Comments by "David Himmelsbach" (@davidhimmelsbach557) on "Goebbels on the German Food Crisis 1942-1943" video.

@TheLoyalOfficer Hitler's play, which Rommel advocated, was in North Africa. (Natch) The strategic goal was to get Churchill voted out of office via a vote of no confidence. Winston greatly feared just such an outcome -- which is why el Alamein was fought at all. Many British officers held the opinion that Torch + 8th Army put Rommel in a box that had no escape. Rommel would have to retreat even without a battle. The RAF and RN were tearing PAA to pieces -- logistically. Monty did as he was ordered, of course. Knowing Churchill's track record of success, Monty insisted on an overwhelming superiority in everything. This was also his way of delaying a battle that -- strategically -- was totally unnecessary. Monty wanted to bag Rommel on the cheap -- no repeat of Somme for him. As he feared, the battle turned into a grinder.
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@TheLoyalOfficer He kept delaying the battle for weeks. Finally Winnie put his foot down. As I said, Monty was looking at Churchill's life-long foul record of strategic decision. Narvik and Gallipoli were in his ears. Further, he had a HUGE morale problem with the SA troops, Aussie troops, et al. During the climax of the battle, Monty had to leave his HQ to convince the South African general commanding (IIRC Smitts) to press on. (!!!) He had to reveal ULTRA to him. (!!!!) Yet, he was forbidden to do so. THAT'S why Monty went to see him -- PRIVATELY. Monty was able to show Smitts that Rommel was -- literally -- out of gas, tanks, 88s, everything. Smitts only believed Bletchley Park. This final surge broke Rommel. THAT'S how close el Alamein was. Monty saw it coming a mile away. He was a first class staff officer. The massive loses taken by 8th Army are glossed over by official records -- as they were hugely in terms of equipment. But for the boys at the front, el Alamein was a first class bitch. Because of the constrained terrain, even when chased, Rommel was able to screen his retreat with a tiny guard of 88s. The moment 8th Army left the road, it bogged down. The highway was SO much faster. And Rommel kept pulling back. Torch had worked -- and Torch was a British idea. ( Alan Brooke -- not Churchill. Brooke was Monty's best buddy and patron, of course.)
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@TheLoyalOfficer WRT Barbarossa 42... By getting Churchill out of office, the hope was that the Hamilton faction would terminate the RN blockade that was keeping American oil from reaching Germany. No blockade would also mean no more food crisis. A negotiated peace would absolutely terminate ANY American involvement in Europe. It would be business as usual. The USA needed German business -- especially its food imports. The farmers were critical voters all across America. Peace would also mean that Britain's food crisis was over, too. Think how that would play with UK voters.
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@TheLoyalOfficer That the British had trouble getting the SA boys to obey orders is well recounted by TIK. It reached rebellious levels. (Pienaar) That the SA units were the last surge at el Alamein is well recounted in virtually every history of the battle. That Monty was receiving ULTRA decrypts is now openly admitted by all. In Bradley's autobio he recounts that NO ONE below army level was authorized to receive ULTRA intel. So, Pienaar refuses to proceed until Monty leaves his HQ to come to him. (!!!) If you know much about Monty -- it's that he has everyone coming to him. He never visited Ike at SHAEF HQ. The Big D-Day Meeting was at Monty's HQ... which could be rationalized by the fact that Monty was the field commander in charge of Overlord. When Monty wanted Market-Garden -- Ike had to visit him at Monty's HQ in the field. So one must take for granted that something truly extraordinary was revealed in their ultra-private meeting -- namely ULTRA. No other datum could possibly explain both Pienaar's change of heart and Monty's visit. Nothing else explains it, period. Naturally, neither party revealed the ULTRA secret -- then or later. No documents are to be found. This is further proof that what transpired was so touchy that it could not be penned. Pienaar died soon after keeping him very quiet. Monty had similar morale issues with the Aussies -- as they had been burned in WWI -- and earlier in WWII by British generalship. Cunningham really screwed the pooch with both -- to such a degree that Monty had to prove to all concerned that he was no Cunningham. You have to love Cunningham's Wiki. You'd never know what a cluster his last battle was -- with most historians putting the blame largely on him... fair or not.
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@TheLoyalOfficer Oh, I'm sure he kicked Pienaar's ass -- right through the roof. But that was never sufficient for an ass like Pienaar. Pienaar improved most when dead. Because Pienaar was an allied general, SA was at war with Germany on its own ticket, there was a limit as to how much ass kicking Monty could administer. No, Monty played it right. He delayed the battle for WEEKS. Read any decent history of the battle. It was supposed to go off BEFORE the British (non-public) elections that fall. {IIRC, he thwarted a vote-of-confidence before it even was brought up. The back bench was bitching. The loss of Tobruk was a stinging blow to British pride. It didn't make Canbarra happy, either.} It was politically motivated -- by Winnie. He stayed in office without it -- obviously. Then he was buoyed by el Alamein -- the "end of the beginning." Monty was CORRECT to delay the battle. BTW, Monty famously sent Freddie in his stead for all conferences. Everybody loved Freddie.
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