Chapter 127 Volume 4, Chapter 17, The Island of Malta and the Desert

General Auchinleck proposes to stay put for four months. He refuses my invitation to take him back home. We have a serious disagreement with the Commander-in-Chief. Sir Stafford Cripps is in Cairo on his way to India. But to no avail. Interrelationships between the island of Malta and the African desert. The situation in Malta is at stake. Hitler agrees to intervene in our efforts to get the convoy open. Lend me an aircraft carrier The island of Malta won the air battle In June, the convoy was divided into east and west, and only two of the seventeen ships reached the port. Talks between Germany and Italy, Mussolini decided to attack the island of Malta. General Dobby shouted for help. With the Wasp General Dobby was in poor health and Lord Gott was to succeed him Rommel planned an offensive General Auchinleck sought further delay We gave him a definite order to strike in June and he complied with my statement on May 20 My own military opinion on a strategic principle.

In February we saw that General Auchinleck was arguing for a continuation of the standstill for four months in order to start a second major battle against Rommel.Neither the Chiefs of Staff nor I nor my colleagues believed that another costly hiatus was necessary.We agree that while the Russians are fighting desperately and heroically along the entire vast front, the British and Imperial troops are supporting more than 630,000 men, and that reinforcements are coming in without hesitation, at great cost, It is sad to be idle for such a long period of time.Moreover, we felt that Rommel's forces might have grown even more rapidly than our own.These views were all the more correct by the resumption of the German air raids on the island of Malta and the consequent defeat of my means of preventing the German and Italian convoys from sailing to Tripoli.Finally, the island of Malta itself was threatened with starvation unless supplies were secured on a monthly basis.At this time, the fierce struggle to secure the island of Malta began, which intensified gradually throughout the spring and summer.

General Auchinleck, however, disagreed.This chapter will show that we gradually increased the pressure on him, and finally gave him a firm and formal order to attack the enemy, and it is better to launch a main battle than to sit by and watch the island of Malta fall.The Commander-in-Chief, acting on orders, made preparations for a general offensive during the twilight of the June months; at which time we planned to send a convoy of incomparable importance to the fortified island.However, his delay had caused him to lose the initiative, and it was Rommel who struck first. Prime Minister to General Auchinleck

February 26, 1942 I have not troubled you much in these difficult days, but now I must ask you what you intend to do.According to our statistics, your air force, armor, and other forces are far superior to the enemy.The danger seems to be that they might get reinforcements at the same rate as you, or faster.The supplies to the island of Malta are making us more and more anxious, and anyone understands what a disaster we are in the Far East. Please call back.Wish you all the best. In the meantime, General Auchinleck once listed in a 1,500-word report the various reasons why he did not rush to do it and why he ensured victory this time according to his own scheduled time.

On February 27, he reported that he maintained a strong and solid defensive position on the Gajala-Tobruk-Bir Hakam line, and that the enemy's attack on this position would be frustrated and suffered losses .The real value of this position is to provide security for Tobruk, thus establishing an ideal base for future offensive operations.His intention is to secure this position.He estimated his own manpower, material resources, and the rate at which they were likely to increase, and compared them with the estimated capabilities of the enemy, and said that he was fully aware of the strain on the defense of the island of Malta, and the recovery of Cyrenaica than his own. The need for a landing field closer to the forward edge remains now.Nevertheless, he thinks it is clear that a reliable numerical advantage cannot be achieved before June.In addition, a large-scale attack before that time would be in danger of being broken one by one, and it might also endanger the security of Egypt.

He concluded: In summary, my intentions on the Western Front are as follows: 1. Continue to establish the main offensive force of the armored force as soon as possible in the forward theater of the Eighth Army. 2. At the same time, as much as possible, strengthen the positions of Gachala|Tobruk and Salum|Madarena, and extend the railway line forward to Adem. 3. Establish a stockpile of munitions in the frontier for relaunching the offensive. 4. Take advantage of the opportunity of the first appearance, launch a limited offensive to regain the landing field in the Derna | Mekili area.The condition is: this offensive will not cause the main offensive to recover Cyrenaica to miss the time, or affect the security of the Tobruk area.

This document attracted the close attention of our Chiefs of Staff.We agree that, in short, this document states that nothing will be done until June, or even July, regardless of the fate of the island of Malta, and any other considerations the list goes on and on.After studying the whole matter thoroughly, I found that we had come to an agreement, and I sent the following telegram: Prime Minister to General Auchinleck March 8, 1942 The situation pictured in your estimation is so serious that it seems difficult to rectify it by correspondence.Therefore, I would be very pleased if you could come back as soon as possible to discuss the matter.Please come with any officer you need, especially an officer with insight into tanks and tank operations.

General Auchinleck refused the invitation to return to Cairo on the pretext that he needed to go to Cairo.It seemed to me that he knew what instructions we were about to give him, and that he himself was more convincing in countering the order from his own headquarters. We come back to this burning question. Prime Minister to General Auchinleck March 15, 1942 1. The estimates you made in your letter of February 27th continue to cause anxiety here among the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Services and the National Defense Council.Therefore, I am very sorry that you cannot return to China for negotiations.You intend to delay one step and endanger the safety of the island of Malta.Moreover, it is very difficult to be sure that the enemy will not come to reinforcements sooner than you, so that you will find, as a result, that your waiting will put you in about the same position as the enemy, or in a worse position.Your losses are far less than an enemy who has been fighting on.For example, although the losses of my 7th Armored Division are far less than those of the German 15th and 21st Armored Divisions who came back to attack you violently, the 7th Armored Division has retreated to the Egyptian Delta to rest.It is expected that a violent German counter-offensive against Russia will soon be launched, and your support of 635,000 people (with the defenders on the island of Malta outside) is not engaged in combat, but is preparing for another major battle in July. Humans are intolerable.

2. The limited offensive against Derna, which you have placed considerable hope in, can have the opportunity to fight the enemy anyway, and can force the enemy to consume life, ammunition, tanks and aircraft.In this case, if the enemy defeats your armored force, you can withdraw it to your defense zone.But if you defeat the enemy's armor, no one here can understand why you don't take advantage of the victory and pursue the enemy. 4. I have supported you as far as I could, and I did not hesitate to cause the entire war to suffer huge losses.To my great distress, I feel that there is no mutual understanding between us.In order to avoid this, I have asked Sir Stafford Cripps to stop in Cairo on the 19th or 20th, on his way to India, to convey to you the views of the War Cabinet.General Nye is going to Cairo alone and will join him there.

He was fully aware of the intentions of the chiefs of staff of the armed forces.At present, it is impossible for the Chief of the British Imperial Staff to leave London. Prime Minister to General Auchinleck March 16, 1942 I should add the following to my telegram to you of March 15.If, as a result of the discussions, it is decided that you must be on the defensive before July, you should immediately consider sending at least fifteen squadrons of air from Libya to the Caucasus to support the left flank of the Russian line of defense. By this time Sir Stafford Cripps had passed through Cairo on his way to India.

Of course, he fully agrees with the approach we are taking at home.Therefore, I hope that it may be resolved on the spot with the help of his personal strength.When he arrived in Cairo, though, he only scratched the surface of the problem.Undoubtedly, his mind was full of questions about India, on which he was full of hope and unique. Sir Stafford Cripps to Prime Minister March 21, 1942 After the talks, I am very satisfied with the atmosphere in Cairo.Last night I had a long and friendly conversation with representatives of Auchinleck, Nye, Ted, Cunningham, and Monckton, during which I gave you a detailed account of my telegram.They all try to help each other and cooperate.When I arrived, I felt a certain dissonance, which was also evident when General Nye arrived.Now, that atmosphere has disappeared, and everyone, including General Nye, rejoiced when they parted ways in the early hours of this morning.I don't think you need to bother to be there, and, as you will see, the journey is long and arduous.I hope you will have all the other details you need to know from General Nye before he returns home. I have no doubts about Auchinleck's enterprise (spirit), but, I think, he is of the kind that the Scots are so fond of. Characteristic caution and unwillingness to be mistaken for optimism led him to overemphasize in his report the difficulties and uncertainty of the situation. I am sure he is determined to meet these difficulties, and I am sure it will be of great help to him if he is made to feel that all misunderstandings have been cleared up and that there is no longer any doubt about his desire to take the offensive .If you agree with the circumstances I have detailed in that long telegram and I sincerely hope you will, then I dare say that if you send Auchinleck a short and friendly telegram expressing your satisfaction and telling He, when it comes time to attack the target, will have all the help you can possibly have, which will be of great help. I was utterly displeased with all of this and the long email about technical details. Cripps was on his way to India; so I telephoned General Nye, who was determined when he went abroad. Prime Minister General Chennai (in Cairo) March 22, 1942 1. I have been informed of various circumstances from the Keeper of the Seal.Since you agree completely with everything they say, I am not at all baffled by this happy situation, and we have to accept the possible loss of the island of Malta and the idleness of the Army, while the Russians are We are desperately resisting the German counteroffensive, and the enemy is sending reinforcements to Libya faster than we can. 2. Do not return in haste, thoroughly investigate the availability of tanks, ammunition, and the use of manpower in the Middle East. 3. Before you leave, please telegraph the clear answers to the twenty questions you asked in time, so that we can express our opinions on these answers here. 4. Finally, please express your own opinion on the possibility of an enemy attack, either from the west or across the sea to Greece, the latter either (1) by air or (2) by ship.Of course, that would change the whole situation. Nowhere was the interdependence of Malta and desert warfare more apparent than in 1942.The heroic defense of the island during the year formed the cornerstone of a long struggle to preserve our position in Egypt and the Middle East. In the grueling ground battles of the western desert, each phase was won or lost in a matter of time and often determined by the speed with which supplies could be transported across the sea to the belligerent forces.For our part this meant a two- to three-month voyage around the Cape of Good Hope, with the constant danger of submarine attack and the use of a large number of high-class ships.To the enemy it was only two or three days' voyage across the Mediterranean from Italy, with a modest number of small ships.However, the fortress on the island of Malta was blocking the route to Tripoli.We have seen in a previous volume [1] how the island became a veritable hornet's nest, how the Germans had to do everything in their power at the end of 1941 to suppress our activities on the island and gain some success. 【1】See volume two.translator In 1942, the enemy's air raids on the island of Malta intensified, and the situation on the island was precarious.In January, when Rommel's counteroffensive was successful, Kesselring's attacks on the island of Malta focused on airfields.Under German pressure, the Italian Navy supported the German transport convoy to Tripoli with warships.My Mediterranean Fleet, owing to the setbacks already mentioned, can only challenge these operations to a limited extent.However, our submarines and air forces dispatched from the island of Malta continued to inflict heavy damage on the enemy. In February, Admiral Raeder, in his prime, tried to convince Hitler of the importance of a decisive victory in the Mediterranean.On February 13, the day after the successful passage of the German battlecruisers through the Strait of Malta, he detected the Führer's intention to adopt the proposal, and his lobbying finally achieved some success.German intervention in North Africa and the Mediterranean, which began as a purely defensive measure to shore up their impotent ally against defeat, is now viewed as an offensive means of destroying the British power in the Middle East.Raeder detailed developments in Asia and the Japanese invasion of the Indian Ocean.During the conversation, he said: Suez and Basra are the two western pillars supporting Britain's position in the East.Should these strongholds collapse under the pressure of concerted Axis action, there would be tragic consequences for the British Empire.Hitler was moved by these words.Hitherto he had cared little for the futility of supporting the Italians, and now he allowed Raeder to advance his grand scheme of conquering the whole of the Middle East.Admiral Raeder insisted that the island of Malta was the throat of the Middle East, and strongly advocated the immediate preparation of transport ships to storm the island. The favorable situation in the Mediterranean is so marked at present that it is feared that it will not be repeated in the future.All reports testify that the enemy is making great efforts to send the existing reinforcements to Egypt.Therefore, it is imperative to capture the island of Malta as soon as possible, and to launch an offensive on the Suez Canal no later than 1942. As an inferior alternative, he suggests: If the Axis powers did not occupy the island of Malta, the Luftwaffe would have to continue its air raids on the island at the present scale.This air attack alone was sufficient to prevent the enemy from re-establishing offensive and defensive forces on the island. Hitler and his military advisers disliked the plan to send troops by sea to attack the island.Only recently did the Fuehrer order the final cancellation of the long-term plan to attack Britain, which had been dragging on since 1940.A year earlier, his cherished airborne unit had been wiped out in Crete, a discouraging factor. This time, however, it was agreed that the island of Malta should be captured and that German troops should join the fight.Hitler still had reservations, continuing to hope that the Luftwaffe air raids would bring about the surrender of the island of Malta, or at least paralyze the island's defenses and activities. We managed to transport supplies from the east to the island of Malta.In January, four ships arrived without incident; however, in February, the convoy of three ships was lost to enemy air raids.In March, the cruiser Nymph, flying the flag of Admiral Vian, was sunk by an enemy submarine.By May there was a danger of famine on the island of Malta. Our Admiralty decided to risk all kinds of dangers to deliver supplies.On March 20, four merchant ships set sail from Alexandria, escorted by a powerful convoy of four light cruisers and a small fleet.At this time Admiral Vian was in command of the Cleopatra.By the morning of the 22nd, enemy air strikes began, while Italian heavy warships pressed forward.The Urilus immediately found four warships to the north, so the British admiral immediately turned the bow of the ship to meet it, while the transport fleet sailed southwest under the cover of smoke.The enemy cruisers withdrew, but returned two hours later, supported by the battleship Litrio and two other cruisers.Over the next two hours, the British Vessels Security Squadron, outnumbered and heavily bombarded by German bombers, fought a heroic and brilliant battle.Thanks to the effective cover of the smoke screens, the valiant defense of the close convoys and the merchant ships themselves, not a single ship on our side was damaged.By evening, the enemy ships sailed away.Our fleet of four light cruisers and eleven destroyers, in stormy weather, threw to the brink of the strongest battle-fleet, which also had two heavy cruisers, a light Supported by cruisers and ten destroyers.Although the Cleopatra and the three destroyers were all hit, they all persisted in the fierce battle to the end. I shoot the following telegram: Prime Minister to Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Theater March 25, 1942 It would be a great pleasure if I could immediately convey to Admiral Vian and the officers and men who accompanied them my commendation of their courageous and excellent fighting.One of the most powerful modern battleships in the ocean, supported by two heavy cruisers, a light cruiser and a fleet of boats, was torpedoed and fled in broad daylight by British light cruisers and destroyers .This constitutes the most glorious chapter in the history of the British Navy, and it is worthy of the British nation to pay tribute to all ranks of officers and soldiers who participated in this service, especially the Commanding Officer. The convoy had to sail alone to the island of Malta.Admiral Vian's ships could not refuel there, so it was difficult to continue the escort.Only a fraction of the valuable cargo carried reached the defenders of the island of Malta.As the ships approached the island, the enemy began another heavy air attack.HMS Clan Campbell and HMS Breconshire were sunk by the enemy one after another when they were only eight miles away from their destination.The remaining two sailed into port, but were bombed and sunk while unloading.Of the 26,000 tons of supplies carried by the four ships, only about 5,000 tons made it ashore.The island of Malta received no relief for the next three months. This made us decide not to send any more convoys until we could reinforce the island of Malta with fighters.Thirty-four fighters had been flown from the Eagle in March, but it was far from enough.The actions of Admiral Vian convinced the Germans that the Italian navy had lost its will and must rely on its own strength.Since the beginning of April, Kesselring's air raids on the island of Malta have caused great losses to the island's docks and ships in the harbor.Naval ships were unable to use the island as a base, and all capable ships had withdrawn by the end of April. The RAF is present on the island, fighting for its own survival and that of the island as a whole.During those tense weeks, we had very few aircraft available for combat.Our garrison made every effort to hold on, to avoid its own destruction, and to ensure that the planes bound for Egypt, which used the island of Malta as an intermediate base, continued to take off.Soldiers repair bombed airfields while flight crews go into battle and ground crews service and refuel for the next fight.The island of Malta is coming through in direly dangerous conditions, and our people at home are very anxious. I now appeal to President Roosevelt.He clearly understood that the island of Malta was the key to all our hopes in the Mediterranean. former navy personnel to president roosevelt April 1, 1942 1. The enemy's air attack on the island of Malta was very severe.There are about 400 enemy fighters and bombers now stationed in Sicily in Germany and 200 in Italy.At this time, the island of Malta has only 20 or 30 fighter jets that can be used in combat.We continued to reinforce the island of Malta with Spitfires, a batch of sixteen aircraft from the aircraft carrier Eagle about six hundred miles west of Malta.We have repeatedly and successfully reinforced the island of Malta by this method.However, the aircraft carrier Eagle has been out of service for more than a month due to a problem with the steering gear.Egypt no longer has Spitfires.The Argos was too small and too slow, and the ship had to prepare fighter jets to cover and escort the aircraft carriers from which the Spitfires took off.We can also use the Victory, but unfortunately the ship's crane is too small to lift the Spitfire.Consequently, Spitfire reinforcements to the island of Malta would not be available for a full month. 2. Judging from the unusual concentration of the enemy's air attack on the island of Malta, they may wish to eliminate our air defenses on the island early in order to reinforce Libya or to strengthen their offensive in Russia.This meant that the island of Malta was in no way able to intervene in the armored reinforcements of Rommel, and our hopes of launching an early offensive against him were dashed. 3. If the staffs of the two sides reach an agreement on the details of borrowing the USS Wasp aircraft carrier, are you willing to let the aircraft carrier serve as a reinforcement mission to the island of Malta?With the USS Wasp's generous cranes, load capacity, and length, we estimate that the ship could carry fifty or more Spitfires.Unless the Wasp needs to refuel, she can pass through the Strait of Gibraltar at night without having to stop at Gibraltar before returning, as the Spitfire can be loaded at Clyde. 4. In this way, not only can we reverse the situation that we cannot reinforce the Spitfires to Malta Island within four months, but also we can send a group of powerful fighter jets to Malta Island in one fell swoop, which can create an enemy for us A chance for a serious and possibly decisive blow.The action can begin in the third week of April. The answer is generous. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister April 3, 1942 Your proposal makes no mention of the availability of the USS Fury; The ship was scheduled to sail from the United States on April 3 via Bermuda to Clyde, and, according to the ship's blueprints, the crane was large enough to lift a Spitfire. Admiral King shortly informed Admiral Pound, through Gormley, that the Wasp could be used at your request if we miscalculated the Furious's situation. The Hornet is here.However, in addition to fighting, the defenders of the island of Malta had to support themselves. Prime Minister to General Ismay, Transfer to the Chiefs of Staff Committee April 3, 1942 1. This report (from the Governor of Malta) indicating the seriousness of the situation should be taken into consideration immediately for action to be taken.Given that no rifle or machine gun combat took place, the allegedly insufficient supply of small arms ammunition seems puzzling. Judging from the third item in the first paragraph of the report, should we understand that the defenders on the island have no meat at all?Or, do they still have cattle available for slaughter, how many, if any? 2. We certainly don't have a large number of transport aircraft, but if we add large submarines and A-type fast boats, how much can we do?It is a pity that we did not take the Sulgruf [1] and save it for reinforcements on the island of Malta!How much can a submarine carry?What about these vitamin concentrates? 【1】French large submarine.See Volume II.translator Prime Minister to First Sea Lord April 12, 1942 Can you tell me about the method of supplying the island of Malta by submarine?As far as I know, the removal of certain gun emplacements from the submarines would greatly increase their load, and I would like to communicate these details to the American authorities for the reinforcement of Corrigendor. In April and May, 126 aircraft were safely delivered to the Maltese garrison from the carriers Wasp and Eagle, with satisfactory results.The air raids, which climaxed in April, are beginning to wane, mainly as a result of the two-day air battle on May 9 and 10, when sixty Spitfires just arrived were put into action, giving the enemy machine with a devastating blow.The daytime air raid ended abruptly.In June, another large-scale preparation for the rescue of the island finally entered the stage of another operation, and this time it was planned to enter the convoy from the east and the west at the same time.On the night of June 11, six ships, escorted by the anti-aircraft cruiser Cairo and nine destroyers, entered the Mediterranean from the west.Admiral Curty led the battleship Malaya, the aircraft carriers Eagle and Argos, and eight destroyers to support.On the 14th, in the sea near Sardinia, the enemy launched a violent air attack. A merchant ship was bombed and sunk, and the cruiser Liverpool was injured and unable to sail.That night, when the convoy approached the Tunis Strait, a large number of escort ships withdrew.However, on the morning of the second day, as the convoy approached south of Banterella, two Italian cruisers, supported by many destroyers and aircraft, attacked us. The range of the British ships' artillery was not as good as the enemy's and in the ensuing battle the destroyer Bedouin was sunk and another was badly damaged and the enemy ships were finally driven off, not without losses all day, the air raids continued , and lost three merchant ships.The transport fleet suffered heavy losses, and only two ships reached the island of Malta that night. The convoy to the east, consisting of eleven ships, had even worse luck.Admiral Vian was again in command, this time with a stronger covering force of cruisers and destroyers at his disposal than when he had driven off the enemy ships in March.However, he lacked the support of battleships and aircraft carriers, and it was expected that the main force of the Italian fleet would be used against him.The transport convoy sailed on the 11th, and when it arrived south of Crete on the 14th, it was subjected to fierce and continuous air attacks.That night, Weian learned that an enemy fleet, including two Litrio-class battleships, had left Taranto, presumably to intercept him.Security had hoped that a sortie of British submarines and air forces based in Cyrenaica and Malta would destroy the enemy ship as it approached.An Italian cruiser was hit and later sunk.But this is not enough.The enemy fleet continued southeastward, and it seemed inevitable that we would be intercepted by an overwhelming force on the morning of the 15th.Losing both the cruiser Hermion to enemy submarine attack and three destroyers and two merchant ships to enemy air raids, the convoy and its convoy had to return to Egypt.RAF losses were also considerable.On the Italian side, a heavy cruiser was sunk and a battleship was wounded, but the route to the island of Malta from the east was still blocked by the enemy and, until November, no convoy attempted to pass through it. channel. Consequently, despite our best efforts, only two out of seventeen supply ships reached the island of Malta, and the island continued to be in crisis. German archives show how intimately the island of Malta and the fighting in the African desert were intertwined in the minds of the enemy.As long as the air force and small fleet of the island of Malta can attack the enemy's communication lines, it is enough to seriously endanger their operations in the desert.Their main purpose was to render the island of Malta impotent, or better yet to capture the island.For this purpose, the Luftwaffe was constantly massing at Sicilian airfields.On the other hand, when Rommel was actively fighting, he needed the support of the entire air force in Tripoli.If, however, the attack on the island of Malta were to be relaxed, the fortress could quickly regain its striking power, and at once could use all its strength to deal a serious blow to the enemy convoys.The enemy had no lasting solution other than taking the island of Malta.Rommel desperately needed gasoline and reinforcements, and most importantly, gasoline.During March and April the enemy turned all his forces against the island of Malta, continuing day and night with relentless bombardment, which exhausted the island's defenders to the point of death. In early April, Field Marshal Kesselring met with Generals Mussolini and Cavalero after visiting the African front.Kesselring believes that the air attack on the island of Malta has caused the island to lose its role as a naval base for a considerable period of time in the future, and its air threat has been greatly weakened.He reported that Rommel planned to attack in June with the aim of destroying British forces and taking Tobruk.He may achieve this purpose when the island of Malta is effectively rendered useless and additional supplies can be brought in. Mussolini decided to hasten all preparations for the capture of the island of Malta.He asked for German support and suggested an attack by the end of May.This plan of operations, known as the Plan of Hercules, featured prominently in the telegrams of late April.Cavalero promised to provide two regiments of the Italian parachute division, an engineer battalion and five batteries of artillery.Hitler ordered that Germany should join two battalions of paratroopers, one battalion of engineers, carry a battalion of transport planes, and have an unspecified number of barges prepared by the German Navy. When Sir Stafford Cripps passed through Cairo on his way home from India, I once again felt compelled to tell him that Auchinleck needed to do something, how important and urgent it was!And how dissatisfied we are with the results of his negotiations on the way abroad. Prime Minister to Keeper of the Seal (in Cairo) April 14, 1942 I hope you don't give the impression that we here are not deeply concerned about the prolonged immobility of the Libyan Army.It seems to me that Rommel could very well have grown faster than ours.Now a fleet of submarines had to sail from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, and since the enemy's air raids on the island of Malta had made it impossible to station a bomber fleet on the island, the route from Italy to Tripoli was not much hindered.In addition, in order to deal with the tense situation in India, there will be an increasing number of air forces drawn from the Middle East.It is useless to force a general to accept what he considers to be a bad opinion.But I would very much like you to know that neither my opinion nor that of the chiefs of staff here has changed. We are grateful to Mr. Curtin for allowing one of his divisions to remain on the desert campaign. Prime Minister to Mr Curtin (in Australia) April 15, 1942 We appreciate your decision to keep the 9th Australian Division in the Middle East for the time being.It was fully understood, and certainly my wish, that the American troops would march to Australia unconditionally; and that you have been, and will be, completely free to determine the course of all your troops. The island of Malta was crying out for help, and the pressure on many points was more than it could support.General Dobby was anxious.He had said in March that the situation was critical; on April 20 he reported that it was beyond what could be supported, and that if we could not be replenished with much-needed supplies, especially flour and munitions, then, An unimaginable step is coming, and it will come soon. It's a matter of life and death.A few days later, he added that he had cut his bread consumption by a quarter and now had supplies only until mid-June. I am prepared to put the Navy at serious risk to the rescue of the island of Malta.The Admiralty fully agrees.We prepare, and as one of the alternatives, to send Admiral Somerville, with all his aircraft carriers, and the Wospite, into the Mediterranean via the Canal, and escort a convoy to the Isle of Malta, Hope to have a battle with the Italian fleet on the way.I asked President Roosevelt to allow the Wasp to carry the Spitfire again to the island of Malta.Without this support, I fear that the island of Malta will be reduced to dust.At the same time, the defense of the island of Malta was effectively draining the enemy's air power and effectively aiding Russia.The President's answer was exactly what I was hoping for.He replied on April 25: I am pleased to say that the Wasp can again be loaded with Spitfires for the island of Malta. Prime Minister to Chief of Air Staff April 25, 1942 Now that the President has approved the Wasp's voyage, he hopes to inform him about the plan to reinforce the island of Malta with Spitfires every week for the next eight weeks. former navy personnel to president roosevelt April 29, 1942 The call concerning Madagascar has been received and is greatly appreciated, and all preparations are being made for it.I am also grateful that you allowed the Wasp to sting the enemy once more. It would be best to tell the whole story of the Wasp here.On 9 May, the ship successfully delivered another shipment of vital Spitfires to the struggling island of Malta.I sent a telegram to the ship: Who says a wasp can't sting twice?The Wasp thanked me for my kind message.Alas, poor Hornet!En route from the perilous Mediterranean to the Pacific, she was torpedoed and sunk by Japanese on 15 September.Fortunately, all the brave sailors on board were rescued.They are a link in a chain of causal events. During April, disturbing news came about General Dobby.So far, he stands tall, and the eyes of people in every corner of the British Empire are focused on him. A Cromwellian hero who holds a vital place. 但是，在長期的緊張狀態中，他終於筋疲力盡。我接獲這項消息時，不勝遺憾，並且，在乍一聽到的時候，真難以置信。 不過，必須選任一位繼任者。我發現，現任直布羅陀總督戈特勳爵是一位真正奮發有為的戰士。凱西先生要途經直布羅陀飛往開羅就任國務大臣之職，於是我委託他詳盡地向戈特說明原委。 邱吉爾先生致戈特勳爵 一九四二年四月二十五日 我利用國務大臣取道直布羅陀和馬耳他島旅途之便，順便給你寫封簡短的信件。正如他將向你說明的，在此危急的時刻，馬耳他島的統帥可能需要調動。如果確需如此，我們都感到在所有人選中，你更適宜於擔負此項極其重大的責任。 你可放心，我將就我的能力所及，在六月下半月派一支龐大的運輸船隊向馬耳他島運送給養，與此同時，仍將繼續從西面向馬耳他島供應噴火式飛機。 我們從報告中獲悉，你曾經出色地組織直布羅陀的防務，並且使駐軍保持昂揚的士氣，所有這些都使我不勝欣慰。如果需要你擔任這項新職務，將會授與你更大的權力，而陛下政府和你真摯的朋友，也將寄予你以無限的信任。 與此同時，隆美爾正在計劃發動攻勢。關於時間的安排，他說道：在攻佔馬耳他島之後，裝甲集團軍將盡可能出擊。 如果進攻馬耳他島的日期將要推遲至六月一日以後，那麼，裝甲集團軍就無需等待攻佔該島而有徑行出擊的必要。他在四月三十日的計劃中，打算在第二天夜晚在戰場上摧毀英國軍隊，然後用突然襲擊的辦法攻佔托卜魯克。不過，這有賴於他所需要的增援和石油、軍火、車輛及食物的供應。他也曾經詢問，他能夠指望從空軍和海軍方面得到多少額外的援助，並且，希望意大利重型海軍艦隻和突擊舟能夠壓制駐在亞歷山大港的英國艦隊。 卡瓦勒羅在五月六日前往非洲，商討即將發動的進攻。他認為和我們在倫敦的看法一樣攻佔托卜魯克是軸心國向前進一步推進的必要條件。如果不能奪取托卜魯克；那麼加柴拉一線或者該線以西的地方，將是他前進的極限。所有的行動必須在六月二十日結束，因為，在那時之後，在昔蘭尼加所使用的某些空軍將因為在別的地方的戰鬥行動而撤走。由於班加西的進口數量每天達到兩千噸，隆美爾的要求可能得到滿足，但是，沒有希望從德國或意大利方面得到更多的物資了。 隆美爾的意圖可以拿來同奧金萊克將軍的意圖比較一下。奧金萊克將軍恰在此時拍來一封電報，內稱，他願在沙漠地區採取守勢，並派相當數量的援軍前往印度。這正與我們的主張背道而馳。I replied: Prime Minister to General Auchinleck May 5, 1942 雖則我們對你為解救印度的危局而甘願進一步削減中東的軍事力量一事表示感激，但我們覺得，在目前的時刻，你對整個戰局最大的幫助是在你的西線與敵交鋒，並擊敗敵人。所有我們關於此事的指示，在意圖和效力上均未改變，而且，我們相信，你能在向掌璽大臣提到的日期裡徹底執行這些指示。 不久，奧金萊克將軍又拍來一封電報，想要推遲他的軍隊與敵人交鋒的日期。我把這事告訴我所有的軍政方面的同僚。 Prime Minister to General Auchinleck 一九四二年五月八日 一‧三軍各參謀長、國防委員會和戰時內閣曾聯繫整個戰局認真考慮了你的來電，就中特別考慮到馬耳他島的問題。該島如若失陷，將是大英帝國莫大的不幸，而且，尼羅河流域的防務最後會遭到致命的危害。 二‧我們一致認為，儘管存在著你所提及的危險，你還是應當向敵人進攻，而且，如果可能的話，在五月分向敵人發動一場主力戰，當然越快越好。我們準備對所有這些命令承擔全部責任，給予你為執行這些命令所必需的自由。在這一點上，無疑你會注意到這樣的事實，敵人本身也可能計劃在六月初向你進攻。 經過此類激烈商討的結果，決定向奧金萊克將軍發出明確的命令，而這些命令他必須服從，否則就要免職。從我們對待一位高級軍事指揮官說來，這是極不尋常的方式。 Prime Minister to General Auchinleck 一九四二年五月十日 一‧三軍各參謀長、國防委員會和戰時內閣再次考慮了全盤的局勢。我們已下定決心，未經你的全軍為保存馬耳他島而戰，我們決不容許該島失陷。這一要塞的被困失守將使我陸空軍部隊三萬餘人投降，還要損失大炮數百門。敵人佔據該島如同獲得一座確實可靠的通往非洲的橋樑，以及由此而形成的有利條件。該島的失陷將會使你和印度雙方所賴以獲得大量增援飛機的空運路線被切斷。除此之外，還將危害對意大利的攻勢，以及像雜技家和體育家等未來的作戰計劃。與這些災難的必然性相比較，我們認為，你為照顧到埃及的安全而列舉的種種危險肯定是次要的，我們甘願冒北風險。 二‧因此我們重申我們曾經表示過的意見，再加上以下的條件我們能夠批准的與敵交鋒的最晚日期是，及時地牽制敵人以協助運輸船隊在六月分月色暗淡時期得以通航的日期。 我們等了好多天，沒有接到覆電。在這些日子裡，我們不知道他是要聽命，還是要辭職。 Prime Minister to General Auchinleck May 17, 1942 我需要知道你根據我們最近期間來往電文而決定的主意。 他終於拍來了覆電。 General Auchinleck to Prime Minister 一九四二年五月十九日 一‧我的打算是執行你五月十日來電中所作的各項指示。 二‧據我推測，（你的來電）並不是說，所有我們需要的是發動一場僅僅為了協助駛往馬耳他島的運輸船隊而牽制敵人的戰鬥，而在利比亞發動攻勢的主要目的仍然是以摧毀敵人部隊和佔領昔蘭尼加作為最後從利比亞驅除敵人的一個步驟。如果我的推測錯誤，請立即通知我，因為發動主力攻勢的計劃與僅僅為了牽制敵人的計劃迥然不同。我現在姑且以我的推測是正確的而進行部署。 三‧假定發動主力攻勢只是以分散敵人的力量從而協助駛往馬耳他的運輸船隊為目的來安排開始行動的日期，那麼，實際發動攻勢的時間將受三個因素的支配。第一，運輸船隊的啟航日期；第二，從現在到開始行動日期間的敵方行動；第三，敵我空軍力量的對比。所有這一切，將在此地密切而不斷地予以調查研究。 四‧現在有可靠的跡象表明，敵人打算在最近向我們進攻。 如果敵人真的進攻，我們未來的行動就得由戰鬥的結果來支配，而不是現在所能預測的。 五‧假定敵人不先行進攻，我打算讓李奇將軍在利比亞發動攻勢。日期的安排將盡量適應以下的目的：為了協助駛往馬耳他島的運輸船隊而盡量分散敵人的兵力，同時，保證投入攻勢的作戰部隊完成最高限度的準備工作。正如你會覺察到的，這些因素是互相牴觸的，勢必需要在一定程度上折中辦理，這應由我負責與其他總司令官進行磋商，再行決定。要避免進攻失敗，其重要性（我們）業經充分闡述，在此無須由我贅述。 我立刻回答： Prime Minister to General Auchinleck 一九四二年五月二十日 你對我五月十日電報中各項指令的解釋完全正確。我們覺得，已到了與敵人在昔蘭尼加較量實力的時候了，而馬耳他島的存亡與此役大有關係。 當然，我們知道，不能保證成功。Victory or defeat is standard issue.但是，無論這場戰役開始於敵人的進攻而由你運用截擊戰或運用運動戰來反攻，或者由你發動，我們將對你和你的英勇部隊寄與無限的信任，而且，無論發生何種情況，我們也將盡力所能及來設法支持你。 如果你能親臨指揮，正如你在西迪雷澤格不得不那樣做的一樣，那麼，我個人覺得把握更大。但是，在這一點上，我絕不強迫你。 新西蘭師的防地是否應該更加靠近前線？如果你在與新西蘭政府打交道中需要幫助的話，務請告知。 最後兩項建議未曾被奧金萊克將軍接受。他也曾申述理由。我們將會見到，這位將軍後來如何被事態所迫，採取了這些步驟。但是，可惜太晚了！ General Auchinleck to Prime Minister 一九四二年五月二十二日 現在我已徹底認清我所負的責任，並且，我要竭盡所能去完成它，讓你滿意。 我十分感激你對我所指揮的軍隊和我本人充分寄予信任並給予支持。過去我們對此也深有體會。 儘管我很想在利比亞親自指揮作戰，但是，我覺得，這並不是可資遵循的正確方針。我曾經極端慎重地考慮這種做法的可能性，並且得出結論，如果我糾纏於利比亞的戰術問題，就難以保持均衡而正確的見解。我覺得，幾乎隨時可以呈現一種局面，使我不得不就以下兩種情況加以抉擇：我是否能夠繼續增援並支持第八集團軍而不致遇到嚴重的阻礙； 或者，我是否應當後退並設法建立北部戰線；而現在，我正在削弱這條戰線，以便給予李奇將軍以所有可能的援助。權衡輕重，我覺得我應當駐守原地不動。但是，你可放心，我願適應局勢，如果必要的話，我將親臨指揮。我與李奇將軍保持著密切的聯繫，我時時刻刻在想到他。我希望一切順利。 我曾充分考慮到把新西蘭師從敘利亞調往埃及的必要性。關於政治方面的問題，你既然慨然承擔責任，當可獲得解決，除此之外，還有其他有待考慮的問題。我目前極不願削減敘利亞的部隊，一方面因為該地政治局勢動盪不安，一方面是因為對土耳其人可能產生的影響，而我對土耳其人的態度還沒有十分把握。我已開始準備在必要時把訓練良好的第十印度師從伊拉克調去增援埃及，同時已指定第四印度師的一個旅作為臨時增援部隊。有了這些增援部隊，第八集團軍的糧秣供應和用水的供水能力幾乎達到飽和點了。 我再度對你支持的電文表示感謝。我們將和過去一樣，進行猛烈的戰鬥。我對我們的部隊和部署頗有信心。我對我們將獲得勝利堅信不疑，但願可能導致更大的勝利。 大約在這個時候，我又草擬了一封致奧金萊克將軍的電報，表示我自己在軍事上的信念。但經過仔細思考後，我沒有發出它，因為我不願過分越俎代庖。 以下是完全非正式的而純屬個人意見。 一‧看來敵人的確不久就要向你進攻。你認為這會給第八集團軍大好機會，我和你的看法並不完全一致。雖然許多著名的戰役是在擊退進犯者後繼之以反攻而贏得勝利的，但是，這一次我不禁想到拿破侖在奧斯特利茨【１】一役粉碎對方意料中的反撲這一史實。我們時常想到，當德國人正在準備中的某些考慮周密的計劃由於遭受意外的打擊而被打亂時，他們特別惱火。目前，先發制人對裝甲部隊說來有特殊的價值，因而這種情形更多採用了。總之，他們和我們各有各的作戰計劃，互爭長短，這種情況引起我們強烈關心。我們可能有大好機會來選擇時間，在敵人最脆弱的時刻，予以打擊。 【１】在捷克斯洛伐克西部。一八○五年十二月二日，拿破侖在此擊潰奧俄聯軍。 先撲上來了。 二‧你對於即將發生的事件曾進行過長期的研究，而我的這些想法甚為膚淺，請你原諒。我對你的事務極其關心，因此不得不說出來。 我時常想用簡短的逸聞來說明我所體會到的戰略上的真理，而這些逸聞在我的心目中有如以下所述。其中之一是，人讓熊吞下一包炸藥這個著名的故事。他小心翼翼地調配炸藥，不但要使成分絕對準確，而且要使配合量不差毫釐。他把炸藥卷在一個大紙卷裡，正要點燃擲入熊的咽喉，但是，熊卻如果說我在這個時候敢於把這一逸聞插進我在記說的這段戰事裡，那是因為蘇格拉底的一句話使我鼓起了勇氣。他曾經說過：喜劇與悲劇的特徵基本上是相同的，應當由同一作家來寫。