Chapter 136 Volume 4, Chapter 26, My Trip to Cairo‧Reorganization of the Headquarters

In response to the decision to visit Cairo and the decision to visit Moscow, I traveled on a C|46 at the invitation of Stalin. Dawn on the Nile Commander Candidates. On August 5th, I visited Alamein with Auchinleck and met with General Gott. On August 5th and 6th Air Command called to Cabinet recommending changes to theater command and organization and on August 6th and 7th again to explain the reasons for the sacrifice of General Gott to the Cabinet during a tense period for the War Cabinet General Montgomery as Commander of the Eighth Army Transfer of the Commander of British Forces under Eisenhower to Project Torch August 8th, a day to visit the Zouaves General Auchinleck's reluctance to command the Iraqi-Persian theater gave General Alexander instructions.

My suspicions about the High Command in the Middle East grew from reports I received from various sources.Going to the Middle East to solve those decisive problems locally has become a top priority.It was initially thought that the trip would take a five or even six-day flight via Gibraltar and Takoradi before crossing central Africa to Cairo.Since I would be passing through tropical and malaria-endemic areas on this flight, a series of vaccinations was prescribed.Some injections take ten days to produce immunity, and at the same time make people feel extremely uncomfortable and even unable to move.Some members of the War Cabinet, who showed a friendly interest in my health, became objects of my persuasion.

But just at this moment a young American pilot, Captain Van der Krudt, arrived in England, having just arrived from America in a Liberator C|46; the bomb racks had been removed, Some passenger equipment is installed.The aircraft would certainly be able to complete the flight on the prescribed route, with extra time at all stages.Air Force Chief of Staff Portel saw the pilot and asked him repeatedly about the situation of the plane.Van der Klut, who has flown about a million miles, asked why detours at Takoradi, Kano, Fort Lami, Ubayd, etc.He said that he could fly from Gibraltar to Cairo in one breath; fly east from Gibraltar in the afternoon, make a sharp turn south at dusk, pass Spain or Vichy possessions, and then fly east until near Asiot, where the Nile can be seen ;Turn to the north and fly again, and you will arrive at Cairo Airport in the northwest of the pyramid in about an hour.This changed the whole plan.I could be in Cairo in two days without any infestation by Central African bedbugs or injections against them.Porter was persuaded by him.

We are anxious to know how the Soviet government reacted to the unavoidable but unpleasant news that there would be no crossing of the English Channel in 1942.On the evening of July 28th, I happened to be at No. 10 Downing Street. I and other members of the wartime cabinet were celebrating the king in the flower hall temporarily set up as a restaurant.His Majesty agreed to my trip in private. After the king left, I immediately invited the cabinet members who were in a good mood to discuss issues in the cabinet meeting room.It was decided at any rate that I should go to Cairo and propose to Stalin a meeting with him.I therefore sent him the following telegram:

Prime Minister to Premier Stalin July 30, 1942 We are making preliminary arrangements for another effort to get a huge convoy to Arkhangelsk in the first week of September. 2. If I get your invitation, I would like to go to Astrakhan in the Caucasus or a similar place convenient for meeting to meet with you.At that time we may discuss the battle situation together and make decisions together.I can also tell you about the plan of attack for 1942 that we have worked out with President Roosevelt.I will come with the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. 3. I am about to leave for Cairo.I have big business to attend to there, as you can imagine.If you wish, I will fix a convenient date for the meeting there, any number of days from August 10th to 13th.

4. The War Cabinet has agreed to my proposal. Prime Minister Stalin to Prime Minister Churchill July 31, 1942 On behalf of the Soviet government, I invite you to come to the Soviet Union to meet with personnel of the Soviet government.Since Hitler's threat to Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union has now become particularly tense, I would be very grateful if you could come to the Soviet Union and discuss together the various urgent issues of the war against Hitler. I think the most suitable place for the meeting is Moscow, because neither I nor the rest of the government and the leadership of the General Staff can leave the capital at such a tense time for the war against Germany.

The arrival of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff is very much in line with our wishes. You are kindly requested to determine the date of the meeting at your own discretion according to the time necessary for you to complete your mission in Cairo.You can predetermine that any date will work for me. Allow me to thank you for your promise to send a second convoy of war supplies to the Soviet Union in early September.Although it is extremely difficult to transfer aircraft from the battlefield, we will take measures to strengthen the air defense of the transport fleet as much as possible.

Prime Minister to Premier Stalin August 1, 1942 I will definitely meet with you in Moscow and decide on the date of my trip when I arrive in Cairo. During this period, the fighting continued on Alamein's position, which focused on attacking Ruweset Ridge.Rommel's offensive strength is already insufficient, and our strength is sufficient for defense and there is still room, but the victory or defeat is still uncertain.It has now been decided to fly me to Cairo, so I call General Auchinleck: July 31, 1942 I hope to fly to Cairo on Monday, August 3rd.The Chief of the Reich General Staff will also arrive by other routes on the same day.I have asked Field Marshal Smuts and General Wavell to try to come to Cairo in the same week.Please pay close attention to this.

General Brooke, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, is in Gibraltar and is to fly to Cairo via Malta, to whom I have the following telegram: prime minister to general brooke August 1, 1942 Here is an excerpt from Auchinleck's telegram I received yesterday, from which we can see how much our trip to the Middle East was needed: A meeting was held yesterday with the commanders of the corps and the tactical situation was discussed in detail. Insufficient numbers, and the fact that the enemy's position has been effectively consolidated, we are compelled to conclude that, in the present situation, it is inadvisable to make an effort to break through the enemy's line, or to attack the enemy from the south flank.There will be no chance of a renewed offensive until mid-September.This will depend on whether the enemy can build up a tank force.

Our policy for the time being is therefore to be on the defensive, with full preparation and consolidation in all defensive areas.At the same time, we will wait for an opportunity to take the offensive suddenly and surprise the enemy. It is arranged that Sir Alexander Cadogan will accompany me on behalf of the Foreign Office.We set out from Lynham after midnight on Sunday, August 2nd, in the C|46.This trip was a far cry from the comfort of the previous Boeing seaplane ride.This bomber had no heating at the time, and the biting cold wind was blowing in through many gaps like blades.There are no beds in the plane, but two shelves in the aft cabin allow me and my physician, Sir Charles Wilson, to lie down; there are enough blankets for everyone.We flew low over South England so as to be discernible to our anti-aircraft units; they were notified but were on alert.After we got out to sea, I left the cockpit and went to rest in the back cabin.

Slept soundly thanks to good sleeping pills. We arrived safely in Gibraltar on the morning of August 3rd, inspected the surrounding areas of the fort all day long, and departed for Cairo at 6:00 p.m. The flight is more than 2,000 miles away. In order to avoid the enemy planes around the desert battlefield, we had to make a long detour. distance.In order to save more gasoline in the plane, van der Kloot no longer flew towards the Mediterranean before nightfall, but flew directly over the Spanish region and the semi-hostile Vichy territories.So we had four Warrior escorts before dusk and we had effectively broken the neutrality of both areas.We had no trouble in the air, nor did we come within shell range of any important city.I was still very happy when night fell over the unpleasant scene and we slept in the aft cabin with as much bedding as a C|46 could afford.If you are forced to land in a neutral area, it will cause a lot of trouble. Even if you land in a desert area, although the situation is better, another problem will arise.But the four engines of the C|Forty-six roared merrily; the plane flew through the night on a starry night, and I slept soundly till dawn. It has become a habit on these trips that I sit in the passenger seat before sunrise.When I sat in the co-pilot's seat on the morning of August 4th, in the twilight of the morning light, I saw the Nile River, winding like a silver belt, unfolding in front of my eyes.It is not the first time that I have watched Dawn on the Nile.In wartime and peacetime, I have traveled by land or water, and have almost traversed the entire Nile River basin from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea, except for Dongola.The sun shone brightly on the waters of the Nile, and the view never pleased me more than it did today. Now, I'm temporarily on the front lines.I am not sitting in the country waiting for the news from the front, but I can go to the front line to spread the news of the war. This is an exciting thing. I have to solve the following problem in Cairo.Has General Auchinleck or his personnel lost confidence in the desert forces?If so, he should be fired, but who should take over?For a commander of the highest character, remarkable ability and determination, it is painful to make such a decision.In order that my own judgment may not be mistaken, I urged General Smuts to come from South Africa to Cairo.He was at the British embassy when I arrived.We talked all morning, and I told him all our difficulties and various solutions.In the afternoon I had a long talk with Auchinleck, who explained the military situation very clearly.The next morning, at Auchinleck's request, I received General Corbett; he was a man of great importance to the Commander in Chief.Auchinleck, he said, was anxious to step down as commander of the Eighth Army as soon as possible and return to Cairo to attend to his wider affairs.Then he surprised me by saying: I will follow him to lead the Eighth Army.In fact, last week I was all geared up.Such an arrangement was of course never considered by us.General Wavell arrived from India after lunch.At six o'clock I held a conference on the Middle East, with Smuts, Casey, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Wavell, Auchinleck, Admiral Harwood, and Ted of the Air Force, all in charge.We discussed a large number of issues and reached consensus on many issues.But throughout the meeting, my mind turned to the main issue of the Middle East Commander. It is impossible to deal with a transfer of personnel of this nature without considering other issues.It is the duty of the Chief of the Reich General Staff to judge the character of our generals; he is my advisor on this matter.I would first suggest that he take charge of the Middle East.General Brooke would certainly have liked him as operational commander, and I knew there was no one better suited.He considered the question and had a long talk with General Smuts the next morning.Finally, he replied that he had only been Chief of the Reich General Staff for eight months, that he believed he had my full confidence, and that the work of the General Staff was now going very well.Making changes at this time may cause temporary confusion at this critical juncture.And, all things considered, he was unwilling to take on the task of first persuading Auchinleck to resign and then replacing him himself.His reputation is too high to be subjected to such censure; I must, then, cast my mind upon others. Alexander and Montgomery fought alongside Brooke, which reminds us of Dunkirk in May 1940.In Burma, Alexander had commanded a hopeless campaign with distinction, for which I and the Chief of the Imperial General Staff admired him greatly.Montgomery's reputation was high.If it is decided to replace Auchinleck, Alexander will undoubtedly be appointed to take on the task of the Middle East.But the mood of the Eighth Army cannot be ignored.If two men were sent from England to replace those who had fought in the desert, would this be seen as a reprimand against them and all officers of the Eighth Army at all ranks?On this point, General Gott seemed in every way fit for purpose.The whole army is loyal to him; it is not for nothing that he has earned the title of Punisher.But, as Brooke will tell me, there was an opinion at the time that he was tired and in need of rest.Therefore, it is too early to make a decision at this moment.During my journey here, I will have the opportunity to see for myself what can be done in the short amount of time that can be allocated. Sir Miles Lampson received me with great ceremony.I stayed in his air-conditioned bedroom and worked in his air-conditioned study.It was a very hot day, and only these two rooms had a comfortable temperature.In this otherwise unlovely environment, we lived for more than a week, informed, listened to, and visited the front line or the huge barracks in the Kasesin district east of Cairo, and our powerful reinforcements were arriving one after another. here. On August 5, I inspected Alamein's positions.I traveled with General Auchinleck in his car to the extreme right flank of the front west of Ruweset, held by the 9th Australian Division.From there we went up the battle line to his headquarters behind Ruweset Ridge, where we breakfasted on gridded squares; it was full of flies and important military personnel.I have asked officers of all branches to come, especially General Gott the Punisher.He was said to have been weakened by the fatigue of his work.This is exactly what I need to know.After I got acquainted with the corps and division commanders of the various arms present, I asked General Gott to take the car to my second destination airport.One of Auchinleck's staff officers objected, saying it would take him an extra hour by detour; But I insisted that he should go with me.This was my first and last meeting with Gott.I looked into his bright blue eyes as the car bumped and rattled on the rough road and asked him how he was doing.Does he feel tired?Do you want to share your opinion?Gott said he did feel tired. He hadn't been back to his country for several years and only wanted to go to England for a three-month holiday.He declared, however, that he was still competent for new and urgent work and to take up the tasks entrusted to him. We parted at the airport at 2:00 pm on August 5th.Two days later, he was killed by the enemy at the same time, almost in the same space. At the airfield I was entrusted to receive Air Force Major General Coningham.Under Tedder he commanded all the Air Forces which fought with the Army; without his activity the great retreat of five hundred miles would have been successful without greater disaster than we have encountered.We flew to his headquarters within a quarter of an hour, where lunch was ready and all the major Air Force officers above colonel were present.I felt nervous on the part of the owner when I arrived.All meals are ordered from Sheppard's restaurant.A special truck is bringing good food from Cairo.But the car got lost, and people were sent to look for it everywhere.Finally, it's finally here. It was a pleasant moment in the midst of our worries and encounters with a real oasis in the middle of a vast desert.It is not difficult to see how critical the Air Force will be of the Army, and how surprised both the Army and the Air Force are at the setbacks to our superior forces.I flew back to Cairo that night and sent the following telegram: Prime Minister to Deputy Prime Minister August 5, 1942 I have just returned from a long and exciting day with the Eighth Army; we visited Alamein and Ruweset, inspected South African and Australian troops, met Mosshead, Ramsden Spent a morning with Auchinleck with General Gort, an afternoon with Ted, Corningham and the RAF men.The army is very happy, everyone seems confident and motivated, but is puzzled by the repeated missed chances of victory.Whilst I considered that I would have to make recommendations to the Cabinet, I asked them to allow me to inspect all the troops forward and rear. 2. I am discussing the whole situation with the resourceful Smuts.The reason why the situation is so serious is of course not the army's fault, and it has little to do with the army's equipment. 3. I intentionally make my future actions erratic.It sounds good that the House of Commons is satisfied with my report.This change of environment and outdoor life has benefited me a lot. The next day, the whole of the sixth, I spent with Brooke and Smuts drafting the necessary telegrams to the Cabinet.The problems that had to be resolved now involved not only senior officials but the entire command structure of this vast theater of operations.I have often felt that using the term Middle East to refer to places like Egypt, the Levant, Syria, and Turkey is inappropriate.This is the Near East.Persia and Iraq are the Middle East; India, Burma and Malaya are the East; China and Japan are the Far East.However, I feel that more important than changing the name is the delineation of the scope of the current Middle East Command.It has too many aspects to manage, and the whole region is too big.Now is the time for reorganization. Prime Minister to Deputy Prime Minister August 6, 1942 at 8:15 pm I have made an inquiry here, and after repeated discussions with Marshal Smuts, the Chief of the Reich General Staff, and the Minister of State, I have decided that immediate and decisive measures must be taken to reorganize the High Command. 2. I therefore propose that the Middle East Command be divided into two separate commands, namely: (1) Near East Command, including Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, headquartered in Cairo; (2) Middle East Command, including Persia and Iraq, headquartered in Basra or Baghdad. The Eighth and Ninth Armies belonged to the Near East Command; the Tenth Army belonged to the Middle East Command. 3. General Auchinleck will be appointed as the commander-in-chief of the new Middle East Command. The title will remain the same, but his scope of authority will be reduced.This change may be more important in the future.It would also keep General Auchinleck in touch with India.It must also be remembered that General Wavell was Commander-in-Chief of India, and only so long as the war was on; the Indian Office always wished for Auchinleck to return to India if possible. Little did I know that this plan should thus be thwarted and finally not realized; of course, no one can guarantee against unforeseen events. 4. General Alexander will be appointed commander in chief of the Near East. 5. General Montgomery succeeds Alexander in carrying out the Torch Project.I regret that Alexander had to be withdrawn from the Torch Program; but Montgomery was in every way qualified to succeed (he came to carry out the program). 6. General Gott will be appointed as the commander of the Eighth Army, under the command of Alexander. 7. General Corbett will be relieved of his position as chief of staff of the Near East Command. Eighth, Ramsden will be relieved of his post as commander of the Thirty Army. 9. Dorman | Smith will be relieved of his position as Deputy Chief of Staff. 【１】 [1] The names of the officers are included in this list only for the sake of facts.Neither these names, nor those mentioned in my subsequent comments, can be taken as my personal accusation against any one individual.These were but the major changes in commander and staff when General Alexander succeeded General Auchinleck. 10. It is also necessary to select two commanders for the Eighth Army to replace Gott and Ramsden.We have some thoughts on these two positions, but it would be best to discuss these issues with the transfer of some lower-level personnel by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff.The transfer of some lower-level personnel needs to be agreed upon by Alexander after he takes office. 12. The above are the important personnel changes required by the serious and urgent situation here.I would be grateful if my colleagues in the War Cabinet could approve this.Smuts and the Reich Chief of the General Staff would like me to convey their opinion: they fully agree that this is the correct course to follow, among many difficulties and alternatives.The Secretary of State also fully agrees.I am sure that these personnel changes will give the Army a new and powerful impetus to restore their confidence in the Command, which I regret is not currently there.I must stress here that a fresh start and drastic action are needed to breathe new life into this large, dysfunctional, and somewhat chaotic institution.It was not difficult for the War Cabinet to understand that a victory over Rommel in August or September would have a decisive effect on the attitude of the French in North Africa when the Torch Program began. Dorman-Major General Smith only became Deputy Chief of Staff on June 16, 1942.Therefore, he was not responsible for the fall of Tobruk or the defeat of Ghazala.From June 25 to August 4, during the battle described in Chapter XXIV, he served as chief operational officer at Auchinleck at Eighth Army headquarters.In that chapter I both praised the command of the Eighth Army and talked about Rommel's remarkable achievements. Thirteen. I hope that I will be notified of the approval of the War Cabinet at the earliest possible period, and I hope that Alexander will depart immediately.He must be here before I leave for Russia with the Chief of the Reich General Staff.I hope to leave on Sunday or Monday. All movements will be made on Monday and will be announced as soon as possible in the interests of the front line of operations.It must be kept strictly confidential for now. The War Cabinet agreed with me on the immediate and drastic changes in the High Command.They enthusiastically endorsed the selection of General Alexander, saying that he would sail from England immediately.However, they did not agree to split Middle East Command into two separate commands.In their view, the reasons for establishing a unified command were even stronger at this moment than when the decision to do so was made in December 1941.They agreed that Montgomery should replace Alexander in Operation Torch and had summoned him to London at once.As for other appointments, they are willing to let me handle them. Prime Minister to Deputy Prime Minister August 6th and 7th, 1942 Our proposal to split Middle East Command in two is based entirely on the merits of doing so.If General Auchinleck had not been distracted by the overstretched front and too many areas to take care of, the disaster in the western desert might not have happened.He would have taken direct command of the campaign, which began in late May, were it not for his reluctance to bury his head in Libya's tactical problems.The very phrase of being preoccupied with Libya's tactical problems betrays the inversion of priorities due to irrelevant tasks.Indeed, it is precisely this Libyan tactical problem that dominates our current mission. The two headquarters are separated by a desert area of ​​three or four hundred miles, and the only modest connection between the two is via the Turkish Railway, which we cannot transport troops, the motor road across the desert, and the fourteen-day Detour around the sea line of communication in the Arabian Peninsula.The supply bases of the two commands are completely different.We are all convinced that the arrangements now proposed are geographically, strategically and logistically sound.My suggestion of redistricting the theater was only motivated by the need for a sudden and decisive move to reshuffle the command to deal with Rommel and give the troops the feel of starting from scratch.I would rather not embarrass Alexander with considerations of the backcountry at a time when our fate depends on a swift and decisive defeat of Rommel. I earnestly hope that my colleagues will give further consideration to this extremely difficult question and allow me to proceed with my plan.On all these points I have the complete agreement of Smuts and the Chief of the Reich General Staff.With Alexander already on his way, and Auchinleck apparently ignorant of what was about to happen, the decision was now urgent.I must inform him tomorrow. The other proposals in my plan have been agreed to by Cabinet, though with the utmost care, which I am grateful for. The War Cabinet replied that my telegram had not entirely reassured them, but, as I was present with Smuts and the Chief of the Reich General Staff, and both of them had agreed to the proposal, they were prepared to approve my suggested action.However, they strongly stated that if General Auchinleck was appointed commander of the Persia and Iraq theater and retained the title of commander in chief of the Middle East, it would cause confusion. I think this is correct and take their advice. On August 7, I visited the 51st Scottish Division which had just arrived.As I was going upstairs after dinner at the embassy, ​​I met Colonel Jacob.He said: "Gort is out of luck.What happened?While flying to Cairo this afternoon, his plane was shot down.I have decided to entrust this fine soldier with the most direct combat duty in the campaign to come, and I do mourn his loss. All my plans were disrupted.After Auchinleck was transferred from the Supreme Command, Gott, who was rich in desert combat experience and prestige, was appointed to the Eighth Army Command, so the power was balanced, and the whole situation would be compensated by Alexander taking on the heavy responsibility of the Middle East Theater .But what to do now? Prime Minister to Deputy Prime Minister August 7, 1942 Gott's plane was shot down and he was lost, I deeply regret it. There is no doubt as to who will serve as his successor. Prime Minister to Deputy Prime Minister The Chief of the Imperial General Staff had emphatically recommended Montgomery to command the Eighth Army.Both Smuts and I felt that this vacancy must be filled immediately.Please send a special plane to take him to his post as soon as possible.Please let us know when you arrive. At 11.15 am on August 7th the War Cabinet appeared to be meeting to discuss my telegram of the day which had just been translated.While the discussion was going on, a secretary sent my successive telegrams, one stating that Gott was dead, and another requesting that Montgomery be sent at once.People told me that moment was one of great grief for my friends in Downing Street.But, as I've observed many times, they've been through it enough to be strong.They met till dawn, agreed to my main proposals, and issued the necessary orders to Montgomery. When I telegraphed the War Cabinet with the news of Gott's death, I asked that General Eisenhower not be informed of our intention to replace Alexander with Montgomery.But, it was too late, they had already told Eisenhower. Further changes in the plan are bound to bring annoying confusion to the preparations for the Torch Program.In that great cause Alexander was chosen to command the First British Army.He had already started working with Eisenhower.As usual, they got along very well.Now Alexander has left him for the sake of the Middle East.Ismay was ordered to convey the news and my apologies to Eisenhower: Due to the extreme needs of the war, I had to temporarily interrupt and disrupt the connection.Ismay talked at length about Eisenhower's qualities as a field commander.Montgomery arrived at Eisenhower's headquarters almost immediately, and all the red tape required for military commanders from different countries to meet for common missions was dispensed with.But on the morning of the next day (8th), Eisenhower was notified that Montgomery must fly to Cairo to command the Eighth Army immediately.The task fell to Ismay again.Eisenhower was magnanimous, down-to-earth, and dealt with the events before him with a calm and unselfish spirit.However, he was naturally bewildered by the fact that such an important post entrusted to him in such a large-scale combat operation would be changed twice within two days.He was now about to meet a third British commander.Not surprisingly, he asked Ismay: Are the British taking the Torch Program seriously?Still, Gott's death was a fact of war, and a good soldier can understand it.General Anderson was called in to fill the vacancy.Montgomery and Ismay went to the airport together and took office together.Ismay told him the background of these sudden changes during the journey of more than an hour. It is said that there is another story in their conversation, but unfortunately it has not been confirmed.Montgomery spoke of the trials and perils of a soldier's life.He has been engaged in military affairs all his life, has worked tirelessly for many years, and has been self-denying and devoted to public service.Soon, the god of fate smiled on him, the glory of success shone on him, he was promoted, the opportunity came, and he commanded a large army.He won, he was world famous, everyone was talking about him.Suddenly, however, it was bad luck again.Perhaps through no fault of his own, a single battle wiped out his life's achievements, but his name is also in the annals of endless military failures.Ismay advised him: But you shouldn't take everything so badly!The Middle East is amassing a fine army.It's safe to say you're safe from disaster.Montgomery yelled from the car: What!What do you mean by saying this.I'm talking about Rommel! On the 8th I spent the day in the Yeomanry Division.This excellent army has hitherto been unused, and has never fought effectively against the enemy.They were stationed along the Kassesin Highway.For two years they have been serving in the Middle East, mainly in Palestine.I haven't been able to equip them for their fighting power and make them a high-quality army.Now they are finally behind the front lines and about to join the battle.However, at the very moment when they were about to make their mark, all their tanks had to be removed in order to replenish and re-equip the front line in battle.What an astonishing blow to these fighting spirits!It was my business to go from brigade to brigade, explaining to groups of officers (about two or three hundred each) the reasons for reducing their strength when they were so vigorous.But I also have good news for them.Three hundred Sherman tanks are being transported here via the Red Sea, and within half a month, this division will be equipped with the most powerful armored vehicles at the time.I told them the story of my time with the President and General Marshall the morning after the fall of Tobruk.How eager the American 1st Armored Division was for these Sherman tanks at that time, but as soon as they got the order to give us a chance, maybe I can say, to make it possible for us to actually defend Alexandria, Cairo and Egypt, So that they will not be occupied, how do they call out these tanks immediately.They will definitely get this batch of tanks.They will also become the world's first-class armored forces.I think they took solace in what I told them. I bumped the long road to Cairo and arrived in the city by 5:00 pm. I must now inform General Auchinleck that he is about to be released from command.According to past experience, it is better to notify such unpleasant things by letter than by word, so I sent Colonel Jacob to fly to his headquarters with the following letter. Cairo Dear General Auchinleck, August 8, 1942 In your telegram of June 23 to the Chief of the Reich General Staff you raised the question of your removal from command in this theater and suggested that General Alexander could be his successor.Your majesty's government failed to heed your noble advice when the army was in danger.At the same time, you are taking effective command of the war, as I have always hoped, and as I suggested to you in my May 20th telegram.You prevented the unfavorable development of the situation.At present, the battle line has been stabilized. 2. Now, for the reasons you yourself have mentioned, the War Cabinet has decided that the time for reorganization has come.We plan to separate Persia and Iraq from the current Middle East theater.Alexander would be given command of the Middle East theater, with Montgomery commanding the Eighth Army.I propose that you command the Iraqi and Persian theaters, including the Tenth Army, with headquarters in Basra or Baghdad.The scope of this theater is indeed smaller than that of the Middle East theater. However, in a few months, this theater may become the site of a decisive battle, and reinforcements from the Tenth Army are already on the way.With your special experience in this theater and your connection to India, I hope you will accede to my wishes and orders with the impartiality you have always displayed.Alexander is about to arrive, and, apart from the movement of course due to the actions of the enemy, I expect the smoothest and most efficient handover on the Western Front early next week. 3. If you wish, I will be more than happy to meet you at any convenient time. Believe me, your faithful Winston Churchill And again: I also entrust the bearer of this letter, Colonel Jacob, to express his condolences on the sudden death of General Gott. I kept the President informed of the whole situation. former navy personnel to president roosevelt August 8, 1942 你想必已見到英國參謀長委員會從倫敦發給華盛頓的參謀長聯席會議的關於早日執行火炬作戰計劃的電報。我確信此事是無比重要，而且應投入異乎尋常的努力。每一天的時間都是重要的。我已打電報去倫敦，歡迎艾森豪威爾將軍擔任火炬作戰計劃的盟軍總司令，而且英國的高級軍官正與他通力合作。 我正在此間忙於必需進行的最高統帥部的改組工作。我已讓伊拉克與波斯從中東戰區分出，並把奧金萊克將軍調到那裡。亞歷山大將繼他就任中東總司令。戈特將軍被任命為亞歷山大麾下的第八集團軍司令，但於昨天犧牲。我建議任命蒙哥馬利將軍替代他。這將使作戰行動得到高度的集中。這裡取得的勝利對法國對待火炬計劃的態度可能起決定性的作用。 雅各布在晚上回來了。奧金萊克以軍人的莊嚴態度接受這次打擊。他不願接受新的指揮任務，並想在第二天來見我。 雅各布的日記寫道： 首相正在睡覺。他在六時醒來，我必須馬上盡可能地把我與奧金萊克將軍談話的經過告訴他。帝國總參謀長也在。 首相的心意完全集中在擊敗隆美爾，以及使亞歷山大將軍能全部負責西部沙漠戰鬥的問題上。他不能理解，當沙漠正在發生重大事件的時候，人們仍能留在開羅，而讓別人去處理沙漠的戰事。他踱來就去，滔滔不絕地談著這個問題，而且，他希望按照他的意見辦。他喊道：隆美爾，隆美爾，隆美爾，隆美爾！除了打敗他，還有什麼更重要的事？ 八月九日上午，亞歷山大將軍來到，並與我和帝國總參謀長共進早餐。 奧金萊克將軍中午過後到達開羅，我們進行了一小時的談話，這次談話開始不久便索然無味，但也沒有什麼可指責之處。 因此我發出了如下電報： prime minister to general ismay 一九四二年八月十日 奧金萊克將軍不願接受伊拉克｜波斯戰區司令官之職。不過，我仍然深信他是最恰當人選，我已給他幾天工夫讓他進一步考慮。我將不會不適當地逼他就任，但是，我擔心，他由於受到最近打擊他以莊嚴的態度接受了這次打擊，但自然不免感到痛心不會作出什麼決定。 有關軍事當局正在研究與擬議中的伊拉克和波斯單獨成立戰區有關的事宜，也在研究隨之而來的行政上的變動。如果與此同時三軍參謀長也對實施這項政策提出最好的辦法，我將感到高興。史末資將軍已回到南非，但是，帝國總參謀長和亞歷山大將軍與我意見一致，認為這種劃分在目前是合適的。 同一天，我給奧金萊克將軍又寫了一封信： 我打算在我回國途中，在十四日或十五日在巴格達舉行一次會議，以便‧專‧門討論設立伊拉克和波斯戰區的獨立機構問題。 屆時我很想知道你是否能夠承擔我建議你擔任的非常艱鉅而重大的任務。如果事情真如我所希望的那樣，你確實願意擔任你所擅長的這項工作，那麼我就請你在巴格達與我會晤，其前提當然是指揮工作的移交手續在此間辦妥。 亞歷山大將軍當晚來見我，我們擬定了指揮人員變動的最後安排。我向倫敦方面報告了詳細情況： Prime Minister to General Ismay, 並轉一九四二年八月十日 有關人員 你應立即宣佈戈特將軍已經犧牲。 二‧我已於八日寫信將作出的決定通知了奧金萊克將軍，昨天（九日）他來此地見我。交接手續將在九日起的三日內完成，除非亞歷山大將軍要求延長數日（這不大可能）。移交完畢後，亞歷山大將通知你，屆時你應發出一項公告，形式如下： （1）已任命亞歷山大將軍繼奧金萊克將軍指揮陛下政府在中東的部隊。 （2）已任命蒙哥馬利將軍繼李奇將軍指揮第八集團軍。 （3）已任命麥克裡裡將軍為亞歷山大將軍的參謀長。 （4）拉姆斯登將軍傷勢已癒，受命為第三十軍軍長，以代替犧牲的戈特將軍。 三‧在收到亞歷山大將軍已接管完畢的報告之前，必須嚴格保密，因此，新聞大臣似應向報社負責人或（和）編輯事先私下交待意圖，並且告訴他們最高指揮部進行重大人事變動，以便給西部沙漠部隊以最大鼓舞的重要性。國務大臣也將在此間採取類似措施。 七‧我已給亞歷山大將軍下列指示，這些指示最合他的心意，並已得到帝國總參謀長的同意： （1）你的首要任務是盡早奪取或摧毀隆美爾元帥指揮的德意軍隊，連同他們在埃及和利比亞的全部供應和設施。 （2）你還應完成或督促完成與英皇陛下利益極有關係的屬於你戰區的其他任務，只要不妨礙（1）中所提到的任務。 無疑，在戰事的以後階段裡很可能會改變這項命令的重點，但是，我認為目前必須使任務單純，目標集中。 亞歷山大在六個月以後才發出覆信，此事將在以後適當的時候敘述。