Chapter 150 Volume Four, Chapter Forty, Dilemma After Returning to China

Progress of the North African campaign Advance of the Eighth Army Occupation of Tripoli on January 23 I fly to Tripoli via Cyprus and Cairo Victory entry of the Eighth Army General Alexander's reply to my instructions of August 10 Enron in Algiers Return Correspondence with the President My Statement to the House of Commons 11th February Mr. Eden Visits America I have Pneumonia I Receive a Lion as a Present General Sylvester Churchill General Rommel Attacks Again But Fails Letter from the King My reply to the King on February 22. Mr. Gandhi's hunger strike. The film about Stalingrad and the film "The Victory in the Desert". Letter from the President on March 17.

After the failed conquest of Tunisia in December, we had exhausted our initial attack on Northwest Africa, so that the German High Command was temporarily able to restore stability in Tunisia.Hitler refused to admit that he could not even defend the short passage between Sicily and Tunisia with naval and air forces, and instead ordered the creation of a new army in Tunisia to deal with the impending Allied attack from both east and west.After Rommel's African Army was defeated, it continued to retreat under the fierce pressure of the British Eighth Army. In the Central Mediterranean, Malta was once again fully alive with food and armaments.From our new bases in Algeria and Cyrenaica, our naval and air forces patrolled extensive areas, protecting Allied shipping and inflicting heavy losses on enemy supplies and reinforcements.With the exception of Tunisia, where the Luftwaffe still had a strong air force, our forces reached the ports of mainland Italy.Palermo, Naples and Spezia were all threatened as our strength increased, and RAF bombers attacked northern Italy from the British mainland.The Italian fleet no longer dared to interfere.Not to mention the emergence of the British fleet, the oil shortage problem of the Italian fleet is already very serious.There were days when there was not a ton of fuel in all of Sicily for the ships escorting supplies to Tunisia.

On the Army side, General Eisenhower had understood that his forces in Northwest Africa must be given a break to reorganize and replenish.In the north, the areas captured by the British 78th and 6th Armored Divisions had to be consolidated.On the south, the French Nineteenth Corps in the centre, and part of the American II Corps on the right, defended with insufficient forces a long and weak front;Allied forces were mixed, and the problem was compounded by General Giraud's refusal to place the French under British command.In mid-January, the French Nineteenth Army was severely attacked, causing the British and Americans to send more troops to support them. Therefore, Eisenhower had to issue an order to obey the command of General Anderson, the commander of the British First Army. , Giro also accepted the order.

In January, the British Eighth Army was progressing well.At the beginning of the month, the Eighth Army was blocked in front of the enemy positions in Bilat.General Montgomery felt that he must postpone the attack until there was good reason to assure speedy results.The Eighth Army was supplied by Benghazi, Tobruk, and initially Tripoli.On January 15, Montgomery attacked along the coast road with the 51st Division and attacked on the center line with the 22nd Armored Brigade, while the 7th Armored Division and the 2nd New Zealand Division surrounded the desert flank.Tripoli was captured by the British on January 23 as scheduled.The port has been severely damaged.The entrance is completely blocked by sunken ships and the channel is strewn with mines.In anticipation of this situation, the first supply vessel entered the port only on 2 February.After a week, 2,000 tons of aid can be imported every day.Although the Eighth Army still has a long way to go, it has always maintained a supply of relief materials during the 1,500-mile journey from Alamein. Due to the rapid opening of the Tripoli port, the maintenance of supplies has reached its peak. .This logistical credit should be attributed to Generals Lindsay and Robertson of the Eighth Army at Cairo.By the end of this month, General Leclerc led a mixed force of the Free French Army with more than 2,500 soldiers, and traveled 1,500 miles across the desert from French Equatorial Africa to join the Eighth Army. Follow Montgomery's command without reservation.He and his troops played an important role in the latter part of the Tunisian campaign.

The Eighth Army crossed the border into Tunisia on 4 February, thus completing Great Britain's conquest of the Italian Empire.According to the resolution adopted by the Casablanca Conference, the Eighth Army is now under the command of General Eisenhower, and General Alexander is General Eisenhower's deputy commander in chief to perform the command task of land combat. I flew back from Adana to Cyprus, where I spent two nights, and revisited the 4th Hussars, which I had commanded during the Great War.The last time was a month before the Battle of Alamein.Everything seems to be thriving in Cyprus and the people are as friendly and welcoming as I have seen anywhere.They all felt much safer than in 1941, and the Turkish and Greek residents of the island were very relieved that the Allies were winning and had no intention of opposing British rule.I had several rapport with the people, and I addressed dignitaries in the gardens of the Governor's Palace.This was my third visit to the island, the first in 1907, when I was Under Secretary for Colonial Affairs in the Campbell-Bannerman government; the second in 1936 in Walter Moyne's Yachting cruise; now the third visit in 1943.I have followed their affairs closely, and am glad to have been able to help in the abolition of the treasury's levies on the island.

We spent another two nights in Cairo before flying to Tripoli, where Montgomery, the victor of the historic march, was waiting for me at the airfield.The enemy had been driven forty or fifty miles west of the city.I stayed in Tripoli for two days and witnessed the majestic entry of the Eighth Army through the ornate streets.At the forefront is the brass band of the 51st Highland Division.Despite their long marches and battles, their clothes looked new and clean.In the afternoon, I attended a military parade with two divisions in close formation.I lived in Montgomery's compartment; I had not lodged in such a compartment for a long time since our meeting before the Battle of Alamein.I addressed some two thousand officers and men in his headquarters.What I said to them was roughly about:

And every night we had to pitch our camp tent, A day's march closer to home. But they are still a long way from their homeland, and the road is not direct. I planned to fly to Malta; Montgomery had everything ready, thanks to instructions I had given in Cairo.The flight was deemed dangerous due to the presence of enemy aircraft, and I was going in a small two-seater plane, escorted by six Spitfires.It was only when I expressed my joy and amazement at Montgomery's superior measures that he understood that he took what I merely wished for as an order.He then began to object to this risky flight, and I finally followed his advice.I regret this because I should have had the opportunity to see Malta and preserve a memory of the island of Malta in battle.

The reader will recall that when I left Cairo six months ago, I gave General Alexander the following instructions: Prime Minister to General Alexander, Commander in Chief Middle East August 10, 1942 Your first task is to capture or destroy the German-Italian forces commanded by Field Marshal Rommel at the earliest opportunity, together with all its supplies and equipment in Egypt and Libya. 2. You shall carry out or order the execution of tasks similar to those which fall within your sphere of command without prejudice to the tasks stated in the first paragraph and which must be considered to be of the utmost importance to His Majesty's interests.

He called me the following reply: General Alexander to Prime Minister Your Mightiness: On August 10, 1942, the order you gave me has been executed.Your Majesty's enemies have been driven out of Egypt, Cyrenaica, Libya, and Tripolitania with their baggage.I am now awaiting your further instructions. After two long and lively days our party set out from Tripoli to visit Eisenhower and all the others in Algiers. Prime Minister to General Eisenhower (in Africa) February 3, 1943 According to my current plan, I should arrive in five days.I was wondering if it would be convenient for me to have lunch with a few of you.I hope to meet Giroux and Murphy and of course Macmillan.I don't want to call General Anderson back from the front unless it's very convenient and pleasant for you.I intend to go to Gibraltar after an early lunch.I would love to see you.Please only tell Admiral Cunningham.

The situation in Algiers is tense.After Darlan's assassination, all the famous people are now on the alert.The War Cabinet continued to be concerned for my safety and apparently wanted me to return home as soon as possible.It's at least an expression of concern.On the other hand, I soon learned that I should stay longer in Algiers. Prime Minister to Deputy Prime Minister February 5, 1943 We stayed here in the admiral's villa next to General Eisenhower.Both houses are surrounded by barbed wire, closely guarded and patrolled.We took a detour to get here in a bulletproof car.I am not advocating leaving the area.

With precautions in place, no one thought there was any danger in such an environment. I am planning to fly from here directly to England as soon as the weather improves completely. However, after a very stressful week, I would like to take a day off.Yesterday, in Tripoli, I reviewed over 40,000 of our troops.The Italians are not second to anyone in warmth. Don't worry about my personal safety because I am very careful about myself and I am sensitive to where there is danger.I hope to address my question in the House of Commons on Tuesday.I have to ask for a report a few days later after I return to China.I plan to give a report on Thursday. It's a busy day.I had several long conversations with Eisenhower and learned from him and the Admiral many things that could not be reported by cable.Our villas were no more than a hundred yards apart.At lunch, both de Gaulle and Giraud arrived.There was so much to do that I couldn't leave until late Saturday. Eisenhower and I had lunch at the Admiral's villa with some very interesting people.On February 6, I met Nogay and Peluton.Both Frenchmen were in powerful but extremely difficult positions.Although Nogay resisted when the American troops landed, he remained the governor of Morocco.At the invitation of the United States, Pelleudon had just arrived from the Vichy ambassador in Argentina to take over as governor of Algeria.I said to them, if we can fight side by side with us, we should let go of our past.Their demeanor was dignified, but worried. Before midnight, I set off for the airport.We all took our seats in the plane and waited to go; but the plane didn't take off.One of my assistant secretaries was very short, and I couldn't help saying: You are light, and flying is very good, but if we land in the desert, you will not be able to follow us for a long distance.Finally, growing impatient with waiting, I resolved to drive back to the admiral's comfortable villa.My physician, Sir Charles Wilson, has gone to bed. He was locked in the plane overnight without hearing us leave.At dawn, he was released.We therefore need to stay another day in Algiers.There is not much to do.I sent an undersea telegram to the foreign secretary: Last night, due to the damage of the magneto, our departure time was delayed by two and a half hours. If we departed at that time, it would be daytime when we approached England the next day, and we might not be able to get an escort. We all thought it would be better to delay another twenty-four hours. Hour.It would be to our great advantage that the magneto be destroyed before we set off, rather than later. We finally took off on the night of the 7th (Sunday) and flew directly and safely back to our home country.This was the last time I flew in a C|46, and the plane died with all the different pilots and crew after that. My first task upon my return was to make a detailed report to the House of Commons on the Casablanca Conference, the Mediterranean travels, and the general situation.As I would like to announce at this time the appointment of important military personnel as agreed upon by both of us, I am sending the following undersea telegram to President Roosevelt: February 8, 1943 I intend to make some remarks to the House of Commons at noon on Thursday, the eleventh, concerning our common business. I have received a telegram from General Alexander stating that I The instructions given to him have been carried out, for the enemy has been driven out of Egypt, Cyrenaica, and Tripolitania.Moreover, the vanguard of the Desert Army is now entering Tunisia.So this is when the Eighth Army should come under the command of General Eisenhower.I suggest announcing this news because it is the inevitable result. So I propose to you that the appointments of Alexander and Ted should be announced at the same time as my report to Congress.I hope that no news about the Eighth Army will be announced before I report to the House of Commons. I have just returned from Algiers where I had some very satisfying meetings with Eisenhower, Smith, Giraud, Murphy, etc.Since my last meeting with you, I have been traveling almost continuously, and I shall send you another report in a few days. With that said, best regards to Harry and all his friends. The president responded immediately. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister February 9, 1943 I agree with your announcement on February 11th of placing your Eighth Army under the command of General Eisenhower, of Alexander as Eisenhower's second-in-command, and of Ted.It is my opinion that the cooperation of the French army with us would be greatly facilitated if an emphasis was placed on the supreme command of the United States in North Africa; I also don't think it would be appropriate to release any specific information about the appointment of Alexander or Ted, thus benefiting the enemy.I am very pleased with your safe return to China.You have accomplished a great feat. I think the president is better off taking public opinion in Britain in stride. former navy personnel to president roosevelt February 10, 1943 I would like to act in the way you ask, but I cannot guarantee that there will be no criticism.I have received the attached brief from Brendan Bracken (Minister of Information) who is in close contact with the British and American press here: I had great difficulty persuading certain newspapers not to criticize the American handling of the North African campaign.If we emphasize the appointment of General Eisenhower as Supreme Commander without specifying the separate tasks of General Alexander and Air Force Admiral Ted, I think we will inevitably attract criticism from the British press.In this respect, I am sure, the newspapers will reflect the general mood at home, and there will be many outright that British commanders and troops have been unduly slighted because of certain actions in international politics. The British government is used to being blamed and will not be unduly provoked.But Americans would express great displeasure at the inevitable criticism of General Eisenhower's appointment as Supreme Commander, or at any comparison of his military credentials with General Alexander's.So I think it's important to tell the public that General Eisenhower is the Supreme Commander, that Alexander is running the Confederate forces fighting in Tunisia, and that Ted is running the Air Force. I will give a solemn warning to the debate on these issues, and Bracken will be working hard behind the scenes.Please do the same on your part to help your faithful companion.The Russian victory, I think, opened up a whole new situation.My wholehearted congratulations on the victory at Guadalcanal[1]. [1] The conquest of Guadalcanal was accomplished on February 9th.This event will be recounted in the next volume. On February 11, I gave a speech for more than two hours.I think there is something more important to say.Of course the most important thing was my order to General Alexander in August 1942 and the reply I received at my headquarters in Tripoli Montgomery on February 2, 1943.I also outlined the general situation in French Northwest Africa and announced the decision I had made with the President regarding the command and the appointment of General Eisenhower as Supreme Commander. There are many complex issues to be resolved, so I think it would be best for the Foreign Secretary to go to Washington in person for the first time since the Great War, to develop a close personal relationship with the President, and to have close contact with Mr. Hull and the State Department.The President agrees with this opinion, and I am prepared to conduct the affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs personally while Mr. Eden is away. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister February 12, 1943 A good point about Anthony Eden's visit to America.I will be very happy to see him.The sooner the better.Your speech is excellent, and has been of great advantage in every way. I'm more tired now than I was on the trip, I must have caught a cold.After a few days, a cold and sore throat kept me bedridden.On the evening of the 16th, when I was alone with my lady, my temperature suddenly rose, and Lord Moran, who was always nursing me, concluded that the base of one of my lungs was inflamed.He wrote a prescription called M and B after his diagnosis.Several accurate photographs were taken the next day, confirming the diagnosis; Dr. Geoffrey Marshall of Guy's Hospital was invited to see him.In Xinluo, various tasks that had to be handled by me continued to come in. Although I felt very uncomfortable, I continued to work as usual.But now I feel that the number of documents sent to me has obviously decreased. I demurred, and the doctor said, and my wife agreed, that I should stop working altogether.I couldn't agree more with that.What should I do throughout the day?Then they said, I have pneumonia.I replied: Oh, you must be able to cure it.Don't you believe in your new drug?Dr. Marshall said he called pneumonia an old man's friend.I asked: why?Because it will cause them to die in peace.I made the appropriate answer, and we stipulated the method agreed by both parties according to the following principles.I can only read the most important and interesting documents, and I can also read some novels.I chose Moll Flanders, a novel which I had heard some brilliant accounts of, but had not had time to read in the past.Thus, I passed another week in fever and discomfort, sometimes very ill.From the nineteenth to the twenty-fifth my diary was blank. The Speaker, Colonel Fitzroy, fell ill almost on the same day as I did.He also has pneumonia.At first, we greeted each other.The answers I got from him made me very uneasy.The speaker was five years older than me and he was very ill. I've been living slowly these days, but not without pleasant pleasures. A gentleman, Mr. Thomson, kindly presented me with a lion, and he sent me a fine picture of it, and wished me good health.Rota is the name of a lion.I had to ask the director of the zoo, the Duke of Devonshire, to help find a place for the lions, through Mr. Thomson.It was a well-grown male lion, eight years old, and the father of many cubs.On this day, the assistant secretary who was on the plane with me arrived with the papers, a funny and competent man, but of small stature.I made a joke on him by showing him a beautiful photo of Rota with his mouth open and saying: If you have any flaws in your work, I'll send you to the lion.Now there is a shortage of meat.He took this seriously and reported it to his colleagues in the office, saying that I was out of my mind. I wrote to the duke: I would be more than happy to be the owner of a lion if I don't have to feed and care for it and the zoo promises not to let it escape. Since Downing Street or Checkers are to preserve the tranquility of the government office environment, you are quite right to conclude that I do not wish to keep lions in either of these places at this time.However, the zoo is not far away, and maybe one day, I will desperately need it. If the weather is fine, I hope to see the lions, and also my black swan. I think it is your personal duty to adopt this lion at Chatsworth, should all else fail. President Roosevelt, General Smuts, and other friends soon learned that I was ill, and sent repeated telegrams asking me to follow the doctor's advice, and I faithfully kept my agreement.When I had finished reading "Moll Flanders," I passed it on to Dr. Marshall to whet his interest.My medical condition is very effective. About this time, I received another portrait from President Roosevelt of an American general named Sylvester Churchill.The general, who died in 1862, was undoubtedly a direct descendant of Churchill in Dorset.His lineage is attached with a photograph.The President thinks we look alike. washington, white house March 2, 1943 dear winston If you and Gefu are free, please take a look at this photo. There is no need to reply to this letter.I think, however, that Mrs. Harrison is right about the resemblance.She is the wife of our ambassador to Switzerland. your forever friend Franklin Roosevelt appendix dear mr president February 27, 1943 I am sending you a photograph that I have kept of a portrait of our great-great-grandfather, General Sylvester Churchill. 【１】 [1] General Sylvester Churchill Born in Woodstock, Vermont, 1783 Died in Washington in 1862 General Churchill was captain of the infantry in the War of 1812, promoted to colonel in the Mexican War of 1846, and established his exploits at the Battle of Buenavista; Get out of danger and be victorious.Therefore, he was promoted to brigade commander in honor (without salary increase).He served as the Army Superintendent, traveling more than 10,000 miles a year, inspecting frontier guards, until his retirement in 1856.Died in Washington in 1862. Many people who came to my house and saw the portrait did not know his name, but said: Why, Winston Churchill is here!I replied that he was Churchill of America! They are very interested.Mr. President, I thought you'd be interested too. I took a picture of the portrait. Here's a photo. Churchill family John Churchill of Dorset, London. (A merchant who supplied goods to George Endicott of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.) John Churchill, born in England, moved to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1643, and died in 1662.Joseph Churchill was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1647.Barnabas Churchill was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1686.Joseph Churchill was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1721.Joseph Churchill was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1748.Sylvester Churchill was born in Woodstock, Vermont in 1783 and died in Washington in 1862. I wrote back: prime minister to president roosevelt March 19, 1943 Thank you very much for reading the letter of March 2.I have shown the photograph and Mrs. Harrison's letter to Mrs. Churchill, and we are both interested.Mrs. Harrison showed us the picture.Could you please pass on our thanks to her? A few savvy connoisseurs thought there was something cool here. Although the speed of the Allied forces' progress on the Eastern Front in North Africa was beyond expectations, the situation of the Allied forces in mid-February was still worrying.The heavy losses we inflicted on the enemy, both at sea and in the air, did not prevent the enemy from building up a force of fourteen divisions, including Rommel's troops.Most of the German troops were brought in by air.There are three divisions of the German army and one division of the Italian army, a total of four divisions are armored divisions.The Allies had only nine divisions that could be put into battle, and the two divisions of the French XIX Corps were poorly equipped.The U.S. Second Army had not yet fully arrived; of its four divisions, only the 1st Infantry and 1st Armored Divisions were fighting at the front.The northern front from the coast to Bouarada was held by the British Fifth Corps in three divisions.Their right flank was defended by a division of the French XIX Corps, the 1st American Infantry Division, and two British infantry brigades.This corps guarded the passes on the ridges overlooking the coastal plain.In a section to the south, the U.S. Second Army, which includes the U.S. 1st Armored Division and a French division, and another U.S. infantry division that is being assembled will continue to defend.These troops were also prepared to defend the passes on their fronts, except the important Fidel Pass, which had been taken by the Germans on January 30. Rommel was promoted to command the entire Axis force on the Tunisian side, and while he was fighting the British Eighth Army, he was gathering a force of two German armored divisions east of Fidd in order to repel the American Eighth Army. Second Army, and prevent them from attacking his flank and rear.He began his attack on 14 February.It had been wrongly estimated that the main attack had come from Fonduque, not Faide.As a result, the bulk of the U.S. 1st Armored Division under General Anderson was dispersed; only half of it stood east of Fontauc to defend against the surprise attack.Because the pressure is too great, they are in great confusion.On the 17th, Kasselin, Friana and Sbetra were successively occupied by German troops. Rommel now had a choice: he could attack Tebessa through the Kasserine Pass, a major traffic center with the important Ux Salina airfield behind it, or he could attack north.He attacked north, meeting strong resistance from the 1st Guards Brigade and the advance team of the U.S. Ninth Division, which Anderson had quickly brought in.On the Tara Highway, the German 21st Armored Division in the vanguard encountered resistance from our 26th Armored Brigade, two battalions of British troops, and American infantry and artillery.Fierce fighting ensued, but by noon on the 22nd Rommel began a general retreat in good order.Casserin and Firiana were recaptured by our troops on the 27th of February, and Spetra on the 28th.Afterwards, our army returned to its original front. However, Rommel did not end his aggressive attempts, at least to maintain a foothold in Tunisia.On February 26, he began a series of intense attacks on the front lines of the British Fifth Army.To the south of Mejaz the enemy was repulsed without making any appreciable advances; to the north they advanced for miles, only to bring the city itself into embarrassing prominence.Near the coast our army was obliged to retreat two miles to Mount Abiod; but here it held. At this time, I received a letter from the king, who paid close attention to the progress of the war, and was not without worries about certain aspects of the situation. Buckingham Palace My dear Winston: February 22, 1943 I am very disturbed to hear that you are ill. I wish you a speedy recovery.Please take this opportunity seriously and take a break.You should have had a break after your last trip, and you will have to recover for the hard work of the months ahead.Last Tuesday, I missed an opportunity to possibly talk to you.I know that I may not see you next Tuesday, so I am writing to you. I am not entirely optimistic about the current political situation in North Africa.I knew that we had to leave the politics of the Torch Program to the US side, and we could keep Spain and Portugal friendly to us while the war was going on.I also know that at first every step must be taken with care; but can we not now strengthen Macmillan and Alexander politically and militarily so that France can work together on both sides? Now I hear that, according to the American side, the launch date of the Husky operation plan has to be postponed to a later date. Although we can plan according to the earlier date, the later date will inevitably increase our preparations for combat. difficulties in. This situation will put to naught all our careful planning of the transport fleet, and will also disrupt our import plans.I do not intend to trouble you with these questions at present, but I am troubled by them, and I would like to obtain from you an assurance that they will be closely watched. I cannot discuss these great questions with anyone but you. Believe me, Yours is very sincere, george I reply immediately.Once I started dictating the letter, I couldn't help talking about various issues. His Majesty: February 22, 1943 His Majesty wrote to me himself, and I am grateful. I have no serious disquiet, either politically or militarily, about the conduct of the war in North Africa, although there are many circumstances in both that are not to my liking. I have been careful to read all the main telegrams, until two days ago I must confess that I was unable to read them.I am sure that Murphy's aim was to support Giraud and to bring a moderate and stable government to the sixteen million people of French North Africa.In this respect, he is already worthy of people's praise.Indeed, for this purpose, and in order to secure our main communications, we had to cooperate with many French officials appointed by the Vichy government; without them I do not know how to manage the district.Even in Syria, we have reached this point to some extent.I myself do not see any intention of changing attitudes among these officers, nor do I see any danger of hindering our operations.They depend upon their good conduct, and possibly their lives, for their own benefit. The sudden entry of de Gaulle or his agents into this area, especially if we try our best to induce their sudden entry, will cause nothing but disturbance.It was entirely his fault that the two factions of the French could not come to a good agreement.He declined the President's (and my) invitation to come to Casablanca to discuss amicable settlements.This brutality rendered him and his French National Council practically irrelevant to the Americans. When we last met, I told Your Majesty that I would do everything in my power to get Husky's plan in place by mid-June.On this point, the Chiefs of Staff Committee and everyone involved are in full agreement.However, Eisenhower expressed a decisive opinion, saying that the battle would not be successful in mid-June, and that it would have to wait until July at the earliest.Our Chiefs of Staff then reported to the Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington, and I also wired Hopkins to follow through on the plan of operations; and it turned out, at last, that the Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was the highest and highest authority in executive command. The official agency ordered General Eisenhower to prepare with utmost zeal for the June campaign and to report on the progress by April 10.So you can see that the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States is taking the same opinion as our Committee of Chiefs of Staff, if I may say so.This is the current situation. Regarding the war, I will not make a judgment until I receive Alexander's report. The Second Corps of the U.S. Army suffered a disastrous rout, apparently losing about half of its vital weapons without inflicting any serious losses on the enemy.However, we now have about six of the best infantry brigades there, the 6th Armored Division, and a brigade with Churchill tanks.More troops are on the way.The condition of the aid shipments is even better.The 1st Guards Brigade had entered the fight at Sbetra and had given the enemy the impression that they had hit a hard bone. The enemy had reduced Maret's line to a very weak point for this new offensive, which had not been foreseen in the original plan.Montgomery knew the whole battle situation perfectly; he was getting daily supplies from the port of Tripoli and from Benghazi, sometimes amounting to as much as six thousand tons; Transport vehicles to sustain yourself, and build up stockpiles of supplies.I hope that by mid-March, or sooner, the Tenth and Thirty Armies will be fighting in Tunisia.It might not have been so long, though, since, if Montgomery felt that the strength of the enemy forces on the front was waning, he would certainly use the strength he had to meet them. I expect that His Majesty has learned that these two corps of the Eighth Army, with a total of about 160,000 men, are probably the most elite troops in the world.I therefore hope with great confidence that they will join the fight.Moreover, we have General Alexander under Eisenhower to coordinate and coordinate all operations.It is fair to say that the enemy force wasted force on false assumptions which would have given Montgomery an early chance at victory. I hardly need to say that I have not said a single word that was intended to hurt Americans.The U.S. Army is valiant but not a combat-experienced army, they learn quickly from their failures and improve through them until all their strongest military qualities are shown.Fortunately, I have been urging General Eisenhower to take command. Otherwise, if the British general took the command, the defeat of the American army will give our enemies in the United States a good opportunity to insult. All in all, I feel that we can look forward with reasonable confidence to the development of the situation in North Africa, which I hope will soon turn around. 我雖因發燒不能閱讀一切電文，但我認為我的確明瞭這些情況，而且我的確很想在午餐時對陛下作口頭的陳述。謹此稟覆。 卑職 Winston S. Churchill 的黎波里的運輸量大大增加。我於二十四日致電港口司令說：把我的話告訴他們，他們正在起卸歷史的重擔。 我讀到公文箱其中報告雖然不時送來，但越來越少中的報告，對於英國第一集團軍在突尼斯的劇烈戰鬥中被調遣的情況，留下了一個不良的印象。 Prime Minister to General Alexander 一九四三年二月二十四日 大約在聖誕節的時候，第一集團軍已放棄了進攻的一切打算；而最近兩個月以來，卻在盡一切努力來把給養運到前方，並且增加援兵。確實，法國人掉隊造成了混亂，但是美國人卻以龐大的兵力加入了戰鬥。然而，這些受安德森指揮的美軍，如你自己所描寫過的那樣，被安德森或別的什麼人零零星星地部署在一片面積很大但防禦鬆懈的戰線上。當時若將山南的戰線撤到山上，可能是明智的；但是既未形成一條強而有力的戰線，又未能小心謹慎地進行撤退。在攻擊展開以前，我們的情報機關曾給予充分的警告。即便在那個時候撤退，還是很有遠見的措施。無人注意過這些地方，直到那些地方丟失的時候，他們才聽說那些地方的名字。設置某種假前線的策略可能是很聰明的方法，但是這類辦法一個也沒有，致使美國第二軍不得不受打擊，在敵人一百五十輛坦克的攻擊下遭受了很大的損失。 二‧局面現在已經恢復，但是過去的事必須徹底地審核。 我信賴你和你的判斷，我也確知你不至於把不足或不當之處隱瞞起來。 三‧讀到曾經大受責難的邱吉爾式坦克表現很好，我非常高興。我對於它們的主要意見當然是在裝甲方面，並且我相信，它們可以承受多次打擊。你派一名軍官把情報送來或已經送來，我會很感興趣的。 四‧今天我已有好幾小時未發燒；我希望，這是從一種極不愉快的生活經驗中復原的開端。祝你一切如意。我深知，在四月中旬以前將要完成的一件極好大事所必須的一切線索，現在都操在你的手中。有你在那裡指揮，我是十分高興的。的黎波里的卸貨情況很好。有事請隨時報來。 致哈里‧霍普金斯先生 一九四三年二月二十四日 我生了幾天病，並且可能很容易地向壞的方面發展。現在，我覺得確實好了些。我想，突尼斯的戰鬥情況很好，並且在朝更好的方面發展；我們的兵士，英國的和美國的，混合在一起像弟兄一般並肩作戰。戰利品正擺在他們的前邊。的黎波里昨天卸了六千三百噸的軍需品。蒙哥馬利正磨劍以待。 你幫助把（西西里的）攻擊日期定在六月，我是很感謝的。最近進行的戰役對它不會發生任何影響，縱然有人說有影響。 請轉達我對於總統的熱情問候。 致艾森豪威爾將軍（在阿爾及爾） 一九四三年二月二十五日 承蒙惠書，不勝感激。我確信，卡塞林隘口的戰役會有良好的結局。 現在輪到總統臥床不起了。 former navy personnel to president roosevelt 一九四三年二月二十七日 我切盼你的健康良好，發燒不久定可停止。我已發燒了很久，病情嚴重，現在燒已退了，我希望從此恢復正常。祝你一切如意。 在我身受折磨的時候，我不得不非常關懷另一位身體虛弱者的健康，他的身體狀況報告書在報紙上是連篇累牘。我在開羅時，印度總督在戰時內閣的充分授權下，逮捕了數百名印度國大黨黨員，並將他們監禁起來。甘地先生在二月初宣稱，他將絕食三星期。他被拘留在浦那的一座小王宮內，那裡的條件極好，英國醫生和他自己的印度大夫日夜不停地守護他。他執拗地繼續絕食，因而全世界的宣傳活躍起來了，都說他快要死了。總督府行政會議的幾乎所有印度委員都要求釋放他，並且因為我們的拒絕而以辭職表示抗議。結果，在了解我們的意見堅決以後，他放棄了絕食；雖說他的身體很弱，他的健康並未受到嚴重的影響。 我自始至終向總統報告全部經過，美國方面對於我們並未施加壓力。這一意外事件在當時很使我焦慮，因為甘地先生的死亡能夠在全印度產生深遠的影響，他的聖徒式的品格已在這個國家博得極大的讚佩。不過，我們把情況判斷得很正確。 斯大林在這個時候送我一部關於斯大林格勒勝利的影片，該片描寫的一切猛烈戰鬥非常動人，並有保盧斯元帥的最後投降和他出現在蘇聯軍事法庭上的鏡頭。俄國政府對於這位重要的德國軍事首腦照顧備至，從此以後他即替他們工作。比保盧斯的命運壞得多的命運在等待著一長串德國俘虜，影片顯示他們在一望無際的冰雪荒野上疲憊地向前行進。 我的寢室附近有一間放映室，約在二月二十四日，我已能起床看這部片子了。這是一部有極高價值的作品，恰當地紀念了東戰場戰鬥的光榮插曲。我們自己也有一部題名《沙漠大捷記》的阿拉曼戰役影片，正巧製作完畢，我回贈斯大林一部，也分送了總統和各自治領政府。這些影片，跟俄國的一樣，都是攝影師在猛烈的炮火下攝取的，有些人並犧牲了生命。他們的犧牲不是白費的，因為他們的工作成果在各同盟國已經激起極大的讚佩和熱情，並使我們在執行共同任務中更靠近了一步。 對仍在病中的總統，我寫道： 附寄一部新影片《沙漠大捷記》，希望收下。我於昨晚看過此片，認為很好。它提供了生動的和現實的戰鬥畫面；我知道，你對於影片中在作戰的謝爾曼式坦克將感興趣。我把這部影片用飛機送來，以便你能早日看到。 我知道你病了，感到很難過。希望你已痊癒。我現在感覺好多了，並且希望馬上恢復全部工作。 向羅斯福夫人、哈里和你本人問候，並祝你們幸福。 總統答道： dear winston 一九四三年三月十七日 《沙漠大捷記》這部新影片是關於戰爭的雙方所攝制的最好的一部影片。這裡大家都熱切地想看一看。我為白宮人員特別放映了一場，今天晚上將給內政部職員特別放映一場，因為城裡的人都在談這部片子；我知道，在十天以內，各電影院都要上映。一定會獲得極大的成功。 我想我是染上了昏睡病或岡比亞熱病，或在你們非洲那個叫作巴瑟斯特的鬼地方受到一種蟲子的傳染。它使我毫無精神在床上睡了四天並在這個期間吃了許多磺胺塞唑，這種藥使我退了燒，可是感到全身像一塊濕布似的。下午兩點鐘以後我就覺得不好過，像這樣熬了差不多一個星期後，我回海德公園住了五天；在零度的好天氣下完全恢復了健康上周回到這裡來，從此覺得像一隻好鬥的公雞。 安東尼跟我在一塊度過三晚。他是一個傑出的人物，我們從盧西尼亞談到花生的生產，無所不談！ 這是一件有趣的事實：對於所有的問題，我們似乎完全同意的達到百分之九十五這是一個很不錯的平均數。 他似乎認為，你與下議院的領導方面關係會搞得不錯但是我們兩人都關心你跟外交部搞得怎樣。我們擔心，他回來的時候，將不承認你對於外交部所作的一切。 請你為整個世界著想，在這些日子裡切勿過勞。你必須記住，你要恢復你的全部精力，總要斷斷續續地休息一個月左右。 哈里很有精神，這裡一切都很好。 告訴邱吉爾夫人，我在臥床的時候，完全是一個模範病人，並且我希望你能洗除我們報紙中所載的世界上最壞的病人這個污名。 I wish you peace.