Saturday 16 June 1940

A German officer in the French heavy tank Char 2C №90 'Poitou' (Poitou), destroyed on a railway platform near the village Meuse in Lorraine. This is a tank of the 1st company of the 51st battalion of heavy tanks. Battalion commander, Major Fournet. On June 16, 1940, the tank was blown up by its crew in the village Meuse because of the inability to disembark from the train platform without special lifting equipment.

French Government: French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud on 16 June 1940 loses his argument that the French nation should continue to resist. The final straw is an offer contained in two telegrams from London that are presented by British Ambassador Sir Ronald Campbell (Churchill apparently feeling relations are now too touchy to risk a visit of his own). The telegrams demand the retreat of the French fleet to UK harbors and a Franco-British Union - which would make the two countries into one.

Reynaud wants to agree to both proposals, but the rest of the Cabinet wishes for an Armistice, many because they think that the UK is finished, too. Reynaud loses the vote on the proposals and resigns, asking President Lebrun to form a new government.

Reynaud's replacement is Philippe Pétain, the recent ambassador to Spain and a Great War hero. Pétain is an odd choice unless you recognize that the government was tired of trying to resist the unstoppable Wehrmacht onslaught. Pétain is an 84-year-old defeatist, but he is a highly respected war hero and the perfect noble figure to get the public to accept an armistice. Basically, he is a figurehead. Commander-in-chief Weygand is vice president of the council.

Among those who wish to continue to resist is General de Gaulle, who is not included in the new cabinet. He flies to London during the day and begins to plot his next move.

Pétain reviews the situation throughout the day and decides that the situation is hopeless. At midnight, he instructs his Cabinet Secretary, Henry du Moulin de Labarthète, to request France's ambassador to Spain to seek terms from Hitler.

Generalleutnant Franz Landgraf (16 July 1888 – 19 April 1944). Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 June 1940 as Oberst and commander of 4. Panzer-Brigade.

Western Front: While certain people in various headquarters have a clear picture of the situation, for the vast majority of troops and civilians, the entire situation is completely unknown. About all that anyone knows is that the Germans are in Paris. Other than that, they basically could be in the next town over for all anyone knows. This results in panic throughout the country.

Panzer Group Guderian reaches Besancon, near the Swiss border. He is in position to link up with troops advancing through the Maginot Line from the direction of Colmar and encircle the entire French fortress system. Guderian is astounded at the poor condition of the fleeing French forces, noting: "Exhausted French soldiers fall from their truck to be crushed by the next. The Middle Ages were more humane than this."

German troops cross the Seine near Melun and Fontainebleau. Other troops occupy Auxerre in the direction of Clamecy and Avallon.

German 4th Army approaches Alencon, while the 18th Army reaches Orleans. German 2nd Army and 9th Army reach Dijon. German 1st, 7th, and 16th Armies attack French 3rd Army Group.

General Erwin Rommel, fresh off his spectacular operation north of Le Havre, receives orders to head south and take the key embarkation port of Cherbourg. It is 150 miles to the south, but French resistance is collapsing.

Operation Ariel, the evacuation of the BEF from France, continues. While a smaller operation than Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk, tens of thousands of British and Canadian soldiers are taken off from the ports of Brest, St. Malo, Nantes and St. Nazaire. British ships Arandora Star, Strathaird and Otranto are active in the operation.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-boat UA (Kapitänleutnant Hans Cohausz) torpedoes and sinks British armed merchant cruiser HMS Andania northwest of the Faroe Islands. All 347 aboard survive when they are picked up by the Icelandic trawler Skallagrímur. The UA has been tracking the ship for three days.

U-101 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz Frauenheim) torpedoes and sinks 13,212-ton British freighter Wellington Star 300 miles off Cape Finisterre, Spain at 16:45. All 69 aboard survive when they either are picked up by French freighter Pierre L.D. or reach shore in lifeboats after 8 days.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Tetrarch sinks German boat Samland.

A French warship approaches German vessel Konigsberg, whose crew scuttles it.

Convoy HG 34 departs from Gibraltar.

Battle of the Mediterranean: French sloop La Curieuse depth charges Italian submarine Provano, forcing it to the surface 30 miles south of Cabo de Palos, Spain. The French ship rams the Italian submarine, sinking it.

Italian torpedo boats catch British submarine HMS Grampus with depth charges, sinking it 105 miles east of Sicily. All 59 crew perish.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: Italian submarine Galilei sinks Norwegian tanker James Stove.

European Air Operations: The French air force raids Cagliari, Sardinia with six bombers. The Italians launch a raid on Porto Vecchio and Bonifacio, Corsica. The RAF sends 22 planes to attack Genoa and Milan.

Italian Savoia Marchetti SM 75 "Ala Littoria" - Tobruk - 16 June 1940.

North Africa: A British force including the 7th Hussars under the command of Lt. Colonel G. Fielden ambushes a column of Italian vehicles east of Bardia. It captures the Italian Tenth Army's Engineer-in-Chief, Lt. General Romolo Lastucci. Perhaps more importantly than his capture, the Italian has"up to date plans for the Bardia defenses."

The Regia Aeronautica attacks Sollum, Sidi Barrani, and Mersa Matruh, British outposts in Egypt. It also attacks Malta again. Italian bombers based in Sardinia attack Bizerte.

A tank battle takes place at Sollum in which the Italian light tanks come off worse.

The South African Air Force attacks Iavello and Mega, bases in Italian East Africa.

The RAF raids Tobruk, causing extensive damage.

Baltic States: The Soviet Union, having occupied Lithuania after an ultimatum, now issues similar ultimatums to Estonia and Latvia.

In occupied Lithuania, Prime minister Antanas Merkys deposes the absent Antanas Smetona from the post of president. Without constitutional authority, he assumes the presidency himself.

Applied Science: British ship SS Broompark leaves the Gironde (western France). It carries 26 containers of "heavy water." The heavy water was imported from the only source of that water, a plant in Norway that is now under German control, by atomic physicist Joliot-Curie.

German/Spanish Relations: Franco's personal envoy, General Vigon, chief of General Staff, meets with Hitler at Acoz Castle. They discuss possible Spanish entry into the war, which would be strategically devastating to the Allies due to Spain's ability to close the Mediterranean.

Iceland: Canadian Z Force arrives to supplement the British occupation force.

China: At the Battle of Tsaoyang-Ichang, the Chinese 5th War Area opens an offensive against the Japanese 11th Army near Ichang.

British Homefront: Local Defence Volunteers shift into high gear, as fears of a German invasion mount.

Destroyed French superheavy (69 t) tank, the Char 2C "Alzac" Meuse in Lorraine train station, June 16, 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

Thursday 13 June 1940

German light infantry mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger) of 6th Company, 2nd Battalion, 137th Regiment in occupied Norway. Pictured (from left to right) are Ranger Franz Hollerweger, Sgt. Kepplinger and Ranger Köhl. Köhl would later be killed in action near the village of Titovka, Murmansk Oblast, Russia, the Soviet Union on 29 June 1941. Narvik, Nordland, Norway. The picture date is 13 June 1940.

Western Front: The Allied Supreme War Council meets on 13 June 1940 for what will turn out to be its last time at Briare near Tours. French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud tells British Prime Minister Churchill that France will have to negotiate a separate peace, contrary to the 28 March 1940 agreement of no separate peace agreements. This is something that Churchill adamantly opposes but can do nothing to prevent. Churchill rather lamely suggests that Reynaud appeal to President Roosevelt, which Reynaud, of course, has been doing all along. Churchill also suggests that resistance can continue in North Africa. Reynaud refuses.

Churchill, Lord Halifax, Lord Beaverbrook and the rest of the British delegation fly back to London. They decide that enough is enough and that another BEF evacuation is necessary. This is the parting of the ways of the British and the current French national government, though everything remains amicable and civil. It is now a question of managing the dissolution of the military alliance. The future of France and its relations with the United Kingdom is extremely uncertain.

German spearheads are crossing the Seine over three bridgeheads. They are attacking towards Pacy-sur-Eure and Evreux. Meanwhile, another dozen German divisions are attacking toward Senlis and Betz. Panzer Group Kleist captures Saint-Dizier and Troyes. The 6th and 8th Panzer Divisions of German 12th Army break through the French 2nd Army line in the vicinity of Bar-le-Duc.

French forces are withdrawing all along the line past Paris, which is an open city, to the Loire. Oil tanks in the suburbs are burning. German troops of the 18th Army are in the suburbs and moving steadily toward the city center. French troops launch a pointless counter-attack at Persan-Beaumont 17 miles north of Paris. It advances 5 miles, but German troops are streaming in the other direction all around it. There are no troops between the Germans and the entire city of Paris, and they are advancing steadily.

22-year-old Scotsman P/O David G. Gorrie standing by his Hurricane Mk I on 13 June 1940, the day after sharing a He 111 with B Flight and 5 days after having moved to No 43 Squadron RAF at RAF Tangmere. He goes on to fight in the Battle of Britain.

Battle of the Atlantic: At dawn in the Arctic (02:43), British carrier Ark Royal launches 15 Skua dive-bombers against the German warships in Trondheim. The British lose eight planes (six dead, 10 POWs), and manage to hit the Scharnhorst with one 500 lb bomb that fails to explode. The surviving aircraft return by 03:45. Kriegsmarine battlecruiser Nurnberg arrives in Trondheim later in the day from Germany.

U-25 (Kapitänleutnant Heinz Beduhn) torpedoes and sinks 17,046-ton armed merchant cruiser Scotstoun (converted Anchor Line passenger ship Caledonia) about 80 miles off of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The attack lasts all day, but Scotstoun finally succumbs. Seven crew perish, 345 others are picked up by destroyer HMS Highlander (H 44).

British tanker Inventor hits a mine and sinks in the English Channel.

Escort destroyers HMS Antelope and Electra collide in the fog off Norway and both require extensive repair.

A German seaplane spots two survivors of the HMS Ardent in the water. They somehow have survived since 7 June. After picking them up, one dies from exposure, malnutrition, etc. The other man, able seaman Roger Hooke, is Ardent's only survivor and, in extremely poor condition, is taken as a prisoner.

Convoy OA 167 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 167 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 34F departs from Gibraltar, Convoy HX 50 departs from Halifax.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian destroyers Baleno and Strale sink Royal Navy submarine Odin. All 56 crew perish.

A French cruiser squadron bombards Genoa during the night.

Battle of the Pacific: German raider Orion lays mines off of Auckland, New Zealand.

European Air Operations: Italy's Regia Aeronautica raids the French naval base at Toulon. It also raids Aden but is driven off with losses, and Malta.

The RAF raids German bridgeheads on the Seine all along the front to the Maginot Line.

The RAF is gradually evacuating its units from France.

North Africa: The British Army captures 52 Italian soldiers during the night, many of whom have no idea that they are at war.

The RAF raids Fort Capruzzo on the Libyan border with Egypt. It also raids Assab in Italian East Africa. South African aircraft chip in with a raid on Kismayo in Italian Somaliland.

The Regia Aeronautica hits British vehicles near the Libyan border in Egypt.

Norway: While the Allies have departed and the Norwegians have surrendered, many areas of the large country remain unoccupied by the Germans. Today, some of General Dietl's 3rd Mountain Division troops quietly occupy Tromso.

13th June 1940: London schoolchildren are evacuated. (Photo by David Savill/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images).

US Military: Rear Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., relieves Vice Admiral Charles A. Blakely as Commander Aircraft, Battle Force, onboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV 5) at Lahaina Roads, Maui, Territory of Hawaii. Halsey is given the temporary rank of Vice-Admiral.

US Government: President Roosevelt signs a $1.3 billion Navy bill, which is unprecedented in amount. The first shipment of surplus artillery, rifles and other smaller weapons leaves the USA on the SS Eastern Prince. To avoid the Neutrality Laws, the arms are first sold to a steel company, which then re-sells them to the British government.

Holland: The Dutch government-in-exile announces the formation of a Netherlands Legion to be composed of all available domestic and overseas troops.

Spain: Generalissimo Francisco Franco reiterates his policy of non-belligerency, which of course tilts toward Germany. Spain is of vital strategic importance to both sides due to its ability to take Gibraltar and close off the Mediterranean.

China: The Japanese launch a terror raid on Chungking that starts massive fires.

French Homefront: Paris is largely deserted. Jewish citizens, in particular, have been quick to leave, for obvious reasons. There are oddities of a suddenly abandoned major city: for instance, herds of cattle roam the streets, as the men operating the slaughterhouses have left.

British Homefront: The government renews its evacuation plans for schoolchildren since so many returned home over the winter. Plans are to disperse 120,000 kids from London and other large cities in the south such as Dover. All children are required to carry gas masks at all times. Many of the masks have been brightly colored to make them more attractive to children, and they are carried in ubiquitous boxes.

A new law specifies that church bells are to be rung only as a signal of a German invasion.

Members of Parliament ask to be issued sidearms since rumors are flying that they are on German assassination lists. The request is refused.

F/O Frank J Howell of No 609 Squadron RAF. Howell is among the air party that escorted PM Winston Churchill to Briare and Tours on 11 and 13 June for the last meetings of the War Council. Flying Spitfire Mk I PR-H, the 28-year-old pilot noted that in the absence of trolley accumulators on the French airfield, starting up was accomplished with French infantrymen on hand cranks and some assistance from the aircraft batteries. I find it amusing that he also is holding a camera, sort of an assisted selfie.

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 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

Wednesday 15 May 1940

Dutch General Henri Winkelman departing from his signing of the capitulation documents, 15 May 1940 (Haussen, Federal Archive).

Western Front: After the shattering Luftwaffe destruction of Rotterdam, the Dutch fighting spirit (at least among the leadership) dies on 15 May 1940. Dutch General Henri Winkelman capitulates at 10:15 in a formal signing at Rijsoord, a suburb of Rotterdam. The Dutch army is out of the fight except in Zeeland and isolated spots such as Walcheren Island and Beveland, where there are some holdouts. The Wehrmacht's 18th Army occupies "Fortress Holland," including Amsterdam, The Hague, and Rotterdam. There are some members of the Dutch Fascist Party on hand to greet them.

The mood among the Allies is bleak. At 07:50, French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud rings up British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to say: "We have been defeated; we have lost the battle ..... The front is broken near Sedan." Churchill, disturbed from sleep, awkwardly refers him to a similar situation during World War I that turned out well in the end.

Churchill later recounts the call to the War Cabinet: "I doubted the mighty French Army could be beaten so easily, but Reynaud seemed near-hysterical." The invasions are only five days old, but already they all are having outlandish success against proud countries that have spent heavily on their own defense for many years.

The Wehrmacht penetration across the Meuse gains force. General Guderian reaches Montcornet near Laon to lever open the gap between French 2d and 9th Armies. He is ordered to halt, and once again demands and receives permission to advance another day. General Rommel continues pushing southwestward toward Philippeville and passes through the Maginot Line extension at Sivry on his way into the French interior. Rommel faces little opposition and covers 40 km to Cerfontaine.

The French are off-balance, both in the field and at General Gamelin's headquarters. General Gamelin informs Defense Minister Daladier that the front is shattered. He replaces French 9th Army commander General Corap with General Giraud after the army collapses.

In Holland, Army Group B under General Fedor von Bock is performing its diversionary role brilliantly. In fact, Army Group B's stumbles only enhance the illusion that the battle so far is not going terribly for the Allies and thus they have more time than they really do, aiding the real thrust to the south.

German 6th Army under General Reichenau continues rushing westward (partly due to faulty military intelligence) and slams into the Allies' well-prepared Dyle Line. General Billotte commands the French 1st Army Group. Fliegerkorps VIII clears the way for an assault at 08:00. The assault by 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions stalls in the teeth of fierce French artillery (French 75mm artillery and Hotchkiss 25mm anti-tank guns). The Germans take huge tank losses (some estimates say 250 tanks lost) and decide to wait a day before mounting a concentrated attack. It is a clear French defensive victory, but the French retreat during the night to the French border.

Col. Charles de Gaulle, an advocate of innovative strategies for the use of armor, is promoted to Brigadier General and given command of the improvised 4e Division cuirassée (4th Armoured). It is a new unit, formed on 10 May 1940, comprised mainly of tank battalions. This command complements de Gaulle's talents and serves as a good way to test his theories, which are similar to those of the panzer Generals. His first job is to set up a front at Laon.

A Dutch woman - perhaps a member of the Dutch Fascist Party - greets the arriving Wehrmacht troops in Amsterdam (Jager, Federal Archive).

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe attacks British destroyers in the Scheldt Estuary. They destroy HMS Valentine (beached) and badly damage HMS Winchester.

The Luftwaffe attacks Brussels and bombs Radio Brussels.

Allied bombing attacks against the Meuse River crossings are completely ineffective, and the Allies lose over 50% of the planes committed.

Air Marshal Hugh Dowding, who has remained in office only due to the crisis, argues against reinforcing the RAF fighter presence in France. The French, of course, want "clouds of planes," but the British War Cabinet agrees with him. The decision taken by Sir Cyril Newall, Chief of the Air Staff, is for Air Marshal Sir Charles Portal to begin strategic bombing raids against Germany instead. This is a key moment when British and French interests begin diverging.

RAF Bomber Command thus mounts its first large-scale raid against the German homeland. It sends 95-100 Wellington, Whitley and Hampden bombers (sources vary) to attack the Ruhr during the night. They target oil installations, blast furnaces, and marshaling yards. They do not achieve many effects - only 24 of the bombers claim to have found their targets - and lose one plane. Most of the attacks - 78 bombers - are against oil-related targets.

Battle of the Atlantic: Most of the action is taking place just off the coasts of Holland and Norway.

Troop Convoy US 3 out of Australia is diverted to the Cape of Good Hope.

Convoy HG 30 departs from Gibraltar.

Norway: Polish troopship Chrobry is loaded with Irish Guards and Brigade headquarters headed for Bodø when the Luftwaffe attacks it off the southern Lofoten Islands. The liner is set ablaze, and the troops - 700 of whom are rescued - must be sent back to Harstad to be re-formed and re-equipped. The Guards show absolutely stellar morale during the sinking and are compared by the rescue ship's Captain to Rudyard Kipling's classic stoic-in-the-face-of-death Birkenhead Drill.

The Luftwaffe continues reinforcing General Dietl's 3rd Mountain at Narvik by drips and drabs, dropping 22 more men of 1st Fallschirmjaeger Regiment.

Leslie Redford (Les) Clisby DFC (29 June 1914 – 15 May 1940) was an Australian fighter ace of World War II. Serving with the Royal Air Force (RAF), he was credited with 16 aerial victories before being killed in action during the Battle of France. In a combat career lasting a matter of months, he was Australia's first air ace of the war.

Anglo/US Relations: PM Churchill, who has been corresponding by telegram with President Roosevelt by signing his messages "Naval Person," now sends his first as Prime Minister, signing it "Former Naval Person." Today's message requests American aid such as old destroyers and aircraft, among other things:

• The loan of 40 or 50 "older destroyers" for a year;
• "several hundred" of the latest planes; 
• antiaircraft "equipment and ammunition"; 
• that the U.S. continues to provide Britain with steel;
• that a U.S. squadron visit Irish ports, presumably to keep Eire quiet;
• that the U.S. "keep that Japanese dog quiet in the Pacific, using Singapore in any way convenient."

Spies: The US Minister in Uruguay, Edwin C. Wilson, tells US Secretary of State Cordell Hull that fascist activities were increasing in the country. He notes that there is "indifference and apathy...and in certain cases something worse" to the fascist presence by the government of Uruguay.

Dutch East Indies: The authorities are rounding up a total of 2400 Germans and 400 members of the  Dutch National Socialist group.

Palestine" David Ben-Gurion is in London to talk with Colonial Secretary Lord Lloyd about the future of Palestine.

China: The Japanese begin attacking Chungking and Chengtu.

Four members of the WLA (Women's Land Army) shearing sheep in London's Hyde Park. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images).

French Homefront: The refugee crisis hits Paris, as news of the Wehrmacht breakout at Sedan is spread. Government offices begin burning sensitive documents and refugees flee south.

Dutch Homefront: Dutch underground newspaper Geuzenactie is published, the first of many resistance publications.

British Homefront: There is a massive civilian response to the broadcast of the previous evening calling for volunteers for the Local Defence Volunteers." Unfortunately, the police have received no uniforms or equipment for the volunteers yet.


American Homefront: Nylon stockings have been a hot item, and today they appear in New York City - and immediately sell 780,000 pairs.

Richard and Maurice McDonald have the grand opening for the first McDonald's hamburger joint. It is located in San Bernardino, California.

Future History:  Lainie Kazan is born in Brooklyn, New York. She becomes famous on Broadway in the 1960s; poses nude in Playboy in October 1970; and becomes a huge television and film star.

Don Nelson is born in Muskegon, Michigan. He becomes a key player on the Boston Celtics basketball team (5x national champions) in the '60s and '70s, then a coach of the NY Knicks, Golden State Warriors, and other teams.

The first McDonald's Restaurant in San Bernardino.

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 9 May 1940

Hitler with Goering at Felsennest.

British Government: Prime Minister Chamberlain's fate is a done deal, though early in the morning he is determined to fight on. The opposition Labour Party rejects an offer to join the government and keep Chamberlain in power, though the official communication of this is dragged out until the afternoon of the 10th.

The question is who shall replace Chamberlain. Foreign Minister Lord Halifax is a leading candidate, and he would garner a majority of support if put to a vote. As a member of the House of Lords, however, it is seen as poor public relations to elevate him at a time of crisis. Halifax also feels that Churchill would continue to control defense policy anyway, the only thing that really matters in wartime, and thus he would be relegated to a sort of supernumerary status. In the event, Halifax could have accepted the position, but he bows out and helps a meeting of conservative leaders choose Winston Churchill as the new Prime Minister.

Norway: The Germans north of Narvik drive the Norwegian defenders out of Fellingfors. The Germans advance in the direction of Mosjøen, which is 25 miles (40 km) to the north. There are strong British forces at Mosjøen, with other Allied forces at intermediate positions.

British No. 3 Independent Force occupies Bodo.

The Polish Armed Forces in the West (Podhale Brigade) arrive near Narvik, four battalions strong. They assemble five miles to the west of the port, reinforcing the South Wales Borderers. They are supported by 24 guns (French 75's & British 25-pounders) and 10 small French tanks - which is overwhelming firepower against the German regiment holding the town.

The RAF sinks Kriegsmarine minesweeper M-13 at Bergen.

Western Front: No more postponements. The invasion date for Fall Gelb, the invasion of France and the Low Countries, remains 10 May 1940 as the day drifts into night. Hitler departs on his command train Amerika for his forward headquarters at Felsennest (Rock Nest). It is located near the small village of Rodert, 30 km south of Bonn and consists of four bunkers and three barracks. While his presence there is not necessary for the conduct of the war, it symbolically places Hitler at the head of the army during Fall Gelb.

German troops silently move into their jumping-off positions. In the late evening, Wehrmacht troops cross the border into Luxembourg and occupy the country without a shot being fired.

Colonel Oster of the Abwehr once again warns the Dutch military attache of the invasion. The Dutch take this seriously and order the highest alert.

Battle of the Atlantic:  U-9 (Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Lüth) torpedoes and sinks French submarine FFR Doris (Q 135) in the North Sea at 00:14. All 45 crew on board perish.

The British are sending ships full of troops to Iceland to occupy it.

A Royal Navy task force sorties out to intercept Kriegsmarine troop transports in the Skagerrak. The Kriegsmarine sends 5 Schnellboot (fast boat, or torpedo boats) to greet them. HMS Kelly, commanded by Lord Mountbatten, is torpedoed by Kriegsmarine S-boat S-31. There are 27 deaths. It is towed back to England badly damaged, enduring additional attacks along the way.

Convoy SL 31 departs from Freetown, Convoy OG 29F forms at Gibraltar.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe conducts minelaying operations off the Dutch coast. The RAF sends fighters up to meet them.

The RAF sends 31 aircraft on minelaying operations.

French Government: Prime Minister Paul Reynaud is having difficulty due to former Prime Minister Daladier, the War Minister. He also finds the leadership of General Gamelin to be lacking. He threatens to resign. However, there remains no sense of urgency about the frontier.

British Military: The government raises the top age of conscription to 36.

Belgium: The government declares a state of emergency and places its military on alert.

Luxembourg: The Royal Family hears of the massing of German troops at the border and flees, along with four of the Grand Duchy's five cabinet ministers. They go to Paris.
China: At the Battle of Tsaoyang-Ichang, the 31st Army Group of Chinese 5th War Area counterattacks and recaptures Hsinyeh.

Future History: James L. Brooks is born in Brooklyn, New York. He becomes famous in the 1970s for helping to create such television sitcoms as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, and Taxi.

A British staff officer with the BEF in France, standing aside his Ford V-8 car on 9 May 1940.

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

2019

Monday 29 April 1940

King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav take cover in Molde during a Luftwaffe raid.

Norway: King Haakon catches a ride on HMS Glasgow from Molde to Tromso on 29 April 1940. It also takes Crown Prince Olav, Prime Minister Nygaardsvold, and much of the rest of the Norwegian government. The government issues a statement condemning German "terrorism" which they claim to have witnessed first-hand against civilians. The portion of the Norwegian gold reserves that have not been transported to England goes with them.

Like other British-held ports, Molde is in flames due to Luftwaffe attacks. The royals and other Norwegians have to board the ship by running across a burning pier.

Despite this cooperation, Anglo/Norwegians are strained at all levels. The Norwegians feel that the British are acting in high-handed fashion, such as by not telling them about the decision to evacuate. There are tales of British soldiers acting imperiously: "British officers behave with the arrogance of Prussians, demanding food at gunpoint."

Winston Churchill, "Britain's Warlord," on the cover of Life magazine on 29 April 1940.

Norway Army Operations: While the British have decided to evacuate, they are still tinkering with their strategy. They land troops at Bodo in the north. It is convenient to have if the objective is Narvik.

The British 15th Infantry Brigade holds Dombås through the day. The German troops pursuing them are delayed by British demolitions. Oberst Fischer’s Kampfgruppe, composed mainly of the 196th Division, completes its bypass of the British blocking action. It moves from the Østerdal valley to link up with German troops from Trondheim. This effectively hems the British in on the east.

The Germans at Steinkjer launch probing attacks against the British concentrated at Namsos.

The Germans at Hegra bring in fresh troops. They now ramp up the artillery assault, using captured Norwegian 12 cm (4.7 in) howitzers from the armory in Trondheim.

East of Lillehammer, 3,700 troops of the Norwegian 2nd Infantry Division surrender.

Norway Naval Operations: A British destroyer force (HMS Kelly, Maori, and Imperial, plus French destroyer Bison which is under Commander Lord Louis Mountbatten) departs from Scapa Flow. Its mission is to evacuate Namsos.

Norwegian Air Operations: The Luftwaffe launches attacks at Andalsnes, the site of a large British base, and Molde, where King Haakon and the Norwegian government have been recently camped.

The Luftwaffe attacks Norwegian hospital ship Brand IV off Aalesund.

The Luftwaffe sinks Royal Navy anti-submarine trawlers Cape Chelyuskin and Cape Shiretoko off Norway.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-50 is sunk by British destroyers HMS Amazon and HMS Witherington off the Shetlands.

British submarine HMS Unity is lost when SS Atle Jarl runs into it at Blyth Harbour in a heavy fog. There are four lives lost. Lieutenant John Low and Able Seaman Henry Miller help other men to get out and are given posthumous medals.

The Kriegsmarine lays mines in the North Sea.

Convoy HG 28 departs from Gibraltar.
RAF: The Empire Air Training Program gets underway at training schools in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Anglo/US Relations: The US government has not received a satisfactory response from the British about the seizure of German engineers from the Panamanian ship Don Juan at Port Said on 5 September 1940. However, it closes the incident “on the assumption that similar incidents will not be permitted to occur in the future."

France: Prime Minister Paul Reynaud offers old war hero Henri Petain a cabinet post as Minister of State.

War Crimes: Over 20,000 Poles have been shot during the purge known as the Katyn Forest Massacre, led by Vasily Blokhin, who personally has shot over 7,000, or 250/night.

British Homefront: All sorts of basic commodities, such as toilet paper, are now rationed and highly sought after on the black market.

Vasily Blokhin's tomb at the Novodevichy Cemetery.

April 1940

April 1, 1940: Weserubung is a Go
April 2, 1940: British Subs On Alert
April 3, 1940: Churchill Consolidates Power
April 4, 1940: Missed the Bus
April 5, 1940: Mig-1 First Flight
April 6, 1940: Troops Sailing to Norway
April 7, 1940: Fleets At Sea
April 8, 1940: HMS Glowworm and Admiral Hipper
April 9, 1940: Invasion of Norway
April 10, 1940: First Battle of Narvik
April 11, 1940: Britain Takes the Faroes
April 12, 1940: Germans Consolidate in Norway
April 13, 1940: 2d Battle of Narvik
April 14, 1940: Battle of Dombås
April 15, 1940: British in Norway
April 16, 1940: Germans Cut Norway in Half
April 17, 1940: Trondheim the Target
April 18, 1940: Norway Declares War
April 19, 1940: Dombås Battle Ends
April 20, 1940: Germans Advancing in Norway
April 21, 1940: First US Military Casualty
April 22, 1940: First British Military Contact with Germans
April 23, 1940: British Retreating in Norway
April 24, 1940: British Bombard Narvik
April 25, 1940: Norwegian Air Battles
April 26, 1940: Norwegian Gold
April 27, 1940: Allies to Evacuate Norway
April 28, 1940: Prepared Piano
April 29, 1940: British at Bodo
April 30, 1940: Clacton-on-Sea Heinkel

2019

Tuesday 26 March 1940

The Curtiss C-46 Commando flies for the first time on 26 March 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-38 (Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe) is 65 miles northwest of Noup Head, Orkneys on 26 March 1940 when its crew spots 3,794-ton Norwegian freighter Cometa. The Cometa is running with its lights on at night, generally signifying a neutral ship. Liebe stops the ship (apparently it stopped on its own after realizing the U-38 was there) and is told that HMS Kingston Peridot, a British trawler, had instructed it to go to Kirkwall, Scotland for the examination of its cargo. To that end, there is a Royal Navy officer and four ratings on board, which technically makes it a warship. Liebe instructs the crew to abandon ship, then sinks it at 02:20 with one torpedo, the ship breaking in two amidships. The forepart remains afloat, so Liebe sends it down with another torpedo. All 42 crew survive and are soon picked up a trawler, HMS Northern Sky.

U-21 (Wolf-Harro Stiebler) runs aground at Oldknuppen Island, Norway after a navigational error. The Norwegians intern the boat and tow it to Mandal, Norway, thence Kristiansand.

The Mauretania makes it to the Panama Canal without incident. She is on her way to Australia to be refitted.

Convoy OA 117 departs from Southend.

Western Front: The BEF takes on a little more responsibility as the 51st Highland Division sets up in the Saar region. They replace French soldiers in the line, which is a first.

Royal Navy: First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill has a flash of inspiration: "Memo: More backgammon sets on warships - quicker game than cards."

US Army Air Corps: The Curtiss C-46 Commando has its first flight. The new cargo plane has a "double bubble" design with two pressurized cabins. While the airlines are not interested in the plane, USAAC Chief of Staff General Henry “Hap” Arnold likes its potential as a cargo plane and places an initial order of 200.

Soviet Government: The Kremlin recalls its ambassador to France after French complaints about him. Soviet Ambassador to Paris Jakob Suritz sent Stalin a message congratulating for him his victory over "Anglo-French warmongers."

Soviet/German Relations: Hitler enjoys personal diplomacy - he will travel far and wide to meet a fellow dictator - and asks Stalin to meet to discuss their mutual border. The two have never met - Hitler has even met the British and French leaders - but Stalin declines to meet anyway.

Italian/Hungarian Relations: Count Pál János Ede Teleki, Prime Minister of Hungary, visits with Mussolini in Rome. Mussolini tells Teleki and Ciano, who attends the meeting, that Italy will join the Germans in the war at some point.

Canada: In the general elections, the Liberals under William Lyon Mackenzie King win 178 seats, the Conservatives take 39, and all other parties win 28.

New Zealand: The Labour Prime Minister, Michael Savage, passes away at age 68.

French Homefront: Prime Minister Reynaud broadcasts a speech to the public urging the nation to carry on a "total war" against the Germans. This is an old phrase from World War I.

British Homefront: Morale is high as the long Easter Weekend ends, with long queues at the train stations and an impromptu sing-a-long at Waterloo Station.

Wilhelm Solf, an Austrian undergraduate at Oxford University, is interned after he photographs a crashed RAF plane. As reported in the London Times, many citizens feel that the government is treating Germans caught in the country by the war harshly. This is buttressed by a newsreel being shown in cinemas which details the recent incident of an RAF bomber accidentally landing in Germany, the crew meeting with local farmers there on good terms, and then taking off again before being caught.

China: The Japanese, reinforced in recent days, recapture Wuyuan from the Chinese 8th War Area. The Chinese fall back to the banks of Fan-chi-chu and launch attacks at Xin'an, Xishanzui, Xixiaozhao, and Manko.

American Homefront: General Motors officially cancels the LaSalle nameplate in the Cadillac division. While LaSalles have sold reasonably well (often better than Cadillacs), the thinking apparently is that the company should focus on the more prestigious Cadillac brand. Production of LaSalles ceases in August. Final LaSalle designs are incorporated into new Cadillac models.

Future History: James Caan is born in the Bronx, New York. He becomes famous as a movie star in the '60s and '70s, most famously for his role in "The Godfather."

Nancy Pelosi is born in Baltimore, Maryland. She becomes the 52nd Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Many Curtiss C-46 Commando cargo planes became of tremendous use in the Burma theater of operations, where they supplied the Chinese over the "Hump" of the Himalayas. Many remain in service to this day, in the 21st Century. While never fully given its due in terms of public perceptions, the decidedly un-flashy C-46 is one of the most useful, dependable and enduring aircraft in aviation history.

The Cometa, sunk on 26 March 1940. Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart.

March 1940

March 1, 1940: Soviet Breakthroughs Past Viipuri
March 2, 1940: Soviets Swarm West in Finland
March 3, 1940: Soviets Across Gulf of Viipuri
March 4, 1940: USSR Apologizes to Sweden
March 5, 1940: Katyn Forest Massacre Approved
March 6, 1940: Finns Head to Moscow
March 7, 1940: The Coal Ships Affair
March 8, 1940: Peace Talks Begin in Moscow
March 9, 1940: Soviets Harden Peace Terms
March 10, 1940: Germany Draws Closer to Italy
March 11, 1940: Winter War Peace Terms Finalized
March 12, 1940: War is Over (If You Want It)
March 13, 1940: Winter War Ends
March 14, 1940: Evacuating Karelia
March 15, 1940: The Bletchley Bombe
March 16, 1940: First British Civilian Killed
March 17, 1940: Enter Dr. Todt
March 18, 1940: Mussolini To Join the War
March 19, 1940: Daladier Resigns
March 20, 1940: Soviets Occupy Hango Naval Base
March 21, 1940: Paul Reynaud Leads France
March 22, 1940: Night Fighters Arise!
March 24, 1940: French Consider Alternatives
March 25, 1940: Reynaud Proposes Action
March 26, 1940: C-46 First Flight
March 27, 1940: Himmler Authorizes Auschwitz Construction
March 28, 1940: Allies Ponder Invading Norway
March 29, 1940: Soviets Prefer Neutrality
March 30, 1940: Allied Uncertainty
March 31, 1940: The Tiger Cage

2021