MOSCOW: Marshal Stalin replying to a question by the ‘Pravda’ correspondent described the Allied landings in France as a “brilliant success”.

Mr Stalin [said]: “This is undoubtedly a brilliant success of our Allies. One must admit that the history of wars does not know any such undertaking so broad in conception, so grandiose in its scale and so masterly in its execution.

“In summing up the results of the seven days’ battles of liberation by the Allied troops who have invaded northern France, one may say without hesitation that large-scale forcing of the Channel and mass landing of troops of the Allies in northern France have fully succeeded.

“As is known, ‘invincible’ Napoleon shamefully failed in his time with his plan of forcing the Channel and of capturing the British Isles. Hitler the hysteric, who for two years boasted that he would carry out the forcing of the Channel, did not even attempt to carry out his threat. Only British and American troops have succeeded with honour in carrying out this great plan of forcing the Channel and landing troops on a vast scale. History will take note of this as an achievement of the highest order.”

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2019