach, 834–6

  Japanese ordered to fight to finish in, 835

  naval battle in, 837–42

  taking of, 843

  Phillips, Admiral Sir Tom, Vice-Chief of Naval Staff, 262

  death of, 496

  Phillips, Sir Frederick, 370

  Phipps, Sir Eric, 129

  Pile, General Sir Frederick, 352, 354

  Pilsen, 919

  Pilsudski, Marshal, 66, 156

  Pim, Captain Richard, 265, 503, 949

  Piræus, guerrillas hamper Germans at, 763–4

  British land at, 867

  E.L.A.S. ordered to evacuate, 868

  Ajax at, 873

  Pisa-Rimini Line, 729, 797, 799

  Place, Lieutenant B. C. G., 718

  Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, 474–8

  Plan D of Gamelin, 189 n., 254

  Plastiras, General, 875

  Ploesti oil-wells, 728

  “Pluto” submarine pipe-line, 789, 790 n.

  Plymouth, French naval vessels at, 316

  ships to repel invasion at, 332

  air raids on, 344, 365, 391

  Churchill lands at, 514, 758

  Po, River, Allied drive for, 797

  advance into valley of, 798, 804

  waterlogged valley of, 861

  German defensive position on, 915

  Allies cross, 917

  Poincaré, Raymond, 8–9

  Poland, Soviet armies defeated in, 10

  Arbitration Treaty with Germany, 17, 148

  France pledges support to, 17

  German territorial claims on, 18, 103, 112

  opposed to Eastern Pact, 52

  votes in protest against German rearmament, 64

  British guarantee to, 120

  and Russian aid to Czechoslovakia, 128

  demands Teschen from Czechs, 133, 136, 144–5

  German threat to, 141, 145, 152, 155

  in sympathy with Slovaks, 141

  Anglo-French guarantee to, 143–5, 148, 152

  refuses to allow transit to Russian troops, 145, 148–9, 156

  refuses Russian guarantee, 152

  Russian attitude towards, 156

  partition of, between Germany and Russia, 157, 168–9

  British treaty with, 158

  attacked by Germany, 159, 161, 240

  ruin and subjugation of, 168–9

  German film of conquest of, 206

  concentration of German troops in, 449–50

  discussions on post-war frontiers of, 733–4, 745–6, 818, 856–7, 883–5, 908, 943–5, 947, 949

  post-war position of, 746, 810

  Germans driven back to, 810

  discussions on Government for, 818, 857, 876, 882–3, 885–91, 908–9, 911–12, 933

  British interest in fate of, 851, 882–3, 892, 908

  Russian occupation of, 876, 882, 913

  Russia recognises Lublin Committee as Government of, 876, 882

  Russia complains of sabotage to Red Army in, 882

  Western Powers denied access to, 882, 887–90, 901, 908–9, 934

  elections in, 883, 887–90, 911, 934

  question of Ambassadors to, 890–1


  Russian violations of agreement concerning, 901

  Russian treaty with, 908

  arrests and deportations in, 909–12, 933–4

  Stalin on need for friendly, 911

  Britain and U.S. recognise Provisional Government of, 933–4

  a Russian satellite, 934–5, 947, 953, 955, 958

  occupies land to Western Neisse, 943–4, 947, 949, 955

  holds German grain-lands, 944, 947. See also Lublin Committee

  Polish Armoured Division, 845 n., 846

  Polish Army, Ironside on, 159

  defeated in German blitzkrieg, 168

  evacuated from France, 307

  in Greece, 413

  at Cassino, 783

  fighting with Western Powers, 882, 887

  Polish Committee of National Liberation. See Lublin Committee

  Polish Corridor, 18, 103

  Polish Government in London, and Warsaw rising, 815–17

  attempts made to combine Lublin Committee with, 820, 857, 876, 886

  members of, in Moscow, 852, 856–7

  repudiate Mikolajczyk’s proposals, 876, 885

  antagonism between Lublin Government and, 882, 885

  Stalin on, 885–6, 888

  Churchill on transference of recognition from, 886–7

  and missing Poles, 910

  Polish Parachute Brigade, 847

  Polish Provisional Government, recognition of, 933–4. See also Lublin Government

  Polish Underground Army, rising of, 815–22

  discusses political settlement, 820

  surrender of, 822

  accused of sabotage to Red Army, 882, 911–12

  and Lublin Government, 886, 889

  leaders of, held in Russia, 909–12, 933

  Ponza, Mussolini imprisoned on, 688, 767

  Port Darwin, 495

  Port Moresby, Japanese threat to, 537, 539, 541

  invasion force turned back from, 542–3

  Portal, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Charles (Viscount), Chief of Air Staff, 234

  and Operation “Tiger”, 424

  on increasing strength of R.A.F., 474

  accompanies Churchill to Washington, 497, 500

  flies back with Churchill, 512–14

  and flight to Middle East, 587

  and heating of “Commando”, 643–4

  fishes in Canada, 700–1

  at Yalta, 879

  Port-en-Bessin, 785, 789–90

  Portland, Anti-Submarine School at, 164

  light naval vessels at, 328

  Portsmouth, French naval vessels taken at, 316

  light naval vessels at, 328

  air raids on, 391

  midget submarines from, at “Overlord”, 779

  Churchill watches embarkation from, 779

  Eisenhower’s H.Q. near, 800

  mentioned, 784, 786

  Portugal, votes in protest against German rearmament, 64

  possible German use of, 584

  shooting down of passenger plane from, 671

  joins N.A.T.O., 960

  Posen, 392

  Potsdam Conference, 943–9

 

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