The Fall of France: Act with Daring: May-June 1940

168 Pages·2000·46.68 MB·English

by  Martin Marix Evans

MARTIN MARIX EVANS

Actions speak louder than words. In the days to come the
Goddess of Victory will bestow her laurels only on those who
are prepared to act with daring.
Heinz Guderian, 1937.

THE INVASION OF FRANCE AND THE LOW COUNTRIES, MAY 1940
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For their help in making some inroads in my ignorance of what happened where memoir of the action at Amiens and has also provided a sketch of his battalion's
in Belgium I must thank Michael Baert of the Belgian Tourist Office, Brussels dispositions. I am indebted to the Hon. Caroline Ponsonby for being allowed to
and Ardennes, in London, Pierre Gosset, former secretary to C.R.I.B.A. in quote from the papers of her father, Major Lord Sysonby. I have also had the
Belgium and Guy Blockmans in Brussels and Patrice Legros in Liege. Mr H. good fortune to be given a first-hand account of his experiences as an anti-aircraft
Lardinois of the Institut Geographique National in Brussels directed me to gunner by Albert Smith. At the time of going to press the owners of certain copy
contemporary mapping. I thank Andrew Saunders for his help in introducing me rights have not been traced and I would be grateful for information as to their
to Robert Gils of Simon Stevinstchting, and to Mr Gils for his help in giving me identity and whereabouts.
what modest understanding of the Belgian fortresses I now possess as well as The maps used are mostly those published in Berlin by the army in preparation
guiding me to appropriate maps. Captain David Horn of the Guards Museum for the invasion of France and the Low Countries or German maps made later in
in London, Richard Callaghan of the Royal Sussex Regiment Museum and the war showing useful detail of important locations. Some come from my own
Alan Readman of the West Sussex Record Office gave valuable advice and collection while the rest are from the Bodleian Library, Oxford, and carry the
introductions. Mrs P. James and Roy Harding of the Queen's Royal Surrey annotation 'BL' and the appropriate shelf number. Permission to reproduce maps
Regiment Museum were very helpful to me. David Fletcher and his colleagues at from the Bodleian Library is gratefully acknowledged and, even more important
the Tank Museum, Bovington, were unfailing in their kindness. Peter Liddle and to me, the patience and helpfulness of the staff of the Map Room deserves high
Claire Harder of the Second World War Experience Centre produced some praise. The British maps are from a private collection and I am grateful for the
fascinating material for me, in spite of having been operational for only a grant of access. Ordnance Survey maps are Crown Copyright.
matter of weeks. In the Netherlands Wybo Boersma gave me guidance and my The photographs from the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz are annotated with the letter B
sister, Amina Marix Evans, undertook research for me and discovered valuable and the reference number of the image, while those from the Imperial War Museum
information about the events of May 1940. are marked IWM and those from the Tank Museum TM, with their reference
I have relied to a considerable extent on the memoirs of Heinz Guderian and numbers. I am grateful for permission to reproduce these pictures and for the assistance
Erwin Rommel as published in English translations in the preparation of this given to me in my research at these archives. I am also grateful for being allowed to
book. Those sources, and the sources of many other quotations by individuals are use illustrations from private collections, some of which were taken by the owners
from their published works, listed in detail in the bibliography. I am extremely themselves. In the Netherlands Mr Wybo Boersma of the Airborne Museum,
grateful to the Second World War Experience Centre for the information on the Hartenstein, Mr G. Koenen, Mr A. C. Duijvestijn and the Dutch Marines have been
experience of T. G. P. Crick and the quotations from C. N. Barker and W most kind in this respect. Bart van Bulck, Franck Vernier and David Playne have
Marett. The Queens Royal Surrey Regimental Museum is the source of the contributed photographs of installations in Belgium. Amina Marix Evans has
memoirs of Stanley Rayner, John Redfern and John Naylor. I am particularly contributed to the modern colour photographs, most of which are my own.
grateful to Douglas Swift who has allowed me to quote from his unpublished Attributions are included in the captions.
CONTENTS
PART ONE PART SIX
THE PHONEY WAR 6 DYNAMO 101
PART TWO PART SEVEN
THE STORMING OF THE LOW FROM THE SOMME TO THE SEINE
COUNTRIES 27 119
PART THREE PART EIGHT
THROUGH THE ARDENNES 48 THE FALL OF FRANCE 142
PART FOUR
SICHELSCHNITT 66 BIBLIOGRAPHY 157
PART FIVE
RETURN TO FLANDERS FIELDS 83 INDEX 158
MAPS AND PLANS
Place and date of publication given where possible. German 1:25,000 mapping made in France during the
occupation is annotated GM, and was not available to them in 1940.
12/28 Waterways, Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France, 92 The Panzer Arras situation map
Berlin, 1939. 93 Geology of north-eastern France, near Dunkirk, Berlin,
29 Eastern Netherlands, road map, Berlin, October 1939. February 1940.
32 Central Rotterdam, Berlin, 1939. 99 Calais, GM.
33 Southern approaches to Rotterdam, Berlin, October 1939. 101 Canal d'Aire (La Bassee canal), Cuinchy to La Bassee,
40 Belgian defences around Maastricht, Berlin, November 1939. GM.
44 Plan D, copy of marked up GHQ maps, London, 1937. 104 Dunkirk enclave, situation on afternoon of 28 May.
48 North-east France, Gewasserabschnitte, Berlin, February 1940. 109 Dunkirk enclave, situation on morning of 30 May.
55 Meuse crossing places at Sedan, GM. 114 Shore from West Bastion, Dunkirk, to Zuydcoote, GM.
56 Meuse crossing places at Dinant and Houx, Brussels, 1940. 124 Somme crossing place, Conde-Folie to Hangest, GM.
58 Meuse crossing place at Montherme, GM. 132 The Seine from Les Andelys to Rouen and beyond,
60 South and west from Sedan, Gewasserabschnitte, Berlin, Strassenkarte, Berlin 1940.
February 1940. 133 Andelle crossing place near Argeuil, Strassenkarte, Berlin
68 Routes from the Meuse to the English Channel, 1940.
Gewasserabschnitte, Berlin, February 1940. 144 Surroundings of Rethel, Gewasserabschnitte, Berlin,
69 West from Dinant, Brussels, 1940. February 1940.
74 Crecy-sur-Serre, GM. 145 Langres to Besancon, Gewasserabschnitte, Berlin, February
84 The Escaut south of Audenarde, Brussels, 1939/1949. 1940.
86 Surroundings of Arras, GM. 152 The Cotentin Peninsula, Strassenkarte, Berlin 1938.
6
PART ONE
THE PHONEY WAR
W
hen Britain finally went to war alongside when the time came. As far as air power was
France against Germany on 3 September concerned, it was calculated the Allies had about 850
1939, it was with the confidence that her each of fighters and bombers and some 950
own lack of sufficient, trained troops would be reconnaissance and army co-operation aircraft against
compensated for by the might of the French army. The 1,000 fighters, nearly twice as many bombers and
five divisions available for the British Expeditionary about 800 reconnaissance and army co-operation
Force (BEF) would be followed by a further five and aircraft. There appears to have been little, if any,
take their place in the line with a much greater discussion of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) -
number of French divisions. As Winston Churchill tanks, armoured cars and armoured troop carriers.
was to remark, 'Thank God for the French army!' The battlefield, it was assumed, would be on the
BELOW Deneys Reitz, South The serious preparations for war had begun only French borders. The east, facing Germany, was already
Africa's Deputy Prime some six months earlier. It was then thought that equipped with the most sophisticated and secure
Minister and Minister of France would be able to mobilise 72 divisions to complex of fortresses Europe had ever seen, the
Native Affairs (centre) is add to the fortress troops which numbered some 12 Maginot Line. Within a steel and concrete carapace,
shown around the front by divisions. The Germans, it was estimated, would be in for the most part buried underground and with
British Foreign Minister a position to put 116 divisions in the field, but because artillery-bearing turrets commanding the approaches,
Anthony Eden, 12 November they would have to conquer Poland before attacking hundreds of men could eat, sleep, relax, exercise and
1939. (IWM 0212) France, that number would be somewhat depleted stand guard to preserve the integrity of French soil.