Chapter 63 Volume 2 Chapter 21 Egypt and the Middle East

June, July, August, 1940 Mussolini prepares to invade Egypt Our fears in two places Italy's forces in North Africa massing troops towards the Egyptian border A string of beads Our covering forces hold the initiative I complain about spreading out the Kenyan front Palestine's Mediterranean short-cut transport tanks must go around the Cape of Good Hope Plan to cut off the Italian coast road from the sea The Cabinet's Middle East Committee General Wavell returned to Parliament for serious and intense discussions with him Instructions August 16 Consolidation of the Nile Corps to use Tactics Somalia Interlude A Grieving Setback Italy Surges Troops to Albania I Report the General Situation to the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand.

With France out of the war and Britain in a life-and-death struggle at home, Mussolini may have thought his dream of controlling the Mediterranean and rebuilding the Roman Empire was about to come true.Since he had no need to defend against the French in Tunisia, he could further strengthen the army he had assembled for the attack on Egypt.All eyes were on the fate of the British Isles, on the build-up of the invading German forces and the struggle for air supremacy.These are of course our first concerns.Many countries believe that we have only our last breath left.Our friends admire our composure and firmness of manner, but consider the foundations on which it rests to be shaky.

Even so, the War Cabinet was determined to devote all the manpower and material resources that could be saved from the decisive battle at home to the defense of all enemies who attacked Egypt.The Admiralty made the situation even more difficult by announcing that even military convoys could not pass through the Mediterranean because of the danger of air raids.All ships must circumnavigate the Cape of Good Hope.In this way, it is likely to be harmful to the Battle of Britain and not helpful to the Battle of Egypt.Oddly enough, everyone involved was calm and happy at the time, but writing about this period of time after the fact feels horrifying.

When Italy declared war on June 10, 1940, British intelligence estimated that we now know that the estimate was correct. Italy had twenty-one Fifteen thousand people were stationed in the provinces along the coast of North Africa.The distribution is as follows: in Tripolitania there are six regular divisions and two militia divisions, in Cyrenaica there are two regular divisions and two militia divisions, in addition to the border guards the equivalent of three divisions, for a total of fifteen divisions .British forces in Egypt consist of the 7th Armored Division, two-thirds of the Fourth Indian Division, one-third of the New Zealand Division, and, in addition, fourteen British Battalions and two Royal Artillery Regiments advanced organization), with a total of about 50,000 people.The defense of the western frontier and the security of Egypt's interior were drawn from these units, so that we were outnumbered in the field, and Italy had far more aircraft than we did.

During July and August, Italy took active actions in many places.The threat from Kassala extended to the west towards Khartoum.Panic prevailed in Kenya, fearing that the Italian Expeditionary Force would march four hundred miles south from Abyssinia toward the Tana River and Nairobi.Large numbers of Italian troops entered British Somalia, but all these anxieties were minuscule compared with the Italian invasion of Egypt, which was clearly being prepared on the largest scale. Not long ago, Mussolini sent troops to Egypt in the east without interruption.Even before the war, a broad road had been built along the coast from the main base in Tripoli, through Tripolitania and Cyrenaica to the Egyptian border.For several months, there has been frequent military movement along this road.In Benghazi, Derna, Tobruk, Badiya, and Sulum, arsenals were gradually built up and filled to the brim.The road was more than a thousand miles long, and along it were Italian barracks and supply depots, like a string of beads.

At one end of this road near the Egyptian border, Italy quietly assembled and deployed an army of 70,000 to 80,000 people with a large amount of modern equipment.In front of this army shone Egypt, the object of contention.Behind it stretches the long road back to Tripoli; and beyond that is the sea!If this army, gradually assembled over the years, can continue to advance eastward and defeat all the troops that try to block the way, its fate will be very bright.If it could gain access to the fertile lands of the delta, it would not have to go back the long way back.On the other hand, if bad luck strikes, few will survive.

By autumn the Italians numbered at least 300,000 in the field army and in a series of vast supply stations along the coast; any retreat to the west would be done only gradually and sporadically, even if uninterrupted by us.This takes many months.If the war on the Egyptian frontier was lost, if the front collapsed, if they were not given time to breathe, there would be nothing but annihilation, death in battle, or capture by us, but, in July 1940, It is not yet known who will prevail in this competition. At that time, our most forward defensive stronghold was the base point of the military depot in Port Matruh.

There is a good road westward to Sidi Marani, but from there to the frontier at Sulum there is no road capable of sustaining a permanent presence of large forces near the frontier.A small mechanized covering force was formed by some of our best regulars, including the 7th Hussars (with light tanks), the 11th Hussars (with armored cars), and two cars from the 60th Rifle Brigade battalion and a rifle brigade and two regiments of the Royal Motorized Horse Artillery.It had been ordered that as soon as the war broke out, they would immediately attack the outposts on the Italian frontier. Therefore, within twenty-four hours, the 11th Hussars crossed the border, unexpectedly attacked the Italian army that had not yet heard the declaration of war, and Some Italian troops were captured.The following night, June 12, they achieved a similar success; on June 14, with the 7th Hussars and a company of the 60th Rifle Brigade, they captured Capuzzo and Madarena. The blockhouse on the border, and captured 220 Italian troops.On the 16th they attacked further, destroying a dozen tanks, intercepting a convoy on the Tobruk-Badia road, and capturing a general.

In this small but fierce battle, our troops thought they were in a good position and soon realized that they were about to become masters of the desert.Before they encountered the enemy's main force or fortified stronghold, they went wherever they thought as if they were in no man's land, and in the fierce encounter they took a lot of spoils.When the armies of the two sides meet, the situation is quite different, and one side only occupies the places they presently occupy or rest, while the other side controls all the rest.I've seen it in the Boer War, where we had no ground except for the tiniest bit of fire within our barracks and bivouacs, and the Boers roamed about, wherever they liked. to where.

By this time the enemy was bringing in increasing forces from the west, and by mid-July they had recovered their frontier with two divisions plus parts of two more.At the beginning of August, our covering force was taken over by support elements from the 7th Armored Division, including the 3rd Colstream Guards, the 1st Regiment of the 60th Rifle Brigade, the 2nd Rifle Brigade, The 11th Hussars, a detachment of the 6th Royal Tank Battalion and two mechanized artillery squadrons of the Royal Horse Artillery, one of which was armed with anti-tank guns.Spread over a sixty-mile front, this small army continued to strike the enemy with greater and greater success.During the first three months of the war, Italy reported almost 3,500 casualties, of whom 700 were prisoners of war, and our losses were only a little over 150.Thus, in the first phase of Italy's declaration of war on the British Empire, the war began in our favor.

The Middle East Command, headed by General Wavell, suggested waiting for an Italian attack near the fortified position at Port Matruh.Until we can muster a regiment, this seems the only way to go.So I put forward the following tasks: First, gather the largest possible force to deal with the Italian invaders.In order to do this, we have to take risks in many other places.I am saddened by the fact that the military authorities allow forces to disperse.Of course, troops should be strengthened in Khartoum and the Blue Nile to defend the Abyssinian border under Italian occupation. However, the significance of leaving 25,000 people, including the South African Federation Brigade and two elite West African brigades, idle in Kenya Woolen cloth?In late 1907 I traveled some places north of the Tana.This is a beautiful wilderness, but there is not enough food.The idea that Italy intended to trek four or five hundred miles to Nairobi with 15,000 to 20,000 expeditionary troops armed with artillery and modern equipment seemed ludicrous.Behind the Kenyan front lay Uganda's broad-gauge railway.We have controlled the sea, and we can move our troops by sea and rail. This kind of convenience cannot be compared with the enemy's land transportation.Given our superiority in communications, it would be to our advantage to fight the Italian Expeditionary Force as close as possible to Nairobi and the Broad Gauge Railway. Therefore, there is no need for a large army there.Where these armies are more needed is in the Egyptian Delta.Some realization of my opinion was obtained only after a long and violent struggle with the vague notion of fortification everywhere. I tried my best to draw troops from Singapore, and the Australian divisions that had already arrived in Singapore were transferred first to India for training, and then sent to the deserts of West Africa.The situation in Palestine is different.We have many elite troops scattered in Palestine: an Australian division, a New Zealand brigade and our own elite Zodiac cavalry divisions, all equipped or about to be equipped with armored vehicles; , and a large number of administrative staff.It is my intention to arm the Jews of Tel Aviv to fight tenaciously against any invader provided they have the proper weapons.At this point, I've run into all sorts of resistance.The second thing on my mind was to secure the free navigation of the Mediterranean Sea against the weak Italians and serious air menace, so that the island of Malta would be impregnable.In my opinion, the most important thing is that the military transport fleet, especially the tank and artillery ships, can pass the Mediterranean Sea without having to go around the Cape of Good Hope.Seems like a lot of risk is worth taking to get there.Sending a division from England to Egypt by way of the Cape of Good Hope, this division will not be able to take part in the war anywhere for three months, but these three months are very precious, not to mention the number of divisions we have .Finally, there is our island, which is currently under threat of direct invasion.How much troops can we draw from our homeland and general bases to defend the Middle East? As indicated in my telegrams and memorandums, from July 1940 onwards I became more and more preoccupied with the situation in the Middle East.That long road along the coast has been weighing on my mind.I have repeatedly thought of landing from the sea with a light and strong army, to cut it off.Of course we didn't have proper tank landing craft then, but we should be able to design one for this kind of military operation.If this operation is combined with a major battle, it will be to our advantage to disperse the enemy's forces on the front line. prime minister to general ismay July 10, 1940 Please refer the following to the Chiefs of Staff Committee: Is there a plan in place to move a large force from Libya to the Egyptian border and cut off the coastal car roads that the enemy basically relies on for transporting supplies of all kinds?Air strikes or bombardment from the sea are not enough.However, if we use a few elite brigades to occupy a few towns or other suitable strongholds on the enemy's communication lines, with the support of the navy, the enemy can be harassed for a long time, and many troops must be mobilized to deal with them. Let's go and raid another location.Of course, such an operation could only be effective after the majority of the enemy forces had passed the intercept point. Perhaps the desert itself would provide the enemy with free transport of supplies.I wonder if this is the case, and if so, why did the Italians spare no effort to build this long road? As to why it was not possible to formulate a proper plan, I still do not understand. In fact, our generals in the Middle East or Tunisia were never persuaded to try this, but in 1943 General Patton succeeded in making several detours of this nature during the capture of Sicily , and get clear results.It was not until 1944 that I was finally able to carry out such an experiment in Anzio[1].This time, of course, the scale was much larger; although the landing was successful, it was not as decisive as we had expected.But that's another story. [1] In 1944, the Allies attempted to break through the strong Italian defenses and occupy Rome, landing fifty miles north of Anzio on the Tyrrhenian coast.translator I very much hope that some ministers who are experienced in war and deeply concerned about this battlefield will actively talk about the situation in the Middle East. Prime Minister to Sir Edward Bridges July 10, 1940 I think it would be best to set up a small standing committee of ministers, including the Secretary of State for War (Mr. Eden), Secretary of State for India (Mr. Amory) and Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs (Lord Lloyd) to discuss the command of the war in the Middle East ( All three of them have great connections in this respect), and tell me what advice, as Secretary of State for Defense, I should make to the Cabinet.Please make appropriate arrangements for this.The Secretary of State for War has agreed to serve as chairman. Mr Eden reported to the committee the lack of troops, equipment and supplies in the Middle East, and the Chief of the Imperial Staff was equally disturbed.The committee urged that the far weaker armored divisions now in Egypt be fully equipped and recommended that a second armored division be dispatched as soon as troops could be drawn from home.The Committee of the Chiefs of Staff agreed with this conclusion, and the Reich Chief of the General Staff considered it necessary to time the deployment of troops at a time when the danger at home was decreasing and the danger abroad was increasing.On July 31, Mr. Eden thought that we could transfer some tanks from China within a few weeks. If we intend to ship them to the Middle East by the end of September, we must transport these tanks and other equipment via the Mediterranean Sea.In spite of the growing tension with regard to a German attack on my homeland, I fully subscribed to all such ideas, and I have repeatedly presented this extremely difficult choice to the Cabinet. I am also very concerned about other affairs in the Middle East. prime minister to general ismay July 23, 1940 Where is the 10,000-man South African Confederation Brigade?Why does it not participate in the war in the Middle East? Today, we have agreed to reinforce the South African Air Force with Tornados and other new aircraft.How is the cooperation in the Middle East campaign?What has been done by the ministerial committee on the Middle East that I recently ordered?Now that a large-scale naval battle in the Mediterranean is planned, it is even more necessary to use various methods to intensify and coordinate the attack on the Italian positions in Abyssinia.Be sure to send the report on the situation there so that I can consider it on Thursday morning. I feel that there is an urgent need to discuss with General Wavell himself the great pressing issues of the Libyan desert.I had never before met this distinguished officer, charged with such great responsibilities, and I asked the Secretary of State for War to send him home for a week's consultations, as the opportunity presented itself.He arrived on August 8th, had back-and-forth discussions with the staff, and had several long talks with me and Mr. Eden.At that time Middle East Command's work was unusually mixed with many extremely complex military, political, diplomatic and administrative issues.It took my colleagues and I, over a year's struggle, to understand that to manage the problem of supply it was necessary to distinguish between a Commander-in-Chief, a Secretary of State, and a Colonial Administrator. What are the responsibilities in the Middle East.I do not quite agree with General Wavell's great authority over the materials he possesses and disposes of, but I think it is best left to him.I admire his excellent qualities, and I am also touched by the confidence everyone has in him. These discussions were serious, both verbally and in writing.As usual, I put my arguments down in writing. Prime Minister to General Ismay to General Wavell August 10, 1940 I am very grateful to you for explaining to me in detail the situation in Egypt and Somalia.We still have to discuss the situation in Kenya and Abyssinia.I have mentioned the very strong army you have in Kenya, namely: the Commonwealth Brigade of 6,000 white South Africans, probably the only good army at present suitable for fighting in the open fields; and There must be no less than 2,000 East African immigrant troops, who have fully adapted to the water and soil of that place; the two West African brigades transported from the West Coast after many difficulties also have 6,000 people; Rifle Brigade; at least 20,000 men in all, perhaps more. When the fate of the Middle East and the outcome of many other things will depend on a war at Alexandria or the Suez Canal, why leave them all idle in Kenya, waiting for Italy to cross the difficult road south from Abyssinia Invasion, or let our army prepare to attack Abyssinia through such a difficult road, so as to delay the time? Of course, I don't know the actual situation on the ground, but I think that the reasonable deployment is to use East African immigration troops and the Emperor's African Rifle Brigade to garrison Kenya to contain the Italian army's southward advance.It was always easier to transport troops by sea than by land, and we were always able to reinforce them surprisingly quickly.This deployment allows the South African Union Brigade and two West African brigades to be transferred to the Egyptian Delta immediately, enabling you to obtain extremely valuable reinforcements at the decisive moment on the decisive battlefield.What good is command of the sea if troops are not swiftly transported back and forth from one battlefield to another?I believe I can persuade General Smuts to approve this transfer of the South African Union Brigade.You may perhaps give your opinion on the matter tomorrow night, as time is so short. Prime Minister to General Ismay to General Wavell August 12, 1940 1. I am not satisfied with the placement of the South African Union Brigade and the West African Brigade in Kenya. As deployed, these forces would be useless in the ongoing emergency offensive against Egypt, Khartoum and Somalia.To leave large numbers of troops idle while a desperate battle is going on elsewhere will always be regarded as the mortal wound of military action.It is said that the South African Union Brigade has not been trained to go into battle, and until I have additional information, I cannot accept this assertion.The Natal Carbines were much better trained than our Home Guard before the war broke out, and they seem to have been organized after the declaration of war.I do not understand why the South African Union Brigade is considered to be inferior to the British Homeland Defense Force on the whole.Anyway, they were good enough against the Italians.I'm already asking for detailed material on the organization and training of both. Two. In my opinion, the large number of Palestinian troops is not being used properly.The point of the present situation rests upon arming the colonial people of Jewish blood with sufficient strength to undertake their own defense, so that, if necessary, the entire defense of Palestine can be undertaken in a short period of time with only a small number of British troops.It should be recommended that most of the garrison be called up immediately, including the Zouaves.I do not understand how the Australian and New Zealand troops who have been training in Palestine for at least six months can only send one brigade to fight in Egypt.How many people are there and how are they trained?These men were transported at great expense from Australia to Palestine, and selected as the first volunteers to go to Europe to fight.Many of them had already received military training, and they had been training for nearly a year after the war broke out.It would be a great disgrace if, because of our mismanagement of this important army, only one brigade should be able to participate in the decisive battle in the defense of Egypt! 3. There is no doubt that it will be possible to transport two West African brigades to Khartoum via Port Sudan.It was good policy to mix native troops from all over the place, because one group could be used to keep the discipline of the other.These two brigades should be sent to Sudan immediately so that the Indian divisions can be used in Egypt or Somalia as soon as they arrive.If these two brigades are only used to station Kenya, then I don't understand why they should be transferred out of West Africa. 4. Please report the statistics of white immigrants who have reached the age of military service in Kenya.Do we think they haven't organized any local troops to defend their territory?If not, the sooner they are made aware of their situation the better.Apart from the immigrants and the Emperor's African Rifle Brigade, there should be no troops in Kenya at this time.In order to reinforce Egypt, we disregarded the dangers and difficulties at home. At this critical moment, it would be unacceptable not to make the best use of local troops. 5. Please inform us of the details of the two British divisions stationed in the Egyptian Delta. In this area, it would be misleading to think in terms of the number of divisions alone; nor can it be pleaded that these excellent regular troops are not yet properly equipped. 6. As for the fact that the enemy's armored troops and armored vehicles can move as freely in the desert as they do on the coastal roads, of course we need further research.This may mean a tracked vehicle, but if forced to drive long distances over rocky, unconsolidated desert, such a vehicle would suffer serious damage.In any case, vehicle transportation in the desert is difficult unless it is equipped with special widened Indian rubber tires for the desert.Are Italian vehicles so equipped and to what extent? 7. Regarding the long-term pollution of water wells or water sources that we do not need [1], what arrangements are there?Are there enough time-delayed blast fuses in place to lay mines on the soon-to-be-abandoned road?Be sure to send the longest-delayed ones, that is, at least fourteen days (but I hope longer), on the first ship bound for Egypt.Please investigate whether the chemical action of heavy petroleum or other treatments can be used to destroy asphalt as we abandon asphalt. 8. Please send a detailed and accurate report of all troops in the Middle East including Polish and French Volunteers and arrivals. [1] Make the water undrinkable.translator I would like to discuss the above points tonight. After a staff discussion on August 10, Deal, with Eden's enthusiastic approval, wrote to me that the War Department was arranging for the immediate dispatch of the following units to Egypt: A Patrol Tank Battalion consisting of fifty-two tanks , a light tank regiment (fifty-two tanks) and an infantry-tank battalion of fifty tanks, with forty-eight anti-tank guns, twenty light double-barreled automatic anti-aircraft guns, forty-eight anti-aircraft guns firing twenty-five-pound shells Field guns, 500 light machine guns, 250 anti-tank rifles and the necessary ammunition.Once loaded, set off immediately.The only question to consider is whether to circumnavigate the Cape of Good Hope or venture across the Mediterranean.I strongly urge the Admiralty (see next chapter) to ship directly by way of the Mediterranean.There has been much discussion on the latter point.At the same time, the cabinet approved the departure of the armored force on board the ship. As for which route to take, the final decision will be made when the fleet approaches Gibraltar.We still have options until August 26, when we shall have a better idea of ​​the urgency of any Italian attack.No time wasted.When we brace ourselves for a life-or-death situation, the decision to transfuse blood seems at once momentous and timely.No one expressed hesitation. The following directives, which we have discussed together, were finally drawn up by me and approved by the Cabinet and the Committee of Chiefs of Staff without any amendments. Prime Minister to Secretary of State for War and Chief of the Reich General Staff August 16, 1940 General Instructions to the Commander in Chief Middle East 1. It must now be expected that the enemy may attack Egypt from Libya at any time.Therefore, the largest possible army should be assembled and deployed on the western border and its vicinity.All political and administrative questions should be properly subordinated to this arrangement. 2. Now the enemy forces us to withdraw from Somalia, but this is convenient in strategy.All the troops originally stationed in Somalia or to be transferred to Somalia should be transferred to Aden, or to Sudan via Port Sudan, or to Egypt, as appropriate. 3. The importance of defending Kenya should be second to defending Sudan.When the crises in Egypt and Sudan were over, there would of course be time to reinforce Kenya by sea and by rail, before any major Italian expeditionary forces reached the Tana.It will be quicker for us to reinforce Kenya than for Italy to send troops from Abyssinia or Italian Somalia. 4. Accordingly, the two West African brigades or the two King's African Rifle Brigades should proceed immediately to Khartoum.I am asking General Smuts to allow the South African Union Brigade, or a substantial part of it, to be transferred to the Suez Canal area and the Egyptian Delta to secure the interior.Arrangements should be made for their continued training.I am requesting a report from the Admiralty on the Indian Ocean and Red Sea shipping possibilities. 5. In view of the fact that Italy may intensify its air strikes on the Red Sea after occupying British Somalia, it is important to strengthen our air force stationed in Aden. 6. Two brigades on standby for action in Palestine. One regular army brigade and one Australian brigade should now enter the Egyptian delta to clear the traffic in Palestine for the transfer of other reserve forces to field operations as soon as they are equipped, or for the responsible When internal security and organization are stopped, deployment can begin. 7. In any case, three or four regiments of British cavalry without horses should take over the necessary defense of the Suez Canal area, so that the three regular battalions there can serve as the general reserve of the Delta Field Army. 8. Accordingly, six battalions of other Australian troops stationed in Palestine could (also) move to the Delta at five days' notice to undertake internal policing or other urgent tasks.If convenient, the Polish brigade and the French Zouaves should also march from Palestine to the Delta to join the general reserve. 9. The Indian divisions who are currently boarding or in transit should speed up their deployment as much as possible.Unless it is deemed sufficient to reinforce the Sudan with the part of the army withdrawn from Somalia which is not needed in Aden, and reinforcements from Kenya, the whole division, which is urgently needed elsewhere, should immediately go to Suez, Joined the Delta Army (later known as the Nile Army).Besides this, at least three battalions of British artillery, notwithstanding the horse-drawn ones, should be immediately embarked from India for Suez.The Admiralty will arrange for the ships. 10. Most of the above mobilization work should be completed between September 15 and October 1. On this basis, the Delta Army should include the following units: (1) British Armored Forces in Egypt. (2) Four British battalions at Port Matruh, two at Alexandria, and two at Cairo, making a total of eight battalions. (3) Three battalions from the Canal Zone. (4) The British Reserve Brigade from Palestine consisted of fourteen battalions of British regular infantry. (5) NEW ZEALAND Brigade. (6) AUSTRALIAN Brigade from Palestine. (7) POLISH Brigade. (8) Part of the Commonwealth Brigade from East Africa. (9) 4th Indian Division now behind Matruh Port. (10) NEW INDIA DIVISION IN TRANSIT. (11) Eleven thousand men about to reach Suez as Rangers. (12) All artillery (one hundred and fifty guns) now in the Middle East or having sailed from India. the second part (13) THE EGYPTIAN ARMY THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR WAR. 11. The above-mentioned troops should be organized into thirty-nine battalions by October 1 at the latest, including armored units, with a total of 56,000 men and 212 cannons.Internal security forces are not included. 12. It is hoped that the Admiralty will transport the armored brigade consisting of three tank regiments drawn from Britain to the Middle East via the Mediterranean.Failing that, it is hoped that they will round the Cape of Good Hope in the first two weeks of October.It should be noted that this force was so necessary to arrive in September that it was worth the considerable risk of transport. the third part Tactical use of the above forces: Thirteen. The Matruh Port position must be thoroughly reinforced at the highest speed.The fan-shaped area defended by three Egyptian battalions should be defended by three British battalions, so that the troops are uniform.Even if the Egyptian government wants to remove the artillery from the three battalions, it will do so.It should be studied with the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet: Once the enemy passes through the port of Matruh while advancing towards the delta, whether we can reinforce the port of Matruh from the sea and cut off the enemy's traffic.Alternatively, it would be a good idea to attack Sulum's line of communication or a place further west. 14. All water sources from Port Matruh to the Alexandrian Line must be made polluted [1].There is also a dedicated annex on this point.On no account should an attempt be made to leave a few soldiers behind to guard the wells near the coast in this area.When necessary, the Fourth Indian Division should be withdrawn to Alexandria or withdrawn from the sea.The road from Sulum to Port Matruh, especially the asphalt road from Port Matruh to Alexandria, should be abandoned by using delayed burst mines or chemically treating the asphalt road surface to make it impassable. [1] This was a bad word used in place of undrinkable at that time.I'm very sorry. 15. From Alexandria, along the edges of the cultivated fields and the irrigation channels of the delta, a main line of defense must be prepared (and should have been prepared long ago), defended by the entire delta corps with properly deployed reserves.For this purpose, the strongest concrete, sandbag and blockhouse fortifications shall be constructed or completed from the coast to the cultivated areas and between the main irrigation channels.Pipelines ahead of this line of defense should be laid as quickly as possible.The delta area was the most effective barrier against tanks of all kinds and could easily be sandbagged to defend Egypt and create a very solid, extended flank of the Alexandrian Line.The flooding of the Nile should be used to create a flooded zone four or five miles wide, and the water level should be controlled from Aswan.A series of fortified strongholds, equipped with artillery, should be built in or behind this strip. In this posture, the Sixteenth Delta Army was waiting for the invasion of Italy. It was to be expected that the enemy would attack in great numbers, and that their only but serious limitations were the supplies of water and petrol.Unless armored reinforcements are brought in from Great Britain in time, the enemy will surely deploy a strong armored force on the right flank to surround or repel our weak army.Even if they can't attack, they can hinder Port Matruh.But if we spare no effort to strengthen the fortifications of the main line of defense in the delta and hold it firmly, they will have to evacuate their troops, so that the supply of water, gasoline, food and ammunition will be difficult.Once the enemy has dispersed and is involved in heavy fighting, we can attack from the port of Matruh, bombard from the sea, attack Sulum and even further west, and destroy the enemy's communication lines, which is very important to them. A fatal blow. 17. The campaign for the defense of the delta will therefore be as follows: hold on the left flank from Alexandria to the hinterland, extend the right flank, and attack the enemy's communications with naval forces.In the meantime, it is to be hoped that (our) reinforcements on the island of Malta will prevent the successive Italian or German reinforcements being transferred from Europe to Africa. 18. If we are given sufficient time, all this will be fully ready before October 1st.Otherwise we can only do as much as we can.All trained troops or regular armies, whether fully equipped or not, must be used to defend the delta.All armed whites and Indian or foreign troops must be used for internal policing.The Egyptian army had to be given a role in supporting the fight on the Delta front, so that in Egypt itself only rioting masses had to be dealt with. Please follow the above items, and please discuss with me in detail on August 16th at 4:30 pm. General Wavell returned to Cairo with this instruction in the third week of August. I am now obliged to relate a military episode, a minor incident, but at the time annoying.Italy drove us out of Somalia with troops far superior to ours.This passage should be described. 直到一九三九年十二月，我們對意作戰的策略是撤出索馬里； 但是，在那一個月，帝國總參謀長艾恩賽德將軍宣佈要防守這片領土，作為最後的一著，也要守住伯貝拉。擬構築防禦工事來保衛貫穿丘陵地帶的特格阿琴峽谷。一個英國營（蘇格蘭高地人團）、兩個印度營和兩個東非營，再加上索馬里的駱駝隊和一個非洲輕炮兵中隊以及反坦克炮和高射炮部隊的小支隊等，在八月初已經集結好了。韋維爾將軍在七月二十一日打電報給陸軍部說，不戰而退將有損我們的威望，而且，在以後採取攻勢行動時，索馬里可能是個有價值的基地。在他逗留倫敦的期間，戰鬥開始了，於是他告訴內閣中東委員會說，索馬里的喪失，雖然在戰略上無足輕重，但是對我們的威望卻是一個打擊。 八月三日，意大利的三個步兵營、十四個殖民地步兵營、兩個山炮大隊和配備中型坦克、輕坦克和裝甲車輛的幾個支隊開進了英屬索馬里。八月十日，這一大隊人馬向我們進攻，十一日晚，一位新任英國指揮官戈德溫｜奧斯丁將軍到達戰場。在給他的指示中說道，你的任務是阻止意大利人越過主要陣地在必要時可採取必要的撤退步驟。十二日和十三日都有戰事，敵人在強烈的炮擊後佔領了我們四個主要據點中的一個據點。十五日晚，戈德溫｜奧斯丁將軍決定撤退。他說，這是使我們免遭慘敗和殲滅的唯一途徑。中東司令部批准了撤退，並在強有力的後衛蘇格蘭高地人團營的掩護下順利完成。 我對這件事情非常不滿，它將作為我們唯一敗於意大利之手的戰役而載在史冊。這絲毫無損於這個保護國的英國軍隊和索馬里軍隊的官兵，他們用他們擁有的裝備盡到了最大的努力，並且服從了他們奉到的命令。意大利舉國歡慶，墨索里尼對他進攻尼羅河平原的前景十分高興，但是，韋維爾卻為當地的司令官辯護，認為戰鬥非常激烈。 鑒於我們共同的傳大事業，我不再強迫陸軍部或韋維爾將軍接受我的意見。 這時，我們的情報表明，意大利在阿爾巴尼亞的軍隊迅速增加，從而對希臘形成了威脅。德國為入侵英國所作的準備，規模逐漸加大，跡象也日益明顯，所以我們勢難減輕對德國和荷蘭河口以及法國港口的轟炸，在這些地方集結了大量的駁船。關於從本土抽調轟炸機中隊的問題，我還沒有打好主意。無論如何，詳盡制定計劃，才是聰明的辦法。說來也很奇怪，空軍除了在空中以外，是所有軍種中最不靈活的軍種。一個中隊可以在幾小時內飛到目的地，但是它所需要的設施、倉庫、油料、零件和修配車間則需要幾個星期甚至幾個月才能設置起來。 (Same day action only) 首相致空軍參謀長和伊斯梅將軍 一九四○年八月二十八日 請就在計劃派遣的兵力之外至少再調派四個重轟炸機中隊到埃及一事，向我提出方案。如果希臘在意大利的威脅下被迫參戰，這些中隊應盡量在便利於作戰的情況下從希臘的前沿基地出發作戰。在空襲意大利以前，可在那裡加油。有許多最好的目標，包括意大利艦隊在內，都是很容易襲擊的。 如果希臘參戰，從希臘出發作戰，比從沒有防禦的馬耳他出發作戰好。報告要短，簡單地說明辦法、困難和目的，並附上一個時間表就行了。勿需論及政策問題，政策問題由內閣國防委員會決定。擬定盡可能好的計劃，並不是說就一定要空軍部或其他任何人採用這個計劃，但是應竭盡全力來解決其中的困難。 用我在八月分送給澳大利亞和新西蘭總理的形勢報告來結束本章，是最好不過了，這個報告是我六月十六日的電報的補充。 首相致澳大利亞和新西蘭總理 一九四○年八月十一日 聯合參謀部正在草擬有關太平洋形勢的文件，但是我謹冒昧向你先簡短地談一下這個問題。我們極力設法避免與日本作戰，一方面，在那些可能由日本軍方造成決裂的若干問題上讓步；另一方面在不致於導致危險的問題上，比如在（日本人）逮捕人員方面，又堅持立場。我自己認為，除非德國進攻英國成功，否則日本不會宣戰。一旦日本看到德國失敗或不敢入侵英國，我認為太平洋的形勢即將好轉。當我們壓著胸中的怒火對日本的威脅採取退讓的政策時，我們始終是考慮到了你們的利益和安全的。 假如日本硬要對我們宣戰，它在黃海以外的第一個目標可能是荷屬東印度群島。顯然，美國是不喜歡日本這樣做的。 美國將採取什麼行動，我們不能預料。他們沒有答應支援，但是他們在太平洋的主力艦隊必然使日本海軍部深有顧慮。在一場英日戰爭的第一階段，我們當然要保衛新加坡，如果它受到攻擊看來似乎還不致於它應經受得起敵人的長期包圍。我們當然也要調派一艘戰列艦和一艘快速航空母艦駐在錫蘭，有了這些艦隻，再加上將來會調回你處的所有澳大利亞和新西蘭的巡洋艦和驅逐艦，對敵人巡洋艦的襲擊來說，就是一支頗為強大的威懾力量。 我們將用更多的一級戰艦來加強東地中海艦隊。這支艦隊自然可以隨時經蘇伊士運河調往印度洋，或去營救新加坡。 我們不希望這樣做，即使日本宣戰，我們也不這麼做；我們只是在發現對你們的安全有嚴重危害時，才準備這麼做。這一調動將使中東全部淪入敵手，而在地中海擊敗意大利的希望也將隨之消失。我們必須預料到，埃及在最近的將來會受到猛烈的進攻，需要東地中海艦隊去協助擊退敵人。如果敵人的進攻獲得成功，我東地中海艦隊便不得不從蘇伊士運河或直布羅陀撤離地中海。在這兩種情況下，艦隊的一大部分就可用來保衛你們。但是，我們希望留在埃及，並且在英日戰爭（萬一發生戰爭的話）的初期將東地中海艦隊留在亞歷山大。誰也不能事先斷定將來會發生什麼情況，我們只能逐天逐天地估量事態的發展，最大限度地利用我們現有的人力和物力。 最後一個問題是：日本宣戰之後，是否會用大量的軍隊侵入澳大利亞或新西蘭呢？我們認為未必如此，第一，日本現正陷入對中國的戰爭；第二，它要在荷屬東印度群島聚斂財富；第三，它不敢把它的艦隊的主力部分遠駛南方，讓美國艦隊插在它的艦隊和它的本國之間。如果日本硬要冒冒失失地違背其本身利益，大舉進犯澳大利亞和新西蘭，我在內閣的明確授權下向你們保證，那時，除了保證英國本島（我們的一切都有賴於這個島）的防禦和給養外，我們將不顧地中海的損失並犧牲一切利益，及時調派一支艦隊來支援你們，這支艦隊能夠對任何闖入澳大利亞海域的日本艦隻予以打擊，並且能夠抵擋任何侵略部隊，或者定能切斷入侵部隊與日本之間的交通。 無論如何，我們希望事態不會這樣演變。同日本人爭取時間，可能會渡過目前險惡的局面。現在我們國內的力量比五月間我向你們拍發電報的時候已大為增強了。我們有了一支正在開始完善地裝備起來的龐大軍隊。我們已經加強了沿岸的防務。我們已經有一支強大的機動後備隊，包括我們的正規軍以及澳大利亞、新西蘭和加拿大的分遣隊，並有若干裝甲師或旅，作好準備，對任何登陸成功的敵軍予以迎頭痛擊。我們已經從美國運來了他們大量援助我們的武器，大約有一千門大炮、六十萬支來福槍和充分的彈藥。由於解除了保衛法國的負擔，我們的軍隊一天比一天強大，軍火也逐漸增加。除此以外，我們還有一百五十萬人的國民自衛軍，其中許多還是退伍的軍人，大多數都有來福槍或其他武器。 皇家空軍繼續表現了以前那種在個人技術方面勝過敵人的優點，正如我在六月十六日給你們的電報中所說的，我對他們的成功，希望甚殷。昨天在英吉利海峽發生的一次大空戰表明，我們能以一對三的比例戰勝敵人，並且能以一架的損失換取敵人三架半的損失。比弗布魯克勳爵在製造最優秀的飛機方面又取得了驚人的進展。我們現有的戰鬥機和轟炸機的力量幾乎等於我上次給你們發電報時的兩倍，而且手中還有大批備用的飛機。我不認為德國空軍在數量和質量上能擊潰我們的空防。 海軍的力量也一月比一月強，我們現在已經開始驗收我們在宣戰時訂製的大批艦隻。在一九四○年六月到十二月間，有五百多艘船隻其中大的小的都有，但包括許多重要的艦隻將編入我們的艦隊。德國的海軍現在比以往任何時候都弱。沙恩霍斯特號和格奈森諾號都因受創而停在船塢，俾斯麥號還沒有試航，提爾皮茨比俾斯麥號還要晚三個月才能竣工。目前這兩個星期十分緊要，往後敵人要想登陸就為時太晚了，但是正是在這緊要時候，敵人只有一艘袖珍戰艦、兩艘配備八吋口徑大炮的希佩爾號兩艘輕巡洋艦，或許還有十來艘驅逐艦。敵人要想登陸成功，必須設法運輸大量軍隊，但是，面對著我們的海軍和空軍，在幾乎沒有護航的情況下，企圖把大量軍隊運過大海，那簡直是一種逆情背理的行為，他們必然遭到我們岸上強大軍事力量的迎擊，至於維持這樣一支軍隊，對登陸據點供應軍火和給養，那就尤其困難了。另一方面，假如希特勒在天氣突變以前不能登陸並佔領不列顛，那就表明他已受到第一次而且也可能是致命的挫折了。 因此，我們非常沉著，信心愈來愈大，深信我們有成功地保衛我們自己的力量，並且能堅持渡過一年或兩年，贏得最後勝利。