Comments by "John Brereton" (@johnbrereton5229) on "Imperial War Museums" channel.

@analystanalyst7652 Nonsense and half truths ! Montgomery had cancelled Operation Comet but Eisenhower insisted it was resurrected and expanded into Market Garden. Nevertheless, Montys part of the plan was still successful, however the American Brereton (no relation) messed up his part and hollywood blamed Monty. Just as they made the loud mouthed, racist no body Patton into a hero, no mean feat in itself .
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When I saw the question posed, I was about to write about Alam El Halfa but you had beaten me to it, why is this battle forgotten ? The Americans love to claim that Monty couldn't lose at El Alemein because he had more troops and equipment than Rommel, but they can't say that at Alam El Halfa as Rommel had been resupplied, whereas Monty had not. Rommel had 6 divisions to Montys 4, yet he still soundly beat him, just as he did in their headlong retreat all across North Africa to Tunis where they were trapped between Montys 8th Army and Anderson's 1st Army and over 362,000 casualties and 300,000 surrendered, thats more than at Stalingrad !
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@lychan2366 Yes, Montgomery did have Churchills full backing. However, Churchill kept interfering in North Africa, and after the Italians attacked British Egypt in 1940 the British retaliated by driving them right across North Africa in a series of spectacular battles. At this point in 1940 the British had almost completely conquered North Africa, but before it was completed, Churchill ordered their best troops and equipment to Greece, leaving the British weak and vulnerable. The Italian and German reinforcements then attacked and drove them all the way back to Egypt and the war dragged on untill 1943.
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Italy surrendered in 1943 after the invasion and Mussolini was deposed. Also the Nazis surrendered in Northern Italy only 2 days after Berlin fell and before they surrendered in Northern Europe. Therefore, the Italian campaign was very successful by any measure.
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@hurfyable 'Dunkirked' what is that supposed to mean ???????? It's normal military practise to evacuate an army to regroup and fight again. The Germans did it in Sicily and would have done it in Tunisia if they had been allowed. Also the Greek conflict WAS written about. Hitler himself claimed that the 5 week delay in Greece had cost him victory in Russia.
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@hurfyable I'm sorry to hear that you lost your uncle in North Africa. War is not always as glorious as some would like to claim, it can be brutal and bloody and many brave young men never returned to their homes and families. However, though the British Empire lost 220,000 men in the entire North African campaign, the Axis forces lost 620,000 casualties. 'Lest we Forget' !
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@lychan2366 The Video claimed the turning point was El Alemein, but as I, and others have pointed out, the turning point was the previous battle of Alam el Haifa. Also it was of course a great help when the USA joined WW2 but they would have still supplied Great Britain even if they hadn't, just as they continued to supply Nazi Germany. Also I'm not sure the Soviets had such great Industrial might. If it hadn't been for Great Britain supplying them with weapons, tanks and planes as well as intelligence they would not have lasted long. The British had previously broken the secret Nazi military codes so when the Nazis attacked the Russians they were ready and were waiting for them. All these British supplies to Soviet Russsia were unlike the later American supplies free of charge. Whether the war could have been won by the British Empire on it's own without American help is difficult to say. However, the war was already turning against the Nazis at that stage and so its certain that WW2 could never have been won without British involvement.
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@lychan2366 Yes, but Montgomery's first battle with Rommel was at Alam Halfa, not El Alamein and Rommel had the advantage there. However, dispite this Montgomery still beat him. Which just proves that it didn't matter who had the advantage, Montgomery still won.
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@bigwoody4704 I dont get my facts from Hollywood films . My own father fought with Monty both during the battle of France and in North Africa and had nothing but praise for him. I've also read other actual diaries and contemporary reports written at the time, which all confirm what I have stated. Also Eisenhower was miles away in London planning operation Torch at the time. He had no control over British troops at Alan Hailfa or Alamein who were under the control of the British Commander in Chief of the Middle East General Alexander. Who on 8th August replaced Auchinleck and Monty took command of the 8th army at the same time and both battles were over before American troops landed as part of Operation Torch 1000s of miles away in Morocco. Montgomery was far from just a "myth" he was a great General
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@donupton5246 Montgomery beat them evertime he met them, even when they had more ammo and men and fuel than he did. However, why do you think they run out, did they lose it all ? 😊
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Monty beat Rommel at the battle of Alam Halfa when he had less troops and equipment than Rommel. This was even before the battle of El Alemein. Monty had only been in North Africa a couple of weeks but had completely re energised and retrained what troops he had, and told them he had burnt all Auckilechs plans to retreat. He told them "from now on there will be no retreating, we will stay here and fight and if we can't stay here alive we will stay here dead" Despite being promised reinforcements he knew that they wouldnt arrive in time for the battle of Alam Hafa. However, Rommels own reinforcements had arrived and he had 6 divisions to monties 4 but he still lost, just as he did later at Al Elemein and all the other battles he fought on his 1,400 mile retreat to Tunis.
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English troops? The majority of the British forces in Singapore were Indian and Commonwealth, British troops were in the minority, there were no specifically 'English' troops.
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@montecarlo1651 Monty was blunt about American capabilities and he was right, they were a green inexperienced Army and WW2 is full of examples of the consequences. Also Eisenhower was a great diplomat but he was only a desk officer with no battle experience what so ever. Eisenhower always favoured the broad armoured front approach where as Monty favoured the narrow front as used by the Nazis who copied it from the British. Monty made lots of enemies by his outspoken behaviour, however it's been suggested that he probably suffered from Asbergers syndrome. However, to the humble soldier who served under him, he always had time for them and they in return thought he was god, my father included.
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@isha0086 The Italian campaign was longer than it should have been because troops and equipment was robbed to fight in France. Also Rome was not held by the Germans it was an open city, and US General Clark's 'liberation' was just a publicity stunt that prolonged the Italian Campaign because he allowed the Nazi 10th Army to escape just so he could enter Rome for a photo opportunity. If he had followed orders the italian campaign could have ended in 1944, if not sooner. Nevertheless, the Germans showed which operation they thought was more important, because as the US were taking troops from Italy to fight in the South of France, the Germans were taking their troops from France to reinforce Italy.
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For a start, their is no record of Churchill ever actually saying The 'Soft Underbelly of Europe' Also General Clark was a desk general with no combat experience only organising logictics, but he was a friend of Eisenhower. During the North African campaign he tried to turn the French against the British but to his credit, once Eisenhower found out he removed him from the theatre. Sicily was then invaded and captured in record time, leading to Hitlers main ally Mussolini being deposed a great achievement in itself. Then italy was invaded by Montgomery and the Eighth army in the toe of Italy and he rapidly advanced up the adriatic coast capturing ports and airfields. Then Clarke who had been made Commander if the 5th army landed at Salerno. Unfortunately, Clark decided not to have the normal Naval bombardment and indtead land without one, therefore when the troops landed they were pinned onto the beach and at times it looked like it would fail. Eventually after more reinforcements he did manage to break free and head in land but at a high cost. The Rome debarcle was also Clarks fault, if he had followed Alexanders battle plan, the German 10th Army would have been captured. Instead, he diverted his troops to Rome just for his own personal glory, leaving the 10th Army to escape and live to fight the Eighth army later. He later claimed that he told Alexander he would shoot any 8th Army soldier who tried to enter Rome. This is rather rediculous as about half his 5th Army was made up of Eighth army troops and they actually entered Rome with him. Was he so removed from the actual battle field that he didn't even know what troops he was commanding ? At the end of the day , Italy was a British planned offensive but the troops and equipment were all taken at crucial times of the operation to be used in Normandy, so much so, that the British considers leaving the Americans to fight Normandy on their own and turn Italy into a completely British battle. However, in the end it was decided that it would sour Anglo American relations and so the plan was dropped. Nevertheless, if italy had been a totaly British battle and all the equipment had not been taken at crucial times it would have not only ended the war sooner, but it would have stopped the Russians from expanding their realm if influence so far across Europe and that was exactly why Churchill had planned it. The Americans soon realised that he was right and had to resurrect the Nazis 'Eurospaisch Wirtschafts Gemeinschaft' proposal as a bulwark to contain the Soviets, you will know it better as the European Union.
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@lychan2366 Monty did not have material advantage in North Africa when he first fought Rommel. In fact it was the other way around, Rommel had 6 divisions and had been re- supplied Montgomery had only 4 divisions who had not. Previously, Montgomerys predecessor Aukinlech had had material superiority over Rommel, because Churchill had diverted the troops bound for Singapore to North Africa for him. This led directly to the fall of Singapore Yet when Monty took over command, he still defeated Rommel when he attacked at Alam Halfa and ever other battle they fought all the way back to Tunisia.
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@bigwoody4704 Auchinleck's plans were to retreat further into Egypy. However, when Monty saw the plans he had them all destroyed and wrote new ones. These new plans included bringing up the devisions that Auchinleck had place at their rear to cover this retreat. Then Monty called all the officers to a meeting and told them there would be no more retreating. "We will either remain here alive, or we will remain here dead" He then toured all the units and told the men the same, telling them that he had faith in them and they must have faith in him. The effect on both officers and men was electric, they never lost another battle after that.
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HMS Belfast is still afloat and is moored on the Thames in London. For a £22 charge you can go on a guided tour and experience the conditions aboard yourself.
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@hurfyable Yes, that's exactly what I said !
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@gordonfleming458 That was exactly what Hitler himself claimed had lost him Moscow. Though the loss of troops stopped the British throwing the Axis forces completely out of North Africa earlier in 1941, instead of 1943.
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@zeroceiling Chamberlain did show backbone, he was trying to stop another war only 20 years after the horrors of WW1. Britain was already in huge debt because of it and their Army was under manned and under equipped. The extra time he created allowed armaments and soldiers to be readied for the eventual war that became unavoidable.
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@MrNaKillshots Rommel was a product of Goebbels propoganda machine which was added to by the British to explain his success. Yet the real reason was more to do with the American attaché in Egypt leaking the minute details of all British strengths and weaknesses which Rommel took full advantage of. After Montgomery arrived, Rommel was never successful again, accept against the green American troops at Kasserine pass.
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@ennieminee4470 It was for Britain, but unfortunately not for the newly arrived, inexperienced USA. However, if Churchill had had his way the war would have been over earlier and the Soviets would not have occupied so many countries.
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@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- The concentrated effort into Northern Germany was the last plan to succeed even though they were facing less German troops than in Italy.
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@stewie4467 The Germans surrendered in North Africa on 13th May 1943 when over 530,000 surrendered that's far more than the 91,000 who surrendered at Stalingrad. Operation Husky was the largest seabourne invasion of WW2 much larger than Normandy. Husky was launched only 2 months later on the 9th July 1943, not 6 months later as you claimed. It was won in the 17th August in record time and resulted in Italy, Germanys main ally, surrendering and deposing their fascist leader Mussolini on 25th July and Italy surrendering on the 8th September 1943.
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Churchill never claimed that "Italy was the soft under belly of Europe" It's a myth. However, the Italian campaign was the first attack against the Nazis in Europe and led to the surrender and capitulation of their main ally. It was therefore a very successful campaign until many of their best troops and equipment was taken to open a new front in Normandy. After that, it became pushed into the background and forgotten, despite it being as important as the Normandy landing and some might argue far more important.
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@markgorhk The point I am making is that, there hasn't been an English army since 1707. Therefore, these troops were British troops and contained soldiers from all across the British isles and its Empire.
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The National Heath service was first proposed by the Conservaties in 1944. Conservative Health Minister Henry Willink publish a white paper that he had worked on with the Liberal economist Lord Beveridge entitled, The National Heath Service, this was hoped to be put in place after the Conservatives won the 1945 GE, unfortunately they lost. This was because though the public were in agreement with the NHS proposals, Churchill warned that the expenditure involved when the economy was in such dire straits was not possible and the NHS should be delayed. Labour on the other hand promised to implement them straight away and won the GE on a landslide. Labour implemented Willink's and Beverages proposals instead, and ever since has claimed all the credit.
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@hurfyable I'm not sure Greece was a blunder in the broader scheme ? Hitler credited it with delaying his assault on Russia and losing him a Russian victory .
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Chamberlain was playing for time after years of lack of military investment during the 20 years since WWI. When he returned from his meeting with Hitler he said now we have peace, prepare for war. Without that time we would not have been better prepared for war when it came in 1939. I'm surprised the IWM doesnt know this, it's all on record.
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The Falkland are not in Argentina's back yard, they are 1000 miles away !
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@nico2292 Argentinas are not native to south America you are just Spanish pirates who murdered the indigenous population and stole their country. The Falkland Islands were uninhabited when they became British territory and the people who live there are British and this was all before Argentina existed, so how can Argentina claim something that existed before they did ????? We are not unarmed natives, we fight back !
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@stewie4467 Operation Torch was from November 1942, italy was invaded in Operation Husky 6 months later.
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Britain did stand alone after the fall of France, it's a fact ! However, at the time they had a vast Empire that also contributed, but this took time to organise. In the same way that Nazi Germany stood alone to begin with. But soon they had other countries fighting with them too. In fact there were more Poles fighting with the Nazi's, than against them. Also the Nazis SS troops that fought to the end defending the Reichstag were actually French !
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@ochomunna270 Yes, its claimed everywhere, however if you try to find the source you won't find any. Therefore, did Churchill actually say it ? There is absolutely no record of him saying it anywhere.
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