conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide a description for a book titled Tank Commander about General, Dwight, Eisenhower with the genre: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: "I hate war as only a solider who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." General Dwight D. Eisenhower
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide the first five paragraphs for this book.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Tank Commander
  Anyone who had fought in Battleaxe was listened to intently by tank crews. Up until that time the Matilda – more correctly Infantry Tank Mark II – had been considered almost impervious to anti-tank guns. The 4th and 7th RTR had put the wind up the SS Totenkopf Division at Arras in 1940 when their supposedly armour-piercing shells just bounced off the British tanks. It had been the same story with the Italians, and when the Afrika Corps first tangled with the Matildas, its guns also could not get through the armour, up to 78mm thick. War correspondents dubbed the Matilda the 'Queen of the Battlefield'.
  During Battleaxe, in the fighting around Solium and Fort Capuzzo, the Queen lost her crown. The Germans had strengthened their positions on and around Halfaya Pass – with reconditioned Italian artillery guns, still lying about after Wavell's early victories, and by digging in batteries of 88mm anti-aircraft guns. They could rely on the Luftwaffe for protection at that time.
  Rommel, who had seen the power of the Matildas in France in 1940 when he was commanding the 7th Panzer division, wrote of the 88s '... with their barrels horizontal there was practically nothing to be seen above ground. I had great hopes... of this arrangement.' His optimism was justified when C Squadron of 4RTR rolled confidently to the attack and was shot to pieces. Only one of its tanks survived the ordeal.
  From our side the specific importance of the part played by the 88 was not immediately recognised, as the battlefield and its wrecks were left to the enemy to clean up. The assault had been met with a vast display of firepower, to which the new high-velocity 50mm anti-tank gun, the Pak 38, had also made a contribution. Low slung and easily camouflaged, it fired a four-and-a-half-pound AP shell a long way. And it was the range at which the damage was done that intrigued us. It was disturbing to hear estimates of the range that the enemy was opening fire at being well over 1,000 yards, even 2,000 yards. Our 40mm could send a two-pound shot up to 1,200 yards, but after 500 yards the penetration power dropped sharply and accuracy suffered even more. A gunner would have to be a genius to plant its small AP shot on a dug-in position at more that 1,000 yards. Even then he could not expect to put the crew out of action.
  The panzers were another matter, although their reputation grew after Halfaya and Battleaxe. The full extent of the damage they had suffered was obscured because they were able to recover damaged tanks, leaving only a dozen or so wrecks, to be measured against the seventy or so that we had left behind. Nevertheless, even taking into account reports that a version of the Mark III was now armed with a 50mm gun, we felt we would be able to deal with them. At least we knew they could be knocked out by our 40mm guns.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide five more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The beach by this time was fairly well organised and we were able to make our way inland to our rendezvous area. Only half the regiment managed to get ashore that day and it was two or three days later before the remainder of the battalion caught up with us.
  Caen had been the D-Day objective of 3rd Infantry Division, following its landing on Sword Beach. But, faced by the opposition of 21st Panzer Division, the city had proved to be a step too far. Generals Montgomery (21st Army Group) and Dempsey (Second British Army) wished to avoid having to launch an inevitably costly street battle for Caen. If Dempsey could outflank it, and break through onto the high ground astride the Caen – Falaise road, the German positions around Caen would become untenable. Launched at the end of June in the area a few miles west of Caen, Operation Epsom was planned to achieve this.
  The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was to strike south, drive a wedge between the German positions in the area of Cheux and push on south to cross the River Odon near Baron. 11th Armoured Division would then pass through, cross the Orne and reach the high ground beyond.
  It was to be the division's first taste of battle, and was to be fought in country very different from the open desert which Bill Close and 3RTR had experienced in North Africa. The 'bocage' country, consisting of small fields, surrounded by high banks surmounted by thick hedges, and interlaced with sunken roads and lanes, was ideal defensive country. Tanks felt very vulnerable to short-range weapons. Calling for artillery fire support was impossible when the target was only about one to two hundred yards ahead.
  The attack was launched on 26 June. In the face of strong German defence, progress was slow and costly. 29th Armoured Brigade managed to cross the Odon and secure a foothold on Hill 112, but, in the face of strong counterattacks by several German panzer divisions which were rushed to the area, the brigade was withdrawn. By the beginning of July it was evident that Operation Epsom had failed in its attempt to outflank Caen.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delete the first sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Only half the regiment managed to get ashore that day and it was two or three days later before the remainder of the battalion caught up with us.
  Caen had been the D-Day objective of 3rd Infantry Division, following its landing on Sword Beach. But, faced by the opposition of 21st Panzer Division, the city had proved to be a step too far. Generals Montgomery (21st Army Group) and Dempsey (Second British Army) wished to avoid having to launch an inevitably costly street battle for Caen. If Dempsey could outflank it, and break through onto the high ground astride the Caen – Falaise road, the German positions around Caen would become untenable. Launched at the end of June in the area a few miles west of Caen, Operation Epsom was planned to achieve this.
  The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was to strike south, drive a wedge between the German positions in the area of Cheux and push on south to cross the River Odon near Baron. 11th Armoured Division would then pass through, cross the Orne and reach the high ground beyond.
  It was to be the division's first taste of battle, and was to be fought in country very different from the open desert which Bill Close and 3RTR had experienced in North Africa. The 'bocage' country, consisting of small fields, surrounded by high banks surmounted by thick hedges, and interlaced with sunken roads and lanes, was ideal defensive country. Tanks felt very vulnerable to short-range weapons. Calling for artillery fire support was impossible when the target was only about one to two hundred yards ahead.
  The attack was launched on 26 June. In the face of strong German defence, progress was slow and costly. 29th Armoured Brigade managed to cross the Odon and secure a foothold on Hill 112, but, in the face of strong counterattacks by several German panzer divisions which were rushed to the area, the brigade was withdrawn. By the beginning of July it was evident that Operation Epsom had failed in its attempt to outflank Caen.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide the last five paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: After almost a year I was posted to 930K detachment, stationed at Husum on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein. I was second-in-command of the detachment and my duties included helping to reorganise the German transport system, both road and rail. It was a very interesting time but I was becoming more and more disillusioned with military government.
  Whilst on a few days' leave in Hamburg, I met an old army friend, Lieutenant Colonel Freddie Spencer-Chapman. He was now headmaster of the British school in Plon and he said, 'I'm looking for a bursar. Do you want the job?' I leapt at the chance and within a couple of weeks I had managed to obtain the transfer. At the same time I also applied for my discharge from the regular army but applied for a commission in the Territorial Army. This eventually came through and I was commissioned as a captain in the TA.
  I had a few days' leave in England whilst these events were being finalised, before returning to Germany as a civilian to take up my duties as bursar at the King Alfred School in Plon.
  After some two and a half very pleasant years in Plon my duties at the school were terminated and I returned to the UK. I applied for several bursarships without success, so, once again, I applied for a regular commission – this time with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. I was eventually accepted in the rank of second lieutenant and joined the Depot REME at Arborfiela on 28 May 1951. In all I completed twelve years with REME, retiring in April 1962 in the rank of major, and on a pension instead of a gratuity.
  My association with the Royal Tank Regiment is still maintained through the various branches of the Old Comrades Association. 3RTR, sadly, is no more, having been amalgamated with 2RTR, and the regiment is now down to two battalions only. Having visited 2RTR stationed in Fallingbostel, Germany recently, I find the spirit of 3RTR lives on: the tank crews are in good heart and I am quite sure that, should the need arise, they will uphold the traditions of the war-time Royal Tank Regiment.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Reverse the sentences.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Having visited 2RTR stationed in Fallingbostel, Germany recently, I find the spirit of 3RTR lives on: the tank crews are in good heart and I am quite sure that, should the need arise, they will uphold the traditions of the war-time Royal Tank Regiment.. 3RTR, sadly, is no more, having been amalgamated with 2RTR, and the regiment is now down to two battalions only.
  My association with the Royal Tank Regiment is still maintained through the various branches of the Old Comrades Association. In all I completed twelve years with REME, retiring in April 1962 in the rank of major, and on a pension instead of a gratuity. I was eventually accepted in the rank of second lieutenant and joined the Depot REME at Arborfiela on 28 May 1951. I applied for several bursarships without success, so, once again, I applied for a regular commission – this time with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
  After some two and a half very pleasant years in Plon my duties at the school were terminated and I returned to the UK.
  I had a few days' leave in England whilst these events were being finalised, before returning to Germany as a civilian to take up my duties as bursar at the King Alfred School in Plon. This eventually came through and I was commissioned as a captain in the TA. At the same time I also applied for my discharge from the regular army but applied for a commission in the Territorial Army. Do you want the job?' I leapt at the chance and within a couple of weeks I had managed to obtain the transfer. He was now headmaster of the British school in Plon and he said, 'I'm looking for a bursar.
  Whilst on a few days' leave in Hamburg, I met an old army friend, Lieutenant Colonel Freddie Spencer-Chapman. It was a very interesting time but I was becoming more and more disillusioned with military government. I was second-in-command of the detachment and my duties included helping to reorganise the German transport system, both road and rail.After almost a year I was posted to 930K detachment, stationed at Husum on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein