BATTLE WITH GERMANS FOUGHT AS PLANNED

Chronicle (Levin), 6 September 1946, Page 7

BATTLE WITH GERMANS FOUGHT AS PLANNED

Pfess Assn.

Montgomery Report from D-Day to Surrender

By Telegraph

-Copyright

LONDON, Sept. 4. Viseount Montgomery, in a despatch published in the Loiidon Gazette Suppiement dealing with th'e North-West Europe operations irom JJ-Oay to Uerniaiiy's surrender, describes as "alniost uncanny the dove-tailing of actual;events with earefuily laid pl'ans."^ Viseount Montgomery named moi'ale/ based on discipline, self-respect and coniidence in the conimanders', as the war's greatest single lactor. "With out moraie no suecess could be'achieved," he added. "High moraie was a pearl of the greatest price. The surest way to obtain it was suecess in battle."

The invasion of Europe meaut the export of more Lhan L'8/,0(J(J men. and 37,UOO vehieles. They were. ioaded be fore the assault, and within 30 days 1,100,000 British and Ameriean troops went ashore. ' ' The planned operations : wero never heid up even for a single | day by laek of adimnistrative. resourees, though it was necessary to foresee atiu I provide for a major static battle and u rapid advance oi -1U0 miles eutailiug lauding 2U0,UUU vehieles and 75U,OOb tons of stores during that period." ; Viseount .Montgomery eomments as' follows 011 the various seetions of the Army. . /. ' Armourod Corps: The outstahdingpoint whieh emerged .was that we yb-' quire only a eapital tank for iightiflg. and a light tank for reconnaissauce. Ti: is fundamentaliy unsound to aim at produeiug one type for cooperation with uifantry and another for armoured divisions. • - Artiliery: It was neyer more efficieht lhan today. . It was'found that q. largeuuniber of sinai! shel-ls for a giveii time pruuue.es greater ell'ect. than the Saixie » v\ eight ' of larger shells. The 2;7; | pounder nieets the case, Air. observaj timi had beeome neeessary for. gunnery. I Engineers: Suppers wero well equip- ! ped for formidable eiiginee-ring probj lems but resourcoful offieers and .skilled

land villing men were the majdr faetor. Nearly t!U0O liailey Iwidges were drected, some nearly a mile long. Infantry: Despite predictions,' the ihfantry lost none of ,lts importance on the battlefield. The infantryman must be kept hard and tough, even thougJi he motors to "battle. "Again the ihtantry received the heaviest casualties. i cannot overpraise their persistence. They responded admirahly despite the ! bitterest winter to calls to remain conT tinuously in action for many months on end. " ' . I Airbornes: These now forih an essential part of the Aruiy. There are often , oeeasions when they play a vital role. | Their use in highly niobile operations ' was limited because the time required ; for planning desi'ents frequently results ",n grouud i'nrees overrtmning the pro- , jccted dropping zones, but in deliberate operations they are a .battle-winning faetor. Health of Troops vnk'kness among the troops was almost half of the last war's. Only British-J ers eontracted tj-phua frqm liberated prison canips. and none died from it, ! ov.'ing to prevenlive innoeulations and the use of D.D.T. • . 1'enieillin revolutionised the world of siirgery. ' ' Many meti who'in the lasl war would liuve beoii permanently in valided wero fit for battle within a montli. Doctors were prepared to Jay lu tu iine that. they would save the life of. a wounded rnan whatever the in . .juri and restore hini to health. These odiis were aehieved by a handsprne umrgiu. When Germans Disagreed » j Rcviewing the plans and actual camI paign, Viseount Montgomery revealS ! i that, for two months bef ore D Day, the • Gennans intensilied the Normandy ie- ! fences. There were 32 located batteries ! capable of liring on the assault heach areas. Roinmel and von Ruudstedt : disagreed as to the manner of dealing with the invaders and compromised, *ac a result oi whicli panzers were i'orced tc engage the Allies prematurely and weri: nnable to conceutrate for a coordinate blo-'T until too late. Viseount "Mnntgomery, detailing th)> 'ir-t s»n«o» of the invasion. savs he wanted Caen, but realised that British

thrusts would provoke inereasing enemv resistence wixieh would lil into m, plan of the eampdign. As a result oi this the 'British' J Army attraetbd llu clemcnts of eight .panzer divisions ovoi a 2U-rnile front. . It. beeame eiear ufle, t|ie Ameriean break-through operauoubegan that Ihe t-ienuans- had deeide to iight the Battle of Erance in t'rou of the Seine. "The outstanding point about th Battle for Gernxany, was that it wa-, fought exactly as plamied. Tne measur. of our suecess was far greater tnan coiild he foreseen because of the G-er mans' ' faulty strategy, 1 ' stated Vis cbunt Montgomery. "The only sounu jmilitary strategy for the Grermans at ,the end of July wouid have involved •withdrawal to the Seine and the sacniice of Northwestern France. Instea.i they.decided to fight it out oetween tn. Seine and Loire." V'iscount Montgomery refers to tio Battle of Arnhcm wliieh he is oi opiuiqn, . would have sueceeded if tio weather had been reasonable. lnstea>. only. two' of '.the vital eight days per mitted even a reasonable seale of ol'feii sive. air- support and air tfansportation Apbther faetor against full supreswas the speed with whieh the Gernmie eoncentrated forees to oppose tae au vance.

tloneernin'g the Germ'an s Arden nes eouiiter-oti'ensi ve. Viseount Montgomer.. said its full weight was not inmiedial «• ly apparent mainly because bad weathe, precluded. air reeonnaissanee aml tli. Gorman eoneentration was carried ou': with great seereey. Ile avoided eom mitting" more British forees lhan neees sary because the lines bf eomniunicatioi. for largo numbers wouid have erosse i the axis of the two Ameriean arinie*and also. because it was foremost in himind that as soon as the dennan at tack was defeated the Khinelam. battle should be resumed as quielily a possible. ; "The.' Ameriean stauneh light ing qualities . prinlariiy wOn the" Ardenne Gittle. Intense air aetion whicli wamade . possible ly improved wehther. completed the Gennans' e,onfusion. " Viseount Montgomery says the Batth Of the Eeiehswald I'orest and followim: operations equalled in intensity an-1 fierceness, any whieh the Britisii fpuglit during the war. The keynotes theret ) were the Oefmans' fanatieal opposition aild -appalling we.athqr. . The Gennans lost nearly lOU.ODO killed. wounded and oaptured. Eighteen divisions of a large nuxiiber oi hastilv formed units, wen.batteted in the Rhinelnnd Battle. An all irnportant faetor was to follow up tlie enemy-as quic.kiy as possibje. • ' \Y\ were able to aehieve this speed mairih .because of the foresight and preluiun. arv planning -devoted to this battle fu, sevefal months," he said. Praise for Americans Referring to Britis'h-Ameriean rela tions he said: " Events have auipi showu the splendid spiri l of coo])era;iuL established between the British aml Ameriean services. A strong loyal leam Was quiekly brought hito being unibu (jeneral Eiseulnuver while Ihe variuucomponents of Ihe great invasion forcc were welded into ' a fine ligliting machine. ' ' Viseount Montgoincry reeords dee1' dppr'eeiation and gratitude to all wln served in the eampaign ''from tb highest coromandel' to the most junin private soldier". Ile explains that the dispatch dealmainly with the 21st. Army Group. Tli>complete history of the eampaign would tell more about the Americans' efrorm and figliting in the more southerl.v sectors.