From the diary of Field Marshal Maurice Gamelin, Chief of Staff of the Imperial High Command and Commander-in-Chief of Army Group North
2 July 1941
My workload is almost unbearable. It’s unlikely that I can continue to hold my two positions throughout the campaign. I doubt I could have kept these hours for very long as a young man and how am I supposed to do so at the age of sixty nine! But the Emperor says he needs my expertise, experience and skepticism. He laughed after he uttered the last word. He’s right, I think it was a mistake to go to war with the Russians and we risk everything we have achieved for little or no gain for France. Still, if it wasn’t for his Majesty, I’d be rotting in a cell, branded as an old guard socialist and lackey of the ‘corrupt’ republic. If nothing else, THAT is why I’ll always stay loyal to him and carry out his orders to the letter, no matter what I think of them.
“Our” forces in Army Group North captured the Latvian town of Jelgava this morning, and reached the southern bank of the river Daugava by nightfall. This thrust has cut off the Soviet forces defending the Mazirbe area, effectively trapping them against the Baltic coast. Guderian’s I Panzergruppe will attack these forces at first light tomorrow. Most units under my command as CINC AG North are Germans. If someone had told me in 1916, when I was a newly promoted Brigadier, that I’d command over nine hundred thousand German soldiers one day, I’d have that person committed to a mental institution. The Emperor might have his faults, but only he could have united Europe against the Soviet threat. Unlike the first Napoleon, he is the leader of a coalition, not locked in a long and hopeless struggle with one.
At 21:00 Army Group Center reported that our forces have captured of Suwalki on their way toward Minsk. Air Marshal Vuillemin informs us that we have achieved total aerial superiority over this enormous battlefield. The Russians are still throwing an incredible amount of machines at us, but they’re shot down as soon as they are spotted. Maybe we can win this war after all. I pray to the almighty that it is so.
9 July 1941
Long conference with High Command and Armaments Minister Berthier. First part of the meeting was a long recapitulation of our campaign so far. Operations are proceeding extremely well. The enemy is in complete disarray as we drive him before us. Guderian’s I Panzergruppe has, despite serious fuel shortages, taken 35000 prisoners when the enemy surrendered in the Mazirbe pocket. The bulk of Soviet forces in the Baltic area, some twenty Russian divisions, will be completely surrounded within hours. We have an excellent defensive line in the north along the river Daugava, so by all estimates, the enemy won’t be able to break out or be reached by forces trying to come to their rescue. The Emperor is not entirely pleased however as the armored fist of Army Group Center, 1ère Blindée Armée (the first tank army) is aiding Army Group North in the destruction of the enemy in the Baltic States. His Imperial Majesty reminds us that although the destruction of such a substantial part of the Red Army is certainly important, we must not lose momentum. Obviously, Minsk, the capital of White Russia is the Prize he wants. I assured him, that as soon as the infantry catches up with the tanks, Huntziger can continue eastward. An even greater triumph is on the horizon in the south. The Grand Army has captured Balta and is now racing south towards the important port of Odessa, which, according to army intelligence is almost completely undefended. Within days, we will in all likelihood have surrounded the bulk of Soviet forces in the Ukraine.
Despite this utter humiliation of our enemy, the Empire is facing two very troubling developments. The first and most troubling is the defeat of the Finnish army in southern Karelia and the fall of Helsinki. The government and military leadership have fled to the coastal town of Åbo, but if the situation isn’t stabilized quickly, our northern ally could be knocked out of the war soon. Options were discussed and in the end it stood clear that no ground forces could be spared for a rescue operation at this time. However, Air Marshal Vuillemin reminded us that the newly formed 10ème Flotte de Aérienne (10th Air Fleet), earmarked for the Eastern front, could be operational on Finnish soil within a few weeks. These some four hundred close air support planes could be enough to tip the balance back into Finland’s favor. The Emperor immediately approved of the idea and preparations were initiated at once.
The second problem is what appear to be severe problems with the German supply organization. Ammunition and supplies reach the infantry in adequate quantities but a constant lack of fuel is crippling the armored and motorized units. A short but heated argument erupted over the German transport system and the question about their willingness to fight was interrupted by Armaments Minister Berthier. The real reason for the shortages, he explained, was the fact that we are demanding substantial shipments of all kinds of raw material from Germany as stipulated by the Treaty of Strasbourg. It was then quickly agreed upon that it’s more important to keep our own forces supplied than to ease Germany’s burden.
The Canadian - American front on the 14th of July 1941
The North American situation was discussed after the meeting was formally over and the Emperor had left. Canada’s capital Ottawa fell three days ago and the question on everyone’s mind was what would happen after Canada has been conquered. No one came up with anything significant and no one of us can see why that war is being fought and what America could do besides capturing a few Caribbean islands. I mostly listened, fighting a powerful urge to fall asleep.
14 July 1941
My God another midnight conference, I’ll be lucky to see the end of this year alive. Operation Martel is a continued success. We have trapped a total of 50 Red Army divisions in Lithuania and the Ukraine. We expect to have these forces destroyed within ten days, an estimate I would have been very skeptical of just a week ago, but it seems our forces are more formidable than I could have ever anticipated. In Finland, our northern ally has launched a furious counterattack against the Russians to liberate their capital. We had hoped they would have waited until our Air units could have been deployed, but apparently, national honor forced their hand. Foreign Minister Alexander Maret who is visiting his Imperial Majesty at the HQ attended the meeting and informed us about recent developments in the world. In South America, Peru had apparently declared war on Ecuador over a border dispute. This war will have little or no impact on our situation, but it seems the entire planet is doomed to wage war against each other at the same time. More disturbing are the news received just two hours ago – Siam has joined the Japanese American alliance. The Empire’s possessions in Indochina are now surrounded by potentially hostile forces. Also, the Japanese has captured Bangka Island, in what is believed to be the first step in an invasion of the Dutch colonies. The Emperor still thinks that we can stay out of the Asian war. Our relation with Japan has been cordial since the Emperor’s state visit to Japan in 1933. Admiral Darlan suggested that reinforcements should be sent to Indochina. Typically of the navy, we’re fighting the greatest land war in history and they want us to send badly needed units to the other side of the world.
The Eastern front on the 14th July 1941
