Cable, Bernard Montgomery to Dwight D. Eisenhower

TOP SEC RET TO SECRET SHAEF STAFF MESSAGE CONTROL Fit INCOMING MESSAGE UAGT SHAEF x9/26 TOO 252210A Dec TOR 260045A Dec nop too URGENT FROM : EXFOR TAC FROM FIELD MARSHAL MONTGOMERY TO : SHAEF MAID PERSONAL FOR GETERAL EISEWHOWER REF NO : M-396,25 December 1944 Bradley Enemy pressure continues heavy on west Plank First Arury. Moved 5lst Division to LIBGE area today and am sending Division from AACHEN area over to VII Corps tomorrow. BRADLEY came to see me today. I gave him my full views on the situation and said that I could not at present pass over to offensive action. BRADLEY said he hoped to get to BASTOGNE but doubted his ability to get any further without more troops. I consider if we are to wrest possibly (?) the initiative from the Gemmans we shall need more troops and we can get these only by withdrawing from salients and holding shorter fronts. I suggest that this aspect of the problem might be examined on the Southern front. BUTCHER GAULT VFG ACTION : GENERAL BULL LEE L INFORMATION : SGS GENERAL STRONG I SGS Return Dist SC one is DIE DOA Copy 5 6 1/8 No. SMC IN 8846 26 Dec as 0325A DWR/et Ref No: N-396 DECLASSIFIED 20 A DOD DIR. 5200.9, SEPT. 27, 1958 TOP SECRET COPY NO. NE BY RJS DATE 2/24/67 4 THE MAKING OF AN EXACT COPY OF THIS MESSAGE is FORBIDDEN