Tunisian Victory (Part 1)

[Music] la la Destination Unknown a military secret the largest overseas Expedition ever to sail from the United States guarded by the blue enzen of the American [Music] Navy southwards from Britain some 3,000 M away an even greater convo boy twice the size moves in its appointed place across the seas shielded by the white enen of the British Navy destroyers in close the battleships from the decks of aircraft carriers and from the shore ples of the Fleet air arm and Coastal command Patrol the skies and search the Seas Advanced outposts of an elaborate protective screen East nor East the American Convoy sou West by West the British nothing like these two armadas had Disturbed The Waters since the world was made this is a combined operation an operation that began some 4 months earlier in Washington DC the president of the United States welcomed the Prime Minister of Great Britain the gravity of the moment had brought the together the lights burned all night that night in the white house where the two leaders met with their combined Chiefs of staffs for this was the picture taking all too definite form in the minds of the Civil military and Naval leaders now locked in secret conference two axis spearheads were headed east in the north Fon Bach was hu his way through the Ukraine to the Caucasus in the South ruml was driving toward the Egyptian border these two spearheads were intended to meet in Iran and head Eastward towards India in the audient Japan had occupied the coast of China the East Indies Mala and Burma in preparation for the drive Westward through India if these two enemy spearheads were allowed to meet Russia and China except for their remote Arctic ports would be completely isolated Japanese raw materials and German production would be combined the peoples of Europe Asia and Africa the world's population would be enslaved by mourning a decision both bold and revolutionary bold because in this our darkest hour we dared to take the offensive revolutionary because that offensive was conceived planned and executed by the peoples of two Nations the time and the place had been agreed upon the code name for the combined operation was acrobat the two great elements were time and secrecy 125 days in which to plan and launch an offensive from bases 3,000 M apart an operation involving hundreds of thousands of American and British Soldiers and Sailors millions of American and British working men and women only by whose combined effort could the plan become a reality but from whom the plan itself must be kept secret a few score men no more knew in its entirety the plan for this greatest of combined operations in London and Washington British and American officers were placed at adjoining desks to work through the days and nights of grinding toil that lay ahead and gradually in the enforc daily intimacy men grew to know and respect each other thus was born the relationship by of which an Allied Army came into being to them came hourly reports on the vast undertaking of forging the Striking weapon It Was a Race Against Time [Music] [Applause] [Music] in the United States men and supplies poured Eastward toward the Atlantic [Music] SE in Britain also by Road and rail an army was on the move [Music] right day and night the Dockers work records were broken in tonnage put aboard in one ship for every Soldier British and Dominican 10 tons of equipment on both sides of the Atlantic the effort was tremendous guns trucks aircraft pedal water food barire locomotives of ammunition alone we shipped 520 different kinds [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] and every ship sailed on time and in absolute secrecy [Music] [Music] [Music] w a [Music] [Applause] and the Convoy continued its hidden way my name's McAdams Joe McAdams Kansas City Kansas private first class I was on one of those ships you're looking at part of the biggest show on Earth and didn't know it too darn many ships to see all at once Well we'd been hollering for Action now we were going to get it but we didn't know where Norway France Italy China [Music] finally on the fifth day we got the news I mean what we've been waiting to hear they handed out little guide books and I remember the first line you are to do Duty in North Africa as a soldier of the United States give me kind of a kick why North Africa what was the plan called Acrobat the Convoy from America was heading east the one from Britain heading south at a given point west of jalter the British Convoy would divide for 12 hours the two halves would proceed in opposite directions then the second half would reverse its course and follow the first passing Gibralter 24 hours behind thus with clocklike Precision the combined operations would begin with simultaneous Landings at cablanca Oran algers Casablanca to protect our flank against an axis attack through Spanish Morocco Oran and alers to secure bases from which to press Eastward then the occupation of Tunisia from which we could cut raml supply lines across the Mediterranean next to trap and Destroy rl's Africa core between our Allied Forces and the British a army thus one arm of the axis pincer would be amputated and supply lines around the Cape of Good Hope would be shortened by half through winning control of the Mediterranean North Africa would be ours with bases from which to stab at the heart of the axis Citadel those were the main objectives of the plan called acrobat in both convoys the men kept fit now knowing the task that lay ahead for most of them this Voyage was a new experience they' never been so far from home before that's certainly true of me my name's George meta I was a green grer in civy street we had a shop only we're a military family really my dad was at passion dial and I was at dkirk as we got on this ship chops from Glasgow New York London Melbourne Cape Town Montreal Chicago Birmingham Wellington Beth green the old issue I reckon it's about time this team of Internationals got tracking when I was peeling spuds just now I made up quite a letter to my girl all about the way these ship zigzag and about flying fish and whales of course we haven't seen any yet but I reckon she'll like to know I'm enjoying myself and now I got something else to tell her too the best news for a long time they just put it up on the ship's board [Music] but the eighth Army's offensive was only one phase of a larger strategy included therein the bombings of Genoa Naples [Music] Jin Precision bombings of the Renault Factory turning out rl's tanks all these are part of the plan called acrobat of which the enemy still knew nothing nothing of the submarine trip to Africa by General Mark Clark with a message to be smuggled into France nothing of the arrival at Gibralter of General Eisenhower where he was joined by General HRI Jiro who had received General Clark's smuggled message the enemy knew nothing until the last possible moment when the first half of the Convoy from Britain steamed past the Fortress of Gibralter it was at night that the ships passed through the Straits the time had been carefully chosen for here in narrow Waters attack seemed certain aboard ship and on the Rock everyone stood too but the ships moved steadily on it was as though for the moment the enemy's sword had fallen from his hand through indecision this time it was in Rome and in Berlin that the lights burned all night for the first time since the war's beginning somebody else was calling the tomb but before the enemy could collect its wits or its forces our ships lay as planned off their appointed destination events planned 4 months earlier moved to a climax off Casablanca stood the Convoy from America to the Troops aboard spoke their Commander General Patton Soldiers and Sailors it is not known whether the French African Army will contest our Landing but all resistance by whomever offered must be destroyed however when any of the French soldiers seek to surrender you will accept it and treat them with a respect you a brave opponent and future Ally remember the French are not es or jets November the 8th 1942 orders of the day the words play ball transmitted by the task force commanders signifies that all forces are to take vigorous and offensive action against the enemy a large search light shown in a vertical position at night signifies that the enemy is agreed to the terms of the allies [Music] [Music] [Music] zero hour from America the president broadcast by short w we do not want your land we fight a common enemy from London General Charles de gold do not resist from Gibralter General Jiro we welcome the Allies to French soil how would these pleas be answered [Music] play ball fight was on pass a blank meantime at alers our landing craft also met fire from Shore batteries which were soon silenced by ships of the British [Music] Navy here too the French troops ashore were armed CR By Radio to indicate a friendly attitude by throwing their search light beams vertical it wasn't long before here and there along the coast search lights were seen pointing to the heavens as Dawn broke fighter planes from jalter fitted with extra fuel tanks took off without even waiting to hear whether the landing fields at alers had been kept by 7: a.m. resistance at alers was finished British and American troops had landed east and west of the city penetrated 10 to 15 miles and held the Heights and all Vantage points in alers on that famous November the 8th was Admiral Jean dalon French Vice chief of State under Marshall pan it was after consultation with him that the French Commanding General agreed to surrender the city meanwhile it all ran American paratroops and Airborne infantry flown from Britain 1500 mil away had landed to capture airfields while other American troops have poured ashore on the beaches protected by the British Navy here as in alers the fighting lasted for only a few hours but at Casablanca the battle still rageed [Music] sh batteries and the heavy guns of the French Battleship jear and several Cruisers destroyers and gunboats put out a devastating fire Gunnery from American ships coupled with Precision bombing silence those guns [Music] [Applause] striking Inland from the beaches north and south of the city shot troops cut the railways other lines of communication then converged upon the [Applause] [Applause] town two days later the Germans invaded unoccupied France whereupon Admiral darlan declaring pan a prisoner of the axis and himself chief of state ordered the cessation of hostilities in proof of the surprise of our Landings German Armistice commissions were caught flat-footed in each City their jobs to bleed North Africa of her raw materials and farm products the people of North Africa were evidently not sorry to see them [Applause] [Music] go events moved swiftly to alers came General Anderson commanding the British first Army General Ziro took command of the French land forces United under General Eisenhower they were ready to take the field once more the triola the Stars and Stripes the Union Jack flew side by side but the enemy had lost no time across the Mediterranean by sea and by air he was pouring men and Equipment into Tunis from [Applause] bizerta despite this we determined to start the campaign at once hoping to reach the distant cities before the enemy's grasp had become too strong this was a bold decision for the British first Army was as yet little more than one Division and the bulk of the American forces were needed to safeguard our position in Morocco we had other disadvantages roads were poor railways inadequately [Music] the enemy beyond the mountains had short supply lines from Sicily and Sardinia our own stretching forward from the improvised base at alers were four times the length even more important we lacked as yet forward airfields whereas the enemy in Tunisia had all the permanent airfields he needed in less than a month the weather would break could our slender force in the last days of autumn achieve a flashing success Against Time and a stronger enemy with immense energy the attempt was made by Road Allied infantry tanks and artillery moved towards the hills by rail went General ziro's men with mules for Mountain transport by air flew British and American parachutists to capture suitable ground for airfields and the Tactical points [Music] nearby by sea went commanders to bougie and Bone the latter 300 miles to the East and only 60 mi from the Tunisian border here the Airfield which our par shst had taken was already under attack from the LT V [Music] [Music] it was our only permanent forward Airfield and had to be fought for repeatedly in three columns we Advanced towards Tunis and bizer and still the enemy poured into Africa by mid November a thousand a day among them Marshall Kess ring Mediterranean commander-in Chief the man who had made his name Infamous at Warsaw and rdam November the 18th 10 days after our first landing our mixed force of Allied troops had crossed the frontier into Tunisia and skirmishes were frequent on we went small units of French British Americans held up here gaining there fighting roads as well as Germans but pushing on by November the 22nd we were in beer 450 M on the road to Tunis news came that 30 m on the French under General bar were holding Mees albab against the J the French were fighting stubbornly equipped with little more than machine guns and rifles General Anderson promptly moved to support together we held measures henceforth a pivotal point and forced the Germans back but now we went into the Plaines and were increasingly exposed to the enemy's more numerous tanks and aircraft November the 25th the first real tank Clash [Music] 15 enemy tanks destroyed and the rest withdrew and on we push towards Tunis and Biza racing Against Time and the weather 60 M from Biz 50 Mi 40 m i fly lines inexorably thinning are reinforcements fewer and fewer 30 mi from vetta 20 mi 18 miles from Tunis 16 15 and from the hills our patrols saw the city but now the enemy attack Rose to a Crescenda from the skies a bombardment to which we had no adequate answer [Music] [Music] get [Music] our supplies were far out run our casualties heavy even as the goal was in sight the race had been lost this first thrust this adventurous gamble had failed we fell back to the protection of the [Music] hills but even as we with Drew to regroup our forces we encountered a new enemy winter was upon us our hastily improvised airfields were flooded our planes Earthbound the roads became running streams our tanks immobilized all hopes of a quick Victory had finally foundered in a sea of mud but the race for Tunis and bazer had not been in vain for our battle lines now stabilized ran south from meazel bab through ustia fed mcasi and gafsa along the barrier Ridge of mountains known as the great dorsal which separated the German occupied Co Coastal plane from the mountainous regions to the West German expansion was possible only through a series of passes traversing the great dorsal and all through the winter months we held those passes against incessant German attack this was the period referred to by the world as one of military inactivity we sustain nearly half the total casualties incurred during the whole North African campaign that's right when you read in your papers about lulls that don't apply to George meta and the poor bloody infantry never did we are on the job every night Patrols in the hills and in the woods [Music] off we go with some BRS and tommy guns and a few Mills bombs and if we're lucky we scoper a few Jerry's and bring a few prisoners in Old Fred Parker's the best he was a poacher as second nature to Old [Music] Fred when we get back we're camouflage so you can't whether we're men or walking lumps of mud we picked up about half Tunisia when we got back this morning we just about scraped it off when we had to go out again at dusk and pick up the other half great life you'd think mud would be different in Africa different from France say oh Fred says it weighs heavier here and don't smell the same but me I can't tell any difference it turns white bread into Brown just like the other stuff keeping the automatics and rifles clean is the worst old Fred's only got about half the tile of his shirt left there's one thing we do thank God for the M fancy that mules if it wasn't for the mules we just about starve not that we eat them I don't mean that but they bring up the Russian see nothing but mules or Eagles could ever get here mud just mud I told my girl I'll stick to her like mud and I can't say more than that [Applause] [Music] whenever the fields were dry enough our planes took off to tackle the Lua though still outnumbered in 4 weeks they shot down 241 enemy aircraft for a loss of 89 of our [Music] own further back day after day the Strategic Air Force was taking off to kill the enemy's effort at its starting point liberators from the East fortresses from the West went forth to destroy enemy bases in Italy Sardinia Sicily [Music] but on land no offensive could be launched until spring against its coming there was to be on either side of the great door cor a building up of power over supply routes that span on the German side 150 Mi of water and on our side hundreds of miles of land and then thousands of miles of water the longest assembly lines in the world were in operation from the factories of the United States and Britain from Birmingham to alers from Detroit to Iran from Manchester Los Angeles from Leeds from Pittsburgh to Casablanca [Music] full trains were assembled on the spot loaded with Freight sped forward the South Atlantic became an airway as well as a Seaway from Brazil flights of p38s equipped with extra fuel tanks were flown across the seas each flight led by a flying fortress which provided navigation from Gibralter aircraft which had been brought by ship from Britain and reassembled on the Rock were flown off to tunizia nearly 1500 planes reached the front by this route roads to the front were being built were none before [Music] existed on still unfinished Landing strips giant planes sat down with cargos of [Music] material our reservoir of power was spilling up Tunisia was to be the theater of a major campaign a campaign to be fought where cpio had fought and Hannibal where already three times in history great armies had been destroyed between the mountains and the Sea these Hills and plains were again to Echo to The Tempest of battle not now the trumpeting of elephants but the crash of tanks and artillery not now an Empire but a way of life at stake [Music] GL [Music] [Music] on this Christmas 1942 our soldiers and Airmen in Tunisia and the Western desert gathered together in little churches or under the Open Sky and doing so they thought of their homes and loved ones hundreds or thousands of miles [Music] away our soldier thoughts were of New York in the middle west of the cities and Villages of France of the Plains and hills of India of homes in Cape Town in the African V or among the Snows of Canada or in the Christmas sunshine of New Zealand and Australia and among the fog and Rain of London and Edinburgh and they thought of their comrades who had already been killed and of the cause for which they had been killed the cause that had brought all of them across the ceas fight the cause of Liberty and tolerance and dignity and peace and of