Chapter 180 Volume 5, Chapter 25: In Marrakech‧Convalescent Period

Flying to Marrakech Good news: Dec. 28 Call from President Roosevelt Date to begin the Battle of Overlord: May 5 vs. June 3 American paratroopers Montgomery visits New Year Correspondence with President Roosevelt Jan. On the 7th and 8th, a meeting was held in Marrakech to discuss the expedition to Anzio. The two generals Eisenhower and Montgomery were inclined to launch the Battle of Overlord during the full moon on June 3. President Roosevelt's opinion and talk about Poland again. President Benes' visit and praise for Benes Friendly contacts with General de Gaulle. Russia demands a share of the Italian ships. A compromise to return home before the start of the Battle of Anzio.

Lord Moran thought that I should be able to leave Carthage after Christmas, but insisted that I should go somewhere and recuperate for three weeks.What better place could there be than a lovely villa in Marrakech where President Roosevelt and I had stayed a year earlier after the Casablanca conference?A few days ago, all the plans were in place.When I come to Marrakech, I will be a guest at the U.S. Army Department.It was also thought that I had been too long in Carthage to be spotted, so small boats were constantly patrolling the bay in front of the villa, in case submarines should surprise me.At the same time, the enemy may also carry out long-range air strikes.My personal security was guarded by a battalion of the Colstream Guard.

As I was very ill, or too busy, these things were not studied with me; but I consider lovely Marrakech a place of rest, where I can recover my strength.Ted had planned the flight very carefully. The doctors wouldn't let me fly above six thousand feet, so he routed us over the Atlas Mountains based on that.On the morning of December 27th, I was delighted when I put my military uniform back on for the first time.I was just going out the gate when a telegram was delivered to me.It reported the decisive news: Scharnhorst had been sunk. [1] I then suspended my departure to dictate the following telegram to Stalin:

[1] See pages 244 | 245 of this volume. Prime Minister to Premier Stalin December 27, 1943 We were lucky with the Arctic convoy bound for Russia.Yesterday, the enemy attempted to intercept the battlecruiser Scharnhorst, but Admiral Fraser, Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet, commanding the Duke of York (35,000-ton battleship) cut off her retreat, and after a battle , sunk it. 2. His condition has improved greatly, and he plans to go to the south for recuperation. A few days later, I received a very enthusiastic reply, and finally said: I shake your hand tightly. Outside the villa a very pompous detachment of the Colstream Guard stood guard.I never discovered how debilitating the disease had been to me.I had difficulty walking past the guards and boarding the car myself.According to the weather forecast, the weather will be fine that day, so I decided to fly at an altitude of 6,000 feet.But as we flew forward and the Tunisian plateau began to loom around us, I saw many large woolly clouds coming towards us, which soon took on a little blackness, and after a few hours we often Fly in clouds and rarely in sunlight.I have always hated so-called solid clouds! !That is to say, there are mountains hidden in the clouds; and flying along a complicated route through the various valleys ahead of us in order to maintain an altitude of not more than six thousand feet seems to me to be a problem for the other passengers on this plane. An unjust practice.So I called the pilot and told him that if he came across mountains within a hundred miles, he should fly at least two thousand feet above the highest of them all.Lord Moran agreed.Oxygen specially prepared for the trip was also brought in by a skilled steward. [1] So we flew up to the clear sky above.I felt very comfortable all the way and we landed safely at Marrakech airport around 4:00.The other plane, following the instructions exactly, flew with great difficulty and peril through various valleys and passes, and in passing through many of them, caught glimpses of towering mountains for a brief moment.At such a low altitude, the weather was inclement.The plane landed safely an hour after we arrived.One of its doors had been blown away by the wind, and almost every passenger was very ill.I am very sorry that they have suffered so much pain and danger because of me.They could have flown very comfortably from start to finish at 12,000 feet, or 11,000 feet, under a clear blue sky.

[1] Brigadier General Kelly, the chief medical officer of the Royal Air Force stationed in North Africa, insisted on random travel for this purpose, and his approach was quite correct. My new house is very comfortable, one can even say that it is very magnificent, and the people concerned are very kind, all of which are great, but in my heart, I am particularly concerned about how President Roosevelt will answer me Telegram.Thinking of the rigid resistance I met with in all plans concerning the Mediterranean, with so little regard for timing or priority, I awaited the answer with a state of extreme anxiety.All I ask is a risky military operation on the Italian coast, and a possible postponement of the date of the attack across the Channel by three weeks from May 1st, perhaps by four weeks, taking into account the waxing and waning phase of the moon.I have obtained the consent of the commanding officer at the scene.The British Chiefs of Staff had always agreed in principle, and were now satisfied with all the details.

And what will the Americans say about the need to postpone the Overlord operation plan for four weeks?But when a person is truly exhausted, he often enjoys the bliss of sleep. The next day I was delighted, but I confess, was mingled with surprise when I received the following telegram: President Roosevelt to Prime Minister December 28, 1943 Agreed to postpone the repatriation of the fifty-six tank landing craft scheduled for the Overlord campaign in order to launch the Anzio campaign on January 20, but the Overlord operation plan should still be the primary campaign and will be carried out as previously agreed in Cairo and Tehran carried out on the date.All possible expedient measures should be taken to eliminate possible influence on the preparations for the Battle of Overlord. For this purpose, the other twelve tank landing craft originally intended to participate in the Battle of Overlord should start in accordance with the current regulations, and are scheduled to be launched on January 14th. Fifteen tank landing craft arriving in the Mediterranean from the Andaman Islands on the 1st should sail directly to the United Kingdom.Agreed to abandon the Rhodes and Aegean plans for the time being, and not to consider launching a Rhodes campaign until the Battle of Anvil (Riviera).In view of the agreement reached by the Soviet Union, Britain and the United States in Tehran, I do not agree to use troops and equipment in other areas without the consent of Stalin, so as not to delay or hinder the victory of the Battle of Overlord or the Battle of Anvil.

I replied: prime minister to president roosevelt December 28, 1943 I want to thank God for this satisfying decision, which has enabled us once again to join forces in a great cause. As far as I know from the Chiefs of Staff, the Admiralty may abide by these conditions if the landing craft are drawn from the Anzio plan in the agreed number.The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will be telegraphing the full situation to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee today.During this time, our watchword here is Full Speed ​​Ahead. I traveled undisturbed at 13,000 feet and arrived at our villa yesterday.I was really very comfortable because of the great hospitality on the American side.Max (Beaverbrook) has just flown in from London.I intend to stay on, to enjoy the sunshine here, and to leave when I am quite healthy.

The Chiefs of Staff, and especially the Admiralty, have indeed made great efforts at home to achieve the outflank, and I hasten to congratulate them.General Alexander had asked for eighty-eight landing craft; they promised him eighty-seven.President Roosevelt's call came as a surprise.I am convinced that it was due not only to the goodwill of President Roosevelt but also to Marshall's composure, Eisenhower's devotion to the cause he was leaving, and Bedell Smith's active, balanced, factual diplomacy. That same day, Alexander sent us his plans.After consulting with General Mark Clark and Quartermaster General Bryce Robertson (son of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff in World War I), he decided to use an American and a British division.Armored troops, paratroopers and commandos will each be divided in half, and the entire force will be commanded by a US military commander.The attack took place around January 20.Ten days before the attack, he would launch a major attack on Cassino in order to divert German reinforcements, and then the advance of the main army would follow.I am very satisfied.So far, things have gone smoothly.

However, I have a little extra room for expansion and contraction.I telegraphed to the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces: I am wrestling with this question (the question of the date of the Battle of Overlord) on the basis of the decisions of the Tehran Conference.According to this decision, the date we assumed was May 20 instead of May 5, which was an entirely new date.As long as the date is fixed on any day before May 31st, the agreement we reached with Stalin will be considered fulfilled.It seems to me that, from what I have heard from Eisenhower, June 3rd will have the same moonlight as May 5th, a date that is perfectly feasible; Such a request is made, and this date is completely feasible.There is no need to discuss these issues now, but we have the flexibility to change the plan in this regard.

Please let me know how the massing of troops differs on May 5th from June 3rd.I repeat, these thoughts must not be seen as a decision on a postponement, and at the same time not disclosed to outsiders. The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces replied: If the conditions of the plan formulated by the present commander are to be met, the surprise operation of the Overlord plan should be carried out around May 5th.However, this date cannot be regarded as final; even if the date for returning the landing craft is delayed, or the refitting plan is not completed on time, so that not all landing craft can participate in the assault force on April 13, this is not the case. The selection of a date in May for the execution of the Overlord Assault should be denied.

The method you suggest certainly does not rule out the possibility of a surprise attack in May, but the plan is still very urgent.However, this does not involve our violation of the agreement reached in Tehran, and we do not see the need to consult the Russians at this stage. My comments on these comments are as follows: December 30, 1943 As long as the date is decided before May 31st, our agreement will be fulfilled.Personally, I think that if we make sure that the actual raid occurs on June 3rd when the moon is in the same phase as May 5th, then that would be a faithful execution of the agreement, however, it would be best to go for May 5th so that That's an extra month. At this point, an important new problem arose. Prime Minister to Field Marshal Deal (in Washington) January 3, 1944 Alexander's call reads as follows: Clark is planning the Anzio campaign, and some of the usual difficulties are showing.For example, it appeared that we would not be able to keep the 504th Parachute Brigade, and Eisenhower was unwilling to actively ask them to stay.The British Parachute Brigade is fighting at the front.I have no troops at present to send to replace them, and at the same time cannot lose time without sending them out and sending them to the Naples area.Furthermore, they have no combat experience and are in dire need of training. (2) Eisenhower is now meeting with Marshall.Can you appeal to them to ask that the United States 504th Brigade take on this unusual and difficult task before being transferred to England to participate in the Battle of Overlord?It would seem short-sighted to remove the Paratroops from the rare occasions when they may have made an exemplary and distinguished contribution to the decisive air action.They could be transferred back to England immediately afterwards, in time for the Battle of Overlord, as we note that for Overlord we already had (at home) about twice as many paratroopers and airlift troops as transport planes could carry.Please let me know the specific situation. Marshall agreed.We shall see later how this sacrifice was wasted in the end. I had asked Montgomery to come and see me as he passed through here on his return from Italy for his new command of the Overlord campaign.I have entrusted him with this difficult and risky task.Of course, a general must accept any duty entrusted to him by the state if he has no special reason.But there is no unwritten law in any way obliging people to show enthusiasm.In the 1st Regiment of the Guards, which I had the honor to serve in, all orders were given with a single yes.But when the word is spoken, there are various tones.I was satisfied and relieved at the sight of Montgomery's cheerful and enthusiastic acceptance of what I had always regarded as a great, inevitable, and yet terrible task.After he arrived in Marrakech, we drove two hours together to have a picnic in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.Early in the morning I handed over to General Morgan the plans that had been drawn up for many months by the Anglo-American staff in London.After reading it roughly, he immediately said: This is not good, I must have more troops in the initial assault stage.After a full debate, we worked out a whole set of measures based on his opinion, which turned out to be correct later on.I am very pleased that he clearly has a firm belief in this campaign. By this time the ladies had arrived, and we sat down by a sparkling brook for a light meal.The mountain air is fresh and the sun is shining brightly.In contrast to the situation in which we are struggling to participate in human conflict, this is an oasis in the middle of a desert.Before long I was driving up into the mountains, our car winding and slowing along the highway to a scenic spot I knew, but Montgomery would not do.He got out of the car and walked up the mountain directly. According to him, he wanted to exercise himself.I took into account the future situation and reminded him not to waste energy.I emphasize these truths: mental strength does not depend on physical strength; energy should be used and not spent; sports are one thing, strategy another.These persuasive exhortations were in vain.The general was in high spirits; he hopped from rock to rock like a gazelle, and I felt deeply assured that all would be well. As the New Year approaches, I am happily exchanging correspondence with President Roosevelt. Prime Minister (in Marrakech) to President Roosevelt December 30, 1943 Now I have a letter from my brother Jack.He gave a detailed account of the Christmas tree he had planted at Checkers. [1] All my grandchildren were there, and many other children, and everyone had a great time.Winant also attended, and he promised to write and tell you what happened.I am so grateful for this holiday gift you gave me.I also want to thank you for sending me such a lovely map case, which has arrived and I am eager to see.We lived in this beautiful villa, which was very comfortable indeed, and my condition has improved a lot.The sun is shining today, but nothing can do me more good than your telegram, which shows how easily we can agree on some of the most trivial points of this great war.Alexander reported that he had drawn up with Clark a satisfactory plan for the Anzio campaign.He used the British 1st Division and the American 3rd Division, plus paratroopers and armor.I am very satisfied with this.It is fitting that we share pain, danger, and honor equally with each other. 【1】Mr. Roosevelt planted a Christmas tree in Hyde Park and was proud of it.He once gave me one. On the same day, I also received telegrams from Franco and Tito congratulating me on my recovery.What do you think it will do? Sarah thank you for the greeting and best regards. President Roosevelt himself was unfortunately bedridden with a cold. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister December 31, 1943 I have been in bed for two or three days with a cold, but nothing serious.This mild flu disease has spread across the country. You are very safe in the villa, which makes me happy.I suggest that you bring the two gentlemen who congratulate you on your recovery on New Year's Day, and then lock them up on the top of the tower where we used to watch the sunset, and tell them that you will watch from below, Whether it is black or red pushes his opponent off the top of the tower. prime minister to president roosevelt January 1, 1944 I am disturbed to learn that you have a cold.I sincerely hope that you will follow Dr. McIntyre's advice and be as obedient to the medical staff as you have been to me. This villa is very desirable.The doctor wants me to stay here for another three weeks. The weather was cool but sunny.The chef is really good.We often go to the mountains for picnics.Eisenhower met with us last night on his way home to meet you, and I had a long conversation with him.Montgomery is here, too, passing through on his way back to England.I think we have a good team and of course they are willing to give it their all. I haven't been able to arrange wrestling on the tower yet.Red's training is stronger than that of Black's. Please accept all my best wishes for a new year that not only marks victories but opens up wider paths for our future work together. Greetings from Clemie and Sara too. While the main issue of the landing craft required for the Anzio campaign had been settled, many details of how they would be used gave rise to serious discussion. General Alexander to Prime Minister January 4, 1944 On my return from Tunisia, I met with General Clark and have just returned here.Certain factors have now been discovered which seriously disturb me, and therefore I must ask for your assistance.The fact is that, after the initial landing, only six LTCs were left, and the rest were all sent away, which prevented us from getting both divisions ashore with all their necessary combat equipment.My experience with combined operations is that the initial assault to effect a landing can be accomplished, but the success of the campaign depends on the concentration of the entire fighting force of the expeditionary force in time to resist the inevitable counter-offensive.In the case of the Battle of Anzio, two divisions were the minimum number for a landing in order to meet possible German resistance, a figure we are willing to accept, however, provided that both divisions can be fully concentrated ashore in time. In order to achieve our purpose, we would rather take all risks, but if these two divisions are surrounded by the Germans, we obviously cannot abandon them without support, especially if we have a sufficient number of landing craft in the Mediterranean area to provide support. when.Clark and I are convinced that we are very likely to achieve great success if we can get the tools to do it.The tools we need are fourteen landing craft.These ships will be used to maintain traffic until the Anzio landing force joins forces with the Fifth Army.In addition, ten additional landing craft were required within the first fifteen days after the landings to deliver artillery, tanks, and other support weapons to the two divisions, thus making them sufficiently capable to fight the Germans on equal terms.Even though this approach will affect the preparations for the Battle of Anvil to a certain extent, judging from the results of its victory, it is indeed worthwhile. So I summoned the responsible people to Marrakech and held two meetings on January 7th and 8th.Attending the meeting were Lord Beaverbrook, General Wilson, Admiral John Cunningham, General Alexander, General Devers, General Biddle Smith, and others.Captain Ball has just returned from London, where he had cleared up many intricate issues with the Chiefs of Staff about the landing craft, and now that he has the full support of his superiors, he is giving us the same support.I reported to President Roosevelt on the 8th: After the two meetings we held, the responsible officials of our two countries and the generals of the armed forces came to an unanimous agreement on the proposed course of action.The people who participated in the meeting were very excited, and it seemed that the manpower and materials were sufficient.All aspects of the issue were thoroughly discussed in the subcommittee between meetings. We intend to send a force of two divisions ashore for the assault, followed by a mobile assault force, based on the basic strength of the other division, to cut off the enemy's lines of communication. Barring unforeseen circumstances, this should be possible without conflicting with the requirements of the Overlord or Anvil campaigns, while still having a sufficient number of landing craft to sustain these forces until the end of February.May God bless us with good weather. General Wilson, now formally the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Mediterranean, has ordered his subordinates to carry out the above-mentioned decisions.And he also notified the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. All these plans are based on maintaining the overlord campaign on the date of May (that is, X day), but I always think that on the date of June 3 (Y day), the moon's profit and loss status may be Most suitable.When General Eisenhower passed through Marrakech, I was pleased to learn that he preferred this solution, since it would allow him and Montgomery more time to deploy the force that was now proposed for the initial attack. A larger force.I have called President Roosevelt to state the whole matter and to draw his attention to our talks and agreement in Tehran. prime minister to president roosevelt January 6, 1944 Bedell Smith and Devers passed by on the morning of the 5th.Biddle told me that both he and Montgomery felt that it would be better to have more troops and a larger scale in the Overlord campaign than to make our landing on the Riviera smaller than our meeting in Tehran. The previous idea was more expanded. He said he was going to inform Eisenhower and your chiefs of staff of this opinion.I have always estimated that when the commanders took the matter into their own hands, there would be revisions to the plan, but these revisions would be valuable as a basis for future decisions.You know, I've always hoped that the initial assault of the Overlord campaign would be made with a stronger force than we've been talking about. Based on what I've heard, I think the full moon in June is probably the earliest date that's practical.If the commanders thought it was more certain then, I can't see why we couldn't agree.The proposal made by the chiefs of staff at the Tehran meeting was June 1 or a day earlier, and you and I agree that it would be more euphemistically called May.When we talked with Uncle Joe, we never mentioned the date of May 5th or even May 8th, but we always told him that it was around the 20th.At the same time, at no time did we say that the campaign should reach a specific stage by a specific date.If we now accept the June date as final, I don't think we've lost credit to him in any way.In any case, the campaign will start in May, with initial feints and heavy bombing, and I don't believe Uncle Joe will be so unreasonable as to count forty-eight hours. On the other hand, in June, Uncle Yue will have a better foundation to launch a great campaign.We will attack harder, and our chances of victory will be better.I am proposing to you, through Leathers, to send another arctic convoy, if you can provide ships and cargo, we can provide escort ships, we have actually fulfilled our quota. I don't think it's necessary to contact Uncle John just yet, but in a few weeks, when Eisenhower sends us his final conclusions, we will of course tell him the whole matter, including any information we have about the Anvil plan. Revise the plan, attaching the support of the relevant responsible generals for our opinions. A week later President Roosevelt responded to this important telegram, and there was no dispute between us as to the facts contained in it.At this time he also received a full report of the conclusions of our meeting on the Battle of Anzio, which were based on the fact that, if necessary, the earlier date fixed for the Battle of Overlord would be acceptable. remain unchanged. President Roosevelt to Prime Minister January 14, 1944 According to my understanding, when we were in Tehran, we had agreed with Uncle Yue that the Battle of Overlord would take place in May, and at about the same time, we would land in southern France with the strongest possible force that could actually be assembled as support, and He promised to prepare for a simultaneous Russian offensive on the Eastern Front. I do not think we should take any decision to postpone the campaign now, certainly not before the generals in charge, Eisenhower and Wilson, have had ample opportunity to examine all possibilities and make a factual report Moreover, about this issue, Uncle Yue should never be told at this time. I think the psychological impact of the current discussion on this issue is very bad, because the three of us agreed to the statement issued in Tehran, and it has only been more than a month since then. I replied on the 16th: I am very pleased to see that our opinions are completely consistent. After my illness at Carthage, I arrived in Marrakech still very weak and listless.All my painting supplies were delivered, but I couldn't use them, and I could barely walk.Even in very clear weather, at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, walking out of the car and staggering to the place where the picnic was held was limited to eighty or one hundred yards.Eighteen of the twenty-four hours a day I lay in bed.I can't recall a time when my body was so terribly tired and weak.On the other hand, all the temptations, exhortations, admonitions, and to some extent even compulsions to lie down and rest in my bed were expressed in the most attractive way.Taylor's Cottage was an ideal retreat; everything one could ask for, for comfort or luxury, was found here.I was exhausted, and yet here were the most attractive conditions of rest, not only provided by my amiable hosts, but entrusted to me by Lord Moran, President Roosevelt, and the War Cabinet.Still, developments continued to distract me irresistibly. The Polish question, which had played an important role at the Teheran Conference, prompted me to call Eden from Carthage. Prime Minister to Foreign Secretary December 20, 1943 I think it is time for you to talk to the Poles about the borders of Poland, saying that it is my own wish, and that I would have talked with them myself if I hadn't been temporarily unable to attend the talks.You must inform them of our approach, and of the line roughly drawn on the map in the east, and the Oder line in the west, including the district of Waupole.This would give them a very considerable country, three or four hundred miles in length and breadth, and a coastline of more than a hundred and fifty miles, even though this coastline began only west of Koenigsbeck.The Poles should of course understand that these are only very general tentative proposals, but it would be extremely unwise for them to prevent them from being realized.Even if they cannot get Lvov, I would advise them to accept these proposals, and that they should have complete confidence in their Anglo-American friends to carry out the plan.You should make it clear to them that as long as they receive and hold the present German territory east of the Oder, they have laid the groundwork for the goal of a friendly policy towards Russia and close ties with Czechoslovakia, so that they will have Europe contributes.At the same time it will give the Polish nation a chance to be reborn, and its future will be brighter than ever before. Once we know that they accept and agree to these proposals, we can negotiate with the Russians and try to make these issues clear.On the other hand, if they leave the question entirely aside, I do not see how His Majesty's Government can do more for them.Russian troops may cross Poland's pre-war frontiers in a few months, and, therefore, to secure the Polish government amicable Russian recognition and, before that, a rough understanding of the agreed settlement on the post-war frontiers, see Come is very important.I wondered how they would react. President Benes is now en route from Moscow to London.As the various volumes of this book show, I had a long contact with him.We should recall that in 1936 he had warned Stalin that pro-Germans in the Soviet Union were plotting against Stalin, so he played a decisive role in this matter. 【１】 【1】See Volume 1, page 258. In any case, his relationship with the Soviets was very friendly and close. I invited him to come and see me in Marrakech on his way home.He had a deep understanding of Eastern European politics, so his views on Poland and what the Russians were going to do with Poland were very important.For more than 20 years, during his tenure as foreign minister and president of Czechoslovakia, Benes has always been a loyal ally of France and a friend of Western countries. On the other hand, he has maintained a unique relationship with Stalin.When Great Britain and France sacrificed Czechoslovakia and later, on the eve of the war, Ribbentrop and Molotov concluded an agreement, Benes became a very lonely man, but then, after a long During the intermission, Hitler launched an attack on Russia, and Benes' fate with the Soviets was fully recognized again.Russia could have fought for Czechoslovakia in 1938.In any case, both countries are now suffering the same brutal blow. I had the pleasure of talking with this long-time political colleague and mature European statesman, in the bright sunshine and among the flowers of my Marrakech apartment. When I first met Benes in 1918, he was with the great Masaryk.Masaryk was the founder of Czechoslovakia, and his son died loyal to the cause of his country.Benes is of course very optimistic now. I explained our conversation to President Roosevelt as follows: January 6, 1944 Benes is here, and he is very optimistic about the situation in Russia.He might be able to do a very useful service in trying to make the Poles reasonable and conciliatory with the Russians, whose confidence he had enjoyed for a long time.He brought a new map with Uncle Jo's penciled line showing the eastern frontier from Koenigsbeck to the Curzon line; Stoke, but on the southern tip, there is no Lemberg (Lviv).As for their western border, Uncle Jo proposed taking the Oder line, including most of Waupole.This gave the Poles a good habitable area of ​​over 300 square miles and a coastline of 250 miles along the Baltic Sea.As soon as I return home, I will do my best to get the Polish government to agree to this plan or something similar.If they agree to this, they must declare that they are ready to accept the obligation to defend the outskirts of the Oder against further German aggression against Russia, and they must do everything in their power to support this solution .這是他們對於歐洲各大國的義務，因為這些國家兩度拯救過它。 如果我能在二月初辦妥這件事，那麼，他們再派人去訪問你，就可以解決這個問題了。 俄國人對貝奈斯是非常照顧的，讓他恢復了慕尼黑以前的邊界，只是在北面的山脈的一些山頂，由於軍事原因，稍加調整，另外在東面有一小塊領土是同俄國相連的。 因為這是我最後一次會見貝奈斯總統，我要表示我對他的敬意。他的思想和目標，一貫都在支持奠定西方文明基礎的主要原則，並且始終忠於他的祖國的事業。他擔任這個國家的首腦已經二十多年。他是行政和外交事務方面的一個傑出人物。他知道如何以耐心和毅力來長期忍受困難的處境。他的失敗在於他在最關鍵的時刻，沒有採取斷然的決定，因而使他本人和他的國家遭受了很大的損失。他的外交經驗過於豐富，同時逐年積累起來的政治機敏性過於強烈，結果反而使他不能看準時機，對勝利或滅亡進行孤注一擲。如果在慕尼黑時期，他曾下令開火，第二次世界大戰本來也許會在對希特勒更為不利的情況下開始，因為希特勒當時還需要費許多時間部署他的軍隊和裝甲車輛。 十二月間，自由法國的負責人逮捕了佩盧東、布瓦松和弗朗丹，我們雖然因為此事同戴高樂將軍鬧得關係緊張，但我仍然決定設法在回國以前，恢復同他的友好關係。我在元旦邀請他在一月三日到我的別墅來晚餐，並在這裡住宿。我說：這樣，我們就有機會來舉行很久以來就感到需要的會談了。我的妻子也在這裡，如果戴高樂夫人願意陪你同來，我和我的妻子會感到非常高興。戴高樂將軍顯然認為時間過分倉促。我本來應當知道，他在北非期間，除法國的官邸外，是不願在其他地方住宿的。他推托說，他還有很多其他的約會。 因此我就把事情擱下了。但是後來我又聽說，他將在一月十二日到達馬拉喀什，於是我邀請他在那一天來午餐，他接受了。 我們的客人還有達夫‧庫珀先生和黛安娜夫人、比弗布魯克勳爵、我國駐當地的領事奈恩先生夫婦。戴高樂將軍興高采烈地來了，用英語同我的妻子寒暄，並且在餐桌上一直說英語。禮尚往來，所以我就說法語了。 午餐後，夫人們出去逛市場，戴高樂和我以及其他的先生們都留在花園裡進行長時間的談話。我有許多棘手的問題要同他交涉，我認為如果我說法語，那就會使這些問題變得比較輕鬆一些。奈恩先生事後曾作了一些追記，他在記載中說：我聽見邱吉爾先生用一種令別人完全能聽得清楚的聲調，操英語和達夫‧庫珀先生打耳語說，我的法語講得不錯吧，是不是？戴高樂將軍的英語說得那麼流暢，因此他是完全能夠聽懂我的法語的。大家聽了這些話，由戴高樂將軍帶頭哄笑起來了。首相繼續用法語談話，而非常敏感的戴高樂將軍的一切戒心也都消除了，主動地以一種友好合作的態度接受邱吉爾先生的評論。 評論的範圍既廣泛而又嚴肅。為什麼他對落在他的勢力範圍以內的法國著名人士要進行報復？難道他不了解，他為自己在美國製造了多少困難？羅斯福總統對他是多麼氣憤？我們大家是多麼依賴美國的援助以及他對我們的友好態度？他為什麼要用這種和其他各種不必要的摩擦，使他自己的任務變得那麼複雜？他沒有這些大國政府的援助，是無法生存的，既然如此，為什麼卻又總是有意去觸怒這些政府？另外，還有一個小問題：為了使事情容易處理起見，我特意把喬治將軍從法國請來，為什麼他要把喬治將軍趕出委員會去？這時，戴高樂說，他已邀請喬治將軍擔任榮譽退伍軍人委員會主席。 我問他得到了什麼答覆。他說：我沒有得到任何答覆。我說這也並不奇怪。戴高樂究竟有沒有這種職位讓人去擔任呢？ 但是，一切都很愉快地結束了，最後，戴高樂將軍提議，請我參加第二天早晨專為我舉行的閱兵式，我欣然接受了這一邀請。於是第二天，戴高樂和我就站在一個小型檢閱台上，檢閱從我們面前通過的大批法國和摩洛哥的部隊。這次閱兵式在馬拉喀什這個綠洲上的居民的歡呼聲中，持續了一小時之久。 由於德黑蘭會議而產生的另一問題，也引起了很多的困難。我們已經知道斯大林曾經怎樣要求分得一部分意大利艦隊。而大家對羅斯福總統有這樣的印象：他本人在談話中曾經提到三分之一的數字。英國的三軍參謀長們不滿意這種提法，他們在和他們的俄國同僚們會談時常常是用另外的依據。 羅斯福總統因為他個人談到了三分之一這個數字而感到不安，因此非常坦率地向我說明了整個情況。 President Roosevelt to Prime Minister 一九四四年一月九日 我曾經告訴過你，哈里曼要求了解，我們將採取什麼行動來履行我們關於在二月一日將意大利艦隻移交蘇聯的諾言，這樣，如果他被問到這件事，就可以同莫洛托夫進行討論。我告訴他說，我的意圖是把俘獲的意大利艦隻，分配三分之一給蘇聯，以充實它的作戰能力，並且從二月一日起，將可能分配的艦隻盡快地移交。 哈里曼後來提醒我說，斯大林在德黑蘭會議上提出的要求只是重申蘇聯最初在十月的莫斯科會議上提出的要求（即戰列艦一艘，巡洋艦一艘、驅逐艦八艘、潛艇四艘，準備在俄國北部沿海使用，商船四萬噸，將在黑海使用），不論在莫斯科或德黑蘭，都沒有提到俄國人要求獲得額外的船隻，使總數達到被俘獲的艦隻的三分之一。因此，哈里曼認為，我十二月二十一日給他的電報只是為了向他提供情況，所以，他沒有和莫洛托夫討論關於三分之一的問題。 哈里曼也強調，履行我們關於移交這些艦隻的諾言是極端重要的。在他看來，如果我們不履行諾言，或者採取拖延辦法，只能引起斯大林和他的同僚們的猜疑，即我們是否會堅決地執行我們在德黑蘭承擔的其他義務。 另一方面，三軍參謀長們對於這種移交卻提出了許多的反對意見，其根據是，這一行動對於準備進行的戰役可能發生的影響。他們擔心，這種做法會失去意大利海軍和陸軍同我們的合作，同時他們會把我們需要用於鐵砧和霸王戰役的許多重要的艦隻鑿沉或者進行破壞活動。他們預見到，這種做法目前對於俄國的作戰能力沒有什麼實質上的利益，因為這些軍艦目前非常不適於在北方的海洋航行，而黑海又不對商船開放。 經過修改的協定（由海軍上將坎寧安負責談判）中的一些規定是非常明智的，因為這些規定使聯合國家有權在它們認為合宜的情況下，處理任何一部分或全部的意大利艦隻。重要的是，我們應當獲得並保持我們盟國的信任，而且我認為我們應當作出一切實際的努力，以便找出一個解決辦法，使蘇聯要求的意大利艦隻，從二月一日左右開始能夠移交給他們。 如果我們對約大叔說明，我們的參謀長們認為這件事對於霸王和鐵砧戰役可能產生的影響，並且提議延期到發動霸王和鐵砧戰役以後再把意大利艦隻移交給他，你認為這樣做是否明智？鑒於英國目前指揮地中海戰場，同時為了使我們在準備採取的行動方面，取得完全一致的意見，我特別渴望聽取你的意見。在這個問題上，我們任何一方要採取單獨的行動，顯然是不可能的，但是我認為你會同意這一點，即我們不應當推翻我們對約大叔講過的話。 這封電報的含意不十分清楚。我同意我們在十月的協定中所提到的艦隻，但是不同意三分之一這種比較籠統的措辭，因此，我答覆說： prime minister to president roosevelt 一九四四年一月九日 我完全同意你的意見，就是關於艦隻的問題，我們不應當對斯大林失去信用。一個星期以來，我一直同艾登就這個問題交換信件，並且希望在一兩天內，能向你提出一項建議，以便你我二人聯名發出電報。 我本人完全同意大西洋兩岸的三軍參謀長們的意見。我認為立即移交這些意大利艦隻，對於意大利與盟國之間的合作，會產生非常有害的結果，因為這些艦隻曾經堅決地駛往馬耳他島，主動地聽候我們處理。在整個一九四三年中，我的目的不僅要使意大利投降，而且要使它在戰爭的進行方面以及將來解決歐洲問題方面，都能參加我們這一邊。因此，我準備敦促戰時內閣和海軍部讓英國作出重大的犧牲，把若干艘英國艦隻提供給俄國，而不要在目前這個時刻刺傷意大利人的心，因為根據我的看法，現在刺傷意大利人將會給未來造成不良後果。我和國內涵電往來頻繁，我確實非常高興地了解到，我在國內的同僚和三軍參謀長們對於我的意見完全同意。由於美國承擔了太平洋戰爭的全部重擔，因此我們不能指望他們作出很大的貢獻。另一方面，我們這時無論在地中海，或者由於擊沉了沙恩霍斯特號而在國內和北極的海域，都有充分的海軍力量。我和國內的朋友們取得了一致意見以後，立即將下列建議送達總統： prime minister to president roosevelt 一九四四年一月十六日 我記得很清楚，在德黑蘭時，絲毫沒有提到三分之一，而只是答允接受俄國人在莫斯科會議上提出的要求，將戰列艦一艘、巡洋艦一艘、驅逐艦八艘、潛艇四艘和商船四萬噸移交給他們。 二‧另一方面，三軍參謀長們提到的主要困難，也是確鑿的，我想斯大林一旦相信了我們的意圖和誠意以後，就很可能讓我們以最圓滿和最迅速的方式處理這一問題。 三‧因此，我建議我們現在聯名對他說明下列事實。 （1）聯合三軍參謀長委員會認為，如果目前要實際執行移交，或者對意大利人透露此事，那將危及我們三國的利益。但是，倘若你經過充分的考慮以後仍然希望我們繼續進行，我們將同巴多格利奧進行秘密交涉，以便完成必要的安排。這些安排必須根據這樣的原則，即選定的意大利艦隻，應當駛往適當的盟國港口，然後由俄國的船員接收，駛往俄國北方的港口，因為現在只有這些港口是開放的，而且只有在那裡才能進行任何必要的裝備。 （2）然而，我們深刻了解這種做法的危險性，因此決定提出下列變通辦法： 英國戰列艦皇家君主號，最近已在美國重新裝備完畢。它裝有可供各種大炮使用的雷達。英國還有一艘巡洋艦可供使用。英皇陛下政府方面同意蘇聯船員於二月間在英國港口接收這些艦隻，駛往俄國北部港口。然後，你們可以進行必要的改裝以適應北極的情況。這些艦隻暫時作為租借而移交給蘇聯政府，並且懸掛蘇聯旗幟，直到在不影響軍事行動的情況下，能夠安排意大利艦隻的移交事宜時為止。 如果事態的發展使我們同土耳其人的關係好轉，而且達達尼爾海峽能夠開放，這些艦隻，如果需要的話，也可以在黑海駛行。我們希望你們能很仔細地考慮這個變通辦法，我們認為這個辦法不論從哪方面來說，都比第一個建議要優越得多。 四‧如果你們能提供巡洋艦而不要我們做法，那麼我們就感到輕鬆了。關於八艘驅逐艦的問題，我們無能為力，也許你們能滿足這個需要。否則，我們只好說，在進行霸王和鐵砧戰役以前，我們絕對無法供應。至於四萬噸商船，我認為由於你們有大量的儲備，而且船舶沉沒的情況又大為好轉，也許你們能滿足這些要求，但是我們願意承擔一半的負擔。 五‧親愛的朋友，我希望你能考慮所有這些可能性，並且讓我了解你的意見。據我看，斯大林會因為這種慷慨的建議而留下良好的印象。無論如何，這表示我們的信用和善意。我懷疑在我們向他提出這個變通辦法以後，他還會堅持在條件不成熟的時候，提出意大利艦隻的問題，但是我們總算採取了正確的行動。 羅斯福總統接受了這個變通辦法。美國人負責提供一艘巡洋艦，於是，我們就按照我所建議的方式，在一月二十三日，由羅斯福總統和我聯名發出電報，將整個問題基本上按照我的建議提交斯大林。我們後來收到了斯大林的覆電，內容如下： 斯大林總理致首相和羅斯福總統 一九四四年一月二十九日 由首相先生和總統先生你們兩位簽署的、關於移交意大利艦隻以便蘇聯使用的聯合電文，已於一月二十三日收到。 我必須說明，自從我在德黑蘭提出將意大利艦隻於一九四四年一月底移交蘇聯的這一問題，獲得你們共同的肯定答覆以後，我就認為問題已經解決，並且從來沒有想到事後還要重新考慮我們三人共同作出、並已同意的決定。同時因為我們當時一致認為，這個問題只需同意大利人談定，我就更以為毫無問題了。現在我才知道情況並非如此，甚至根本沒有向意大利人提到這一問題。 為了不把這個問題弄得複雜化（在我們反對德國人的共同鬥爭中這是非常重要的），蘇聯政府準備接受你們的建議： 在英國的港口派遣戰列艦皇家君主號及巡洋艦一艘前往蘇聯；由蘇聯海軍最高指揮部暫時使用這些艦隻，直到適當的意大利艦隻能夠移交給蘇聯時為止。同樣，我們也準備從美英兩國接收四萬噸的商船，供我們使用，直到相等噸位的意大利船隻移交給我們時為止。此事不應再有拖延，所有上述艦隻都應在二月分移交給我們，這一點是非常重要的。 但是在你們的覆文中，並沒有提到將意大利的驅逐艦八艘和潛艇四艘於一月底移交蘇聯的問題，而這項移交是首相先生和總統先生你們兩位在德黑蘭同意了的。現在對於蘇聯來說，驅逐艦和潛艇的問題極端重要，沒有驅逐艦和潛艇，移交戰列艦一艘和巡洋艦一艘就沒有什麼意義。你們自己都很了解，沒有驅逐艦護送，巡洋艦和戰列艦都是無能為力的。現在意大利的全部艦隊既然都在你們控制之下，要執行德黑蘭所採取的決定，從艦隊中選出驅逐艦八艘、潛艇四艘供蘇聯使用，應該是沒有困難的。我也同意用同樣數目的英美驅逐艦和潛艇代替意大利的驅逐艦和潛艇，移交蘇聯使用。還有，移交驅逐艦和潛艇的問題也不能拖延，而必須與移交戰列艦和巡洋艦同時一併解決，這是我們在德黑蘭已經具體決定了的。 最後，這個問題還是像我所希望的那樣解決了，儘管我們和我們的蘇聯盟國交換了不少函電，而且其中還有一部分內容是令人不甚愉快的。皇家君主號和美國巡洋艦按照原來的建議移交給蘇聯了。關於驅逐艦，不可避免地必須延期到霸王戰役完成後才能移交。為了使俄國人容易接受這種安排，海軍部從我們現代化的潛艇中撥出四艘借給他們使用。正如人們所了解的，蘇聯人在戰後很守信用，把這些艦隻歸還了我們，然後我們又作好安排，按照有關各方面都能接受的方式，將意大利艦隊的一部分艦隻移交給蘇聯。 雖然我很希望在這個愉快的休養所中再休息兩個星期，而且大家也極力勸說，但是我還是決定要在對安齊奧展開突擊以前趕回國內。我於一月十四日，在十分理想的氣候條件下，飛到直布羅陀，英皇喬治五世號正在那裡等著我。當天下午，我很早就到了，再度前往女修道院。已經就任地中海最高統帥的威爾遜將軍和海軍總司令約翰‧坎寧安海軍上將，都從阿爾及爾乘飛機到達那裡。我們對於大家共同為之努力的重大軍事行動，進行了焦急的然而卻很樂觀的談話。十五日，我就同我們一行中的其他人士會合，他們已經登上了英皇喬治五世號。這艘軍艦駛出阿爾赫西拉斯灣，進入遼闊的大西洋，然後前往普利茅斯。這次安適的航行結束後，我們受到了戰時內閣閣員和三軍參謀長們的歡迎，他們見我歸來，確實十分高興。我離開英國兩個多月了，他們為了我的病和我的活動，經常擔心著急。現在真的到家了。我對於所有這些忠實可靠的朋友和同事們，都非常感激。