BBC Home and Forces Program – June 10th, 1953
June 10th, 1953
BBC Home and Forces Program
"This is the BBC home and forces program. This is Bruce Belfrage. The Battle for Guadalajara has come to a close. After several weeks of constant fighting for the region, 83 Allied divisions have laid down their arms and surrendered. Field Marshal Krueger, one of the most prominent Allied commanders in Europe, officially signed the surrender documents for the divisions in the region. This has been a devastating loss for the Allies, who have lost almost their entire mechanized and armored forces. The divisions that managed to escape from Guadalajara have retreated to Albacete and are attempting to reach Gibraltar. Despite the mass surrender, Field Marshal Eisenhower, Field Marshal Hodges, and Field Marshal Patton were not captured and are believed to have escaped on foot."
"This victory was paid with a steep price from the Axis powers. In the weeks of battle, over 450,000 Axis soldiers have been killed or wounded, coupled with the loss of some 2,500 tanks and self-propelled guns. Allies losses are estimated at 340,000 lives lost, and 1,800 tanks destroyed. The victory netted some 920,000 Allies prisoners of varying nationalities, including men of French, Canadian, American and Spanish backgrounds."
"The battle in Spain now focuses on two locations, one being the southern front where Allied units are retreating to Gibraltar, and to the north where 24 divisions are trapped in Oviedo. There is an anxious feeling in most front line units, as it is widely believed that the war may finally be coming to a close."
**I know you will ask: What the #$%^ happened. I have NO IDEA. They were fighting, and then just dissolved. They didn't lose, their odds were at 50%-ish so it was not a massively one-sided battle. I honestly think they just gave up....whatever the case be, I lost most of my HQs there (I have one left now) and almost all my tanks and mechanized divisions. What I have left in mechanized is trapped in northern Norway or locked down in combat in China.....**
June 10th, 1953
BBC Home and Forces Program
"This is the BBC home and forces program. This is Bruce Belfrage. The Battle for Guadalajara has come to a close. After several weeks of constant fighting for the region, 83 Allied divisions have laid down their arms and surrendered. Field Marshal Krueger, one of the most prominent Allied commanders in Europe, officially signed the surrender documents for the divisions in the region. This has been a devastating loss for the Allies, who have lost almost their entire mechanized and armored forces. The divisions that managed to escape from Guadalajara have retreated to Albacete and are attempting to reach Gibraltar. Despite the mass surrender, Field Marshal Eisenhower, Field Marshal Hodges, and Field Marshal Patton were not captured and are believed to have escaped on foot."
"This victory was paid with a steep price from the Axis powers. In the weeks of battle, over 450,000 Axis soldiers have been killed or wounded, coupled with the loss of some 2,500 tanks and self-propelled guns. Allies losses are estimated at 340,000 lives lost, and 1,800 tanks destroyed. The victory netted some 920,000 Allies prisoners of varying nationalities, including men of French, Canadian, American and Spanish backgrounds."
"The battle in Spain now focuses on two locations, one being the southern front where Allied units are retreating to Gibraltar, and to the north where 24 divisions are trapped in Oviedo. There is an anxious feeling in most front line units, as it is widely believed that the war may finally be coming to a close."
**I know you will ask: What the #$%^ happened. I have NO IDEA. They were fighting, and then just dissolved. They didn't lose, their odds were at 50%-ish so it was not a massively one-sided battle. I honestly think they just gave up....whatever the case be, I lost most of my HQs there (I have one left now) and almost all my tanks and mechanized divisions. What I have left in mechanized is trapped in northern Norway or locked down in combat in China.....**