The Battle of Britain
Page 77
99
‘I spent the day …’ Colville, The Fringes of Power, 13/5/1940
100
‘Definitely’ JPK, diary, 13/5/1940
100
‘There could be no illusions …’ TNA AIR 8/863
101
‘The continued existence …’ James, The Growth of Fighter Command, p. 73
103
‘I have never accepted …’ Dowding Papers, RAFMA
106
‘All I want to know … retracting undercarriage’ Cited in Mitchell, R. J. Mitchell, p. 299
9. The Battle is Lost
110
‘All the Belgians …’ Pownall, Chief of Staff, 13/5/1940
110
‘It is not yet possible …’ Cited in Frieser, Blitzkrieg Legend, p. 143
111
‘Our front has been …’ Ibid.
113
‘A second was as good …’ Bethke, diary, 14/5/1940
114
‘Is it always … nicht kleckern!’ Guderian, Panzer Leader, pp. 105, 106
114
‘“Is Rommel immune?”’ Luck, Panzer Commander, p. 38
114
‘Keep going …’ Ibid.
115
‘The men were wide awake …’ Guderian, Panzer Leader, p. 108
116
‘We have been defeated …’ WSC, p. 38
120
‘In this region …’ Cited in Frieser, Blitzkrieg Legend, p. 146
121
‘I don’t see how … we are bust’ Pownall, Chief of Staff, 16/5/1940
10. Emergency Measures
122
‘Preparing a hot reception …’ The War Illustrated, 24/5/1940
122
‘German parachute troops …’ Cited in Graves, The Home Guard of Great Britain, p. 10
123
‘The parachute troops …’ MO diarist 53967, 15/5/1940
123
‘I want to speak … will be armed’ Cited in Graves, The Home Guard of Great Britain, pp. 13–14
124
‘I hope they … discussing him’ MO diarist 53967, 15/5/1940
126
‘A paradox ball…’ The Times, 18/5/1940
127
‘Security Measures …’ TNA CAB 80/11
127
‘We have today …’ Nicolson, HND, diary, 22/5/1940
128
‘Evidently this battle … method and morale’ Ismay, Memoirs, p. 129
128
‘Today the news is worse …’ NCP, diary, 16/5/1940
128
‘He is definitely …’ JPK, diary, 16/5/1940
129
‘It could make the difference … and fight on’ JPK, memoir
130
‘We expect to be attacked …’ Cited in Martin Gilbert, Finest Hour, p. 345
130
‘It is not beyond the realm …’ JPK, memoir
131
‘We must expect…’ Cited in Martin Gilbert, Finest Hour, p. 356
131
‘That would mean …’ For the President, Personal and Secret, p. 428, 16/5/1940
132
‘Terrible message from Winston …’ NCP, diary, 16/5/1940
11. Learning the Lessons
133
‘Sign here …’ Herrmann, Eagle’s Wings, p. 25
136
‘Come on, defend youself…’ Galland, The First and the Last, p. 13
137
‘Young pilots …’ Bethke, memoir, DTA 652.9
137
‘I had a friend …’ Rall, My Logbook, p. 33
138
‘The demands of this powerful machine …’ Ibid.
144
‘In a war of the future …’ Suchenwirth, Command and Leadership, p. 12
146
‘I’m a flier …’ Cited in Bartz, Swastika in the Air, p. 41
146
‘Then I can commit suicide …’ TNA WO208/4347
147
‘flying barn door’ Suchenwirth, Command and Leadership, p. 76
12. What to Do for the Best
151
‘I now felt…’ Donnelly, The Whitley Boys, p. 103
152
‘What I saw …’ Ibid., p. 110
153
‘So far as I can see …’ Shirer, Berlin Diary, 19/5/1940
153
‘Oddly, I was no longer scared’ Hughes, diary, 14/5/1940
155–7
‘I was having quite a difficulty … spasmodic shifts for meals’ Beamont, My Part of the Sky, p. 35
158
‘I want the Fighter Command …’ Cited in James, The Growth of Fighter Command, Appendix 10
158
‘If they do not come …’ TNA CAB 73/4
159
‘I believe that…’ James, The Growth of Fighter Command, Appendix 11
159
‘a time will arrive …’ Ibid., Appendix 12
13. New Appointments
161
‘I am exhausted …’ IWM 78/52/1
161
‘It seemed …’ Pownall, Chief of Staff, 19/5/1940
162
‘But the withdrawal…’ Ibid.
162
‘There are many most distressing sights …’ Ibid., 18/5/1940
162
‘Keep going …’ Luck, Panzer Commander, p. 39
163
‘La guerre est finie … was the cry’ Ibid.
165
‘We seem to be holding …’ MO diarist 53967, 21/5/1940
166
‘The situation is terribly obscure’ Nicolson, HND, 21/5/1940
166
‘I have a nice …’ Ibid., 19/5/1940
166
‘It must be remembered …’ TNA INF 1/250
167
‘When I talk to him …’ Cited in Taylor, Beaverbrook, p. 399
170
‘They are all captains of industry …’ Ibid., p. 420
14. Decisions
172
‘Not bad…’ Guderian, Panzer Leader, p. 113
172
‘attacking all enemy forces …’ Cited in L. F. Ellis, The War in France and Flanders, p. 83
172
‘A scandalous (ie Winstonian) thing to do …’ Pownall, Chief of Staff, 20/5/1940
173
‘Nobody minds going down fighting …’ Ibid., 20/5/1940
173
‘a critical moment…’ Cited in Liddell Hart, The Rommel Papers, p. 34
174
‘We are down to about…’ Pownall, Chief of Staff, 22/5/1940
175
‘Here are Winston’s plans …’ Ibid., 22/5/1940
176
‘Other candidates …’ Knappe, Soldat, p. 168
176
‘Dead cattle and other livestock …’ Ibid., p. 169
176
‘The experience was impossible to forget…’ Ibid., p. 170
176
‘We are seeking …’ Halder, Diary, 21/5/1940
177
‘indicate clearly the object of this war …’ NHB EDS/Apprec/6: The German Plans for the Invasion of England
179–80
‘There were no camp duties … they’re killing one another’ IWM 021116
181
‘We were utterly speechless …’ Guderian, Panzer Leader, p. 117
182
‘I have a good idea …’ Halder, Diary, 23/5/1940
182
‘He was livid with anger …’ Liss, Westfront, p. 196
183
‘Our spirits rise and fall…’ Pownall, Chief of Staff 24/5/1940
183
‘Can this be the turn …’ Ibid.
185
‘I must not conceal from you …’ TNA WO 197/138
15. Fighter Command Enters the Fray
186
‘They ordered extra food …’ Hughe
s, diary, 20/5/1940
187
‘To say that I was scared … gory mess suggested’ Ibid., 23/5/1940
188
‘The Spitfires …’ TNA AIR 8/863
188
‘Stick to my tail…’ Bartley, Smoke Trails in the Sky, p. 11
189–90
‘Look out, 109s … pints of beer’ Ibid., p. 13
190
‘It has been …’ TNA AIR 27/743
191
‘I am doing very well…’ Steinhilper and Osborne, Spitfire on My Tail, p. 239
191
‘It was immediately clear …’ Ibid., p. 244
192
‘As we wheeled …’ Ibid.
193
‘Yesterday we reached …’ MO diarist 53967, 23–4/5/1940
194
‘The meetings …’ Elmhirst Papers, ‘An Airman’s Life’
194
‘if one really noticed the weather’ MO diarist 53967, 25/5/1940
195
‘The information given us …’ NCP, diary, 25/5/1940
195
‘It is probable …’ Delpla (ed.), Les Papiers secrets du Général Doumenc, Annexe 6
195
‘If France went out…’ TNA CAB 69/1
196
‘Down the ages … merit of candour’ WSC, p. 107
196
‘Once such a discussion …’ TNA CAB 66/7
16. Crisis
197
‘You have to see the German army …’ Shirer, Berlin Diary, 24/5/1940
198
‘The only effect…’ Churchill, WSC, p. 72
198
‘The answer is no …’ Cited in Guderian, Panzer Leader, p. 118
199
‘Apparently again …’ Halder, Diary, 24/5/1940
200
‘Expanding on the directives …’ Cited in Frieser, Blitzkrieg Legend, p. 298
200
‘This is a complete reversal of the plan …’ Halder, Diary, 25/5/1940
200
‘This is a wonderful opportunity …’ Cited in Cooper, The German Air Force, p. 117
201
‘Our air force …’ Cited in Irving, Göring, p. 290
201
‘The army always wants …’ Cited in Irving, The Rise and Fall of the Luftwaffe, p. 90
201
‘I pointed out…’ Kesselring, Memoirs, p. 59
201
‘Impression: G. successfully stirred it up …’ Engel, At the Heart of the Reich, 25/5/1940
202
‘It is all a first-class mess-up …’ Pownall, Chief of Staff, 25/5/1940
203–4
‘What are the prospects … not with France but with England’ The minutes of this entire War Cabinet meeting are held at the National Archives, CAB/65/13/20, or can be found online at http://filestore. nationalarchives.gov.uk/pdfs/small/cab-65–13-wm-40–139-20.pdf
205
‘The dream of all Germans …’ Martin Gilbert, Finest Hour, p. 403
208
‘If France could not defend herself… conquer this country’ The entire War Cabinet minutes are at TNA CAB 65/13/21 or online at http://filestore.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pdfs/small/cab-65–13-wm-40–140-21.pdf
209
‘I feel physically sick …’ Cited in Ismay, Memoirs, p. 133
17. Black Monday
210
‘Calais has fallen …’ Shirer, Berlin Diary, 26/5/1940
210
‘On the [left] wing …’ Halder, Diary, 27/5/1940
212
‘The Boche has got as far as Gravelines …’ Cited in Richard Collier, The Sands of Dunkirk, p. 31
213
‘No, Herr Generaloberst…’ Cited in Bekker, The Luftwaffe War Diaries, p. 163
214
‘Attack by Gruppen…’ Ibid., p. 159
215
‘Only fishing boats are coming over …’ Engel, At the Heart of the Reich, 27/5/1940
217
‘Saw England for the first time …’ Bethke, diary, 25/5/1940
218
‘The blackest day of all…’ Self (ed.), Chamberlain Diary Letters, 26/5/1940
218
‘Fear not the result…’ Cited in Martin Gilbert, Finest Hour, p. 406
219–20
‘This was perhaps … to consider them’ TNA CAB 65/7
221
‘I can’t work … full of affection’ Dilks (ed.), Diaries of Sir Alexander Cadogan, 27/5/1940
18. Dunkirk: The Beginning
223
‘We now are receiving very little news …’ MO diarist 53967
223
‘Macfarlane tells us in blunt language …’ Nicolson, HND, 27/5/1940
224
‘Much of the town was in flames …’ Pownall, Chief of Staff, 28/5/1940
226
‘Whereat he went…’ Ibid.
226
‘So ended the meeting …’ Ibid.
227
‘Von Luck you will…’ Luck, Panzer Commander, p. 42
228
‘BEF FIGHT HEROIC BATTLE …’ Daily Express, 28/5/1940
228
‘I replied that it was best…’ Self (ed.), Chamberlain Diary Letters, 28/5/1940
229
‘I have only one thing to add …’ WS, p. 187
229
‘rather a steamy discussion’ Self (ed.), Chamberlain Diary Letters, 28/5/1940
229
‘The French are trying …’ TNA CAB 65/13
230
‘It’s not a question …’ Cited in Lord, The Miracle of Dunkirk, p. 98
231
‘There are at present…’ NHB, Admiralty War Diary, 28/5/1940
232–3
‘And we dashed off to Dover … one of those’ IWM 10782
234
‘We shall go on …’ Cited in Dalton, Second World War Diary, 28/5/1940
234
‘I cannot recall…’ TNA CAB 65/13
19. Dunkirk: In the Balance
235
‘And so here we are …’ Pownall, Chief of Staff, 28/5/1940
236
‘Whacking great guns they were … and “C” Company’ IWM 021116
240
‘God helped our retreat…’ Fraser, wartime diaries, 29/5/1940
240
‘Apparently the lack of news …’ MO diarist 53967
243
‘Dear Mummy …’ Hugh Dundas papers
244–5
‘She just erupted … warm enough there’ IWM 10782
245
‘A regular officer came down …’ IWM 021116
246
‘The destroyers were being dive-bombed …’ Ibid.
247
‘When the bombs …’ Fraser, wartime diaries, 30/5/1940. Note that there is at this stage a slight discrepancy in Stan’s dates. His diaries record this being the 30 May, but in fact he was a day ahead of himself
20. Dunkirk: The Middle
248
‘You looked … strokes a minute’ Rawlings papers, letter, 31/5/1940
250
‘My contacts with the Churchill Cabinet…’ JPK, memoir
251
‘Just think, all this death and destruction …’ Ibid.
251
‘We lost time …’ Halder, Diary, 30/5/1940
252–6
‘When we moved … his body before’ BA-MA MSg2 2574
260
‘Now, this is where …’ Fraser, wartime diaries, 31/5/1940
260–1
‘Very quiet night … It was bloody awful’ Norman Field Papers
21. Dunkirk: The End
262
‘On political grounds …’ WSC, p. 95
263
‘I don’t know what day …’ Bethke, diary, 30/5/1940
263
‘The black smoke rose …’ Hugh Dundas, Flying S
tart, p. 30
264
‘Where the hell were you?’ Ibid., p. 32
265
‘The vessel didn’t catch fire …’ Herrmann, Eagle’s Wings, p. 60
266
‘I’d made it…’ Ibid., p. 61