Chapter 44 Volume 2 Chapter 2 The Battle of France‧First Week‧Gamelin

May 10 to May 16 Plan D German and French armored forces French and British advance through Belgium Holland ravaged And the bad news on the 14th that Army Group Kleist broke through the French lines and the British Air Force suffered heavy losses. On the morning of the 15th Renault called me across the gap in the Ardennes. The threat of Italy I was flown to Paris for talks at the French Foreign Office General Gamelin's talk No strategic reserves: none.Planned attack on the German bulge. France asks Great Britain for additional fighter squadrons. In my telegram to the Cabinet on the night of May 16th, the Cabinet agrees to send ten additional fighter squadrons.

When I became Prime Minister on the evening of May 10, no one asked me or my colleagues in the new yet-to-be-formed Cabinet to make any new decisions on the defense of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Rwanda from a German attack.We had long been convinced that the French and British staffs were in full agreement with General Gamelin's Plan D, which had been in progress since dawn.In fact, by the morning of the 11th, the entire large-scale military operation had made great progress.On the seaward side, General Giraud's Seventh Army of the French Army had begun to venture across the Dutch border.

In the centre, the armored car patrols of the British 12th Hussars had reached the Dyer, and south of our line all the rest of General Eyot's 1st Army Group hurried to the Meuse.The military leaders of the Allied Powers believed that if Plan D was successful, twelve to fifteen divisions could be saved from shortening the German front; Without the strength of these divisions, our overall strength on the Western Front would be at a numerical disadvantage.I therefore had no desire to interfere with military planning, but waited hopefully for the imminent confrontation. However, if we look back at the situation after the fact, we can see that the important report written by the British Chiefs of Staff Committee on September 18, 1939[1] was very well written.In this report, it was clearly pointed out: Unless the Belgians can effectively hold the defense lines of the Meuse River and the Albert Canal, it would be wrong for the British and French to rush to support them; the British and French might as well stick to France the frontier, or at most advance the left wing a little to the line of the Scheldt.Since those days in September 1939, an agreement had been reached to implement General Gamelin's Plan D.However, nothing happened during this period to shake the original opinion of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee.On the contrary, a number of things happened to strengthen this insight.The German army has grown and matured month by month, and now has a very powerful armored force.Corrupted by communism instilled in Soviet Russia and demoralized by the long winter on the front lines, the French Army was practically demoralized.The Belgian government depended on Hitler's respect for international law and Belgian neutrality for the very survival of the country, and thus had little effective joint planning between their military chiefs and those of the Allies.The anti-tank barriers and defenses on the Luwan line at Namur were neither adequate nor complete.There were many brave and resolute men in the Belgian army who were not able to go into battle for fear of breaking neutrality.In fact, even before General Gamelin gave the order to carry out his long-prepared plan, the Belgian front had been breached at many points by the first wave of German attack.The best that could be hoped for now was a victory in the encounter that the French High Command had tried to avoid.Eight months ago, when the war first broke out, the main forces of the German army and air force were concentrated on attacking and conquering Poland.Along the entire Western Front, from Aix-La-Chapelle to the Swiss border, there were forty-two German divisions without armor.After France is mobilized, it can deploy troops equivalent to 70 divisions to confront the Germans.For the reasons mentioned above, it was considered impossible to attack the Germans.By May 10, 1940, the situation was very different.

[1] See Volume I, Chapter 26. The enemy took advantage of the delay which lasted eight months and, as a result of the destruction of Poland, was able to arm, equip, and train some one hundred and fifty-five divisions, ten of which were armored (tank) divisions.Hitler made a pact with Stalin so he could minimize German forces on the Eastern Front.According to General Halder, the chief of staff of the German army, they only deployed a lightly armed covering force against Russia, which was hardly enough to carry out the task of collecting tariffs.The Soviet government had no premonition of their own future, and saw that the second front they had demanded so much and waited so long to open was destroyed by the German army.Hitler was thus able to storm France with one hundred and twenty-six divisions and the full armored armament of ten tank divisions with nearly three thousand armored vehicles, at least one thousand of which were heavy tanks .

This large force was deployed on the front from the North Sea to Switzerland in the following order: Army Group B, with its twenty-eight divisions, commanded by General von Bock, was assembled on the line from the North Sea to Aix|La|Chapelle, ready to sweep through Holland and Belgium, and then advance on France as the right flank of the German army. Army Group A, with forty-four divisions under the command of General von Rundstedt, constituted the main force of the advance and was deployed along the line from Aix|La|Chapelle to the Moselle. Army Group C, with seventeen divisions, commanded by General von Loeb, guarded the Rhine from the Moselle to the Swiss border.

The reserve army of the German High Command consisted of about forty-seven divisions, of which twenty divisions served as direct reserves behind the army groups, and another twenty-seven divisions were reserved for general reserves. The exact strength and disposition of this formation, of course, was unknown to us at the time; facing it was the First Army Group, commanded by General Bjotte, consisting of fifty-one divisions, nine of which were commanded by the reserve force. Headquarters held nine British divisions; this army stretched from the Maginot Line near Longwy to the Belgian frontier, and along the back of the Belgian frontier to the seafront in front of Dunkirk.The Second and Third Armies, commanded by Generals Pretella and Besson, forty-three divisions, together with the reserves, guarded the French frontier from Longwy to Switzerland.In addition, France had the equivalent of nine divisions stationed above the Maginot Line, a total of 103 divisions.If the Belgian and Dutch armies also went to war, twenty-two Belgian divisions and ten Dutch divisions would be added to this figure.Since these two countries were quickly attacked, the total number of divisions of all qualities nominally available to the Allies on May 10 was 135, or, in practice, the same as we have now. The number of known enemy divisions is equal.If this force is properly organized and equipped, and well trained and commanded, it will, by the standards of the last war, have a good chance of stopping the enemy's aggression.

However, the Germans had full freedom to choose when, where and with what force they would attack.More than half of the French army is stationed in the south and east of France, so the fifty-one French and British divisions of the First Army Group led by General Bjotte, together with reinforcements that can be brought in from Belgium and the Netherlands, have no choice. Not between Longwy and the coast against the onslaught of the enemy's seventy-odd divisions commanded by Bock and Rundstedt.The combination of mostly bulletproof tanks and dive bombers used by the Germans on a smaller scale in Poland had proved successful, and this time it was used as the main attack vanguard, with Kleist commanding five of the German Army Group A. 1 tank division and 3 motorized divisions, from the Ardennes to attack Sedan and Montemel.

In order to resist this modern warfare, France deployed about 2,300 tanks, most of which were light tanks.Their armored units have some powerful modern equipment, though more than half of their total armored force is organized into scattered battalions of light tanks to work in conjunction with infantry.They only have six armored divisions [1] that can be used to resist the intensive attack of the German tank divisions, but these six armored divisions are deployed very scattered on the front line and cannot be assembled to cooperate in operations.Britain was originally the birthplace of tanks, but at this time it had just completed the establishment and training of its first armored division (328 tanks), and it was still in England.

[1] This figure includes the so-called light motorized divisions with tanks. At this time, the German fighter jets assembled in the West far surpassed France in both quantity and quality.The RAF in France had ten fighter squadrons (Tornados) drawn from the vital home defense.There are also eight combat fighter squadrons, six Brunning fighter squadrons, and five Lysander fighter squadrons.Neither the French nor the British air authorities had equipped their air forces with dive bombers, which, as in the Polish campaign, had become such an important weapon in their time to demoralize the French infantry, especially their black troops. In terms of morale, it played a big role.

During the night of May 9th and 10th, with the prelude to massive air attacks on airfields, lines of communication, headquarters, and arsenals, all German units of Army Group Bock and Rundstedt, across Headed straight to France across the borders of Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg.Almost every time, the purpose of all tactical raids was fully achieved.Out of the darkness emerged countless well-armed and high-moralized commandos, many armed with light artillery, and set a hundred and fifty miles of front in flames before dawn.Holland and Belgium were attacked without the slightest excuse or warning from Germany, only cries for help.The Dutch relied on their flood defenses; all sluices not occupied or betrayed to the enemy were opened, and the Dutch border guards fired upon the invaders.The Belgians succeeded in destroying the bridges over the Meuse, but the Germans captured the two bridges across the Albert Canal intact.

According to Plan D, the First Allied Army Group under the command of General Bjort, together with the small but extremely elite British Army, should advance eastward and enter Belgium at the moment when the German army invaded the border.The purpose of this operation was to stop the enemy and hold the Meuse | Louvains | Antwerp line.In front of this front, along the Meuse and the Albert Canal, lay the main force of Belgium.If they can withstand the first German assault, the First Army Group will go to meet them.It seemed more likely, however, that the Belgian army would be pushed back immediately to the Allied lines.In fact, that's exactly what happened afterwards.In this way, it was thought, Belgian resistance would provide the British and French armies with a brief respite, allowing them to form new positions.This was accomplished, except for the critical front of the French Ninth Army.On the extreme left, the seaward side, the Seventh French Army should occupy the islands that control the mouth of the Scheldt and, if possible, advance towards Breda to aid the Dutch.On our southern flank, the Ardennes are considered an impenetrable bulwark, and south of the Ardennes the fortified Maginot Line extends to the Rhine and thence to Switzerland.So it seemed that everything depended on the counterattack from the left by the Allied northern armies, which in turn depended on the speed with which Belgium could be taken.Everything was arranged in such great detail that the Allied forces, well over a million strong, could march forward with a single command.At five-thirty on the morning of May 10th, Lord Gort received a telegram from General Georges ordering him to: be on alert one, two and three, that is to say, prepare immediately to enter Belgium.At 6:45 in the morning, General Gamelin ordered the implementation of Plan D, and the long-prepared plan of the French High Command (under which the British army was under its command) was immediately implemented. Mr. Corleen, who visited me in 1937 when he was Prime Minister of the Netherlands, told me in detail about the astonishing effectiveness of the Dutch floods.All he needed to do, he said, was a phone call from his lunch table in Chartwell, and at the push of a button he could hold off invaders with an insurmountable flood.This is complete nonsense.Under modern conditions, the military power used by a big country to invade a small country is irresistible. Everywhere the Germans broke through, bridged the canals, or seized the locks and water control devices.In one day the entire perimeter of the Dutch fortifications was taken.At the same time, the Luftwaffe began to attack an undefended country.Rotterdam burned to the ground.The Hague, Utrecht and Amsterdam are facing the same fate.The Dutch hoped that the right wing of the German army would bypass the Netherlands as in the previous war, but their hopes were in vain. However, when the Dutch people were hit, they immediately united with indomitable courage to resist the aggression.Queen Wilhelmina, her family and members of the Queen's Government were safely transported by the Royal Navy to England, from where they continued to inspire their people and manage their vast empire overseas.The Queen's navy and her vast merchant fleet, placed unreservedly in British command, played an inestimable part in the cause of the Allies. The case of Belgium needs to be explained more thoroughly.Hundreds of thousands of British and French graves in Belgium are symbols of fighting in the last war.In the years between the two wars, Belgium did not seriously draw on the past to formulate its policy.Belgium's national leaders watched France's internal weakness and Britain's wavering pacifism with worried eyes.They are strictly neutral. In the years leading up to their renewed aggression, their attitude towards the two opposing camps was, in any event, officially quite impartial.The apprehensions of a small country in such a situation should be well understood, but the French High Command has for several years criticized the course taken by the Belgian Government.Their only hope of defending the frontier from German attack lay in a close alliance with France and England.The Albert Canal Line and other riverside positions are quite defensible, and from these positions a very vigorous offensive against Germany could be prepared and launched if the British and French forces, assisted by Belgian troops, moved to the Belgian frontier in time after the declaration of war.The Belgian government, however, believed that their safety lay in the strictest neutrality, and their only hope was in German good faith and respect for the treaty. Even after Great Britain and France entered the war, the Belgians could not be persuaded to rejoin their former allies.They declared that they would defend their neutrality to the death, and placed nine-tenths of their forces on the frontier with Germany, while at the same time they strictly prohibited the British and French troops from entering their country to make effective preparations for the defense of Belgium or for pre-emptive strikes. fight back.Our only recourse is to: In the winter of 1939, the British army and the French First Army on its right flank built new lines of defense and anti-tank trenches along the French-Belgian border.The question we are pondering over and over again now is: Should the overall deployment of Plan D be reconsidered on this basis, should we fight on the French border, resolutely resist, and ask the Belgian army to retreat to this line of defense instead of It would be wiser to risk a hasty rush down the Dyer or the Albert Canal. We cannot understand the decisions of that period without understanding that the French military chiefs had great authority, and that every French officer shared the belief that the French military art was second to none.In that terrible ground battle of 1914-1918, France commanded and carried the bulk of the fighting burden.France lost more than 1.4 million people.Foch served as the supreme commander, and the sixty or seventy divisions of Britain and the British Empire, like the American army, obeyed his command without reservation.At present, the British expeditionary force numbered only 300,000 to 400,000 people, scattered along the coast from the base of Le Havre to the front line, compared with the French army's nearly one hundred divisions, or more than two million The French, in fact, defended the long front from Belgium to Switzerland.So of course we should put ourselves under their command and accept their judgment.It had been expected that, from the moment war was declared, General Georges would have overall command of the French and British armies in the field, while General Gamelin would return to the French Military Council in an advisory position.General Gamelin, however, was unwilling to relinquish his command as Commander-in-Chief.He retained supreme command.During the eight-month lull, an angry conflict of command arose between him and General George.In my opinion, General George never had the opportunity to be single-handedly responsible for the overall strategic plan. The British General Staff and our Field Commanders have long been concerned about the gap between the northern end of the Maginot Line and the British fortifications along the Franco-Belgian frontier. War Secretary Hall-Belisha had raised this question several times in the War Cabinet.We have also expressed our opinions to France through the military channel, but the cabinet and our military chiefs are naturally ashamed to criticize those who have ten times our military strength.The French believed that the Ardennes were impenetrable to large modern armies. Marshal Petain once told the Senate Army Committee: There is no danger in this fan-shaped area.They had built many field fortifications along the Meuse, but not the fortified positions with pillboxes and anti-tank barriers that the British had along the Belgian frontier.Moreover, the French Ninth Army under the command of General Cora is mainly composed of some troops that are definitely below French standards.Of its nine divisions, two are partially mechanized cavalry divisions, one is a fortress division, two (61st and 53rd) are of the second rank, and two (22nd Division and 18th Division) are slightly worse than active divisions; only two divisions are standing regular troops.Thus, on a fifty-mile front from Sedan to Ilson-sur-Oise, there were no permanent fortifications, and only two divisions were professional troops. It cannot be indestructible everywhere.It is often just and necessary to hold long stretches of frontier with lightly armed covering forces; but this can only be done for the purpose of mustering larger reserves to counterattack the enemy's point of attack when it is exposed.Dispersing forty-three divisions, or half of the French mobile force, on the front from Longwy to the Swiss frontier is a disposition without foresight; That is, there is the wide and fast-flowing Rhine as cover, and there is a fortress system behind the Rhine.The risk faced by the defending force is much greater than that of the attacking force, since the attacking force is generally stronger at the point of attack.On very long fronts this risk can be met only by means of a strong mobile reserve which can be quickly engaged in a decisive battle.This powerful insight supports the remark that the French reserves were inadequate and, for their circumstances, very ill-distributed, so that our remark seems to be all the more correct.In short, the gap behind the Ardennes is a shortcut from Germany to Paris; this place has been a famous battleground for hundreds of years.Should the enemy break through here, the entire forward movement of the northern armies would lose its center, and all their communications with the capital would likewise be threatened. Looking back, we can see that Mr. Chamberlain's war cabinet should not have been afraid to discuss the matter thoroughly with the French in the autumn and winter of 1939; where I should share my responsibilities.It was likely to be an unpleasant and difficult argument, because at every stage the French could say: why don't you send more British troops?Wouldn't you like to take on a longer front?If the reserve force is insufficient, please add it!We have already mobilized five million people [1].We follow your advice on sea operations; we operate on plans drawn up by the Admiralty.Give due credit to the French Army and to our mastery of the art of land warfare! [1] Many of the five million people mobilized by France were unarmed, such as those working in factories, in the fields, etc. Nevertheless, we should thoroughly discuss this issue with France. Hitler and his generals knew their opponents' military views and general arrangements intimately.During this autumn and winter German industry produced many tanks, the factories for which must have been established during the Munich crisis of 1938, so that during the eight months since the war began , there are such a large number of products.They were not in the least intimidated by the natural obstacles to crossing the Ardennes.On the contrary, they believed that modern mechanized transport and great organized road-building capabilities would make this area previously considered impassable the shortest, surest, and easiest route to invading France and disrupting all French counteroffensive plans. Way, therefore, the German High Command planned a massive assault through the Ardennes, severing the crooked left arm of Allied Army Group North at the shoulder blade.Except for its larger scale and different speed and weapons, this operation is very similar to Napoleon's surprise attack on the Prazin Plateau in the Battle of Austerlitz[1], cutting off and destroying the roundabout movement of the Austro-Russian coalition forces, and breaking through its center. position. [1] Austerlitz is a town in South Moravia, Czechoslovakia.translator As soon as the order was issued, the armies of the north went to rescue Belgium, and rushed to the front along all the roads amidst the cheers of the residents. The first phase of Plan D was completed on May 12.The French held positions from the left bank of the Meuse to Huy, and their light troops on the other side of the Meuse fell back under increasing pressure from the enemy.The armored divisions of the 1st French Army reach the Huy|Hanno|Tilmont front. After the fall of the Albert Canal, the Belgians retreated to the Gitte River line and entered their prescribed positions from Antwerp to Louvain.They are still holding Liege and Namur.The French Seventh Army occupied the island of Valcheren and Nanbivilan, and fought against the mechanized units of the German Eighteenth Army on the Herentals | Bergen | Wopp | Somme line.The French Seventh Army was advancing so rapidly that it was running short of supplies.Although the British Air Force is inferior to the German Army in terms of quantity, its superiority in quality has been fully demonstrated.Therefore, as of the night of the twelfth, there was no reason to think that the war was going unfavorably. However, on the 13th, Lord Gott's headquarters gradually became aware of the pressure of the German army to attack the French Ninth Army positions.At nightfall the enemy occupied the west bank of the Meuse between Dinan and Sedan.The French High Command was still unclear: whether the main German army was going to attack the left flank of the Maginot Line through Luxembourg, or whether it was going to Brussels through Maastricht.Along the entire front from Louvain|Namur|Dinan to Sedan, a fierce battle broke out, but it was not expected by General Gamelin, because the French Ninth Army was in Dinan. Before the arrangements were ready, the enemy arrived. On the fourteenth, bad news began to arrive.At first nothing was clear, and at seven o'clock in the afternoon I read to the cabinet a telegram from M. Renault; the telegram said that the Germans had broken through from Sedan and that the French were unable to resist a combined attack of tanks and dive bombers and called for reinforcements. Ten fighter squadrons to regroup.Other telegrams received by the Chiefs of Staff stated much the same, and that both Generals Gamelin and George considered the situation serious, and that General Gamelin had not anticipated the rapidity of the enemy's advance.In fact, the Kleist Army Group, with its large number of light and heavy armored units, has completely defeated or annihilated the French army on the front where the French army is in direct contact with the enemy, advancing at a speed that has never been seen in previous wars.Almost on the positions where the two armies clashed, the fierceness of the German offensive and the strength of the firepower were irresistible.They also had two armored divisions crossing the Meuse in the Dinan area.The fighting was most intense on the French First Army's front north of Dinan.The British 1st and 2nd Corps also held positions from Vavre to Louvain, where our 3rd Division, under the command of General Montgomery, fought fiercely. Further north, the Belgians were retreating towards the Antwerp defenses.The French Seventh Army was retreating on the seaward side, more rapidly than they had advanced earlier. From the moment of the enemy's attack we carried out the Royal Navy's plan of operations, dropped floating mines into the Rhine, and exiled nearly 1,700 mines in the first week of the war[1].These mines had an immediate effect. Almost all river traffic between Karlsruhe and Mainz was interrupted, and Karlsruhe's dikes and many pontoons suffered considerable damage.However, the success of this plan was overwhelmed by a series of unfortunate events. [1] The Royal Navy's operational plan was first drawn up in November 1939.The mines were planned to flow down the Rhine to damage enemy bridges and ships.These mines were thrown into the river from the upper reaches of French territory. All British air squadrons were in continuous combat, their main force being used to attack the pontoons in the Sedan area.Under the heroic and desperate attack of the RAF, some pontoon bridges were destroyed and others were badly damaged.When bombarding the pontoon bridges at low altitude, the losses of the British Air Force due to the German anti-aircraft artillery bombardment were very heavy.At one point, only one of six planes returned from a mission.On this day alone, we lost a total of sixty-seven aircraft, and because we were mainly fighting the enemy's air defenses, we shot down only fifty-three German aircraft.Of the 474 RAF aircraft stationed in France that night, only 206 remained operational. Detailed information in this regard is gradually obtained.But it was already clear that, although we had the upper hand in individual battles, the continuation of the fighting on this scale would soon exhaust the RAF aircraft.Hereafter we face the pressing problem of how many planes we can send from Great Britain without rendering ourselves defenseless, and therefore losing our ability to continue fighting.Driven by our own instincts, as well as by many strong military arguments, we feel justified in the constant pressing demands of France.But on the other hand, there is a limit, and if we exceed this limit, it will kill us. At the time, all these issues were discussed by the entire War Cabinet, which met several times a day.Air-Admiral Dowding, Commander of the Capital Fighter Command, once told me that twenty-five fighter squadrons would be enough to defend the British Isles against the full strength of the Luftwaffe, but any less than that was all he could do.Failure in the air battle would destroy not only all our airfields and air power, but also the aircraft factories on which our entire future depends.My colleagues and I have decided: within that limit we may risk everything for war (and that risk is great), but never beyond that limit, whatever the consequences. At around seven-thirty in the morning on the 15th, I was woken up to say that Mr. Reynolds had called, and that the phone was beside my bed.He spoke in English and seemed very heavy.We are defeated.I didn't answer right away, so he repeated: We are defeated, we have lost the battle.I said: You can't lose so fast, can you?But he replied that near Sedan the line had been broken; their tanks and armored vehicles were pouring in.That's what he said.So I said: All experience shows that such attacks will soon cease.I am reminded of that day, March 21, 1918.After five or six days of attack, they had to stop and wait for supplies, which gave us an opportunity to counterattack.I heard these words from Marshal Foch himself at the time.This is indeed what we have seen in the past, and it is what we should be seeing now.However, the French Prime Minister repeated his opening sentence (which was later proved to be absolutely true): we were defeated; we lost the battle.I said, I would like to go to France and have a face-to-face talk. On this day, the French Ninth Army led by Cora was completely defeated, and the remnants were reorganized by General Giraud, commander of the French Seventh Army who succeeded Cora in the north, and the headquarters of the French Sixth Army, which was being formed in the south.The French defenses were indeed breached through a breach, almost fifty miles long, through which the enemy's armor was swarming in great numbers.On the evening of the 15th, German armored vehicles were said to have reached Liar and Montcorney; Montcorney was sixty miles behind the original line.The First French Army was also breached on a stretch of the front five thousand yards south of Le Mer.Further north, all attacks on British troops were repulsed.The German attack and the retreat of a French division on the British right flank forced the British to form a southward flank.The French Seventh Army retreated west of the Scheldt, entered the lines of Antwerp, and was driven from the islands of Valcheren and South Beverland. On this day, the fighting in Holland also came to an end.Since the Dutch High Command surrendered at eleven o'clock in the morning, very few Dutch troops withdrew. Of course, the general impression of the picture is one of failure.In the last war I saw many things of this kind, the breakthrough of lines, even of vast ones, which did not make me aware of the dire consequences of such breaches at present.Having not had access to official intelligence for many years, I did not appreciate that raids with large numbers of fast and heavily armored forces would make such a difference since the last war.I've heard of this situation, but it doesn't change my inner belief that I should change.Even if I really change my inner beliefs, there is nothing I can do about it.I called General Georges, who seemed very calm, and reported to me that the gap at Sedan was being plugged.A telegram from General Gamelin also stated that, although the situation between Namur and Sedan was critical, he took the situation with ease.At eleven o'clock in the morning I reported Renault's call and other news to the Cabinet.On the 16th, the vanguard of the German army reached the line of La Capel | Vervins | Mar | Laon, and the forward of the German Fourteenth Army provided support in Montcornet and Nafchâtel-sur-Aisne.The fall of Laon proved that the enemy had penetrated more than sixty miles from the border near Sedan to our side.The French First Army and the British Expeditionary Force, under this threat, while under increasing pressure on their own fronts, were ordered to retreat to the Scheldt in three stages.Although the War Office had not yet received any detailed reports and could not see clearly what was going on, the seriousness of the situation was obvious.It seemed to me that I must go to Paris that afternoon. We must anticipate that unfortunate events at the front may bring us new enemies.Although there is no indication of any change in Italian policy, we have instructed the Minister of Shipping to evacuate the Mediterranean ships.British ships no longer returned via Aden.We have ordered the convoy carrying Australian troops to England to round the Cape of Good Hope.We directed the Council of Defense to consider what we should do in case of war with Italy, especially with respect to Crete.Plans to evacuate non-combatants from Aden and Gibraltar have been implemented. At about three o'clock in the afternoon, I flew to Paris on a British government flamingo, of which we have three.General Deal, Deputy Chief of the Imperial Staff, was with me, as was Ismay. 這是一架很好的飛機，很舒適，每小時大約飛一百六十哩。因為這架飛機是非武裝的，所以需要護航，可是我們飛進雨雲層中，一小時多一點就到了布爾歇。我們一走下紅鶴式飛機就看到局勢要比我們所想像的壞得多。迎接我們的官員告訴伊斯梅將軍說，預料最多不過幾天德軍即將進入巴黎。我在英國駐法大使館聽取了關於局勢的報告以後，就乘車去法國外交部，於五點半鐘到達。我被領進一間精緻的房間裡，雷諾在那裡，還有國防部長兼陸軍部長達拉第和甘默林將軍。大家都站著。我們一直沒有圍著桌子坐下來。每人的臉色都顯得十分憂悒。在甘默林面前，在一個學生用的畫架上掛著一幅地圖，約有兩碼見方，有一條黑色墨水線標出盟軍的戰線。在這條線上的色當那裡畫了一塊很小但是很不祥的凸出部。 總司令簡單地說了一下事情的經過。在色當以北和色當以南，在大約五六十哩的一段戰線上，德軍突破了。迎擊的法軍已經被消滅或被擊潰。一大批裝甲車輛正以前所未聞的速度奔向亞眠和阿拉斯，目的顯然是要在阿布維爾或其附近一帶推進到海邊，再不然就可能是指向巴黎。他說，在裝甲部隊後面有八個或十個全部摩托化的德國師正在挺進，分成左右兩翼，進擊兩頭被切斷的法國軍隊。這位將軍說了大約有五分鐘，誰也沒有插一句嘴。他說完以後，有一段時間相當長的沉默。我問：戰略後備隊在哪裡？接著，我又毫不在意地（確實是毫不在意地）改用法語說：機動部隊在哪裡？【１】甘默林將軍向我轉過臉來，搖搖頭，聳一下肩膀，說： not even one. 【２】 【１】 【２】原文法文是Ouestlamassedemanceuvre？及Aucune。translator 又是一段長時間的沉默。窗外，在外交部的花園裡，幾大堆的火冒起滾滾黑煙，我隔窗望見年邁可敬的官員們正在用小車推著檔案向火堆走去。可見，已經是在準備撤出巴黎了。 過去的經驗對我們有好處，但同時也帶來不利，那就是： 事情永遠不會照原樣重演。不然的話，我想生活就會太容易了。歸根結蒂，我們在過去也常常有戰線被突破的情況，但總是能夠重整旗鼓，挫敗敵人進攻的銳氣的。不過現在有兩個新的因素是我從來沒想到過的。第一是，敵人的無法抵抗的裝甲車輛到處襲擊所有的交通線和鄉村地區；第二，沒有戰略後備部隊。not even one.我吃驚得一句話也說不出來。 我們對於偉大的法國陸軍及其最高的軍事首腦應有什麼樣的看法呢？我還從來沒有見過一個要防守前線五百哩長的陣地的司令官竟然沒有給自己準備大批的機動力量。誰也不敢擔保能確有把握地守住這樣遼闊的戰線；可是，當敵人用強大的兵力發動進攻並且突破了戰線時，司令官總該有而且必須有許多個師，在敵人第一次猛攻的威力用盡後，能夠衝上前去，進行猛烈的反擊的。 馬奇諾防線是作什麼用的？它本來是可以在一長段國境線上使軍隊得到節約使用的，它不僅可以提供許多局部反攻的出擊口，還可以使大批的部隊留作後備力量；這是辦好這些事情的唯一的辦法。可是現在卻沒有後備部隊。我承認，這是我一生中最使我吃驚的事情之一。雖然我過去是忙於海軍部的事務，可是我為什麼沒有更多地了解這種情形呢？英國政府，尤其是陸軍部，為什麼沒有更多地了解這種情形呢？我們不能借口說法國最高統帥部除了把籠統的輪廓告訴我們或戈特勳爵外，是不願意讓我們知道他們的部署的。我們有權利要知道這些。我們應該堅持這一點。因為雙方軍隊正在一條戰線上並肩作戰。我回到窗前，望著用法蘭西共和國的國家文件燃燒的火堆所升起的股股青煙。老先生們還在繼續推著小車，使勁地把車上的文件投進火裡。 人們三五成群地圍著主要人物談了相當長的時間，關於這次談話，雷諾先生曾發表一份詳細的記錄。他在記錄裡說，我曾極力主張，北方各集團軍不應撤退，相反，應當反攻。這確實是我當時的心情。不過，這並不是經過深思熟慮的軍事主張。須知，這是我們第一次認識到災難的嚴重，或者說認識到法國人的明顯的絕望的心情。我們未曾指揮作戰，我們的陸軍只佔前線軍隊的十分之一，而且是聽從法國指揮的。法國的總司令和主要的部長們顯然深信一切都完了，這使我和同我一起去的英國軍官們大吃一驚，我在我所說的話裡，沒有一句不是極力反對他們的這個看法的。【１】然而，他們無疑是十分正確的，盡快地向南撤退是不可避免的。人們不久就都看出這一點了。 【１】由於敘述當時所發生的事情的其他記錄紛紛出現，我便要求伊斯梅勳爵回憶當時的情形（他當時一直在我身旁）。He wrote: 我們並沒有圍著桌子坐下來，我們三五成群地走來走去的時候，很可能講了許多話。我敢肯定，關於應該怎樣做，你並沒有發表任何經過深思熟慮的軍事主張。當我們離開倫敦的時候，我們認為，色當被突破一事是嚴重的，但並不是致命的。一九一四｜一九一八年間，曾有過多次的突破，可是全都被頂住了，而且一般都是通過對凸出部的一側或兩側展開反攻來頂住的。 當你認識到法國最高統帥感到已經全盤失敗的時候，你曾向甘默林提出許多問題，我相信這是具有雙重目的的，第一，你想知道事情的經過以及他打算怎樣做；第二，你想制止人們那種驚慌失措的樣子。你提出的問題之一是：你將在什麼時候和什麼地方向這個凸出部的兩側展開反攻？從北面還是從南面？我敢肯定，你在會上並沒有提法任何特別的戰略或戰術主張。你的論調的主旨是：事情可能很糟，但絕不是不可挽救。 不久，甘默林將軍又發言了。他在談論是否現在應該集結兵力向突破口或凸出部我們後來就是這樣稱呼這類東西的側翼展開反攻。有八九個師正在從戰線的比較平靜的地區馬奇諾防線撤下來；有兩個或三個裝甲師尚未投入戰鬥；還有八個或九個師正從非洲調來，兩三個星期以後就可以到達作戰地區。吉羅將軍奉命擔任缺口以北的法軍的司令。今後德軍前進就要通過兩條戰線之間的走廊地帶，在這兩條戰線上可以按照一九一七年和一九一八年的作戰方式進行戰鬥。由於德軍要建立日益擴大的兩個側衛，同時又要為裝甲部隊的進攻提供補給，所以德國人或許保不住這條走廊地帶。甘默林講的話，似乎就是這個意思，他講的聽來很有道理。然而我意識到，他的話並沒有使這少數幾個迄今是擔負重責的有力人物感到信服。我接著問甘默林將軍打算在什麼時候和什麼地方向凸出部的側翼進攻。他的回答是數量上佔劣勢，裝備上佔劣勢，方法上佔劣勢，然後聳了聳肩膀表示毫無希望。我沒有爭論，也用不著爭論。考慮到我們的貢獻很微小開戰八個月了，才派出十個師，而且參加戰鬥的連一個現代化的坦克師也沒有，我們英國人還有什麼可說的？ 這是我最後一次同甘默林將軍見面。他是一位愛國者，一位好心的人，對軍事很精通，毫無疑問，他是有許多話可說的。 【１】 【１】他的著作：《軍中記事》（Servir）。並未闡明他本人在戰爭中的舉措，也沒有說明戰爭的一般過程。 甘默林將軍的意見的主旨，而且的確也是法國最高統帥部以後提出的所有意見的主旨，就是強調他們的空軍處於劣勢，並迫切要求增派更多的皇家空軍中隊，轟炸機和戰鬥機都要，但首先是要戰鬥機。在其後的每一次會議上，直到法國淪陷為止，都一再請求增派戰鬥機去增援。在甘默林將軍提出請求的過程中，他說，不但需要用戰鬥機來掩護法國陸軍，也需要用戰鬥機來阻止德軍的坦克。我針對這一點說道： 不然，阻止坦克是炮兵的事。戰鬥機的任務是掃清戰場的上空。我們的首都空軍戰鬥機隊無論如何也不能離開不列顛，這是非常重要的。我們的生存有賴於它。不過，現在需要把它縮減到最低限度。在我動身前的那天上午，內閣授權我再調四個戰鬥機中隊到法國。我們回到大使館同迪爾商談以後，我決定要求內閣批准再增派六個中隊。這就使我們國內只剩下二十五個戰鬥機中隊了，這是最後極限。作出這一決定是使人左右為難的。我告訴伊斯梅將軍給倫敦打電話，通知內閣立即開會，以便討論我的一封緊急電報，這封電報大約一小時以後即可發出。伊斯梅用印地語通電話，因為事先曾安排了一名印度陸軍軍官在他的辦公室值勤。我的電報如下： 一九四○年五月十六日下午九時 內閣如能立即開會考慮下列事項，我將感到欣慰。局勢極端嚴重。瘋狂的德軍從色當突破後，發現法軍部署不當，許多是部署在北方，其他在阿爾薩斯。至少需要四天才能調集二十個師來防守巴黎和進攻凸出部的兩翼，目前這個凸出部寬達五十公里。 三個（德國）裝甲師連同兩個或三個步兵師已經衝過缺口，另有大批部隊在他們後面兼程前進。因此，有兩個嚴重的危險。第一，英國遠征軍大部將得不到掩護，難以退出戰鬥，撤至舊防線。第二，在法軍能夠充分集結軍隊進行抵抗以前，德軍的進攻將使法軍的戰鬥力消耗殆盡。 已經下令不惜任何犧牲保衛巴黎，可是已在花園中焚燬外交部的檔案。我認為今後的兩三天或四天，對於巴黎而且可能對於法國陸軍是具有決定的意義的。因此，我們必須面臨的問題是：我們除援助四個戰鬥機中隊以外法國對於這四個中隊非常感激是否還能增派更多的戰鬥機中隊，還有我們大部分的遠程重轟炸機，是否能在明天和明天之後的幾個夜間轟炸正在渡默茲河湧向凸出部的大批德軍。即便這樣作，結果如何，尚難保證；但是，除非凸出部這一仗能夠打勝，否則法國的抵抗就可能像波蘭的抵抗那樣迅速崩潰。 我個人覺得，我們應該在明天調來他們要求的戰鬥機中隊（即增派六個中隊），並且集中法國和英國一切可以調用的空軍，在以後的兩天或三天中控制凸出部的上空，目的不是為了保衛那個局部地區，而是為了給法國陸軍一個恢復士氣和集結力量最後的機會。如果拒絕他們的請求從而招致他們的毀滅，這在歷史上將是不好的。還有，我們無疑是能夠調派強大的重轟炸機隊進行夜間轟炸的。看來，目前敵人已將空軍和坦克全部投入戰鬥中。我們不應低估他們的前進在有力的反擊下將遇到的日益增加的困難。我想，如果此間完全失敗，我們依然能夠把我們自己剩下來的空中打擊力量轉用於協助我們的英國遠征軍，萬一他們被迫撤退的話。我再次強調目前局勢已極端嚴重，並陳述我的意見如上。請告訴我你們打算怎樣做。迪爾同意我的意見。我必須在午夜以前得到答覆，以便鼓舞法國人。用印地語打電話到大使館給伊斯梅。 大約在十一點半鐘回電來了。內閣說：同意。我立即偕伊斯梅乘車去雷諾的官邸。我們發現他的官邸有點兒黑沉沉的。過了一會兒，雷諾穿著睡衣從臥室裡走了出來，於是，我把這個好消息告訴他。十個戰鬥機中隊！我勸他派人去請達拉第先生，達拉第先生立即應召前來總理官邸，聽取英國內閣的決定。我希望，盡量在我們有限的力量許可的範圍內，能夠用這種方法，使我們的法國朋友重新振作起來。達拉第一直一言未發。他從椅子上慢慢站起來，同我緊緊握手。我大約在清晨二點鐘回到了大使館，睡得很好，儘管零星空襲的炮聲不時使人輾轉翻身。早晨我乘飛機回國，儘管還有其他應辦的急事，我卻首先要抓緊遴選新政府第二級人員的工作。