Myth in Concrete
Ten Thousand Eyes. By Richard Collier. (Collins, 18s.) THE words 'Atlantic Wall' were frightening, to those who had the task of invading France in 1944. Everything else we knew could be faced and handled; but could we breach or scale the 'wall'? Intelligence reports suggested that it was not as strong as the Germans gave out. The best sum- mary of it is in Mr. Collier's last chapter : 'With almost no mobile reserves to counter the break- through, the Wall was seen at last for what it was —a myth in concrete, of two years' standing, exploded in as many days.' The intelligence re- ports leading up to D-Day were remarkably good, backed up so much with photographs and models that when the landing took place it seemed on most beaches (not on 'Omaha') to be just another exercise invasion of Studland Bay or Hayling Island. Not until a fortnight or so later when the leading edge of the bridgehead settled down, with Caen as its pivot, about fifteen kilometres inland, did the usual fog of war descend. Why was the information so good to begin with? Mr. Collier explains how it was no overstatement for General Bedell Smith of SHAEF to write: 'Without the networks of the French Resistance the invasion Would not have been possible,' and Eisenhower to add that resistance intelligence had been worth fifteen divisions to him. Exaggeration in the flush of victory? I think not.
Several methods were used for getting the in- formation. Only recently we have been told some- thing more about the methods of air reconnais- sance. Now Mr. Collier gives the story of the civilian spies who, organised under the code name 'Century' and trebly surrounded by German occupiers, French Petainists and fascist milice, built up a splendidly detailed account of what was going on behind the 'wall.' There is some pad- ding to be fought through at the beginning, but the book romps along in the end just as the invasion
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