Lord Salisbury (in the latter half of the 19th century): “It is what a farmer would call very light land. We have given the Gallic cockerel an enormous amount of sand. Let him scratch it as he pleases”. Salisbury’s assessment of the value of North Africa to the British Empire proved spot on then. So why was North Africa a turning point in the Second World War?
Of course I’m still reading Alan Brooke’s diaries. It is the summer of 1942 and the United States has been a valued ally since the attack on Pearl Harbour at the end of 1941. Roosevelt and Churchill have forged a good relationship but now it’s time for their military commanders to agree on strategy. Harry Hopkins, General Marshall and Admiral King were the principal members of the team sent to London to thrash out a strategy. We needed them more than they needed us but Alan Brooke had to bring them round to his way of thinking – he had a war to win.
Marshall and King were in favour of immediately sending six divisions across the Channel to France. Failing that, building a bridgehead around Cherbourg to relieve the pressure on Russia until a full invasion could be mounted in 1943. Brooke knew that such an expeditionary force could not be re-supplied fast enough and American troops, at that point, had not had sufficient training. Remember, he had been in France in 1939 and 1940 and knew something of German military capability. Another American faction wanted to prosecute the war in the Pacific.
Brooke had his own vision; to fight on the sands of North Africa. At that point Rommel was getting the better of Allied forces there and was close to capturing Egypt. Brooke’s vision was to secure the Mediterranean for Allied shipping and then be in a position to invade Italy. Then an invasion across the Channel could succeed. He had to convince the American Chiefs of Staff and British and American politicians He pulled it off. Brooke was a strategist prepared to fight for what he thought was right. Often Churchill found him awkward but perhaps realised his judgement was sound. Hitler did not expect a strong retaliation in North Africa and Rommel was deficient in all the elements necessary to win in battle. It made Montgomery’s name – a General not prone to gratitude to those that made it possible.