Chapter 65 Volume 2, Chapter 23, Tensions in September

Air battle climaxes fighter pilots exhausted signs of imminent invasion bombardment of barges massed by hostile forces disappoints British munitions policy I issue General Directives survey of materiel requirements for 1941 an eight-month program I Memorandum on Priorities Issued in October Concerning Backward Arms Continental and Egypt at its Most Stressful Stage The Danger of Fog Requires Ammunition and Aircraft Production at the De Wilde Works Achievements in the Implementation of the Policy of the Establishment of Shock Forces September 13th Grazia Marshal Ni's troops advanced and they halted at Sidi Barrani in Malta. The disaster they feared did not happen.

For those charged with commanding the Battle of Britain, September, like June, was a time of extreme tension.As I said before, everything we do depends on the success or failure of the air battle, which is still going on extremely intensely and is gradually reaching a climax.Looking back now, it can be seen that the RAF victory of 15 September marked a decisive turning point.However, it was not obvious at the time, and it was also difficult for us to determine whether there would be more violent air strikes and how long the air strikes would continue.Clear weather favors large-scale air battles during the day.So far we have welcomed air combat, but when I visited Maj. Gen. Parker at Eleventh Fighter Group Command in the third week of September, I noticed that this welcome There has been a slight but noticeable shift in attitude.I asked about the weather and they told me that good weather was expected for a few days.However, good weather is not as popular as it was at the beginning of the month.I have a distinct feeling that if the weather suddenly turns bad, it won't be seen as a bad thing.

While I was sitting in Parker's office with several officers, an officer brought in a notice from the Air Department that all de Wilde ammunition stocks had been depleted.The ammunition from this factory is the favorite of fighter pilots.Factories producing ammunition have been bombed.I saw that this was a heavy blow to Parker.However, when he took a breath and paused for a while, he said boldly: "We didn't have this kind of ammunition before, and we fought wars. We don't have it now, and we can continue to fight as usual." In my conversations with Lieutenant General Dowding, who often drives from Uxbridge to Checkers on weekends, it became clear to me that Air Combat Command was in an extremely tense situation.I paid close attention to the weekly figures, which showed that as long as the enemy's air attacks did not intensify, we had enough aircraft.But the chart doesn't reflect the mental and physical strain on pilots.Notwithstanding their noble spirit of sacrifice, often by the ratio of one to five or six against their enemies, and although their awareness of their repeated victories and the enemy's heavy losses gives them the upper hand, there is always a limit to human endurance. .There are times of exhaustion both mentally and physically.I thought of Wellington's mood that afternoon at Waterloo: May God come tonight or let Blücher come.

This time, we don't need Blücher to come. [1] Blucher, translator of the Prussian Field Marshal who fought against Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo Meanwhile, signs of an imminent German invasion were growing.From our aerial photography we can calculate no fewer than 3,000 self-propelled barges congregating in Dutch, Belgian, and French ports and estuaries.It is difficult to determine whether larger reserve ships were assembled at the mouth of the Rhine or in the Baltic Sea, which is still open to the Kiel Canal.In my study of the German invasion I have given reasons for my belief that, if they come, we will strike them head on, so that they will not come but continue to watch for the moment.But week after week I could not help but feel a sense of dread as I watched the preparations for an invasion intensify, from aerial photography and spy reports.This feeling will gradually take over you.A formidable foe who will not come unless victory is assured and planned according to the German's careful thinking.Will there be a surprise attack?Will they have tank landing craft or some other smarter contingency?What else are they missing?All our nightly bombardment was focused on the ports of departure from which the Germans were preparing to invade, where they seemed to be conducting boarding and disembarkation exercises with barges and other vessels every night.Aerial photography shows the results of our bombardment of large numbers of barges congregating in the harbor or moored around the wharves.I was disappointed several times.

Prime Minister to Air Secretary September 23, 1940 The impression I get from these photographs is that the bombers are clearly incapable of hitting the massed barges.I imagined that a few blasting bombs would be thrown in succession along the rectangular line of ships, and there would be confusion; and I found that, except for a few barges at the entrance of the harbour, which had apparently been damaged, the rest were safe and orderly, This is indeed a big disappointment. Is there no way to improve it? I have recounted that the Chiefs of Staff always believed that a German invasion was imminent, whereas I was skeptical and expressed the contrary opinion.Even so, I cannot suppress the excitement that arises from weighing events over a long period of time.Indeed, every nerve of ours is tense.The prudence and shrewdness of our commanders, the heightened vigilance of our present formidable army, and the courage and fearlessness of our people make us ready in every possible way.

Our whole wartime production and its priority should now be re-examined in the light of our exclusion from the Continent.In this work I have been in constant discussion with the Minister of Munitions and other concerned persons.At the beginning of this month, after a lot of effort and careful checking by a few people around me, I drew up for the cabinet a general directive on munitions to guide our munitions work in 1941. military situation Prime Minister's Memorandum September 3, 1940 1. The navy may make us lose the battle, only the air force can defeat the enemy.Therefore, we must use our best efforts to win overwhelming superiority in the air.Fighters are our savior, but only bombers can be our means of victory.

Therefore, we must develop air power to carry an increasing number of bombs to Germany, completely destroy all industrial and scientific establishments on which the enemy's operations and economic life depend, and at the same time contain the enemy at an appropriate distance, so that he cannot approach our homeland .At the present time we cannot expect any other means of overcoming the great German military power, which would prevent Germany from gaining any success by throwing her forces into Africa or the East.Therefore, the air force and its large-scale activities should take precedence over the navy and army, subject to the conditions described later.

2. The method of blockade is obsolete and no longer works for Germany because they have conquered a large area and can plunder the occupied country or threaten the people to serve their interests.There is no longer any important special material that, if controlled, would affect German operations.At present, the Navy feels somewhat inadequate in its task of keeping lines of communication open, but, thanks to new measures taken by the Admiralty, the arrival of American destroyers and the increasing number of submarines being produced in our shipyards, the situation is expected to improve significantly improvement.The Admiralty should give attention to the planning of offensive operations, and to bombarding the enemy or enemy-occupied coasts, especially those in the Mediterranean Sea.Before receiving another order, the production of anti-submarine ships should be carried out at the highest speed without any relaxation.The Navy's plan is not very incompatible with the Air Force, and should free up some armor plates for tanks.

3. The resolution that the strength of the army should be increased to fifty-five divisions as soon as possible does not seem to require further consideration.Within this figure we should have ten armored divisions, five in the spring and seven in the summer, for a total of ten by the end of 1941.To carry out these munitions supply plans, our arsenals should go all out.In principle, I agree with the Minister of Munitions (Mr. Herbert Morrison) with regard to the scheme of dealing with the problem of munitions, and think that the scale of the cannon fire of 1917-1918 cannot be used in this war .

4. Great efforts must be made to complete the equipping of our native and Middle Eastern armies. The most serious weaknesses are: ammunition for tanks and small arms, especially special types; anti-tank guns and anti-tank guns, especially their ammunition; mortars, especially mortar shells; and rifles .We hope to receive another 250,000 rifles from the United States, but have the misfortune to learn that no more than 500,000 more will be manufactured before the end of 1941.Of course, with the large number of our regular army going overseas, the National Guard and Garrison will inevitably be required to defend our homeland with a number far exceeding the current number.It is extremely necessary to greatly increase the productivity of rifles.

5. The danger of invasion does not disappear with the approach of winter, and Germany may use novel means against us in the coming year.As the war progresses, the enemy feels more and more the need to defeat us, and they may design various means of crossing the sea that have not yet been seen.It should be considered that actual invasion is always threatening us, but that threat may not be realized as long as the island is heavily garrisoned.Otherwise, the only major theater that could be expected in 1940-1941 was the Middle East.There we must commit as many British, Australian, and Indian troops as sea freight and local provisions will allow.We should expect that we will fight in Egypt and Sudan, in Turkey, Syria or Palestine, and possibly Iraq and Persia.Fifteen British divisions, six Oceanian divisions and at least six Indian divisions should be prepared for these battles, but these divisions are not outside the above-mentioned fifty-five divisions.One would not imagine that arms spending would approach the scale of the last war.Air and mechanized units will be major factors. 6. We may also conduct amphibious offensive operations against the enemy and the areas occupied by the enemy in Europe or North Africa.However, the arms and materiel required for such operations shall be allocated from those mentioned in general above. 7. In view of the enormous size of the German Army and Air Force equipment, our task, as the Minister of Munitions rightly reminds us, is indeed very difficult, but this war is by no means a war in which large numbers of men drop large numbers of shells at each other.Only by inventing new weapons, especially with the guidance of science, can we deal most effectively with the superior forces of the enemy.For example, a series of inventions are currently being worked on to detect and hit enemy aircraft, whether in the air or on the ground, regardless of sight.If these inventions fulfill the expectations we have placed on them, not only the strategic situation but also the military situation will be greatly improved.If weapons firing non-rotating projectiles could obtain ammunition, guides, and other auxiliary devices, the hit rate would be three or four times higher than it is now, and the work of reoccupying the air from the ground would be a big step forward.The Navy would regain much of the freedom of action and power it previously enjoyed to conduct offensive operations.The army can land at many points without encountering the dangers of Namsos.We must therefore give as much priority to the air force as we do to the whole field of radio direction finders (radars), with its many sophisticated devices and promising prospects, and which is, in fact, a major part of the air force.Increasing the number of high-level scientific personnel and training those who will operate and conduct research related to this new weapon in the future are our priorities and efforts.Although it is too early to change the existing plan, it can be expected that this will result in significant savings in anti-aircraft guns and ammunition. [1] At Namsos (Norwegian port translator) defenseless against enemy air attack. 8. Before the spring of 1941, there was no apparent need for large expenditures or the depletion of armaments, except that a large-scale invasion by the enemy seemed unlikely.Although fierce and decisive fighting in the Middle East is likely at any time, the number of troops and expenditure will be limited because of the difficulty of transporting reinforcements and munitions.Thus, if left undisturbed, we shall have eight months in which to greatly improve the production of military equipment, during which time a steady and rapid accumulation of munitions can be expected.All our sources of credit and raw materials, especially skilled labor, must be concentrated on this use. My colleagues all agreed with this policy, and the ministries immediately acted upon it. In October, I found that I had to add a memorandum concerning priorities, which created a fierce competition among the various departments, each striving to claim its own. priority prime minister's memorandum October 15, 1940 1. The highest priority, in terms of personnel and material, shall be given to what we call the radio sector.This sector requires scientists, radio specialists, skilled labor at all levels and advanced materials.Our success in combat and our future strategy, especially that of the Navy, will depend to a large extent on this progress.We must greatly improve the accuracy of our anti-aircraft guns and provide more effective protection for our warships and ports.We must not only advance research and experiment work from all aspects with confidence, but also work hard to produce, and after several setbacks, we will surely succeed. 2. In order to implement the approved target plan, priority should be given to the production of aircraft.It is the duty of those in the departments concerned to do everything possible to avoid the abuse of this priority and unnecessarily hinder other important departments. To this end they should plan in advance the labor and supplies required on a quarterly, or, if practicable, monthly basis, so that all surplus is immediately available for other uses.In the exercise of priority, it cannot be considered that aircraft production can completely monopolize the supply of any limited materials.If this happens, namely: If the approved demand of the aircraft production department occupies the entire supply, even though it will damage the aircraft production, a part of it must be specially allocated for the minimum basic needs of other departments or other aspects.Any objection to such allocation shall be submitted to the Cabinet for decision. 3. At present we shall establish five armored divisions and armored brigades equivalent to three other divisions.This is not enough.We cannot hope to outnumber the enemy, so the number of armored vehicles must be particularly large.Ten armored divisions was our goal by the end of 1941.Therefore, the Army should carefully review their need for motorcycles and purchase motorcycles in bulk from the United States.The home defense forces defending the island, with all the highly developed means of communication, do not have the same means of transport as the divisions fighting abroad.They should try to solve it at their discretion.A staff officer who acts only from ideals can do no good to the country by asking too much, because he only knows how to increase his demands until the total is too great to handle.Reports should be made on motorized vehicles and the following British divisions on the first, second and third lines of defense: (1) foreign combat forces, (2) Homeland Defense Forces, (3) Coast Guard. Any attempt to make use of the problem and create difficulties will be detrimental to us at this moment of material shortage. In England, horse-drawn vehicles should be used whenever possible to supplement motorcycles.We have unwisely sold many of our horses to Germany, but there are still plenty of them in Ireland. 4. Special assistance and occasionally temporary priority should be given to the production of backward weapons. Among these weapons, the following two should be mentioned in particular: (1) RIFLE. (2) Small arms ammunition especially special types of ammunition.Active efforts should be made to bring new plants into production.Before the end of the year, that is, sixteen months after the outbreak of the war, there was hardly any improvement, which is very serious.Twelve months are enough to set up an ammunition factory.We were lucky to escape the worst consequences of this error, because the army did not go into battle as originally expected. The production of mortar shells and anti-tank shells is particularly unsatisfactory and must be improved. The production of this backward weapon should be one of the contents of the weekly reports submitted to the Production Committee and to me. 5. The Navy should exercise its existing priorities in the construction of small ships and anti-submarine vessels.This also applies to the construction of merchant ships and landing craft.Delays should be allowed for all larger ships that cannot be completed within 1941.A plan must be made to advance all processes and components that do not conflict with priority needs.Try to order steel plates and armor plates from the United States. By mid-September the threat of invasion seemed so imminent that it was no longer possible to send significant troops east, especially since they had to circumnavigate the Cape of Good Hope.The situation in the Dover area was so urgent that after my visit there it was decided to suspend the redeployment of the New Zealand Army and the two remaining tank battalions to the Middle East for a few weeks. At the same time, I also had three fast transport ships, which are called Glenn (company) ships, in case of emergencies to be rushed across the Mediterranean. PM sends General Ismay to Chiefs of Staff Committee September 17, 1940 Under no circumstances could the New Zealand Brigade be withdrawn from its forward position at Cape Dover.The two battalions of patrol tanks were also not allowed to leave.Wouldn't it be better to postpone the delivery of Australian troops until the third week of October for the entire convoy to sail? In short, the troops circumnavigated the Cape of Good Hope and could not arrive in time to help the imminent war in Egypt.But here, they can play a great role.Perhaps by the third week of October the Admiralty might be ready to take a greater risk.In any case, it would be unacceptable for the New Zealand troops and these tank battalions not to be able to fight on either of the two battlefields throughout October. prime minister to general ismay September 19, 1940 Be careful not to let the Glenn go, or else you won't be able to send reinforcements of armor via the Mediterranean when the need is urgent and worth the risk. I hate to be told that there are no suitable ships available. Please advise, if we decide to send a convoy from the west of the Mediterranean to the east in the third week of October, what other ships are available? Although it is a sunny September, we are wary of the haze. Prime Minister to Colonel Jacobs 16th September 1940 Please send a copy of this report from the First Sea Lord (Regarding enemy landings in the fog) to the Chiefs of Staff Committee for forwarding to the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Defense Forces , and add this to this report: I consider fog to be a most serious danger, because it hampers the operations of the air forces of both sides, it hinders our artillery, it hinders the organized bombardment of our navy, and it is especially advantageous Use infiltration tactics against the enemy to establish a landing base.In case of fog, the most violent aerial bombardment must be dropped at night and early morning on the ports from which the enemy is about to invade.I would like to know what the Navy intends to do with the small fleet at night and dawn under the following weather conditions: (1) if the fog over the English Channel is thick on the British side and thin on the French side; (2) if The fog is the same on both sides. Are we suggesting the use of radio to aid in navigation? Under constant bombardment, the enemy will be exhausted from waiting for a long time. Still, fog is our enemy. In spite of all these dangers, do not overtire your soldiers. prime minister to general ismay September 18, 1940 Please consult the Chiefs of Staff Committee as to whether level 1 alert can be eased to level 2 due to severe weather.Please report to me on this. prime minister to general ismay September 18, 1940 Inquire if there is any way of spreading a layer of flammable oil on the harbor or harbors from which the enemy is about to invade.This is just the old trick of burning warships with a modern improvement. It was tried in Dunkirk during the Spanish Armada era. [1] The Admiralty will certainly come up with something. [1] When the Spanish Armada attacked England, Lord Seymour led several warships to station in Dunkirk to monitor the 20,000 ground troops commanded by the Duke of Palma in Spain. Attack the Spanish fleet in the grams of sea.translator Prime Minister to Minister of Armaments September 18, 1940 Ammunition from the De Wilde factory is extremely important.The Eleventh Fighter Group apparently considered the bombing of the factory a considerable blow.During the week you left Woolwich for your convalescence, the production fell to 38,000 rounds, for reasons I know very well, and I trust that it will recover.Please let me know your estimate for the next four weeks.If there is any hope of recovery, we may divert our reserves a little. Prime Minister to Minister of Armaments September 25, 1940 I hereby submit my comments on the latest production statistics for small arms and ammunition compiled by the Bureau of Statistics.These figures worry me immensely.De Wilde ammunition, in particular, was the most useful and took the hardest hit.It seems to me that the best effort should be made not only in the whole range of bullets No. 7 and No. 8, but also in de Wilde ammunition and armor-piercing shells. I deeply appreciate your difficulties.Tell me, what do you need me to help you overcome? I ask the reader to pardon me for the following memo. prime minister to secretary of the navy September 18, 1940 You can of course buy a new Navy ensign.I feel sad every morning when I see the dirty side. I am relieved by the results achieved by the newly established Aircraft Production Division. Prime Minister to Lord Beaverbrook September 21, 1940 It's very exciting to see the ramped up production numbers for fighters of all types from May 10th to August 30th.If you can plan the same figures for the coming 30th of September, then I will read them out to the Cabinet instead of circulating them.However, if the figures for September cannot be compiled until October, then I will read it out to the cabinet (with the copy in hand). You and your ministry have contributed a lot to the country. Prime Minister to Lord Beaverbrook September 25, 1940 This astonishing achievement under increasingly difficult circumstances compels me to ask you to convey the warmest thanks and congratulations of His Majesty's Government to the Aircraft Production Department under your presidency. The Secretary of War was in conflict with the War Office and the Army's prejudices on the question of commandos or stormtroopers; all summer and autumn I tried to help the Secretary of War in this matter. prime minister to secretary of state for war August 25, 1940 I've been thinking about our free conversation that night, and I thought I'd write to you because I've heard there's been a problem with the whole status of the Shock Troopers.We've been told there are no more recruits and their prospects are in flux.I thought, therefore, that I should write to tell you how deeply I feel that Germany made good use of the SA both in the last war and in this one.In 1918 it was the SA who carried out the infiltration which was so dangerous to us, and, in the last four months of 1918, the final defense of Germany was mainly carried out by many well-deployed and bravely fighting men. Soldiers in the machine gun positions are responsible.All these factors were intensified in this war.The defeat of France was caused by an incredibly small number of well-equipped German ‧ elite ‧ units ‧ troops, and then a large number of German troops followed to reorganize the conquered land and occupy it.If our combat operations are to take place in 1941, they must be amphibious in nature, and there must be many opportunities for skirmishes, all of which depend on the surprise landing of lightly armed and alert troops, who You must be good at acting like a pack of hounds, not in a large team like a regular army.Regular armies have now become so well organized, so complexly equipped, and transported so vast, that it is difficult to employ them in any time-critical battle. Therefore, for various reasons, we must realize the idea of ​​​​organizing stormtroopers or shock troops.I've asked for five thousand paratroopers, and we need at least ten thousand of these little fraternal regiments capable of lightning operations.Only in this way can certain positions be captured and then highly trained regular troops be given the opportunity to fight on a large scale. Therefore, I hope that before you take any action to change the policy previously adopted or to put all the volunteers assembled in a dilemma, please give me an opportunity to talk to you about this matter. The War Office's opposition was very persistent, and the lower the rank of the man, the stronger the opposition.To those who have spent their lives in the formal training of a standing army, it is indignant to think that the mass of irregulars in civilian clothes, loose and undisciplined, implicitly despises the ability and bravery of the regular army.The captains of many of our most elite regiments were outraged.What they can do, what can my battalion not do?This plan deprived the whole army of its prestige and its best officers and men.We did not do this in 1918, why do we do it now?It is easy to understand, if not sympathize with, such feelings.The War Department listened to their grievances, but I held on tight. prime minister to secretary of state for war September 8, 1940 You told me that you totally agree with what I've said about these special forces and that you want to end the precarious situation they're in.Unfortunately, these forces have so far not been aware of any arrangements.They don't know yet that there is no plan to disband them.Although there is a list of applicants, all recruitment has been halted, and they are not even allowed to call up those who volunteer and are approved.Although these troops are composed of our best and highly trained personnel, their current equipment is only rifles. It would be a huge waste to throw them into the dogfight against aggression.I hope that you can guarantee that your order will be carried out immediately.Or explain to me what hinders your decision from being carried out.In my long experience in the military service I have felt that there is often a danger that anything contrary to the prejudices of the army will be thwarted or delayed by the lower ranks of the establishment.To solve this kind of problem, the only way is to make an example of others.When your subordinates see this situation, you can command as you wish. If you could have dinner with me tonight, maybe you'd tell the story. prime minister to secretary of state for war September 21, 1940 I am dissatisfied with the state of equipment of the assault force.Not giving them enough equipment for training, even less equipment for combat, is tantamount to wasting excellent talents. Please report to me on the following points: (1) What equipment has been issued to each assault force? (2) What is the size of the equipment required for these units? (3) What equipment can be given to them immediately for training purposes? I would like to have a weekly statistical table detailing the equipment of each assault force. Prime Minister to Commander-in-Chief of the Home Defense Forces (Sir Alan Brooke) September 21, 1940 We have often heard how the Germans will invade my vast coast, that they intend to land with 250,000 men, and then develop promising landing sites.In response to such an attack of the enemy, the defense organization of our coast seems to be very well deployed.The difficulty of defending an island against sea invasion often lies in the concentration of the enemy's superior forces at a certain point.But if the enemy's forces are too sparsely dispersed, even if the majority manage to land, they will encounter equal or superior forces scattered all over the coast.This creates a situation where one weak front faces another weak front.Since I can immediately imagine that the enemy will attack with concentrated forces, advance, and then attack our weak lines with large forces, it is difficult for me to see that the enemy will land with many small forces, none of which have Enough to break through my well-organized coastal defenses, so what's the use.If they lose 100,000 men while crossing the sea, and another 150,000 are blocked on shore, such a landing must pay a heavy price, and the enemy has suffered a great deal before our reserves are engaged lost.Therefore, if the rumored German landing plan is really going to be implemented, I think it will suit our wishes very well.It would be much more dangerous if they attacked specially selected points with heavy forces. Maybe you'd like to talk about it when we meet next time! It now appears that we were less apprehensive about the Italian attack on Egypt than Marshal Graziani, who directed it.Ciano wrote in his diary: August 8, 1940.Graziani came to visit. During his conversation, he regarded the attack on Egypt as a very serious matter, and said that our current preparations are far from perfect.He attacked Badoglio, saying that his failure to curb the leader's aggressiveness showed that for a man who understood Africa, he must have been indecisive, or worse, ill-intentioned.There is a great shortage of water there.We are going to lose, and in the desert a losing battle is bound to bring about a swift and general collapse. I reported this to the leader, who was extremely troubled, because the last time he had spoken to Graziani, he had got the impression that an attack was about to begin within days.Graziani didn't mention the date to me.He was not at all willing to attack, or at any rate not for two or three months.Mussolini concluded his talk by saying that the task should be given to those who wished at least to rise one level, while Graziani's only concern was how to keep his marshal position. 【１】 [1] "Ciano's Diary", p. 281. A month later the commander-in-chief asked for another month's extension, but Mussolini replied that if he did not attack on Monday, he would be replaced.The marshal promised to obey. Ciano said: Never before has a military operation been conducted with such unwillingness from the commander. On September 13, the main body of the Italian army began the long-awaited move across the Egyptian frontier and advanced. [1] Their army consisted of six infantry divisions and eight tank battalions.Our covering force consisted of three infantry battalions, one tank battalion, three artillery squadrons, and two armored convoys.They were ordered to fight while retreating. Because of their qualities and the advantages of adapting to the desert, they are suitable for this method of warfare.The Italians began their attack by bombarding our positions near the frontier town of Sulum. When the gunpowder smoke and dust disappeared, the formation of the Italian army was very neat.In the front, motorcycle troops are neatly arranged in front, back, left, and right; behind are light tanks and several rows of motorcycle vehicles.The scene, in the words of an English colonel, was like a birthday party at Long Valley in Aldershot.[2]Faced with this majestic formation, the 3rd Coldstream Guard slowly retreated, while our artillery shelled the innumerable targets so magnanimously placed before them.Farther south, the enemy moved in two columns towards the vast desert south of the long mountain range, which runs parallel to the coast, and can only be crossed at the crater of the hell of Halfaya, which was the place where we fought in all subsequent battles. It all worked.Each Italian column had hundreds of vehicles, tanks, anti-tank guns, artillery in the front, and infantry in trucks in the center.We call this formation that they use many times a hedgehog.In the face of this vast force our troops retreated, taking every opportunity to strike at these erratic and indecisive enemies.Graziani later explained that he had decided at the last moment to change his plan and instead of encircle the desert, concentrate my entire army on the left flank in order to reach Sidi Barrani along the coast with haste.Therefore, this huge Italian team slowly advanced along the coastal road in two parallel routes.They attacked with infantry in trucks, batches of fifty vehicles each.For four days, the Coldstream garrison deftly retreated from Sulum to interconnected positions, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy as they retreated. [1] See the map on page 545 (page number of the original book. Translator). 【2】Aldershot is a town in Hampshire, England, thirty-five miles away from London, and is the location of the famous British military school.Birthday refers to the birthday of the Emperor.translator On the seventeenth, the Italians reached Sidi Barrani.We had forty casualties, while the enemy had ten times as many casualties as mine, and one hundred and fifty vehicles were destroyed.Here, the line of communication of the Italian army was extended by sixty miles; they stopped and planned to stay here for three months.They were constantly attacked by our small mobile columns and had serious difficulties in replenishing their supplies.齊亞諾說，墨索里尼起初是欣喜欲狂。他已負起這次進攻的全部責任，並且很驕傲地說他做得對，但是當輾轉過了幾個月以後，他的興頭便逐漸消失了。不過，我們在倫敦看來，在兩三個月之內，一定有一支比我們所能集結的部隊多得多的意軍，將再次發動進攻，企圖佔領埃及三角洲。另外，德軍隨時有出現於戰場的可能！當然，我們不能以為格拉齊亞尼在進軍後會長期按兵不動。我們有理由假定要在馬特魯港將打場大戰。在過去的幾個星期裡，我們迫切需要的裝甲部隊繞過好望角到來，沒有耽誤時間，產生不利的影響。 prime minister to secretary of state for war September 14, 1940 我希望裝甲旅能及時到達。我曾深信不疑能取道地中海安全運送該裝甲旅，從而避免擔心它不能及時到達的危險。不過，要記得，韋維爾將軍本人曾贊同海、陸、空軍幾位總司令的聲明，認為埃及的形勢不值得冒此危險。正是由於這篇聲明，才使我不能否決海軍部的反對意見，否則，我必斷然否決。 （限即日行動。） prime minister to secretary of state for war September 19, 1940 （請伊斯梅將軍過目。） 增援的裝甲部隊現已到達亞丁灣。我們深信，韋維爾將軍當已作好一切安排，以便把他們盡早投入戰鬥。I hope so. 沒有像比弗布魯克勳爵這樣的人在碼頭上等著把他們送往前線，使我感到遺憾。我們必須盡最大的努力。不知曾否考慮過以下的辦法比較妥善，即：經蘇伊士運河把這些車輛運往亞歷山大，並在前線附近卸下，或者，在蘇伊士集結專用列車和車皮、起重機以及其他設備。這兩個可供選擇的辦法應由此間審查。在此以前，先擬一份電報，探詢一下對這兩種辦法的意見以及韋維爾將軍現在作了哪些安排。對這件事情，每一天甚至每一小時都要抓緊。 我一直為馬耳他島提心吊膽，該島似乎毫無防禦能力。 首相致伊斯梅將軍轉帝國參謀總長一九四○年九月二十一日這封（來自馬耳他總督和駐軍總司令的）電報證實了我對馬耳他的憂慮。平均起來，每一個營要保衛十五哩的海灘防線，而且沒有值得一提的後備力量準備反攻，結果將使該島對於敵人的登陸部隊將束手無策。你不要忘記，我們並未控制馬耳他周圍的海域。因此，看來危險是極大的。我本來認為需要四個營，但是由於運輸艦隻從西地中海行駛困難，所以目前只好滿足於兩個營。我們必須覓得兩個精銳的營。在抽調方面顯然沒有不可克服的困難。 當我回憶這一切憂慮時，我想起了一個老人的故事，他臨終時在床上說，他生平曾經有過許許多多的憂慮，但是，他所憂慮的事卻大都沒有發生。對於我在一九四○年九月的生活來說，的確如此。德國在不列顛的空戰中遭到敗北。他們也未進行渡海入侵不列顛的嘗試。事實上，這時希特勒已把目光轉向東方了。意大利沒有加緊進攻埃及。繞航好望角遠道運去的坦克旅也及時到達，實際上，在九月間的馬特魯港的防衛戰中倒沒有用上，而是用在後來對我更為有利的一次戰鬥中了。在馬耳他遭受到劇烈的空襲以前，我們已經找到了增援的辦法，而且任何時候也沒有人敢在這個要塞島嶼試圖登陸。九月分就這樣度過去了。