To Lose a Battle
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Chabrehez, 276, 279, 281
Châlons-sur-Marne, 644
Chamber of Deputies, 104–5, 454–6
Chamberlain, Neville, 124, 133, 134, 135, 156, 181, 182, 215, 548
Chambrun, Captain René de, 572
Channel ports, German drive for, 534–5, 542, 596–601, 608
Chanoine, General, 285, 392–3, 425
Chapelle, La, 366, 400
Charleroi, 376, 407, 428, 507
Charleville-Mézières, 306, 333, 393, 416, 566
Chasseurs Ardennais, 241, 263, 265, 276, 284, 307, 330, 527
Château de Vignolles, 634, 635
Château Porcein, 425, 644
Chaumont, 334, 359–60, 363, 365, 531
Chautemps, Camille, 100, 101, 104, 652, 660
Chéhéry, 334, 365, 383–4
Chémery, 362, 383–4, 386, 387, 423
Cherbourg, 643, 647
Churchill, Winston S.: on 1918 victory, 45; on French Army, 67; and reoccupation of Rhineland, 84; on Siegfried Line, 85; on coming of Pitt, 86; on Seeckt, 89; on Munich ‘breathing space’, 124; on decline of French Air Force, 125; on Polish guarantee, 134; Georges’s influence on, 168; and French Army dispositions, 175; on Chiefs of Staff System, 190–1; and ‘special operations’, 208; and mining the leads, 214–15; on Reynaud-Daladier feud, 226; becomes Prime Minister, 228, 271; on lack of French activity, 236–7; and Hurricane squadrons, 434, 444, 446, 460–3, 506, 510; on Reynaud’s telephone call, 445–6; misled by Gamelin and Georges, 446–7; flies to Paris, 447, 456; meet French leaders, 456–61; ‘no strategic reserve?’, 457–8; on Gamelin, 459; attempts to rally French, 460–1, 548, 633, 651; lack of confidence in French, 462, 548; and magnetic mines in Meuse, 509; on Panzers – as ‘scythes’, 511; as ‘tortoise’, 552, 564; on need to bomb them, 544–5; prepares for ‘Dynamo’, 550, 567; and Weygand’s journey north, 587; visits Paris again, 592–6; impressed by Weygand, 592, 595; telegram to Gort on Weygand Plan, 593–4; lack of recent experience, 596; orders Calais not to surrender, 598; urges Weygand Plan, fears no French initiative, 603–4; and Gort’s withdrawal, 606, 625; on deliverance of Dunkirk, 609, 611, 612, 632–3; and Belgian surrender, 621; Reynaud visits, 628; on Gort, 630–1; warns of ‘heavy tidings’, 631; orders Gort to leave Dunkirk, 632; and evacuation of French, 633; visits Tours, urges defence of Paris, 650; and Georges and Pétain, 651–2; last visit to Tours, 656–7; on Mandel, 656; on French capitulation, 658–9; on de Gaulle, 661; and Gort, 678–9
Ciney, 273, 282, 307, 308
Clairfayts, 474, 475
Clemenceau, Georges, 45, 47, 53, 59–62, 555
Cojeul, River, 577–8
Colville, ‘Jock’, 636
Commune: influence of, 102, 108; fear of, 443, 652
Communists, French, 55, 62, 106–11, 117–18, 132–3, 134, 137, 156–60, 448–9, 455, 533
Compiègne, 562, 609, 663–6
Conill, Sergeant-Gunner, 297–8
Conrad, Florence, 235–6, 342, 360
Corap, General, character, career, 323–4; in Dyle-Breda Plan, 174; and Ninth Army, 188, 233–5, 273–4, 300, 306, 310, 329–33, 373, 377–80, 392–4; Brooke on, 234–5; withdraws, 406–7; attempts to re-form, 413; Army breaks up, 414, 418; sacked, 429; failure to reinforce, 440; visits Gamelin, 554; in Amiens, 560; Reynaud condemns, 590, 678; later career, 678
Cot, Pierre, 125–6
Coulommiers, 164, 434, 504
Courbiere, Senior Lieutenant von, 351–2
Couvin, 413
Crécy-sur-Serre, 501, 537
Croix de Feu, 104–5, 107, 226, 555
Czechoslovakia, 133–4
Daladier, Édouard: character, career, 220–2; resigns (1934), 105; in Popular Front, 107–8; complacency, 116; distrusts professional army, 117; and Munich, 133–4; boasts of low casualties, 153; and Gamelin, 164, 227, 442–3, 510, 536–7; lack of authority, 164; and Reynaud, 168, 223, 225–6, 445; and Finnish war, 181–2; Government falls, 182, 219; Bonnet and Herriot, 219–20; and ‘softs’, 220; meeting with Belgians, 296; and threat to Paris, 448–50; the ‘unpardonable mistake’, 457; Churchill exhorts, 460–1, 548; Foreign Minister, 538; later career, 678
Darlan, Admiral, 633
Dautry, Raoul, 139–40, 232, 449
Davy, Lieutenant Colonel George, 621
‘Declaration of Union’, 659, 681
Denain, General, 125
Denmark, 214–15, 635
‘Deployment Directive Yellow’ (Aufmarschanweisung Gelb), 185–94, 197, 201–2
Deuxième Bureau: on Panzers, 113; on German strength, 119, 229–30; split, 166; on Hitler’s plans, 169; on German tactics in Poland, 178; and Belgian plans, 242; on German order of battle, 245–6, 292; and Goering’s speech, 247; and Sedan, 370; and German thrust to Channel, 534
Dieppe, 642
Dietl, General, 217, 218
Dijon, 659
Dill, General Sir John, 447, 462, 547, 567, 592
Dinant, 207–8, 274, 306–7, 308, 324, 326, 373, 680, 683
Dizy-le-Gros, 469, 491
Donchery, 334, 354–8, 387, 391
Dorgelès, Roland, 362
Douaumont, Fort, 69, 73–4, 266, 381
Doullens, 517, 561, 577
Doumenc, General Aimé, 166, 331–2, 370–1, 378, 393, 440, 479, 529, 536, 551
Doumergue, Gaston, 105, 114
Dowding, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh, 434, 446, 462, 627
Duffet, General, 333, 412–13, 473
Dunkirk, 548, 549, 587, 596–618, 620, 625, 631–4
Dutourd, Jean, 672
Dyle, River, 171, 174–5, 290, 295, 296, 369, 430
Dyle-Breda Plan, 171, 173–7, 203, 234, 272, 281, 290–1
‘Dynamo’, 550, 614
Eben Emael, Fort, 170, 267–71, 272
Echternach, 262
Eden, Anthony, 603–4, 678
Ehrenburg, Ilya, 157, 645, 668
‘Enigma’ decoding machine, 634, 635, 636
Escaut River, 170, 369, 431, 508, 546, 588, 600
Esch-sur-Alzette, 262, 275, 285
Étalle, 274
Etchberrigaray, General, 393, 425
Fabre-Luce, A., 141, 145, 148, 150, 180, 248, 523, 527, 644
Ferdonnet, Paul, 130, 154–5, 218
Ferté-sous-Jouarre, La: .H.Q. N.E. Front, 166, 168, 272, 313, 370–1, 437–43, 448, 508–9, 534; army fugitives at, 520
Fifth Column: origin, 129; bogy, 129–32, 270–1, 290–1, 312, 362, 396, 523–32, 619; ‘false orders’ given by, 525, 529; facts, 524–5, 530–2
Finnish war, 179–82
Fitzalan-Howard, Lieutenant Miles, 546
Flack, Werner, 257–8
Flandin, Pierre Étienne, 84, 222
Flavigny, General, 386, 396, 401, 419, 423, 465, 483
Floing, 351, 353
Florennes, 377–9, 407, 409
Foch, Marshal Ferdinand, 47–50, 53, 55, 63–4, 167, 323, 436, 554–6, 595, 664–5
fortifications: maisons fortes, 72, 239–40, 302–3; effect of German anti-tank guns on, 178, 681; deficient on Meuse, 238–42, 327–8, 342–4, 348–50, 357; at Eben Emael, 267–70; locked on Meuse, 274, 413, 472; at Sedan, 336; empty on Escaut, 546; see also Maginot Line, Siegfried Line
Fortune, Major-General, V. M., 642
forty-hour week, 110–12, 135
France: class-warfare, 54–5, 102–8, 129, 132, 158–9, 673, 681; reliance on America, 56; economic difficulties, 57–9, 60, 107, 111–12; reparations, 59–60; occupies Ruhr, 60; governmental instability, 63–4, 101, 219, 226–7; population, 64; defence policies, 66–76, 83–5; lack of manpower, 76, 229; anti-militarism, 97–9; escapism, 98–9; political scandals, 99–101; disillusion with politics, 101; ‘Republic of Pals’, 101, 103, 625; gloire, 103; unemployment, 107, 135; elections, 108; devaluation, 111; fear of Fascism, 128; war production, 134–5, 139–40; mobilization, 139, 229; ineffectual propaganda, 153–4; sabotage, 159–60; censorship, 451–3, 562–3; spymania, civilians shot without trial, 526–9; rumours, 528–
9; defeatism, 618, 624; bitterness over B.E.F. withdrawal, 620; intelligence, 637; civilians attack soldiers, 649; fear of internal disorder, 653; reaction to Armistice, 661, 667–8; responsibility for defeat, 672–3; post-war history, effects of Dunkirk, 682; see also ‘honour’, ‘treachery’
Franchet d’Esperey, Marshal, 168, 314
Franco-British Declaration, 227, 626–8, 652, 656
Franklyn, Major-General Harold, 573–81, 605
Frederick the Great, 67, 163, 184
Freiburg-im-Breisgau, 260
French Air Force: pre-war disarray, 125–8; deficiencies, 127–8, 297; system of command, 164–5; numbers, 232–3, 627; concentrated on Holland, 278, 297; reluctant to bomb, 277–8; reconnaissance reports, 292, 299; losses, 298–9, 432, 515, 627, 667; at Sedan, 340–1, 389, 431–2; strafes Stonne, 394–5; night bombing, 432; Z.O.A.N. removed to Chantilly, 504; sorties on 16–17 May, 504–5; Z.O.A.N. strength on 19 May, 543; dive-bombs Forest of Mormal, 545; increasing strength of, 627, 640
French Army: in Victory Parade (1919), 46–53; casualties in Great War, 49; colonial troops, 51, 76, 367, 377–8, 617, 629, 682; demobilization, 53; influence of Verdun, 67–70; defensive mentality, 70–1; ‘continuous front’, 70–1, 79, 114, 176, 371, 640; pay, 76, 148–9; inertia, 77; doctrine of war, 78–80, 112–19, 127, 176, 179, 419; rearmament, 112–13; military service, 112; command structure, 119, 164–7; anti-aircraft defences, 128, 232; morale, 147–60, 361, 547, 602; indiscipline, 150–1, 311, 463, 547; drunkenness, 150–1, 303, 305, 463; susceptible to propaganda, 153–60; Anglophobia, 155–6; forces opposing Germany, 229–35; lack of training, 237–8; normal leave, 249; looting, 303, 361, 547; false reports, 359; bogus orders, 360, 363, 396; panic, chaos, disintegration, 360–3, 379, 385, 393, 396–7, 403, 412–13, 442, 469–70, 473, 476–7, 518–23; artillery, prestige of, 360; rumours, 396; ‘containment’ and ‘counter-attack’, 397; as prisoners of Germans, 415–16, 478, 516, 642–3; summary of troop movements, 439–40; ‘no strategic reserve’, 457–8; lack of air support, 506; deserters ‘shot’, 520; breakdown in co-ordination, 612; defeatism, 624; final battle line-up, 639–40; losses up to Dunkirk, 639; ‘hedgehogs’, 640–1; determined resistance, 641, 643–4; final retreat, 648–9; unused supplies, 649; total losses, 667; campaign analyzed, 674–5
French Navy, 650, 651, 659
French North Africa, 652, 661
Frère, General, 508, 517, 594, 602, 678
Fritsch, General Werner von, 189
Frömmel, Corporal, 356
Gamelin, General Maurice: ancestry, character, career, 161–4; fails to act over Rhineland, 83–4; disparages tanks, 116–17; system of command, 119, 164–7; unsympathetic to Air Force, 126–7; on dive-bombers, 127; and ‘Saar Offensive’, 140–2; miscalculates over Poland, 143; out of touch, 153, 166, 312; lack of authority, 164; relations with Georges, 167, 293, 437–8; strategy, 169; ‘Instruction No. 8’, 170–1; Dyle-Breda Plan, 173–6, 267; keeps B.E.F. away from sea, 174; on forces in Maginot Line, 176–7; and Scandinavian campaign, 181, 219; encourages attack on Caucasian oil-wells, 182–3; and Bonnet, 219; on French armoured strength, 229; and defence of Sedan, 236, 239–40, 246, 303–4; and Ardennes, 244; reaction to German invasion, 271–2, 277; reluctance to bomb, 278; preoccupied with Holland, 291–2; and parachutists, 312; and Rommel, 333; telephones G.Q.G., 333; unjustified calm, 371, 446; Orders of the Day, 371, 509; and counter-attack from north, 403; ill-informed, 403–5, 437; confirms ‘bad news’, 405; ‘surprised’, 405, 437–8; does not ‘intervene’, 438, 441, 536; was he responsible?, 437–9; troop movements ordered, 439–40; ‘stricken by… fear’, 441; ‘no more reserves’, 442–3; direct news reaches, 447–8; and threat to Paris, 448–50, 464; dislike of journalists, 451; expounds situation, 457; ‘no strategic reserve’, 457–8; hopeless, 459, 464; Reynaud decides to sack, 510; on ‘parachutists’ and Communists, 533; still hesitates, 535–6; Pétain’s sympathy, 537; goes to La Ferté to intervene, 551; ‘Instruction No. 12’, 552–3, 558, 566, 591; sacked, 554; rumoured suicide, 590; later career, 678
Gauché, General M., 93, 166, 178, 249
Gaulle, General Charles de: and NATO, 83; on need for professional armoured division, 113–16; protégé of Pétain, 113; on Gamelin, 163; Keller’s reply on tanks, 179; on danger of Panzers, 226; and 4th Armoured, 231; Guderian misattributes tanks to, 469; leads tank attack on Montcornet, 489–94; its value, 494–6; lack of air support, 505, 540; and ‘treachery’, 533; leads tank attack on Crécy-sur-Serre, 537–40; on Weygand, 556; leads attack on Abbeville, 629–30; Under-Sec. for Defence, 645, 650; on evacuation of Corps Diplomatique, 645; backs Reynaud, 652; and Declaration of Union, 659; flies to England, 660–1; return to power, 680
Gembloux Gap, 290, 312, 402, 505
Gennep, 266
George V, King, 45–6
George VI, King, 180, 271, 668
Georges, General: character, career, health, 167–8; at Victory Parade (1919), 50; military doctrine, 118; and ‘Saar Offensive’, 141; relations with Gamelin, 163–5, 167–8, 437–9; C.-in-C. N.E. Front, 166; on Escaut and Dyle-Breda Plans, 170–2, 175; blind to German threat, 246; and air operations, 277, 289, 299; and Meuse front, 293, 313, 333, 364, 370–1, 384, 391, 399–400; delegates powers to Billotte, 293, 296; meets Belgians, 296; ‘a rather serious pinprick’, 333, 371; in tears, 371; and 1st Armoured, 376–7, 439; misleads Gamelin, 403–4; orders counter-attack, 419, 441; and Touchon, 424–5; and 2nd Armoured, 428–9, 439; sacks Corap, 429; was he responsible?, 438–9; troop movements ordered, 439–40; and fighting at Stonne, 441; fears for Maginot Line, 441, 443, 464; and threats to Paris, 443, 464; ‘calm’ misleads Churchill, 446; orders to Billotte, Giraud, Touchon, 464–5; appoints Frère, 508; Reynaud and Pétain visit, 536; and defence of the Somme, 537; orders attack on Cambrai, 547; and Gamelin’s last ‘Instruction’, 550–4; Weygand and, 557–8, 566–7; and plans for Gort’s counter-attack, 567, 576; defeatist, 651; later career, 678
Germany: condition in 1919, 57; unable to pay reparations, 60, 65; demilitarized, 63; population, 64; training of youth, 95–6; adroit propaganda, 153–6, 270; news of victories in, 481–2; war production cut back, 669; see also Luftwaffe, Wehrmacht
Gibbs, Anthony, 143, 146
Giraud, General Henri: in Dyle-Breda Plan, 174–5, 267, 289, 291; withdraws, 295, 369; replaçes Corap, 429–30; Brooke on, 429–30; disquieting message to Billotte, 430; and 2nd Armoured, 469–70; thinks line ‘stabilized’, 472; Martin misinforms, 474; and 9th Motorized, 497; and Kosak, 498; avoids capture, 512; surrenders, 518; later career, 678
Givet, 239, 240, 292, 378–9, 413, 639
Goebbels, Joseph, 148, 153, 158, 270, 404, 433, 531
Goering, Hermann, 120–1, 185, 211, 218, 247, 265, 611
Gontaut-Biron, C. A. de, 252, 275
Gort, Lord: character, career, 568–71; and Air Component, 165; command structure, 165, 293, 296, 570; all quiet, 369; ordered to retire to Escaut, 431; informs Belgians, 431; and retreat to Dendre, 507; and attack at Arras, 546; to fall back on Calais?, 547–8; and Billotte’s plans for counter-attack, 549–50; no confidence in French, 549, 588–9; warns of possible evacuation, 550; ordered to ‘force his way south’, 567; and Weygand’s take-over, 568; lack of orders from French, 570; and Churchill, 570–1; and counter-attack on Arras, 573–6, 582; misses Weygand at Ypres, 585–6; meets Billotte and Leopold at Ypres, 588; cannot attack without French, 603; telegram to Eden, 603; Eden’s reply, 604; withdraws towards Dunkirk, 604–5; decides to save B.E.F., 608; Dunkirk perimeter defences, 611, 620; Churchill on, 630–1; ordered to evacuate, doubtful of success, 631; leaves Dunkirk, 632; and B.E.F., 635, 636; and ‘Ultra’, 636, 637; later career, 679
Goutard, Colonel A., 230, 358, 379, 397, 399, 489, 575, 591
Grandsard, General C., 235, 236, 238–9, 241, 313, 315–16, 336–9, 342–3, 358–9, 362–5, 384–6, 629
Greece, 610
Grubnau, Lieutenant, 354–5, 365, 382–3
Guderian, General Heinz: early career, 90;
tank pioneer, 90–4; Achtung–Panzer!, 90–4, 205, 207, 246, 337; Gamelin ignores, 117; on combination of horse and motor, 118; and Stuka, 122–3; in Polish campaign, 142–3; on Manstein, 196; and plan to attack Sedan, 198–9; protests at Hitler’s distrust, 200; and Manstein Plan, 201, 205; and Sichelschnitt, 207–8, 210, 211–12; on Panzer strength, 229–30; on tank breakdowns, 231; into Luxembourg, 258, 261–2; disagreements with Kleist, 279–80, 401, 434–5, 487; diverts Reinhardt, 283; advances to Sedan, 284–7; crosses Semois, 300–2; escapes bombs, 301; and crossing of Meuse, 304–5, 317–18, 333–7, 342–6, 351–8, 365–6, 386; heads west, 387, 392, 418, 424–6; on Sedan Bridge with Rundstedt, 388; and flak batteries, 390; battle at Stonne, 418, 422, 424, 441; on Balck, 426; to Montcornet, 467–8; misattributes action to de Gaulle, 469; order to attack captured, 471, 534; ordered to halt, 487–8; ‘reconnaissance in force’, 488–9, 501; and de Gaulle’s attacks, 493–5, 538–41; to Péronne, 512; orders advance across Somme, 538; and ‘burnt out’ fuel depot, 538–9, 541; to the Channel, 558, 562; frets for lack of further orders, 565; and ‘Frank-force’ attack, 578–9, 596; to Calais and Boulogne, 597–8; ordered to halt on Aa, 610; allowed to advance ‘too late’, 614; to Gravelines, 617; and ‘Ultra’, 635–6; in final battle, 639, 643–4, 647; later career, 676
Guillaut, Lieutenant-Colonel, 442–3
Habe, Hans, 237, 516, 529, 648
Halder, General Franz: character, career, 192; and ‘Directive Yellow’, 186–7; and ‘resistance’ to Hitler, 192–4; caution, 194; and Manstein Plan, 198, 201, 204–6; transfers Manstein, 201, 204–5; and Kleist, 208, 279; and Sichelschnitt, 209–11, 251; and Brauchitsch, 284; on advance through Ardennes, 287; ‘little danger’ of counter-attack, 484; plans to smash France in one blow, 484; on Hitler’s nervousness, 486–7, 515; and manning the flanks, 502; accorded freedom of movement, 516; concerned lest Allies escape, 562; tempted to turn south, 565; and British attack on Arras, 582; and Lorette Heights, 599; fury at Hitler’s halt-order, 613–14; satisfaction at fall of Dunkirk, 638–9; and fall of Verdun, 647; ‘administrative work’, 669; not honoured, 669; later career, 676
Hanke, Lieutenant, 327, 477–8, 499
Harsch, Joseph, 138, 144, 154, 249–50