in Burma, 826, 832
in battle for Beveland and Walcheren, 848
effects on Germany of bombing of, 849–50
in Battle of Ardennes, 865
at crossing of Rhine, 894–5. See also Allied Air Force; Western Desert Air Force
Royal Marine Commandos, 848–9
Royal Navy, German navy in relation to, 67, 69
in Mediterranean during Abyssinian War, 75–7
and use of Irish ports, 120
mobilisation of, in Czech crisis, 132, 135
dispersal of, in Mediterranean, before Albanian crisis, 146, 163
Churchill’s knowledge and experience of, 163–4
overwhelming superiority of, 165
base for North Sea Fleet of, 171, 174
hunting groups of, seek for Graf Spee, 178
attacks German ships at Narvik, 209–10
achievements of, 224, 226
and evacuation of B.E.F., 248, 259, 263, 265, 267
part of, in stemming invasion, 261, 378
safety of, essential to U.S., 304
in action with French Fleet, 316–19
in Home Defence, 327–8, 332
and U-boat menace, 397, 406
convoy duties of, 399, 404
repair of ships of, in U.S. yards, 402
Escort Groups of, 404
evacuates troops from Greece, 418–19
prevents sea landing at Crete, 430–1
evacuates troops from Crete, 431–3
attacks Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, 532
and “Torch”, 633
harries enemy ships in Mediterranean, 660–1
at Battle of Salerno, 705
lands troops at Taranto, 706
losses in, in Ægean, 711–12
and Arctic convoys, 715, 718–22, 724
sinks Scharnhorst, 722–3
and “Overlord”, 739
part of, at Walcheren, 848. See also Home Fleet; Mediterranean Fleet
Royal Oak, H.M.S., sinking of, 174
Royal Sceptre, S.S., 170
Ruhr, French occupation of, 8, 25
Allied thrust for, 844–5
encirclement of, 897–898
food for miners of, 947
Runciman, Lord, 133
his mission to Prague, 127
Rundstedt, Marshal von, in Battle of France, 240
and halting of German armour before Dunkirk, 255–7
in command of invasion force, 337
in invasion of Russia, 451, 466
deceived as to site of “Overlord”, 778, 787
in command of Atlantic Wall, 787
urges withdrawal to Seine, 789
advises making peace, 790 n.
superseded by von Kluge, 790
counter-offensive of, in Ardennes, 862–5
Russia, Soviet, opposition to, in Europe, 10, 18
Hitler’s policy regarding, 27
French approach to, 52–3, 65–6
enters League, 52
votes in protest against German rearmament, 64
and Spanish Civil War, 94
British relations with, 103, 104
Services view of military strength of, 107
seeks consultations with France and England, 119, 128
relations of, with Czechoslovakia, 125–6, 155–6
purge and trials in (1937), 126
attitude of, to Czech crisis, 128, 131–2, 144
Western states ignore offer of, 131, 144
proposes Six-Power Conference, 145–6
talks with, 148
offers alliance to Britain and France, 148–9
turns towards Germany, 150–2, 156
Strang’s mission to, 155–7
attitude of, to Poland (1939), 156
makes pact with Germany, 157–8, 321, 464–5
occupies Poland, 158, 168–9
occupies Baltic States, 158, 195, 281, 511
demands of, on Finland, 195
invades Finland, 196–7, 200–1, 279, 881
weakness of German forces on frontier of, 239
watches destruction of “Second Front”, 239, 280–1, 446, 462
praises German exploits, 279–80
British Ambassador to, 280
Hitler’s plan to conquer, 280–1, 352, 390, 407, 447–53
ultimatum of, to Roumania, 281
aid to Germany from, 321, 449, 452, 462
strengthening of, 387
possible effects of German conquests in Middle East on, 393, 720
effects of Balkan lack of unity on, 407, 447, 450
unprepared for German attack, 447, 450–4, 461
massing of troops on frontier of, 447–51, 454
plans division of British Empire with Germany, 449, 462
concessions of, to Germany, 451–2
Germany declares war on, 453–4
warnings to, 454
German invasion of, 454–7, 460, 465, 467–8
German barbarities in, 454–5
British aid to, 456, 464, 583, 649
for a year a hindrance not a help to Britain, 461–2
strength and patriotism of people of, 461
Churchill’s visits to, 461, 509, 587–8, 597–613, 850–858, 878–81, 882–91
demands of, on Britain, 462–3, 466, 467–8, 499
demands “Second Front”, 463, 467–9, 471, 555, 610
Anglo-American Supply Mission to, 467, 469–71
Persian route for aid to, 468–9, 480
Government leaves Moscow, 471
medical aid to, 471–2
American aid to, 499, 583, 649
not represented on Combined Chiefs of Staff Committee, 509
suggested emergency invasion for averting collapse of, 551, 583
disaster of collapse of, 552, 583
aid to, through N. Norway, 552
advantages to, from “Torch”, 603
technique of conferences in, 608
Collective Farm policy in, 611–12
in Four-Power Plan, 622
Churchill’s doubts on post-war, 622
diversion of German pressure on, 650, 664–5, 668, 713, 717
attempt to get route to, through Turkey, 652
Turkish fear of, 653–4
turn of tide in, 658–9, 675
route to, through Ægean and Dardanelles, 708, 730–1
Germans retreat in, 715–17
treatment of British seamen in N., 718–21
American wish to gain confidence of, 725
discussions on post-war responsibilities of, 732–5
Western frontiers of, 733–4
promises aid against Japan, 738–9, 745, 748–9, 857, 941
out-let of, by sea, 740–1, 913, 945
Stalin’s position in, 743
attitude of, to civil war in Yugoslavia, 761–2
need for political arrangement with, about states of E. Europe, 810–13, 851–7
bad faith of, 813, 901–2
urges Poles to rise, 816
withholds aid to Warsaw, 817–22
Allied aircraft refused permission to land in, 818, 821
seeks liquidation of non-Communist Poles, 821–2
menaces Europe, 851, 912–13
represented at Dumbarton Oaks, 851
recognises Lublin Committee, 876
changed attitude of, with loss of common enemy, 900, 902, 922, 934
accuses Western Powers of bad faith, 903–6
signs treaty with Lublin Government, 908
replaces Nazi Germany as menace to world peace, 930, 958–60
preponderating military strength of, 931–2, 964
draws Iron Curtain across Europe, 932, 955, 958–9, 965
need to keep bargaining counter for, 935, 953
occupation line of, in Europe, after eight years, 935
established in heart of Europe, 937, 949, 953, 955
not needed in defeat of Japan, 940–1
declares war on Japan,
943–4
advances frontier to Curzon Line, 943
German labour in, 947
Western goodwill for people of, 954, 958, 965
reaction in, to Fulton speech, 955–6
stemming spread of sphere of, 959
denies Western Allies access to Berlin, 961
nuclear weapons of, 963–5
effect of Stalin’s death on relations with, 965–6
actions of, in Far East, 968
and Korea, 969–70
reason for hope in situation in, 973
Russian Air Force, bombs Finland, 196
largely destroyed on ground, 451, 454–5, 461
superiority of, over German, 715, 717
bombs Germans in Warsaw, 816
drops supplies on Warsaw, 821
Russian Army, purged of pro-German elements, 129, 150
and aid to Czechoslovakia, 132
Eastern states refuse entry to, 145, 148–9, 156
strength of (1939), 157
defeated in Finland, 196–7
unprepared for German attack, 454, 461
guerrilla warfare of, 461, 466
initial retreat of, 461
offered for “Second Front”, 463
defeated at Kiev, 466
courage and resistance of, 466, 606, 656–8
victories of, 658–9, 715–17, 810, 813–15
depends on “Overlord”, 739–740
summer offensive of, 740–1, 784, 813–15
deception plans of, 741
Brooke accused of not liking, 743–4
on outskirts of Warsaw, 817, 819, 821
enters Warsaw, 822
women in, 878
Russia complains of sabotage to, in Poland, 882, 885–6, 911–12
joining hands with, in Germany, 897–8, 919
allowed to capture capital cities, 898, 918–19, 922, 953
in Berlin, 924
Russian Military Mission, 463
Russian Revolution, 4, 10–11
Russian Zone of Germany, 921
question of withdrawal of Western Allied armies from, 912–13, 932, 934–7
food supplies of, 923
flight of refugees from, 932, 937
pro-Communist, 955
Ruweisat Ridge, 590, 615, 626
Ryder, Commander R. E. D., 533
Rye, 337
S.A. (Brownshirts), 28–9
Reichswehr and, 28, 48–9
disaffection in, 47–8
arrest and death of leaders of, 49–50
reduced to obedience, 51–2
conscription into, 69
Saar, the, thrust for, 844–5
Saarbrucken, 305
Saigon, 843
St. Germain, Treaty of, 6
St. John, Order of, and “Aid to Russia”, 471–2
St. John’s, Newfoundland, 401
St. Lawrence River, U-boats in, 534
St. Lô, 792
St. Malo, 793
St. Nazaire, 533, 793
St. Quentin, 246, 251
St. Valery, 286, 421
Saipan, 834
Saki airfield, 878, 891
Salerno, Battle of, 704–6
Salerno, Gulf of, 683
landings in, 699, 703
Salford, air raids on, 391
Salisbury, Marquess of, 96
“Salo, Republic of”, 767–9
Salonika, 867
Samar Island, 837
Samoa, Japanese threat to, 537
Samos, 709, 711, 728
Samuel, Sir Herbert, 22, 57
San Bernadino Strait, 836–7, 841–2
San Francisco Conference, 902, 912
Sanctions, barred in Stresa Conference, 64
against Italy, 74, 277
half-hearted application of, 76–7
Sangro, River, 712–13
Saratoga, U.S.S., 544
Sardinia, plans for occupation of, 641, 645, 665, 668–9, 684, 699
Eisenhower on value of, 681
air attacks on airfields of, 682
Sarraut, Albert, 86–7, 94
Sbeitla, 660
Scandinavia, uneasy at German rearmament, 41
and naval balance in Baltic, 65, 68
German plans for, 195
Scapa Flow, Churchill visits, 171–2
U-boat sinks Royal Oak in, 174
Churchill sails in Prince of Wales from, 475
Scharnhorst, the, size of, 67, 165
sinks Rawalpindi, 176–7
at taking of Narvik, 207
sinks Glorious, 212
in N. Atlantic, 399
air attacks on, in Brest, 405–6
returns through Channel to Germany, 531–2
sinking of, 722–3
Scheldt River, line of the, 189
retreat to, 246–7
clearing estuary of, 845–9
Schleicher, General Kurt von, 29–30
plots against Hitler, 30, 33, 48–9
intrigues against Bruening, 32
Chancellor, 34
death of, 50
Schlieffen plan, 218
Schmidt, Guido, 114–15
Schnorkel device, 680, 927
Schulenburg, Count, 279–80, 454 n.
Ambassador to Russia, 451–2
presents declaration of war to Molotov, 453
Schuschnigg, Dr., Chancellor of Austria, 51
submits to German demands, no, 114–15
attempts plebiscite, 115–16
retires, 116
Scobie, Lieut.-General Sir R. M., in Greece, 867–9, 891
Scones, General Sir Geoffrey, 825
Scorza, Signor, 686
“Sea Lion”, Operation. See Invasion of England
Sebastopol, 810
Second Army, British, in France, 793, 795, 860
Second Front, Russia watches destruction of, 239, 280, 447
Russian demands for, 281, 463, 467–9, 471, 555, 610, 659
demand for immediate, 463, 495
vital necessities for, 463, 550, 695–7
in Balkans, 467–8
in Persia, 469
hoped for, in 1942, 469
in N. Africa, 501–2, 552–4, 557, 580–2, 584–6 (see also “Torch”)
in France, postponed till 1944, 502, 641–2
probable disaster of, in 1943, 502
U.S. Joint Staff paper on, 550–1
U.S. suggests emergency (1942), 551–3
in France, planned for 1943, 551–3, 557, 600
discussions in Moscow about, 600–4, 605–6. See also “Overlord”; “Sledgehammer”
Security Council, voting rights in, 880–1
and Korean War, 969
Sedan, German break-through at, 240–3, 247
Seine, River, Germans on (1940), 305, 421
German forces held N. of (1944), 788, 792
destruction of bridges over, 789, 795
Hitler forbids withdrawal to, 789, 794
ferry system over, 792, 795
Germans driven over, 794–5
Allies cross, 796
Seoul, 969
Serbia, Germans in, 415
broken resistance to Germans in, 759
Seventh Army (U.S.), lands in S. France, 802
in N. France, 849, 860
Seyss-Inquart, Dr., admitted into Austrian Cabinet, 110, 115
Chancellor of Austria, 116
Shaiba, 439
Shanghai, 42
SHAPE, 960
Shaw, George Bernard, 608
Sheerness, 265
Sheffield, air raids on, 365
Sheffield, H.M.S., 425
Sherman tanks, sent to Egypt, 565, 614, 625
“Shingle”, Operation, 769
Shipping, immobilisation of German, 173
German surface raiders of, 176–85, 399, 530
American aid with, 226, 499
losses, analysis of, 227, 928
gathering of, for evacuation of B.E.F., 248, 259, 2
63, 265
losses at Dunkirk, 272
detention of Italian, 278
gathering of, for invasion of England, 329, 338
amount necessary for invasion, 336–8
U-boat menace to, 397–8, 400–2, 527–30, 532–6, 676, 927–8
diverted round N. of Ireland, 397
menaced by air, 399, 401, 403–4
U.S. production of, 398, 499, 510, 675–6
German losses of, in Mediterranean, 484–5, 620, 625–7
factor in invasion of Europe, 550, 580, 641, 730
for “Torch”, 631, 633
for “Husky”, 681–2
assembled for “Overlord”, 779, 781
off Normandy coast, 786
destruction of Japanese, 943
Shoeburyness, magnetic mines recovered off, 175
Shoho, the, 541–3
Shokaku, the, 541–3
Shoreham, 325
Shropshire, H.M.A.S., 841 n.
Siam, Japanese conquest of, 537
Siberia, American plan for bringing aircraft across, 607
Sicily, danger of German air-power in, 392–3
German Air Force withdrawn from, 484
Air Corps returned to, 490
plans for invasion of, 641, 645, 650, 659, 664–5
decision on invasion of Italy from, 665, 667–70, 681
Eisenhower on invasion of, 681
invasion of, 681–3
Sidi Barrani, 376, 380
Battle of, 385–6
Sidi Omar, 442
Sidi Rezegh, 485, 487–9, 516
Siedlce, 910, 912
Siegfried Line (West Wall), 92, 113
incomplete at time of attack on Czechoslovakia, 123–4
deterrent of, 126, 153, 188
northward extension of, 186
plan for attack on, 845
piercing of, 849, 860
surrenders, 893
Siena, 804, 806
Sierra Leone, commerce-raider off, 399
losses in convoy to, 633
Silesia, Upper, 18
Simon, Rt. Hon. Sir John (Viscount), Foreign Minister, 33
visits Hitler, 63
moves to Home Office, 66
Chancellor of Exchequer in War Cabinet, 166
elder statesman, 167
and dollar resources, 368
Simonie, General, 410–11
Sinclair, Rt. Hon. Sir Archibald, at “Arms and the Covenant” meeting, 99
urges Russian alliance, 152
Air Minister, 220, 229
in air-raid incident, 356
mentioned, 96
Singapore, U.S. on importance of, 473
British quandary on, 474
Prince of Wales and Repulse at, 495–6
army in, 517, 519, 524–5
fall of, 518–19, 522–3, 526, 565
lacks landward defences, 519–522
reinforcements sent to, 521–4
terrible conditions in, 525
Japanese Fleet near, 835
Singapore Island, defence of, 519, 521–2, 525
evacuation to, 524
Sirte, 643
The Second World War Page 139