Description:

GEN. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER'S "SECRET" REPORT ON THE NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN
Important war-date typed manuscript signed in type, 52pp. legal folio, "ALLIED FORCE HEADQUARTERS" [London], [n.d., ca. late 1943], titled: "COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S DISPATCH NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN 1942-1943", with every page stamped "SECRET". This reports is Eisenhower's military evaluation of the campaign broken down into twenty chapters, including planning, preparation, task force operations, armistice with the French, the race for Tunisia, Sfax, enemy offensives against the French, Kasserine, air and sea operations, 18th Army Group operations, Operation Retribution, and Eisenhower's candid evaluation of his performance and those of his subordinates. This is a very detailed report, citing all of the strengths and shortcomings of U.S. forces as well of those of its allies. Eisenhower describes operations, movements, losses and gains in such depth that we cannot offer all of the meaningful excerpts here. Very briefly, he mentions Rommel essentially failed at Kasserine as he did not advance far enough to cover his rear from British attack from Mareth: "...his sands were running out...". He sums up: "...We destroyed not merely the remnants of Rommel's Afrika Korps, but a total Axis army of more than 320,000 men...our advance estimate of the political temper and attitude in North Africa was incorrect...General Giraud's first broadcast...was completely ignored...complete apathy displayed by the population...the imposition of political censorship was against my convictions...I should have compelled an earlier acceptance by the French of the principle of Allied command on the fighting front...one great failure...was the failure to gain Tunis by the middle of December...Rommel would have been quickly eliminated...could have begun the Italian campaign in May..." Much more excellent content! Fine condition. From the estate of the recipient, Col. Ernest "Tex" Lee, who served throughout the war as Eisenhower's Executive Officer and Aide de Camp. Lee joined Ike in June, 1941 and assisted in the planning of the invasions at Normandy and the ultimate defeat of Germany. Accompanied by a letter from Lee's son indicating that Col. Lee had stated to his family that he had obtained the Eisenhower report directly from Ike during the European war and that it has remained in the family since that time.

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June 4, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

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