To Lose a Battle (100 page)

Finnish war,
179–82

Fitzalan-Howard, Lieutenant Miles,
546

Flack, Werner,
257–8

Flandin, Pierre Étienne,
84
,
222

Flavigny, General,
386
,
396
,
401
,
419
,
423
,
465
,
483

Floing,
351
,
353

Florennes,
377–9
,
407
,
409

Foch, Marshal Ferdinand,
47–50
,
53
,
55
,
63–4
,
167
,
323
,
436
,
554–6
,
595
,
664–5

fortifications:
maisons fortes
,
72
,
239–40
,
302–3
; effect of German anti-tank guns on,
178
,
681
; deficient on Meuse,
238–42
,
327–8
,
342–4
,
348–50
,
357
; at Eben Emael,
267–70
; locked on Meuse,
274
,
413
,
472
; at Sedan,
336
; empty on Escaut,
546
;
see also
Maginot Line
,
Siegfried Line

Fortune, Major-General, V. M.,
642

forty-hour week,
110–12
,
135

France: class-warfare,
54–5
,
102–8
,
129
,
132
,
158–9
,
673
,
681
; reliance on America,
56
; economic difficulties,
57–9
,
60
,
107
,
111–12
; reparations,
59–60
; occupies Ruhr,
60
; governmental instability,
63–4
,
101
,
219
,
226–7
; population,
64
; defence policies,
66–76
,
83–5
; lack of manpower,
76
,
229
; anti-militarism,
97–9
; escapism,
98–9
; political scandals,
99–101
; disillusion
with politics,
101
; ‘Republic of Pals’,
101
,
103
,
625
;
gloire
,
103
; unemployment,
107
,
135
; elections,
108
; devaluation,
111
; fear of Fascism,
128
; war production,
134–5
,
139–40
; mobilization,
139
,
229
; ineffectual propaganda,
153–4
; sabotage,
159–60
; censorship,
451–3
,
562–3
; spymania, civilians shot without trial,
526–9
; rumours,
528–9
; defeatism,
618
,
624
; bitterness over B.E.F. withdrawal,
620
; intelligence,
637
; civilians attack soldiers,
649
; fear of internal disorder,
653
; reaction to Armistice,
661
,
667–8
; responsibility for defeat,
672–3
; post-war history, effects of Dunkirk,
682
;
see also
‘honour’
,
‘treachery’

Franchet d’Esperey, Marshal,
168
,
314

Franco-British Declaration,
227
,
626–8
,
652
,
656

Franklyn, Major-General Harold,
573–81
,
605

Frederick the Great,
67
,
163
,
184

Freiburg-im-Breisgau,
260

French Air Force: pre-war disarray,
125–8
; deficiencies,
127–8
,
297
; system of command,
164–5
; numbers,
232–3
,
627
; concentrated on Holland,
278
,
297
; reluctant to bomb,
277–8
; reconnaissance reports,
292
,
299
; losses,
298–9
,
432
,
515
,
627
,
667
; at Sedan,
340–1
,
389
,
431–2
; strafes Stonne,
394–5
; night bombing,
432
; Z.O.A.N. removed to Chantilly,
504
; sorties on 16–17 May,
504–5
; Z.O.A.N. strength on 19 May,
543
; dive-bombs Forest of Mormal,
545
; increasing strength of,
627
,
640

French Army: in Victory Parade (1919),
46–53
; casualties in Great War,
49
; colonial troops,
51
,
76
,
367
,
377–8
,
617
,
629
,
682
; demobilization,
53
; influence of Verdun,
67–70
; defensive mentality,
70–1
; ‘continuous front’,
70–1
,
79
,
114
,
176
,
371
,
640
; pay,
76
,
148–9
; inertia,
77
; doctrine of war,
78–80
,
112–19
,
127
,
176
,
179
,
419
; rearmament,
112–13
; military service,
112
; command structure,
119
,
164–7
; anti-aircraft defences,
128
,
232
; morale,
147–60
,
361
,
547
,
602
; indiscipline,
150–1
,
311
,
463
,
547
; drunkenness,
150–1
,
303
,
305
,
463
; susceptible to propaganda,
153–60
; Anglophobia,
155–6
; forces opposing Germany,
229–35
; lack of training,
237–8
; normal leave,
249
; looting,
303
,
361
,
547
; false reports,
359
; bogus orders,
360
,
363
,
396
; panic, chaos, disintegration,
360–3
,
379
,
385
,
393
,
396–7
,
403
,
412–13
,
442
,
469–70
,
473
,
476–7
,
518–23
; artillery, prestige of,
360
; rumours,
396
; ‘containment’ and ‘counter-attack’,
397
; as prisoners of Germans,
415–16
,
478
,
516
,
642–3
; summary of troop movements,
439–40
; ‘no strategic reserve’,
457–8
; lack of air support,
506
; deserters ‘shot’,
520
; breakdown in co-ordination,
612
; defeatism,
624
; final battle line-up,
639–40
; losses up to Dunkirk,
639
; ‘hedgehogs’,
640–1
; determined resistance,
641
,
643–4
; final retreat,
648–9
; unused supplies,
649
; total losses,
667
; campaign analyzed,
674–5

French Navy,
650
,
651
,
659

French North Africa,
652
,
661

Frère, General,
508
,
517
,
594
,
602
,
678

Fritsch, General Werner von,
189

Frömmel, Corporal,
356

Gamelin, General Maurice: ancestry, character, career,
161–4
; fails to act over Rhineland,
83–4
; disparages tanks,
116–17
; system of command,
119
,
164–7
; unsympathetic to Air Force,
126–7
; on dive-bombers,
127
; and ‘Saar Offensive’,
140–2
; miscalculates over Poland,
143
; out of touch,
153
,
166
,
312
; lack of authority,
164
; relations with Georges,
167
,
293
,
437–8
; strategy,
169
; ‘Instruction No. 8’,
170–1
; Dyle-Breda Plan,
173–6
,
267
; keeps B.E.F. away from sea,
174
; on forces in
Maginot Line,
176–7
; and Scandinavian campaign,
181
,
219
; encourages attack on Caucasian oil-wells,
182–3
; and Bonnet,
219
; on French armoured strength,
229
; and defence of Sedan,
236
,
239–40
,
246
,
303–4
; and Ardennes,
244
; reaction to German invasion,
271–2
,
277
; reluctance to bomb,
278
; preoccupied with Holland,
291–2
; and parachutists,
312
; and Rommel,
333
; telephones G.Q.G.,
333
; unjustified calm,
371
,
446
; Orders of the Day,
371
,
509
; and counter-attack from north,
403
; ill-informed,
403–5
,
437
; confirms ‘bad news’,
405
; ‘surprised’,
405
,
437–8
; does not ‘intervene’,
438
,
441
,
536
; was he responsible?,
437–9
; troop movements ordered,
439–40
; ‘stricken by… fear’,
441
; ‘no more reserves’,
442–3
; direct news reaches,
447–8
; and threat to Paris,
448–50
,
464
; dislike of journalists,
451
; expounds situation,
457
; ‘no strategic reserve’,
457–8
; hopeless,
459
,
464
; Reynaud decides to sack,
510
; on ‘parachutists’ and Communists,
533
; still hesitates,
535–6
;
Pétain’s sympathy,
537
; goes to La Ferté to intervene,
551
; ‘Instruction No. 12’,
552–3
,
558
,
566
,
591
; sacked,
554
; rumoured suicide,
590
; later career,
678