Chapter 130 Volume 4, Chapter 20, Natural Selection of Strategy

Bash the battle plan because of its own weakness Assault the enemy and retreat quickly: the problem of the general's battle plan I oppose this plan My alternative plan: Cupid's battle plan May 1st and June 13th Memorandum Hostile air defense and Not necessarily conclusive Further debate on Norwegian plans 1943 My vision of a cross-channel attack June 15th Memorandum on plans for encirclement and annihilation Visions of the scale and spirit of operations required 1942 The French North Africa plan was preserved. In the weeks following Molotov's departure, professional opinion was voiced enthusiastically.I concentrated all my energies on bashing the battle plan problem and asked for continued reports.It was not long before the difficulty of the problem crystallized.An assault on Cherbourg by an army landed by sea would be a dangerous operation against the possible superiority of German forces and strong fortifications.Assuming the attack was successful, the Confederate forces would be trapped at Cherbourg and the tip of the Cotentin peninsula, where they would have to be under constant bombardment and assault to navigate their own way in this narrow trap of bombs and shells. Supported for almost a year.They could only be supplied by the port of Cherbourg, which had to be defended throughout the winter and spring against possible constant or sometimes overwhelming air raids.This task would involve a heavy use of our ships and air forces to the detriment of other operations.Had our side succeeded in breaking through a series of defensive lines held by any German troops, we would have had to advance from the Cotentin Peninsula along its narrow waist in the summer.Nevertheless, there is only one railroad for our advance, but it is certain that this railroad will also be destroyed.Moreover, it is not clear that this dubious attempt will be of any help to Russia.Germany retains twenty-five mobile divisions in France, and by August we will have no more than nine divisions participating in the Bash Operation plan, seven of which must be British.In this way, Germany did not have to draw troops from the Russian front at all.

As these circumstances, and many more, were presented in an unpleasant manner to the military staff, there was a certain lack of confidence and enthusiasm not only among the British but among our American comrades in arms. I don't need to fight against the thrashing battle plan.The plan fell through due to its own weaknesses. Therefore, an alternative plan has been proposed, which is a large-scale surprise attack on the enemy and a rapid retreat.It's called the Grand General's Battle Plan.I wrote for this program: Prime Minister to General Ismay, Transfer to the Chiefs of Staff Committee

June 8, 1942 1. The general's battle plan I have only seen the outline; the plan plans to use a division and some armored troops to land on the mainland, conduct as effective an attack as possible within two or three days, and then withdraw the remaining troops as much as possible.This will be our response to the heartfelt cry of what has happened to Russia.Should we launch such an attack, it would certainly not help Russia, only to withdraw after a few days with heavy losses, and it would certainly not help propaganda to the world.We will lose valuable men and materiel, and expose ourselves and our warfighting capabilities to the ridicule of the world.The Russians will not appreciate such aggravation of the whole situation.Families of those patriots in France who rose to aid us would be reprisald by German soldiers;Many of those who are now encouraging us to do so will be the first to point out this danger.Such an approach would be another example of the substitution of emotion for policy rather than the sober determination and common sense of professional advisers governing action.

2. In order to achieve this result, we must carry out two of the most difficult combat operations: first, to land by sea in a narrow area in the face of a heavily armed enemy; withdraw.It may have been mentioned earlier that, in the immediate vicinity of the intended location, this force was bound to be resisted by superior German armored forces and elite infantry, and they would be lured deeply inland by these forces.We know from our past draws in Libya that if we were also tied with German panzer forces, we must take into account that landing troops remaining ashore would be very dangerous and costly. Great price.Arrangements for the evacuation of the wounded would give rise to a whole series of difficulties unless they were left unattended.

3. All these things, however, will be considered as bait to lure German fighters into engagement with superior British fighters.This thinking assumes that the German fighter force would rather face destruction than allow British armor to go to Leer or Amiens.Is their sacrifice a wise move?Compared with the army we propose to use, Germany has an overwhelming superiority of armored and ground forces, and the farther they drive the landing army into the French territory, the more closely and deeply they will be able to hold the landing force.In this way they will be able to use their air force sparingly, and avoid combat, which will make them think that our main object has been defeated.

4. Of course, if this was one of a dozen or so simultaneous operations of a similar nature, there would be a very different argument.This would create a mass of troops, which would invariably lead to disturbances in France, thereby exposing the enemy to great danger, forcing the use of the whole air force, and even bringing back many squadrons from the East.However, a single such attack would not have attracted the attention of the German High Command.Even if they got their attention, and we were only there for a few days, there was simply no time to make any moves.In fact, at the end of the fourth day, when the remnants of our corps returned to Britain by way of Dunkirk, friends and foes alike spoke with exaggeration about the difficulties of landing on the enemy's shores.This will create a whole set of obstacles for our side, which will not be conducive to the real combat in 1943.

5. I will ask the chiefs of staff of the armed forces to consider the following two principles: (1) Not to make a big landing in France unless we intend to stay there; and, (2) Not to make a big landing in France when the morale of the Germans is demoralized by another defeat against Russia. For the above reasons, we should not delay or hinder the preparation of the Bash Plan because of the General's Plan; secondly, we should not attempt to carry out the Bash Plan unless Germany is demoralized by a defeat against Russia; thirdly, we It must be realized that if Russia were in serious embarrassment, serious failures on our part would not help them.

6. It seems advisable that the preparations for the Bash Operation Plan should be carried out on the largest possible scale and on the scheduled dates.But the conditions for the execution of the Bash campaign plan were not Russian defeat, but Russian victory, and the consequent demoralization of Germany on the Western Front. Since then, we have never heard of the general's battle plan. Now, I refer to my own constructive plans. Prime Minister to General Ismay, Transfer to the Chiefs of Staff Committee May 1, 1942 Cupid's Battle Plan 1. This must be considered as an operational plan to replace this year's Medium Bash operational plan.

2. The plan must be given high strategic and political importance.These are perhaps all the plans we have to offer Russia.In their studies, planners need not consider questions such as (1) Would the Russians prefer to use ships to carry more munitions?Or (2) are they unwilling to let us execute the bashing operation plan?Let's look at its advantages. 3. About seventy German bombers and one hundred fighters, under the protection of about 10,000 to 12,000 strong combat troops, are stationed at the only two airfields in northern Norway to prevent our entry into Norway All the population, and severely damaged our transport fleet.If we can take down these two airports and station an equal force, then not only will the northern sea route to Russia be kept open, but at the same time a small-scale second battlefield can be established. It's not easy.If things go well, we'll be able to push gradually south, rolling up the Nazi map of Europe from above.All that had to be done was to drive the enemy from the airfield and destroy their defenders.

4. A surprise attack is easy to succeed.Because the enemy cannot judge whether it is an ordinary convoy at sea or an expedition until the last moment. 5. While the Russians will certainly not support the operation until they know that any form of thrashing operations has been abolished; however, it must be assumed that Russia will support the operation.The implications for Sweden and Finland are equally important. 6. In this operational plan, care must be taken not to overuse the fleet or anti-submarine ships.For this purpose, the expedition must be self-contained.Troops had to be based on the ships to which they were carried, from which they were supplied; during the winter most of them would also live on these ships.We had to take into account that the enemy might come and destroy the makeshift barracks they had built.In addition, after the landing of the naval escort expedition, the German submarine will come out and cut the line of communication.If the expedition carried three or four months' worth of supplies, the submarines would tire of waiting so long that another convoy of supplies would pass safely.However, we should know beforehand whether they are waiting there.

7. The first step is to station six fighter squadrons in Murmansk, and two or three bomber squadrons.This would only increase the scale of our assistance to the northern tip of the Russian front, and the enemy would not pay special attention to it. 8. The second step is to land a commando force equivalent to a division in the Bitsammo area.The operation was risky and intense, but it was nothing compared to the thrashing plan we have been talking about.Simultaneously with the above operations the airfield at the southern end of the Polsanger Fjord had to be controlled by forces equivalent to a brigade. 9. British planes from Murmansk will then be stationed at these airfields, and the problem to be solved is how to drive them out there.We will undoubtedly ask Russia to exert significant pressure in northern Finland, and our military operations will cooperate with this. 10. The implementation of the plan must be divided into two batches: the first batch, combat troops; the second batch.Replenishment after a week.After that, the expedition team will live independently for at least three months.How does the coming of winter affect our situation?Does winter make it easier or more difficult for the enemy to attack us?Questions like these should be pondered patiently and answered.In winter, new snow tanks should be sent to the battlefield.There was no need to decide whether to advance south against Tromso, except in connection with an important battle situation. During the next six weeks I fought furiously for this northern project. Prime Minister to General Ismay, Transfer to the Chiefs of Staff Committee June 13, 1942 The following notes on Cupid should be read by the Planning Committee along with my previous papers on this project.Planners should overcome many difficulties to make sure plans.They need not be concerned with whether the plan is worth carrying out, etc., that must be decided by a higher authority. Russian troops may have been used to follow a first-rate British landing force. I have to get a preliminary report next Tuesday. I will write my final opinion on this plan in the future. No matter what happens, I still have confidence in this plan. Cupid's Battle Plan 1. There are two important differences between the General's and Cupid's battle plans.First, in Cupid we will certainly be able to use superior forces to advance to the point of attack, as well as the entire area attacked; second, if successful, we will gain a permanent foothold on the continent; Continuing passage is of great value, and will enable us to develop unrestricted southwards.We were actually able to start rolling Hitler's map of Europe off the top.With our increasing air force at these two principal airfields, under air cover, with paratroops and other means, we can attack the southern airfields, thereby making us masters of this northern region, so that , by the spring of 1943, other landing operations could be completed. Under the cover of aircraft based on the coast, landing operations were carried out to occupy Tromso and Narvik, and then Bodor and Motown.It was impossible to mobilize large numbers of enemy troops against them except by extraordinary efforts against the poor traffic.As we push forward, and only as we push forward, the local population will rise to assist us.All of these will be the prelude to a smooth campaign plan for encirclement and annihilation and the resulting actions.This creates far more confusion in the movement of the enemy than we can do with our own power.The response to Sweden and Finland would also be extremely helpful.If we judge that the morale of the German troops in France is not low enough for us to attack, this will be the best course of action in place of the battering plan this autumn. 2. Without air superiority, it is accepted as axiomatic that no landing can be made anywhere in front of the enemy, including despite the limited resistance of the enemy's air force.This is an indubitable maxim which limits the use of all our naval power to a very small stretch of the French coast covered by fighter planes from our home bases, and therefore to those coastal points where the elite of the enemy's forces are assembled and ready. strength.There is no debate that there should be air superiority and fighter cover, but the question should be raised whether such superiority and What about cover?The lessons of the Norwegian campaign in the spring of 1940 should not be overemphasized; for we had almost no anti-aircraft artillery and we had no air defense at all, which left many of our ships under enemy air attack for a month.At that time we had only twelve anti-aircraft guns for use ashore.We landed more than 20,000 men at Namsos and Andalsnes, and evacuated them without great loss.Since the enemy is strong not only in the army but also in the air, we cannot stay there for long.I do not intend to argue further on this point, but there is no doubt that merchant ships, equipped with powerful Origan automatic anti-aircraft guns or other types of anti-aircraft guns, can also perform combat missions temporarily or due to appropriate needs, so as not to completely annihilated.The last time the Russian convoy was attacked continuously for four or five days, the loss was about 20%.The problem, therefore, is to land without fighters on a point where the enemy's armor and infantry are extremely weak, or to land under the cover of fighters on a point where the enemy has strong armored and ground forces. method, which one is better?It's a matter of points and strength of offense. 3. More recently, Middle East Command has provided us with detailed estimates of the number of sorties (within their theater of operations) expected to occur.This estimate may be right, it may be wrong; but in any case it is always the way of looking at these matters.These questions must be looked at in detail and should not be subject to general precepts.Let us take September and October as an example and consider the number of possible Luftwaffe raids on an expedition at Murmansk and Bitsammo.This expedition, including the escort ships, has about forty ships approaching the coast.The fleet could have been spotted at dawn the day before the attack, so that the final approach had to be made during the night of the same day, before dawn.The daytime sailing of this fleet will be protected by four or five auxiliary aircraft carriers, each of which is equipped with six or seven Origen automatic anti-aircraft guns or other types of anti-aircraft guns on the deck.During landings and when the ships drop anchor or wash up on the beach, the protection responsibility will be performed by the floating anti-aircraft guns of six or seven beach defense ships.They will also join in the defense when approaching.Likewise, the anti-aircraft guns on the transport ship will be used to protect themselves upon arrival.Judging from the above situation, the loss of transport ships and cover warships will not exceed one-fifth or one-sixth.A military attack cannot be declared a failure simply because one-fifth of the soldiers are killed en route, as long as the rest reach their destination and complete their mission, it is not a failure. 4. Naturally, on approach, the British and Russian air forces at Murmansk will, jointly or separately, deal a major blow to any enemy airfield within flight range, which will further reduce fleet losses. 5. Landing, attacking, occupying airfields, and capturing other important strongholds are all matters related to the Joint Operations Department, and there is no need to mention anything else. 6. At present, we hope that when the transport ships are loading troops, they should also load most of the supplies. Before a suitable place can be found on the shore, these ships should also be used as barracks and bases for the troops.The main thing is that the expedition should be self-sufficient for three months, thereby freeing the Navy from the necessary escort duties.Please let me know the following estimates: the number of troops required, say, twenty-five thousand good troops; the number of ships required to carry these troops; the optimum tonnage of these ships; Quantity of supplies for a month. Also, whether it would be better to send them all together in one fleet, or to wait for the landing of the first batch before launching the second batch. 7.1 When airfields are in our possession, our aircraft from Murmansk should occupy them as soon as possible.Such operations should begin even before our anti-aircraft guns enter the positions.In the air, as well as on the shore, we must carve our way.However, special arrangements were necessary to bring the anti-aircraft guns to the airfield as early as possible.Each airfield should require three squadrons of mobile or portable Bofors automatic anti-aircraft guns, which should be in position within two days of occupation.The heavier anti-aircraft guns should also arrive as quickly as possible.Since we only have two airfields to use at the beginning, they should be surrounded by heavy cannons. 8. Once these airfields have been protected with anti-aircraft guns and fighters, heavy bombers from Scotland will use them to attack the enemy's air bases to the south. I am now trying to conceive a plan for a massive attack on France from the United States and Great Britain in the summer of 1943.This program has been my goal since the United States entered the war.In my third report to the President, December 18, 1941, I dealt with this matter in general terms.I am particularly anxious that such a large operation needs to be familiarized from the outset and properly planned.I put all my energy into it.I wish to prescribe the nature and extent of this venture, and the spirit which must be exercised in it.Regardless of the details of the plan, maximum effort will always be required. prime minister to general ismay June 15, 1942 1. The Annex shall be considered by the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Services.I hope to see their views on the document soon.This document will also be available to the Program Committee for review. 2. The preparation of the plan for thrashing and encircling operations should be separated from that of the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet, who has much else to do.Please tell me how can I do this. Encirclement and Annihilation Operation Plan 1. For such a military operation, extensiveness, simultaneity, and violence are all necessary.The enemy cannot be on guard everywhere.The first batch must attempt at least six major landings.At the same time, carry out feint attacks in at least six places to confuse the enemy even more.If it goes well, the feint can continue to develop.In this way, the enemy's limited and numerically inferior air force will inevitably disperse its forces, or even dispatch them all.While the battle rages on in one or two places, other places may yield an easy defeat of the enemy. 2. The second batch strengthens the strength of the landed troops and continues to advance where it is smooth. Attacks from sea mobility can enable the second batch to broadly select attack points. 3. I also hope that by that time Cupid's battle plan has already been implemented.Landings or feints should be planned for Denmark, Holland, Belgium, the Pas-de-Calais where the main air battles are to take place, the Cotentin Peninsula, Brest, Saint-Nazaire, and the mouth of the Gironde. 4. The first goal is to land a large number of troops.At least ten armored brigades should go ashore with the first batch.These brigades must push inland at great risk, arouse the population, cut off the enemy's lines of communication, and expand the theater of operations as large as possible. 5. After the chaos and instability created by these attacks, the second wave will follow.Its purpose was to concentrate armored and mechanized forces at carefully selected strategic locations.If four or five such favorite locations are selected in advance, perhaps three of them may be concentrated, and the connection between them shall be established, so that the battle plan can be concreted. 6. If the above numbers of troops are used, the enemy will be so disturbed that they will need at least a week to organize a counterattack, except for partial counterattacks.During this week a superior air force of fighter jets must be stationed at the occupied airfields, and the air supremacy over the Pas de Calais, which has hitherto been fought, must necessarily become general air supremacy.As a major factor in victory, the RAF must study the rapid occupation of these airfields and make full use of them.These airports can only be used as gas stations at the beginning, and the main purpose is to take off into the air for combat as soon as possible. Generally speaking, in the first stage, some abnormal consumption is inevitable.It is of the utmost importance that the anti-aircraft guns be brought in and installed as soon as possible, and each airfield should study this for itself. 7. When fighting is fought in the interior of the country being attacked, at least four important ports must be captured.To achieve this goal, at least ten brigades of infantry, partially equipped with bicycles and all of which have undergone special training for street fighting, must be used.Here, too, the loss of personnel and equipment must be considered to be potentially significant. 8. In order to ensure the success of the above-mentioned combat operations, no less than 400,000 troops should be landed simultaneously or successively within one week after the landing launch date, and they should also be actively involved in combat operations. 9.1. As soon as any port is captured and opened to use, the third attack should begin immediately.This operation will be undertaken by large ships from our western ports.These ships carried at least 300,000 infantry, their artillery, and some of the equipment of the earlier landing force.The first and second groups are the main attacking forces; they should not be commanded in corps or divisions until the arrival of the third group.If we can get 700,000 men ashore within two weeks of the landing, if we gain air supremacy, if the enemy appears to be in great disarray, if we have at least four usable ports, then we will be in a position to win. 10. Regardless of losses, after the sudden onslaught phase, the further development of the campaign can be carried out in accordance with the usual customary methods of organization and supply.Then it's a question of reinforcements and coordinated operations.The front will be extended and an orderly advance will be possible.Unless we have prepared ourselves for the certainty that many of the attacks in the first three large forces against the hostile coast will fail, and, if they fail, all will be lost, we should not attempt to Such an unusual combat operation. 11. The purpose of the foregoing observations is to give an outline of the scope and spirit which promise to have a good chance of success. The chiefs of staff continued discussions into the summer.They unanimously agreed to scrap the Bash Operations plan.No one mentioned the general's battle plan anymore.On the other hand, my Cupid battle plan never received much positive support either.We all agreed, however, that a major cross-Channel offensive would take place in 1943.However, a question inevitably arises, what should we do during this time?Except for fighting in the desert, it is impossible for the United States and Britain to just sit by and not participate in the fighting at all times.The President was determined to engage the Germans in 1942 on the largest scale possible.So, where can this plan be realized?Only in French North Africa, of course, and the president always smiles when he talks about this region.In many schemes only the most suitable can exist. I awaited the answer with ease.