Marshal Petain & The Orleans Regime Part 5

Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

Marshal Petain & The Orleans Regime, Part Five

by Raymond Speer

Author says: what if Marshall Petain continued the fight from Orleans? muses Raymond Speer. Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

The Ultra Revelation

The Year 1941

On March 4^th,an ULTRA memorandum intercepted by the British is given to Prime Minister Winston Churchill. That intercept reveals that Premier Petain of France has sent Pierre Laval on secret missions to the Germans and has prepared a deal whereby Germany ceases the war with France and evacuates that country. Germany under Hitler would then prepare for a "reckoning" with the Russian Communists.

Winston Churchill had been slow to trust the elderly Marshal and his arrogant young staffer, Charles de Gaulle. For that reason, the British
had not shared with their French ally news of the Bletchey Park breakthrough and British continued and routine interceptions of German communications.

Assuming their communications were wholly secure, the Germans were completely candid with each other. For instance, the text of the message about Petain stated:

"Churchill is overly enthusiastic for the War and is squandering his national wealth so Britain will be utterly dependent on American loans in what ever is preserved in the future.

"The Marshall hopes to surprise de Gaulle by a arrest in the evening and an immediate transfer of Army command to generals who will allow Germans to depart France with no more bullets being fired. Also, British airfields will be raided by loyal men and the British warplanes kept out of combat.

"France shall support Germany in any conflict that Germany may find herself and France shall use all her best efforts too persuade its ally, Britain, to likewise make a reasonablle peace with Germany."

At an emergency Cabnet meeting that evening at 6 PM, Churchill briefed his Cabinet members on the ULTRA revelation without naming the source.

"Are we absolutely sure of this?" asked Foreign Minister Eden.

"It is from our very best source," Churchill informed him.

"Marshal Petain plans the arrest of de Gaulle this month," said Churchill," and Hitler's descent on the Soviet Union is likely to happen in May."

The Minister for Education, R E B Butler, stated aloud that as Premier of the French Republic, Petain had the legal authority to quit the war.

"I mean, legitimately,what can we do? If they want to surrender, we cannot keep them fighting."

"If Petain wants to appease Hitler on eve of a great loss to Russia," observed Churchill," the old man had left leave of his senses through senility. We are like the bankers who prevent him from giving his dance hall princess a cheque for a million pounds."

Author says this is my fifth installment in my Marshal Petain & The Orleans Regime.