Saturday 22 June 1940

Left to Right: Joachim von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel, Hermann Göring, Rudolf Heß, Adolf Hitler, and Walther von Brauchitsch in front of the railroad car that hosted the French surrender, Compiègne, France, 22 Jun 1940 (Ang, German Federal Archive).

Western Front: The Wehrmacht on 22 June 1940 continues moving forward until hostilities actually conclude as well. They reach the port of La Rochelle, but the Allies blow up the docks at the last minute. Other towns occupied include Lorient and St. Malo. Panzer columns advance down the Rhone valley.

The Germans and French at Compiegne sign the Armistice at 18:36 after minor revisions requested by the French. General Huntziger, who led the ineffective 2nd Army at Sedan whose collapse led to the decisive panzer thrust through to the sea, signs for France, General Keitel for Germany. General Weygand orders a cease-fire upon the signing.

A German soldier stands guard over a memorial to the French victory over Germany in the First World War - A German eagle stabbed by a French sword. Now damaged and with the German national flag hanging from it. Compiègne, France. 22nd of June 1940.

As specified by Hitler, the French are left with a 40% rump state which has no Atlantic ports (but does retain the Mediterranean ports). The Germans set up their headquarters in Paris, the French in the spa town of Vichy, under Prime Minister Marshal Philippe Pétain. French must pay for the cost of German occupation at a rate of 400 million francs/day - at an artificially inflated exchange rate.

A provision which the French do not contest because they believe that British defeat is just around the corner is that French POWs will remain imprisoned until there is "peace." In addition, the French must surrender any German POWs and anyone else in the country who has fled Germany. Any French from this point forward resisting the occupation are subject to summary execution.

An extremely sensitive topic is the disposition of the French fleet. Article 8 provides that it must be demobilized and disarmed - but remain under French control in French metropolitan ports. The British, watching from the outside, are not satisfied that this will keep the ships out of German hands.

It is impossible to exaggerate the impact of the French surrender has on the German martial psyche. After this, Hitler truly does acquire a virtually god-like status in the minds of many ordinary German civilians and military troops alike. This day erases a stain on the collective German memory that had been festering for 22 years, and the affair is masterfully stage-managed on short notice for maximum propaganda effect. In fact, Hitler easily could have completed the surrender on the 21st, but he stretches it out to this second day to prolong the good times.

The Armistice with Germany does not include Italy, and a separate French delegation leaves for Rome to negotiate with Mussolini. Mussolini hounds his commanders to grab as much territory in southern France as possible before the conclusion of hostilities. They only make it to the outskirts of Menon despite having over a dozen divisions against scattered French resistance. The Italians make no progress at all in the Alps.

Reduced British evacuations continue at St. Jean de Luz.

Just for comparison, this photo was taken in November 1918 in Compiegne when the Germans surrendered.

European Air Operations: During the day, the RAF bombs Merville airfield.

The RAF raids Krupps factories at Essen and aircraft plants throughout Germany during the night.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-30 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp) torpedoes and sinks 3,999-ton Norwegian freighter Randsfjord in the eastern Atlantic. There are 29 survivors, and 4 perish.

U-32 (Oberleutnant zur See Hans Jenisch) torpedoes and sinks 9,026-ton Norwegian tanker Eli Knudsen 100 miles southwest of Cape Clear, Ireland. All 37 aboard survive when picked up by the sloop HMS Sandwich.

U-38 (Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe) torpedoes and sinks 5,145 ton Greek freighter Neion in the Bay of Biscay.

U-65 (Kapitänleutnant Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) torpedoes and sinks 7,011-ton French tanker Monique in the Bay of Biscay.

Destroyer USS Dickerson (DD 157) pays a visit to Bilbao, Spain to safeguard US interests on the Continent.

Free French corvette La Bastiasie hits a mine in the North Sea and sinks.

Italian submarine Capponi sinks Swedish freighter Elgo.

German raider Pinguin sails from Norway for the Atlantic. Its ultimate destination is the Indian Ocean.

New French battleship Jean Bart arrives in Casablanca, Morocco.

Convoy OB 172 departs from Liverpool.

North Africa: The Regia Aeronautica bombs the British base at Alexandria with a dozen S.81 bombers based on Rhodes. They also send a dozen SM-79 bombers against Matruh and send 22 bombers against French positions in Bizerte, Tunisia.

US Government: Congress passes the National Defense Act, which raises the national debt limit from $45 billion to $49 billion and frees up $994 million annually for defense.

French Government: Charles de Gaulle makes another broadcast, his third. For the first time, he uses the term "Free French." De Gaulle states that "all free Frenchmen" must "continue the fight" in any way possible:

Everything which can be collected by way of French military elements and potentialities for armaments production must be organised wherever such elements exist. I, General de Gaulle, am undertaking this national task here in England. I call upon all French servicemen of the land, sea, and air forces; I call upon French engineers and skilled armaments workers who are on British soil, or have the means of getting here, to come and join me.

Once again, de Gaulle uses his support from the British to establish his name in the public consciousness at a very emotional moment in the life of his country. Very few people know who de Gaulle is in France, which is probably why he always refers to himself in his speeches... repeatedly. It is a dangerous rhetorical tool that amazingly works - gloriously. De Gaulle reads the public mood perfectly and knows despairing patriots are looking for a savior, a strong man who stands for the world they knew just two months previously and, more importantly, is fighting to return it to reality. This speech is not as famous as some of his others, but de Gaulle's creation of a cult of personality is a gradual process that accumulates like a snowball rolling down the Alps where Frenchmen are still fighting successfully.

William Shirer (right) and another journalist reporting on the French surrender, Compiègne, France, 21-22 Jun 1940. (Kopf, German Federal Archive: Bild 183-L10819).

June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

2020

Wednesday 12 June 1940

General Rommel surveys the Allied POWs at St.Valery-en-Caux on 12 June 1940.

Western Front: The situation is darkening rapidly for the Allies on 12 June 1940. General Weygand bows to reality and orders a general withdrawal. British General Sir Alan Brooke arrives in Cherbourg to take over the reconstituted BEF.

US Ambassador to France William Bullitt is the last accredited ambassador remaining in Paris, as everyone else - including the French government - has left for points south. Bullitt actually becomes the provisional governor of Paris as he awaits the Wehrmacht.

The Supreme Allied War Council at Briare continues. The French are promising to keep their fleet out of German hands. Otherwise, not much is accomplished, but the lines on the map showing the front continue getting readjusted closer.

General Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer "Ghost" Division captures the remaining 40,000 or so Allied troops of the 51st (Highland) Division and French IX Corps at St.Valery-en-Caux, north of Le Havre (the British officially admit to losing 6,000 of their soldiers there). The blow to the Allies is greater than at Dunkirk, with no corresponding salve of a propaganda victory. There are RAF patrols over the area that accomplish little. A "small flotilla of ships" in the early morning light takes off about 3000 Allied soldiers, but that is it. It is one of Rommel's greatest if least publicized victories.

German 6th and 9th Armies push ahead across the Marne against ineffective resistance. Panzer Group Guderian takes Chalons-sur-Marne, about 80 miles east of Paris (now an open city). The deficiencies of the hedgehog defense of the Weygand Line are coming into sharp relief, as once the crust is penetrated, there are no mobile reserves to stop the attacking spearheads. The panzers are crossing the Langres plateau in the Champagne sector.

The crew of Char B1 tank No 350 "Fleurie." In the center is Sergeant-Chef Jacques Dumay, KIA June 15, 1940, at Montsuzain. Adjutant Levasseur, also in the picture, was killed on June 12, 1940, at Murmelon.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-101 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz Frauenheim) torpedoes and sinks 5,250-ton British freighter Earlspark off Cape Finisterre, Spain at noon. There are 31 survivors, 7 perish.

U-46 (Oberleutnant zur See Engelbert Endrass) spots Convoy SL-34 and attacks. It torpedoes and sinks 4,223-ton British freighter Barbara Marie off Cape Finisterre at 19:38. There are 5 survivors, 32 perish.

U-46 also torpedoes and sinks 5,041-ton British freighter Willowbank at 19:46. All 51 onboard survive.

The Italian submarine fleet is at sea in the Mediterranean and dangerous. Royal Navy cruiser HMS Calypso is torpedoed and sunk by an Italian submarine off Crete, and Norwegian freighter Orkanger is sunk by a combination of Italian submarines Nereide and Naiade.

French submarine Saphir torpedoes and sinks Italian freighter Alicantino off Sardinia.

Royal Navy cruisers operating off Tobruk sink Italian minesweeper Giovanni Berta.

British transport Baron Saltoun hits a mine and sinks off Cherbourg.

The Royal Navy raids Trondheim, where the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Admiral Hipper are hiding out.

Royal Navy submarines lay mines off Norway.

Korvettenkapitän (Kriegsmarine) Kapitän zur See (Bundesmarine) Herbert Emil Schultze (24 July 1909 – 3 June 1987). Schultze was a U-boat ace, sinking 169,709 gross register tons (GRT) of shipping in eight patrols during the early part of the war. He is in eighth place on the Aces of the Deep list. He received the Knight's Cross on 1 March 1940, and he became the 15th recipient of the Oak Leaves on 12 June 1941 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-48.

European Air Operations: The RAF bombs Genoa, Milan, Venice, and Turin, focusing on Fiat factories. The RAF scrupulously avoids bombing historic portions of Venice.

Regia Aeronautica sends BR.20s against Toulon, Hyères, and Saint-Raphaël, as well as the Corsican communes of Calvi and Bastia and the Tunisian city of Bizerte. French anti-aircraft fire is effective at minimizing damage. The attack on Bizerte destroys French aircraft on the ground.

Italian bombers attack the British base at Aden and at Moyale in Kenya, where the 1st King's African Rifles is based.

North Africa: The British and Italians engage in skirmishes along the Egyptian/Libyan border. The British take 62 Italian prisoners.

A British cruiser squadron bombards Tobruk. The Italian fleet sorties to defend the port, but the British withdraw. The attack is only marginally successful, with Italian cruiser San Giorgio in the harbor surviving the attack.

Egypt breaks diplomatic relations with Italy after pressure from London.

Turkey breaks commercial relations with Italy.

Norway: A final tranche of soldiers sailing from Narvik reaches the Clyde. The French are immediately transshipped to Brest and Lorient in the south of France.

Soviet/Lithuanian Relations: The Soviet government issues an ultimatum to the Lithuanian government, requiring additional territorial concessions and a new government. Ultimatums in this day and age often presage military action.

Soviet/Estonian Relations: The Kremlin orders the Soviet Baltic Fleet to blockade Estonia. This is part of a planned invasion of Estonia and Lithuania.

Applied Science: President Roosevelt meets with Dr. Vannevar Bush of the Carnegie Institute of Washington. Bush proposes the creation of a National Defense Research Committee. Roosevelt takes up the suggestion, which is to be part of the Council of National Defense.

US Government: Pursuant to President Roosevelt's "show the flag" decision, heavy cruiser USS Quincy (CA 39) makes a port visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its next destination is planned to be Montevideo, Uruguay, which is said to be a German hot spot.

The US Navy Department issues contracts for 22 new warships.

Italian Government: The Italian government temporarily bans the Vatican's newspaper, Osservatore Romano, for publishing British and French war communique.

British Government: Sir Stafford Cripps arrives in Moscow as British Ambassador.

Dutch Government: Princess Juliana and daughters Beatrix and Irene arrive in Canada.

Thailand: Britain and France sign non-aggression treaties with Thailand. Thailand also signs a "Treaty of Friendship" with Japan.

China: The Japanese 11th Army captures the port of Ichang, east of Chungking on the Yangtze River.

Melrose Place at Cienega Boulevard on 12 June 1940. That is a Foster and Kleiser billboard for 76 brand gasoline.

June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

2021

Wednesday 5 June 1940

This picture summarizes the early days of Fall Rot. A member of a German Luftwaffe Flak Artillery Unit stands by a broken down (hooked up for recovery) French Hotchkiss H-35 Nº5 (40099) of the 4th Cuirassiers, 1ère Brigade Légère Mécanique, 1ère Division Légère Mécanisée. Meanwhile, passing him are French refugees with all their worldly possessions. May/June 1940 (colorized).

Western Front: Following another massive reorientation of its axis of attack, the Wehrmacht leaps forward at 04:00 in a completely new and entirely expected direction - south. This is Operation Fall Rot: Case Red.

There are 119 German Divisions (sources vary depending upon which formations you include), including 10 panzer divisions, led by Panzer Group Guderian (Panzergruppe Guderian) and Panzer Group Kleist of First Panzer Group (Panzergruppe 1) of the 47 divisions of Army Group A (General von Rundstedt). Army Groups A and C also are participating.

Opposing the Wehrmacht along the line of the Somme are 65-66 mainly French divisions in Army Groups 3 (coast) and 4 (the Aisne), including 3 armored formations and 3 mechanized divisions. The British 1st Armored Division and Canadian 1st Infantry Division are involved in the defense.

The French defense is complicated by the elimination of the BEF, including its large French formations, and by the fact that there has not been sufficient time to trans-ship those forces rescued in Operation Dynamo back to France at Cherbourg, or move them forward to the front line.

The French line is known as the Weygand line and is based on a "hedgehog" strategy of fortified villages and other strong points. This is a defense "in depth" rather than a strictly linear defense of trenches. The Weygand Line ties into the Maginot Line at Montmédy. The French must defend an elongated front with fewer troops than they began the war with, while the Wehrmacht is near full strength. Having occupied former battlefields, the Germans have been able to recover much of their damaged equipment and repatriate some prisoners.

General Weygand issues an order of the day stating:

"The battle of France has started. Hold on to the soil of France, look only forward...."

The German 4th Army (Colonel-General Günther von Kluge) is opposed by the 51st Highland Division and takes a few bridgeheads across the Aisne. During the afternoon, it takes Saigneville, Mons, Cantigny, Pendé, and Tilloy. Some British troops of the 7th Argylls are surrounded at Franleu, and a relief attack fails. At day's end, the line is at Tœufles, Zoteux, and Frières, while the 152nd Infantry Brigade is on the Blangy-Abbeville road.

French artillery at Amiens proves decisive in frustrating German advances in that sector. However, operations on the first day show that the French hedgehog positions are unable to give each other mutual support, and the Germans can infiltrate between them. General Rommel's 7th "Ghost" Panzer Division makes gains of roughly 10 km, but there is no breakthrough.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe sends 30 bombers against the southeast British coast, causing minor damage. This is sort of "armed reconnaissance," as the Luftwaffe has little experience attacking southern England.

The RAF retaliates by bombing railways and oil storage facilities in the Rhineland and nearby points during the night. Oil tanks are set ablaze in Frankfurt and Mannheim.

The RAF Bomber Command also sends 23 aircraft against the German troops advancing across the Somme.

Hauptmann Werner Mölders, on his 133rd combat mission of the war, and in aerial combat for the 32nd time, is shot down near Compiègne at about 18:40 by Sous lieutenant René Pomier Layrargues, flying a French Air Force Dewoitine D.520. Mölders survives, though he is roughed up by his captors. Leyrargues is shot down 30 minutes later and killed. Mölders is the first German ace with 25 aerial victories to his credit and is the Gruppenkommandeur of III/JG 53.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-48 (Korvettenkapitän Hans Rudolf Rösing) sinks 798-ton British freighter Stancor about 80 miles northwest of the Butt of Lewis, Scotland at 23:18. All 19 aboard survive.

Swedish freighter Skandia hits a mine and sinks. The mine was laid by the British submarine HMS Seal.

British ship Capable hits a mine in the English Channel and sinks.

German minesweeper M-11 hits a mine laid by the British submarine HMS Narwhal and sinks.

Convoy OA 162 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 162 departs from Liverpool, Convoy OG 32 forms at Gibraltar, Convoy HX 48 departs from Halifax.

Bjerkvik at the head of the Herjangs Fjord, opposite Narvik, is shelled by the Royal Navy, 5 June 1940.

Norway: Operation Alphabet continues, with more British soldiers taken off from Narvik. About 5,100 soldiers are taken off from Harstad.

The Norwegian army knows that the Allies are leaving, but launches one last attack on General Dietl's mountain troops clinging to Norwegian territory east of Narvik.

French Government: Prime Minister Paul Reynaud removes former Prime Minister Daladier from the government, assuming his responsibility for Foreign Affairs himself. General de Gaulle, who has had little military success but at least represents an aggressive spirit, is named Under-Secretary of Defense.

Daladier has shown shaky judgment, but more importantly, he has alienated such important figures in the government as General Petain and Reynaud's mistress, Countess de Portes.

Reynaud phones Roosevelt and requests assistance.

German Homefront: Hitler broadcasts a patriotic appeal on the beginning of the invasion of France proper:

[F]rom today throughout the whole of Germany the flags shall be flown for a period of eight days. This is to be a salute for our soldiers. I further order the ringing of bells for a period of three days. Their sound may unite with the prayers with which the German nation will once again accompany her sons from this day forward.

China: At the Battle of Tsaoyang-Ichang, the see-saw battle continues, as the Japanese 11th Army captures Shayang.

Japanese air raids on Chungking kill 1500 civilians.

British Homefront: Strikes are forbidden, which affects mainly coal-miners in the north. Farmers must maintain their farms. Workers are discouraged from taking holidays.

Prime Minister Churchill's "We shall never surrender" speech of 4 June resonates, although the message may have been slightly different than what Churchill intended. The Guardian notes that the "House of Commons is still trying to adjust to one of the gravest speeches ever made to it." Overall, though, the speech, perhaps the finest and most memorable of the 20th Century, resonates among all sectors of the populace.

As the BEF troops rescued from Dunkirk filter back into England, there are many joyous reunions as soldiers return to their families and loved ones who have had no information from them in weeks. Of course, there also is some sad news, but almost all of the British men have returned.
French Homefront: "The Exodus" continues and gains strength, as the peoples of northern France flee for safety on roads already clogged with refugees.

American Homefront: B.F. Goodrich Co. in Akron, Ohio exhibits the first synthetic rubber tire.

A Light Tank Mk VI of 8th Hussars in the western desert of Egypt, 5 June 1940.

June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

2020

Saturday 25 May 1940

Refugees in France, May/June 1940.

Western Front: The confusion of the German high command about halting operations with their decision of 24 May 1940 always becomes a point of discussion about the Battle of France and the evacuation of the BEF. This leads to the natural conclusion that "If only if" the Germans had been a little more clear-headed, they would have destroyed the BEF, invaded England, and we'd all be speaking/writing German.

However, these arguments always ignore concomitant massive confusion on the Allied side. If you are going to "smooth out" imperfection on one side, consider also the other side of the equation. French Commander-in-chief Weygand plans on 25 May 1940 a concentric attack on the panzer spearhead across northern France. However, to implement it, he requires British cooperation, and that is not forthcoming. BEF commander General John Vereker Lord Gort cancels his part of the pincer attack at 17:00, and this causes Weygand, in turn, to cancel the entire thing amidst recriminations.

In this instance, from a military perspective only, Lord Gort is absolutely correct: the plan has no hope of success with the forces available. However, in a larger sense, it shows the futility of divided command, lack of respect and cohesion between the allied forces, and complete mismanagement by all concerned of this desperate situation. Everybody has an opinion, everyone is sure they are right, and wars are lost when every opinion counts. You need assured command to win wars, not independent crusading barons.

Flowing from Lord Gort's decision is another, larger decision: it is time to implement Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of the BEF. This is a hugely cynical - but absolutely necessary - determination that the Belgian Army must be abandoned, along with what remains of Belgian territory, in order to protect England (and maybe what remains of France). War Minister Anthony Eden has assured Lord Gort that the resources will be available - but this is such a massive operation that it will strain even the Royal Navy's abilities.

The Belgians are not stupid: the immediately see which way things are going. The Belgian 5th and 17th regiments surrender their bridgehead at Meigem against orders. There is a report of an incident of "fragging," where soldiers shoot their own officer ordering them to stop their retreat.

However, not all of the troops in Belgium have given up. The Chasseurs Ardennais deploy to Vinkt and fight off the German 56th Infantry Division like lions.

Things become desperate in Belgium as the men won't fight and the German tanks can't be stopped. The BEF troops are fighting for time, time to evacuate, and they will try anything. An improvised anti-tank line of wagons is set up along the rail line from Ypres to Roeselare.

The BEF uses the day to reinforce the port defenses at Dunkirk.

On the German side, the Hitler stop order remains in place for Panzer Group Kleist. However, that does not mean there is no fighting in that sector, not by a long shot. General Guderian leads from the front, and he addresses his men: "I asked you to go without sleep for 48 hours. You have gone for 17 days!"

The 2d Panzer Division finishes mopping up at Boulogne. The last British troops under Major J.C. Windsor Lewis of the Welsh Guards surrender at 13:00. Altogether, the Germans take about 5,000 British and French troops into captivity at Boulogne, where all resistance is now ended.

The 10th Panzer Division assault on Calais continues. General Guderian has given it until 14:00 on 26 May to take the port, so fighting is intense. Vice-Admiral James Somerville makes the hazardous crossing to the port during the night and meets with the local commander, Brigadier Claude N. Nicholson. Nicholson is optimistic but says he needs continued supply. An assortment of Royal Navy warships continues giving offshore fire support.

 At dawn, the German bombardment resumes, and there is smoke and fire everywhere. Panzer General Schaal, sends a surrender demand to the mayor, André Gerschell, apparently for transmission to the military authorities. Nicholson, once he hears of it, refuses, then refuses another ultimatum in the afternoon. The Germans attempt a determined attack in the east which the 1st Rifle Brigade repulses at first at the Marck and Calais canals. Nicholson attempts a counterattack, which fails in the sand, and then the line at the canals falls. The troops on the east withdraw under fire through the city streets to the docks. The Germans also make progress in the southeast.

The wounded are piling up, and the defense is undermined by collaborators. The day ends with the British in control of only portions of the city, with some units already attempting to break out toward Dunkirk. Air attacks over the city is intense, with effective air cover by 605 Squadron and bombing missions by both sides. RAF claims to shoot down dozens of aircraft, including Ju 87 Stukas performing ground support missions.

The French launch an attack on Amiens that leaves them with part of the town.

In eastern France, French engineers are blowing up locks on the Rhine-Rhône canal in order to flood surrounding territory to block the panzers.

Canadian P/O Robert D "Jumbo" Grassick was sent with A Flight of No 242 Squadron RAF to Vitry-en-Artois on 14 May 1940, on attachment to No 607 Squadron RAF, moving to No 615 Squadron RAF at Abbeville 2 days later before returning to RAF Kenley on 19 May. The 23-year-old Canadian claimed 2 Me 109 fighters and a Ju 88 destroyed on 15 and 16 May and a Bf-109 over Dunkirk on 25, 29 and 31 May. Following his original unit to Le Mans on 12 June, he withdrew to RAF Coltishall 4 days later.

European Air Operations: The focus of operations by both sides is the Channel Ports, and there are savage air battles above Calais especially. The Luftwaffe sends in Stukas to pound the ground troops, and RAF fighters are there to defend. The RAF is operating exclusively from England now.

The Luftwaffe sinks Royal Navy destroyer Wessex off of Calais.

Royal Navy minesweeper Charles Boyes hits a mine in the North Sea and sinks.

The Luftwaffe drops mines off of southern England ports after dark.

Battle of the Atlantic: There is shore support by the Royal Navy at the Channel Ports. Destroyers HMS Grafton, Greyhound, Wessex, Wolfhound, Verity, and the Polish Okręt Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (ORP) Burza. Wessex is sunk during the day by the Luftwaffe.

Convoy OG 31F forms off Gibraltar.

British aircraft carrier Illustrious is commissioned.

Norway: The German 2d Mountain Division closes up on the improvised British defenses as it advances through the Saltdal. They attack on the east side of the river. The line holds through the day, but the Germans shift their attack to the west side and make some progress.

Colonel Gubbins is informed about Operation Alphabet, the plan to evacuate Norway. This means there is no longer a reason for fanatical resistance since he has to fall back to Bodø to be taken off anyway.

At Narvik, the gradual reinforcement of Narvik continues, as the Luftwaffe drops another 99 mountain troops (for many, their first jumps) to reinforce General Dietl.

The Luftwaffe bombs RN Fleet Air Arm depot ship Mashobra near Narvik and it ultimately sinks.

Military Intelligence: A German staff car is captured with plans to attack between Menin and Ypres with two corps.

Soviet/Lithuanian Relations: Soviet Foreign Commissar Vyacheslav Molotov accuses the Lithuanian government of "provocations" after several Soviet soldiers go missing in the country.

French Military: While the vast majority of France remains safe behind the deceptively secure Maginot Line, frustration within the government is reaching the boiling point. The French Army relieves 15 Generals of their commands.

Belgian Government: Belgian Prime Minister Pierlot is in London for consultations with Foreign Minister Spaak. This is in part a demonstration to King Leopold of where they think that he (and the rest of the government) should be.

US Military: The US Navy conducts landing practices at San Clemente Island, California.

French Homefront: There are refugees not only from northern France but also from the eastern portions of the country. Lille is largely abandoned, with entire families carrying whatever they can of their possessions. There continue to be reports of the Luftwaffe strafing refugee columns, which is a war crime under any definition.

British Homefront: The BEF is expending massive amounts of ammunition, so ammunition plants have around-the-clock shifts.

The world is burning in Europe, but it is business as usual in the US.

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

2020

Thursday 23 May 1940

Photographed by their commander, Erwin Rommel, in a Fieseler Storch, this shot shows the 7th Panzer Division, advancing from Arras toward Rouen. 23-24 May 1940.

Western Front: French Commander-in-chief General Weygand on 23 May 1940 comes up with a new plan. This one is to hold a pocket on the coast in Flanders indefinitely, the Réduit de Flandres. Theoretically, this could be supplied from Great Britain and hold out indefinitely. In reality, the Allies' grasp on the region already is extremely tenuous.

The Allies have been holding on the Scheldt River line, but today that cracks. The Germans cross the river and seize Allied supply depots. The BEF goes on half-rations as a result. Ghent falls to the German 18th Army.

General Guderian in charge of XIX Corps in the Channel Ports region is convinced that the only remaining threat is that the British BEF will manage to escape. He orders an immediate assault by the panzers on the fly without waiting for the infantry to catch up. The Allies send 18 French Latecoere seaplanes to bomb the bridges between the Somme and Boulogne to slow Guderian up. The entire scene is a picture of mass confusion, with units intermingled, enemy forces locked into an "embrace," and nobody quite sure where the front is.

The panzers of 2nd Panzer Division are pressing against Boulogne. At 10:00, it attacks from the south and forces the Irish Guards back into town. The Allies in the port have radio problems and lose communications with headquarters. They are told at noontime by an arriving destroyer, HMS Vimy, that they are expected to hold at all costs. However, by 18:00, the order comes to evacuate.

The Royal Navy sends six destroyers to take off as many men from Boulogne as possible. They lose two destroyers, both French, the Jaguar and Drage, but take off 4,360 men. There is a highly unusual land/naval confrontation between the German ground troops, with the Germans firing artillery and tank shells at the British ships. A Panzer IV and one of the destroyers gets into an odd exchange in which the panzer sinks the ship. The panzer crew gets the right to paint a rare "ship" kill on their turret. Overall, though, the British warships provide an extremely effective port defense as they complete the evacuation, though several of the Royal Navy ships are badly damaged. The captains of both HMS Keith and HMS Vimy are killed.

The German 1st Panzer Division is advancing up the Pihen-Les-Guînes road (the Omer road) toward Gravelines. Fierce local battles erupt between the British 3rd Royal Tank Regiment, the 30th Motor Brigade and the panzers, with the British troops forced back into Calais. The 1st Panzer Division, which would have occupied Calais if weakly defended, decides to bypass the port and continue on toward Gravelines/Dunkirk.

The 10th Panzer Division secures the high ground near Calais, while the British 30th Infantry Brigade arrives to help with the defense there. The entire area is a scene of massive confusion, with random British and German units often taking the same roads and one side or the other mistaking the enemy as being friendly forces. The Germans are within sight of Calais, but their line is not continuous, and formations on both sides pass through enemy lines here and there. Tanks of the 10th PD are able to bombard Calais from their position on the overlooking hills.

General Rommel's 7th Panzer Division has been sitting before Arras for three days, and his patience pays off. Early in the morning, Lord Gort issues an order for the British to evacuate the city. Lord Gort has no faith in French promises of counterattacks or strategies in the area. Rommel's panzers head west toward Rouen.

The French mount local attacks near Peronne and Amiens that accomplish little.

General Gaston Billotte, former commander of 1st Army Group, passes away. He has been in a coma since a car accident on 21 May.

European Air Operations: While the RAF fighters have almost all been withdrawn across the channel, they at least are operating from established bases and, at least temporarily, have an advantage along the coast.

Air operations over Boulogne are intense. RAF fighters are needed elsewhere, and the Luftwaffe has free reign over the port for most of the day. The RAF fighters finally arrive at 19:20.

The Luftwaffe bombs French destroyer Orage and sinks it.

The Luftwaffe catches French destroyer Jaguar, which has been damaged by Kriegsmarine S-boats and sinks it.

French destroyer Chacal is sunk at Boulogne by combined Luftwaffe and shore fire.

Norway: Colonel Gubbins has had enough of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Byrnand Trappes-Lomax, the commander of the Scots Guards, believing him to be too interested in retreating. Gubbins relieves him during the afternoon. Gubbins orders the entire unit withdrawn to Bodø. The German mountain troops take the high ground overlooking the Viskisnoia River, Gubbins' proposed stop line, so he has to retreat further. Gubbins now tries to hold Fauske on the north side of the Skjerstadfjorden, which is a key intersection on the road north. While there is a lot of ground left to hold, the British are giving it up in a hurry.

The Luftwaffe continues its daily reinforcements of General Dietl's troops at Narvik, this time dropping 65 mountain troops by parachute from Junkers Ju 52 transport planes. For many of the men, it is their first parachute drop.

The 14 Gladiator Glosters of RAF No. 263 Squadron enter into operation from Bardufoss north of Narvik.

P/O John "Jack" Benzie of No 242 Squadron RAF, shown at RAF Coltishall in 1940. He is a 25-year-old Canadian who bails out wounded south of Dunkirk on 23 May 1940. He is KIA 7 September 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-9 (Oberleutnant Zur See Wolfgang Lüth) at 12:54 torpedoes and sinks 3,256-ton Belgian freighter Sigurd Faulbaum (a captured German ship) off of Zeebrugge. The crew survives.

Convoy HG 31 departs from Gibraltar, Convoy SL 33 departs from Freetown.

The British commission destroyer HMS Harvester (H 19) ( Lt. Commander Mark Thornton).

Terrorism: The British arrest 76 IRA suspects in Northern Ireland.

Anglo/Irish Relations: Irish head of state Éamon de Valera informs the British that Ireland will result in a German invasion and will require British assistance if any landings take place.

Holocaust: The Germans turn their attention to the "Roma" peoples, the Gypsies. Mass round-ups begin, and they are sent to occupied Poland for internment in concentration camps.

British Homefront: The authorities arrest Sir Oswald Mosley, MP Captain Archibald Maule Ramsay, and dozens of others for being Fascist sympathizers, a crime under Defence Regulation 18B. Mosley is notorious for giving fascist speeches and being the leader of the British Union of Fascists, while Ramsay is associated with the Right Club, which opposes "organized Jewry." The Right Club is considered fertile ground for German spies.

The Crown approves the Treachery Act 1940.

German Homefront: German media applauds the British for implementing the Emergency Powers Act, noting that "At last England has seen sense and abandoned decadent democracy."

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, featuring Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers, with Buddy Rich.

American Homefront: President Roosevelt wins the Vermont Democratic primary.

Frank Sinatra records "I'll Never Smile Again" (written by Ruth Lowe) with Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra, backing vocals by the Pied Pipers (including Jo Stafford). The single will become number one on Billboard's first "National List of Best Selling Retail Records" — the first official national music chart — on July 27, 1940. It will stay at the top spot for 12 weeks, until October 12, 1940. This is considered Sinatra's major breakthrough and begins his rise to legendary status.

Captured French soldiers of the 158eme Regiment d'Infanterie (43eme Division d'Infanterie) carry a wounded comrade past a damaged French 25mm Hotchkiss (SAL Mle 34) anti-tank gun positioned at a crossroads in the Belgian village of Thulin. 23 May 1940 (colorized).

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

2020

Wednesday 22 May 1940

Isle of Man ferry Mona Queen steams toward Boulogne on 22 May 1940, carrying Welsh and Irish Guards to reinforce the port defenses. It returned to England carrying 2,000 women and children (photo by Lt. Peter Kershaw RNVR).

Western Front: From the grand occupation of all of Holland and Belgium beginning on 10 May, the French and British in the Low Countries have now, on 22 May 1940, been pushed back into a shrinking perimeter north of Amiens and south of Antwerp. The main changes now are the steady compression of the eastern face of this "box," which is well west of Brussels, toward the sea.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill flies to Paris (Vincennes) to hash out a strategy with the Anglo-French Supreme War Council. General Weygand advances the idea of cutting off the German spearhead at the Channel by launching concentric attacks from north and south. Everyone agrees that it is a good idea, but the mass of French forces remain behind the Maginot Line in the south. Deposed Commander-in-chief General Gamelin not only had proposed this plan but tried to implement it - and now more precious days have passed.

In the morning, the OKW orders Guderian's XIX Corps to head north, toward the isolated BEF and associated French forces. Reorienting the Axis of a major offensive is extremely difficult, and the Wehrmacht has to do it on the fly at the end of a long, tenuous supply network for its advanced troops.

The initial objectives are Boulogne (2nd Panzer Division) and Calais (1st Panzer Division), but this soon changes. The 10th Panzer Division is retained to guard the southern flank. Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk collectively are referred to as the "Channel Ports."

British troops at Calais are under the protection of RAF fighters based in England, and the air battle begins at first light. Both sides take losses, but the RAF is able to attack the advancing panzers. The 1st Panzer (Generallautnant Friedrich Kirchner) and other formations get across the Authie River at 08:00. They meet only scattered resistance at Desvres, Samer, and near Boulogne. Guderian quickly tinkers with the plan and sends the 10th Panzer Division (Generalleutnant Ferdinand Schaal) toward Samer/Calais, and the 1st toward Dunkirk. The 10th Panzer has to stop to garrison Amiens until infantry units arrive.

The British at Boulogne have been reinforced by the 20th Guards Brigade and have had time to dig in. The 2nd Panzer Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Veiel) is advancing in two columns makes steady progress toward Boulogne after brushing aside French 48th Infantry Regiment troops at Nesles. A panzer attack on the Boulogne perimeter at 17:00 is repulsed, and another at 19:00. Fighting continues into the night, with the Germans isolating some Irish Guards at 22:00. As the day concludes, 2d Panzer is attacking Welsh Guards positions along the coast.

General Rommel still stands before Arras, waiting for the infantry to aid his assault on the key town. He also is recuperating from the large British tank attack of the 21st, which gave him quite a fright.

The German 18th Army attacks the retreating Belgians near Eeklo. German 6th Army presses forward near Courtrai against the British 4th Infantry Division and 44th Infantry Division.

With the German spearheading turning north, the main front on the Somme/Oise/Aisne starts to solidify. The Belgian army retreats to the Lys River.

View of Rotterdam in May 1940 (Instytut Pamieci Narodowej).

European Air Operations: All the action is over the besieged Allied troops congregating near the Channel Ports. The action starts at 06:00, with 151 Squadron sending up Hawker Hurricanes, shooting down a Junkers Ju 88. No. 74 Squadron Spitfires also get a Junkers Ju 88 - both of the Junkers are from Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1). One Spitfire is lost. There also are some major dogfights over the area, with 54 Squadron and 92 Squadron mixing it up with JG 27 - both sides lose a couple of planes. The numbers become difficult to track, but both sides are taking roughly even losses.

RAF Bomber Command sends 59 planes to attack the advancing Wehrmacht spearhead.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-37 (Kapitänleutnant Victor Oehrn) sends four torpedoes at 9,494-ton British freighter Dunster Grange south of Ireland. When they all miss, it surfaces to use the deck gun. The Dunster Grange is armed, and when the U-boat surfaces, the British ship returns fire. The U-boat departs, and the Dunster Grange continues toward Liverpool.

Convoy OA 153 GF departs from Southend, Convoy OB 153 departs from Liverpool.

Norway: The British retreat from Mo i Rana north toward the British base at Bodø continues apace, and local commander Colonel Gubbins has difficulty trying to stop it. His plan is to man a defensive line at Storjord, 20 miles (32 km) south of the ferry stop at Rognan. His Scots Guards troops, though, under Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Byrnand Trappes-Lomax, are in motion toward the north and showing no signs of stopping. In fact, Trappes-Lomax is putting his men on requisitioned buses to make the trip faster and easier. The German 2d Mountain Division is hot on their heels. The bottom line is that the intended line at Storjord becomes a nullity and some other solution must be found.

The Luftwaffe continues its gradual reinforcement of General Dietl at Narvik, dropping off an additional 63 men there from seaplanes.

The Luftwaffe sinks Royal Navy anti-submarine trawler Melbourne near Narvik.

More RAF units depart from the Continent for England as their bases come closer to the front lines.

British Government: Parliament passes the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940. While not quite martial law, it gives the government extensive new powers of citizens and property (banks, munitions production, wages, profits, work conditions).

Military Intelligence: Bletchley Park crack some Luftwaffe Enigma settings. Luftwaffe signals officers are notoriously lax about following even the simplest security protocols, whereas, say, Kriegsmarine signallers are much more rigorous.

War Crimes: The Soviet men who liquidated the Polish officers at Katyn Forest - 21,000 without a single escape! - are being given medals and cash awards. The Soviets are also busy deporting relatives to Siberia based on the "last letters" the deceased men were allowed to write,

Belgium: King Leopold has told General Weygand that the area still controlled by Allied troops only has enough food left for two weeks.

Romania: The government mobilizes the reserves.

Albania: Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano arrives in Durres aboard the Italian Cruiser Garibaldi for an inspection tour.

Finland: In an early sign of Finlandization, the pro-Moscow Finland - Soviet Peace and Friendship Society forms.

Gibraltar: Non-essential personnel are being transported to French Morocco.

Australia: The government authorizes the formation of the 8th Infantry Division.

China: The Japanese aerial attacks on Chungking continue.

After returning late from a strafing run near Arras on 22 May 1940, F/O Roderick MS "Roddie" Rayner (pictured) and F/O Richard Lindsay "Dick" Glyde of No 87 Squadron RAF found their base at Merville in disarray. Carrying only what could be put in the plane, they evacuated to RAF Debden.

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

2020