French b1bis tank hero of the battle of stonne in may 1940. This episode of battlefield chronicles the german triumph over french and british forces in france 1940. Ian ousby wrote widely on subjects both english and french. Pzd karl koch, pzrgt 8, 7th company he is in the turret of a panzer iv on may 15 in. It was a bitter fight, called the verdun of 1940 by the french. The fall of france julian jackson oxford university press. The germans launched operation yellow, the invasion of france and the low countries, on may 10, 1940. Order of battle for the battle of france and british expeditionary force order of battle 1940 on 10 may 1940, the germans began fall gelb case yellow the offensive against france, belgium and the netherlands.
During this time there were important battles in stonne, les grandes armoises, tannay and le chesne. Alistair hornes to lose a battle adds deep, wide ranging historical background to the recent movie, dunkirk, which while a visual triumph of movie making leaves the viewer adrift without the background to the run up and aftermath of the may 1940 evacuation of the. Philip warner clarifies and personalizes this crucial period of the war, drawing on personal accounts of ordinary people who knew what was happening around them and. Units are corps and divisions, with important regiments and brigades represented. The rest forcing to surrender the troops around paris, neutralizing the maginot line is only a consequence. The french military actually surpassed the wehrmacht in numbers. War in the west the battle of france may june, 1940 by. Special rules are also included covering airborne assaults, refugees, and seaborne evacuation. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Battle of france simple english wikipedia, the free. With minimal improvements, they could have succeeded in holding the line in 1940.
A german officer ranked the battle as memorable as stalingrad and monte cassino. The game consists of standard rules, advanced rules incorporating more complexity and realism and an idiots rule, simulating. If you enjoyed the battle of france 1940 battle animation, you may also enjoy these other battle animations. During six weeks in 1940, hitlers blitzkrieg shattered the redoub. While a full orbat for 10 may 1940 shouldnt be too difficult to put together, its not quite as straightforward as it first seems. This game covers the invasion and defeat of france and belgium, the netherlands, the british forces on the continent by nazi germany in the spring of 1940. The battle of france, also referred to as the fall of france, was a battle that took place during the second world war in may of 1940.
Strength and organization of the army forces and air force of france at the beginning of the western campaign in may 1940. The battle of france, 1940 cassell military paperbacks. In the first, called fall gelb in german called case yellow in english, german tank units pushed through the ardennes, to circle the allied units that moved into belgium. Within four days, german panzer formations emerged from the apparently passable ardennes and established bridgeheads across the meuse. The panzers 3 and 4 were not much more armored than the panzer 2 in 1940. Blitzkrieg met is an introductory level game of the battle between the french armed forces and germany s wehrmacht on may 15th and 16th, 1940. Why france, the major european continental victor in 1918, suffered total defeat in six weeks at the hands of the vanquished power of 1918 only two decades later remains moot. France capitulated in 1940 because its armies were defeated in battle.
Without their formidable left wing, cut in two by the german armoured forces, the allies can not offer any resistance to the enemy. The battle of france, a campaign that began on may 10th, 1940, and ended with german forces invading france, belgium, luxembourg and the netherlands, is one of these mistakes. Blitzkrieg checked is an introductory level game of the battle between the french armed forces and germanys wehrmacht on may 14th and 15th, 1940. With the subtlety and compulsion of a novel, hornes narrative shifts from minor battlefield incidents to high military and political decisions, stepping far beyond the confines of military history to form a major contribution to our understanding of the crises of the francogerman. A well thoughtout and wellpresented book on a thorny problem of european history. The area of the mont dieu woods was held by the french troops facing german assault from 14th to 25th may. Blitzkrieg in the west series gembloux, sedan, dinant.
This orbat is incomplete and will be overhauled as soon as possible. Oct 30, 2019 product prices and availability are accurate as of the datetime indicated and are subject to change. In 1940, the german army fought and won an extraordinary battle with france in six weeks of lightning warfare. The french armys historical branch still hasnt released a complete official history of the campaign. This is a very good video and shows a lot of detail.
The ww2 battle of france a disaster for the allies in. The nazi invasion of 1940 making of the modern world new ed by jackson, julian isbn. A point in time when the enemy gained control and defeated the good guys. If youre looking for the best world war ii fiction books for your book club, check out these new 2017 titles from susan meissner, pam jenoff, and more. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Two years after publishing a remarkable book on frances dark years 194044, jackson returns to the historians battlefield with an investigation of the fall of.
The battle of france the battle of france may june 1940 the battle of france means the invasion of the netherlands, belgium, luxembourg and france during world war ii by germany. War in the west the battle of france may june, 1940 vilfroy, daniel. However, by the end of the summer of 1940, france had fallen, the battle of britain raged, and the famous desert campaigns in north africa had started. It was the tank that the whole blitzkrieg turned on,without it there could be no blitzkrieg at all. On may 10, 1940, hitler launched his war in the west, and france reeled under the hammer of blitzkrieg. The absolute best work ive ever read on the battle of france was william l. The char b1 was certainly a nasty suprise against what the germans had at the time in a straight fight, its armour was clearly superior to the 2030 mm armour the germans had, however. Germanys invasion of france in 1940 is usually portrayed as a walkover. Horne, a british journalist responsible for two other histories of francogerman conflict, offers a convincing analysis of the french defeat, stressing the incompetence of. The siege of calais of 2326 may saw some of the most desperate fighting during the german campaign in the west in 1940. France 1940 is the final book of alistair hornes trilogy, which includes the fall of paris and the price of glory and tells the story of the great crises of the rivalry between france and germany in 1940 hitler sent his troops to execute the fall of france. Hoepners xvi corps ran headon into the defending french first army led by. Stonne, france, scene of a fierce tank battle in 1940. In world war ii, the battle of france, also called the fall of france, was the german invasion of france and the low countries, from 10 may 1940, and ended the phoney war.
It is the story of eighty year old generals entrenched in power, and allied to weak political leaders who are constantly rotated into and out of. Looking for books on the fall of france during ww2. The battle of france, also known as the fall of france, was the german invasion of france and the low countries during the second world war. German forces invaded areas of france pushing the british forces british expeditionary force bef and french forces dunkirk back to the sea in operation dynamo. The battle of sedan or second battle of sedan 1215 may 1940 took place in the second world war during the battle of france in 1940. Any price and availability information displayed on relevant amazon site s, as applicable at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. In the english speaking world, however, the battle is often neglected. It is the story of eighty year old generals entrenched in power, and allied to weak political leaders who are constantly rotated into and out of power by a severely divided country. The american knights of the air who risked everything to fight in the battle of britain by alex kershaw, t. Uparmored after poland the panzer 2 was the backbone of the german armored force in 1940. The first year of the 1940s was filled with warrelated news. I have collected many books on the subject, both old and new but i am having difficulty in finding accurate and detailed information about the german. Mar 20, 2020 check out some of the most popular books of these debut novels span spinetingling thrillers, stunning historical fiction, and everything in between. Battle of france, 1940 click here to view animation.
As it was, the german blitzkrieg on france in may 1940 led to a french surrender in about six weeks. Hitlers high commandand indeed the fuehrer himselfnever looked so good as in their brief confrontation with the antiquated and illdirected french army, whose demise in the 1940 battle of france is chronicled here. The book, battle of france 1940, is the story of power and prestige trying to ignore inconvenient truths, even in the face of momentous disaster. A combined french and british force was able to hold off heavy german attacks for three critical days, allowing the allies to consolidate their hold on dunkirk, but at the cost of the virtual destruction of the garrison. This twelfth game in the operational combat series ocs game from multiman publishing and departs from its. Soon after, they smashed a 50mile breach in the allied line.
This exciting new book by julian jackson, a leading historian of twentiethcentury france, charts the breathtakingly rapid events that led to the defeat and surrender of one of the greatest bastions of the western allies. He has also written two battle ground europe publications and is coauthor of the battle. This game features low counter density, with counters representing infantry corps and armored divisions. The best site for french and vichy obs and material. This program alone resulted in the murder of an estimated 275,000 persons by wars end. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. But some historians say france s defenders put up stubborn resistance, and have been unjustly forgotten. This one fought at the battle of stonne in may 1940 during german invasion of france. The italian invasion of france, also called the battle of the alps 1025 june 1940, was the first major italian engagement of world war ii and the last major engagement of the battle of france italys entry into the war widened its scope considerably in africa and themediterranean sea. Order of battle, 5th june 1940 mainland france only. French 19391940 order of battle axis history forum.
The b1bis was the french armys heavy tank during ww2. The battle of stonne has be called by the germans the verdun of 1940. In about six weeks from may 10, 1940 through june 25, 1940 nazi germany had also conquered belgium, netherlands and luxembourg, adding these four countries to its third reich. The book was originally issued by franz eher nachfolger, the central publishing house of the nazi party, in 1940. He has also written two battle ground europe publications and is coauthor of the battle lines guidebook series to the western front 191418. The battle of france in mayjune 1940 is in this move. France 1940 is the final book of alistair hornes trilogy, which includes the fall of paris and the price of glory and tells the story of the great crises of the rivalry between france and germany. Britain and frances contribution to the war effort 191418. During these battles the french lost about 3,000 men. Colonel goutard piles up enough evidence to show that the french defeat was not caused by any defect in the french soldier or any actual lack of equipment. The third volume deals with organization and order of battle of fortress troops, maginot line formations, regioncorps, sectionfortress divisions. France 1940 is an operational level simulation of the german invasion of france in 1940. The town was totally occupied only on may 25, french pockets were still resisting to the enemy. A book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
We begin our account in september 1939 when the newlyformed british air forces in france sent the first squadrons to the continent. Contrary to popular belief, the battle of france did not end with dunkirk. I am compiling a database of events for that period with a view to building a comprehensive web site for educational purposes. Britain and france s contribution to the war effort 191418. In these pages, peter cornwell tells the story of the greatest air battle of the second world war when six nations were locked in combat over northwestern europe for a traumatic six weeks in 1940. My current interest is the battle of france 1940 10th may 4th june.
A sixweek battle with lightning blitzkrieg warfare and combined operations techniques, the offensive ended the. His recent books include the cambridge guide to literature in english and occupation the ordeal of france 19401944, which won the 1997 edith mcleod literary prize, given annually to the british book which has contributed most to francobritish understanding, and the 1997 stern silver pen award for nonfiction. This is a concise military account of the battle of france of 1940 which had such unexpected and disastrous results for the world. Operations near the town involved 90,000 german troops and 300 german tanks, opposed by 42,500 french soldiers and french tanks. On 10 may 1940 the german offensive began by outflanking the maginot line in an advance through the ardennes region, a move totally. The french tanks followed the tracks left by the first wave to ascend the ridge to the plateau. Buy the battle of france then and now by cornwell, peter d. The timeline of the battle of france or the fall of france covers the period during world war ii from the first military actions between germany and france and to the armistice signed by france.
Ultimately this is a story of extraordinary bravery, the courage of illequipped and undertrained british forces and the unsung contribution of parts of the. He tracks french attempts to halt the german onslaught and the evacuation of allied troops from dunkirk, leading to the june 1940 surrender, then cuts back to. On may 10, 1940, hitler launched his war in the west, and. It was part of the german wehrmacht s operational plan codenamed fall gelb case yellow for an offensive through the hilly and forested ardennes, to encircle the allied armies in belgium and northeastern france.
In 1940 hitler sent his troops to execute the fall of france. The village changed hands 17 times over the course of three days of fighting between 15 may and 17 may 1940. After the fall of poland, denmark and norway, british and french forces, on the western front, sat out the phony war, behind their prepared defences. View topic german losses against france, mayjune 1940. Among other things it includes a testimony from a german tanker from 10. France 1940 is the final book of alistair hornes trilogy, which includes the fall of paris and the price of glory and tells the story of the great. The fall of france the nazi invasion of 1940 julian jackson making of the modern world. German orders of battle for the campaign in the west, 10 may 1940. In early september 1939, france launched the saar offensive, which stalled. The map covers the germanfranco border, from the parts of the maginot line to the english channel.
Roosevelt day by day database of every fdr appointment and activity, 1933. The char b1 was certainly a nasty suprise against what the germans had at the time in a straight fight, its armour was clearly superior to the 2030 mm armour the germans had, however it stilll overall. The blitzkrieg legend simulates case yellow, the german offensive in may of 1940 that shocked the world. This book is for childrens books that were published from 1940 to 1949.
I have found a document from the artillery museum in france about the battle of stonne. The battle for france, 1940 by phillip warner overdrive. This capitulation has commonly been interpreted as the last gasps by a nation. And if you read the book panzerkrieg authored by two idiots,they claim the 3 and 4 were the conquerers of poland and france,no. The allies could have won the battle of france in may 1940 and france would have been the major contributing factor. The book is huge but is handily divided into three even sections. While france marshalled 93 divisions, uk only marshalled 10, holland 9 and belgium 22. His books include retreat and rearguard 1914, battle on the aisne 1914, aristocrats go to war, retreat and rearguard. How billotte destroyed panzers billotte medal youtube. France capitulated in 1940 because its armies were defeated in battle, mr.
In the village of stonne, two french tanks manage to turn the tides during two days. For the next three weeks there were fierce rearguard battles and another 209,000 soldiers were later evacuated. In a campaign lasting only 46 days, 1 the german army. Could the allies have won the battle of france in may, 1940. German orders of battle for the campaign in the west, may 1940. When the 1940 attack was in the offing, berndt joined the wehrmacht, was sergeant in an antitank division, and afterward published his recollections. Lets discover how, no, the france campaign wasnt just about running away and surrendering. The wild ride of captain billotte at the battle of stonne on may 16th 1940 was a brutal experience for the german panzerwaffe in the battle of france.
World war ii armed forces orders of battle and organizations. Buy a cheap copy of the battle of france, 1940 book by philip warner. The third republic six weeks in the spring and summer of 1940 resulted in the defeat of france and the fall of its third republic. On 3 september 1939 france had declared war on germany, following the invasion of its ally poland. The goal of the italian leader, benito mussolini, was the elimination of anglofrench domination in. Many writers on the fall of france do not accept this simpleseeming assertion, for they portray france s defeats on the battlefield as the last gasps of a nation already doomed. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus.
320 1218 1086 56 1197 892 667 585 366 1372 694 918 976 1038 522 357 487 448 138 653 1134 491 629 1216 465 1301 332 80 500 16 748