World War II in real time

Day 254 of World War II, May 11th 1940

YouTube (Hitler Strikes in the West)



Western Front

The German offensive continues rolling this day. William Shirer, US journalist, notes that there are "Great headlines today in Berlin papers over 'shameful' protests of the Low Countries against being invaded."

The 9th Panzer Division crosses the Meuse and finds an undefended bridge over the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal 50 miles from Rotterdam, enabling it continue rolling westward.

The trapped Belgian troops at fortress Eben Emael surrender to the German 7th Flieger Division, clearing the pathway for 6th Army to proceed over the Maas Canal and completing one of the most brilliant aerial assaults in history. German 6th Army pulls up to the Albert Canal below the fortress and sends tank spearheads across, which requires rushed reinforcements from further south - where the Germans are quietly rolling their main force through the Ardennes.

Photo: Belgian soldiers surrender to German troops at the bridge at Veldwezelt




The Battle of the Grebbeberg gets rolling. This is the main defense line forward of "Fortress Holland" in the west. The Grebbeberg is a hill near Rhenen which offers panoramic views (a zoo which is a major tourist attraction is on the hill). German artillery of 18th Army opens fire before dawn on the line's outposts, disabling Dutch communications. At first light, the SS brigade attacks. The Germans breach the right side of the line, which enables the attackers to surround the rest of the line. The entire outpost line falls. However, the hill itself - protected by a 47 mm (1.85 inch) gun) remains inviolate. The Dutch counterattack, but it degenerates into a chaotic disaster with Dutch units firing on each other - but it does forestall the Germans' own night attack.

Photo: Two Dutch soldiers man defensive positions near Rhenen during the Battle of the Grebbeberg



The German columns pushing through the Ardennes face logistical issues on the forest roads, but no significant defenders. General Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer "Ghost" Division is in the lead of Army Group A and disperses a French Cavalry Unit guarding the road. Allied bombers are noticeably absent, partly due to Luftwaffe air superiority.

The French 1st Army, 7th Army, 9th Army, and British Expeditionary Force execute the "Dyle Plan," advancing to take up defensive positions on the Dyle River line. The German main assault does not lie there. Retreating Belgian troops join them. Hitler, when informed of his classic decoy move producing the desired results, says "I could weep for joy!"

The Fallschirmjäger (paratroops) at The Hague are one of the few blemishes on the Fall Gelb offensive. Generalleutnant Hans Graf von Sponeck's paratroops are scattered across dunes and do not control any of the airports they were dropped to capture. With his objective now impossible, von Sponeck receives orders to aid the assault on Rotterdam. In reality, he and his men now are hunted fugitives behind enemy lines, with hundreds of wounded and missing troops.

Photo: Bombardments on army barracks and air-drops of Nazi-German paratroopers at the three airports near The Hague. One of their main but unattained goals was the capture of Queen Wilhelmina.




The paratroopers at Rotterdam are doing somewhat better. The 22nd Flieger Division holds bridges over the Niewe Maas River. The Dutch Marines launch furious attacks, but the paratroopers have nowhere to retreat to anyway, so a stalemate develops - which is to the Germans' benefit.

Air War over Europe

The Luftwaffe is concentrating on ground support missions - a key element of "Blitzkrieg." The Allies are hampered by few air bases close to the scene of the battles and, quite frankly, often inferior equipment.

In terms of that equipment, the Fairey Battle light bomber is struggling. The RAF sends eight of them to attack German troops in Luxembourg, and only one returns.

The Luftwaffe also is aggressively targeting Allied airfields. They make a low-level attack on the field of No. 114 Squadron and destroy its Bristol Blenheim bombers on the ground.

The Luftwaffe sinks Dutch liners Statendam and Veendam at Rotterdam.

The RAF sends 23 aircraft to attack bridges over the Maas at Maastricht, which the Germans captured on the 10th.

Overnight, the RAF sends 37 bombers to attack Monchengladbach - the first RAF bombing of a German town without military priority.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-9 (Oberleutnant zur See Wolfgang Lüth) torpedoes and sinks 1,930 ton British freighter Tringa just off the West Hinder Buoy at the mouth of the Scheldt River. There are 6 survivors and 17 perish.

U-9 also sinks 1,908 ton Estonian freighter Viiu. There are 5 survivors and 15 perish.

British submarine HMS Narwhal sinks Kriegsmarine vessel V-1109.

HMS Seal, the only British submarine captured during the war, arrives in Frederikshavn, Denmark, under tow by German "UJ 128" (Unterseebootsjäger 128). It is immediately investigated by German technicians.

Convoy OA 146 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 146 departs from Liverpool.

US Government: President Roosevelt fulfills various obligations under the Neutrality Laws, issuing executive orders :

- Recognizing the state of war that exists between Germany and Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands;

- Proclaiming American neutrality in the conflict and restricting belligerent submarines from using American ports and territorial waters, exclusive of the Panama Canal Zone.

War Crimes

The British Air Ministry takes the radical step of authorizing attacks on purely civilian targets in Germany. This is a clear violation of international law which the Germans have violated as well in Poland and Finland. While this particular decision is not considered a war crime by many historians and "they did it first"... if things had turned out differently, it would be. War can be unavoidably morally ambiguous.

Dutch Commander of 2nd Corps General Harberts at Grebbeberg empanels a summary court-martial of a sergeant, Chris Meijer, accused of abandoning his post. Meijer is shot by firing squad the same day. There are possible issues of undue influence of Harberts in the matter with murky motivations.

Norway

British General Claude Auchinleck is in command of the British-French ground forces of what has become a classic sideshow campaign. Even that is not going well for the Allies.

The two Independent Companies and accompanying British light anti-aircraft detachments (who have to abandon their equipment) at Mosjøen evacuate during the early morning hours on Norwegian vessel Erling Jarl. Lt. Col. Gubbins pays the owners 5000 krone for their assistance. The accompanying Norwegians are forced to retreat by road after the Germans occupied Hemnesberget on the 10th by using the commandeered vessel Nordnorge.

The German 2nd Mountain Division troops at Hemnesberget attack toward Mo i Rana. Other troops from the division occupy the evacuated Mosjøen. Still other units of the division continue their march north toward Narvik to relieve General Dietl's regiment there.

German/Swedish Relations

A Swedish delegation meets with Hermann Goering regarding German use of the Narvik railway which runs through Sweden.

Caribbean

British and French troops continue occupying Dutch islands such as Curaçao and Aruba. President Roosevelt states that these actions do not violate the Monroe Doctrine (no foreign military actions in the Americas).

China

At the Battle of Tsaoyang-Ichang, the Chinese 5th War Area attacks Japanese 11th Army around Tsaoyang, Tungpo, and Mingkang, but the Japanese break out of encirclement and retreat eastward.

Belgium

The roads are clogged with refugees fleeing westward and southward. Most are on foot or on bicycle. The Mayor of Bouillon, in a classic "business is business" reaction to the war, refuses to quarter troops in hotels: "This is a resort town! Hotels are reserved for tourists."

Netherlands

Former Kaiser Wilhelm, living in exile in Holland, has had a somewhat dismissive opinion of Hitler. However, he refuses Winston Churchill's offer of sanctuary in the UK.

British Homefront

The Manchester Guardian publishes an editorial stating that new Prime Minister Churchill "takes office with greater goodwill than any of our modern history."

Day 256 of World War II, May 13th 1940

YouTube (Elmer Davis and the news)



Western Front

It is a good day for German Generals who lead from the front.

On the morning, General Erwin Rommel's 7th "Ghost" Panzer Division is the first Wehrmacht unit across the Meuse near Dinant. He personally finds a weir and lock gate across the river that his troops can use to establish a bridgehead, and sends over motorcycle troops. His troops spend the rest of the day slowly expanding the bridgehead against scattered French opposition. Taking the broadest view, Rommel's troops threaten to separate the BEF from France if they eventually reach the coast at Abbeville.

Photo: 7th Panzer Division, Abbeville, France, 1940




The other German formations further south are also across during the day. Generals Guderian and Reinhardt make crossings at Sedan and Monthermé, respectively. Guderian's crossing by XIX Corps includes portions of 1st Panzer Division, 2nd Panzer Division, 10th Panzer Division, and (SS) Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland. This part of Panzer Group Kleist's breakout threatens a penetration into good tank country in the French heartland and is a serious breach of the Allied line. Guderian's men take a more traditional approach than Rommel's, with their initial crossing in rubber boats. There are still some French holdouts in Sedan, but many are beginning to surrender as the Luftwaffe launches mass raids at them (1000 bombers, including Stukas, engage in hours of bombing). Guderian is the first General firmly on French territory, and he gains the nickname "Fast Heinz."

This is true Blitzkrieg stuff, with the Stukas blasting holes through the French lines for the German troops to capitalize on. All of the German bridgeheads quickly put up pontoon bridges by evening. Tanks are able to cross and help expand the slender German footholds. French General Huntzinger has brave words about the penetrations: "That will just mean we take more prisoners."

However, the nearby French troops are not nearly as sanguine. The French troops begin to panic - in fact, the situation is known as the "Panic of Bulson" due to French troops fleeing a portion of the line on Bulson ridge 10 km (6.2 miles) behind the river. Any French chance to pierce the German bridgehead or even contain it is lost within the opening hours due to this panic and slow reflexes by the Supreme Allied Headquarters.

Northeast of Namur, Belgium, the French 2nd and 3rd Light Mechanized Divisions fight the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions of German XVI Corps of 6th Army. There is fierce fighting with many destroyed tanks throughout the day. The French tanks line up in a long line to cover the Gembloux gap, a strategy which fails. The Germans prevail through sheer numbers. While many German tanks are disabled, the Wehrmacht retains possession of the battlefield and many of them can be repaired; the French, however, incur staggering tank losses (roughly 105 tanks lost), with all complete write-offs. The French retreat to a defensive positions at Gembloux.

The Germans take Liege.

German ground troops link with the paratroopers holding the bridges at Moerdijk, a rare success for the airborne troops. The 9th Panzer Division of 18th Army breaks into "Fortress Holland" and is approaching Rotterdam from the south. The 22nd Flieger Division holds key bridges in the city. The Germans are approaching the Nieuwe Maas River.

At the Afsluitdijk in the far north, German troops advance after 62 Luftwaffe planes bomb Fort Kornwerderzand, losing four of their number. The assault fails completely, with heavy German casualties.

At Grebbeberg, the Germans shift their axis of attack to the north of the main hill. The Dutch are hampered by the withdrawal of support aircraft to fight the German penetrations across the Meuse to the south. Attacking first, the Dutch make some gains, but the Germans begin their own preparatory bombardment for an attack, and this, combined with rampant confusion and much friendly fire, destroys the Dutch attack. The Germans seize upon the confusion, mount attacks all along the line, and in the end the entire Dutch line falls. In the process, Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel) Hilmar Wäckerle and his battalion of the SS brigade, who had impetuously advanced through the Dutch lines on the 12th and then been surrounded in a factory, are relieved.

Photo: SS Regiment “Der Führer” at Grebbeberg



The Allies, ensconced on the Dyle Line, have taken some prisoners. Some 900 German POWs are transported to Britain aboard Dutch ship Phrontis.

The BEF receives reinforcements, as the British 2nd Battalion of Irish Guards Regiment arrives at Hook of Holland.

Air War over Europe

New French fighters appear over the front. Dewoitine D-520 fighters, which match any other fighters in the world, engage Bf 109s over the Meuse front and have a great debut, destroying four Luftwaffe planes without loss to themselves.

RAF bomber command switches to tactical missions, attacking bridges and road around the German breakouts near Maastricht and Eindhoven.

Battle of the Atlantic

German raider Widder continues its journey along the Norwegian coast. British submarine HMS Clyde spots Widder, but is unable to damage it.

Dutch submarines HNLMS O-23 (P-23) ( Lt. Commander Gerard Koudijs) and HNLMS O-24 (P-24) (Lt. Commander Gerardus B. M. van Erkel) are commissioned.

Norway

It is twilight throughout the night in Narvk. The Allies advance on Narvik from Harstad. Norwegian 6th Infantry Brigade leds the assault on Narvik. The Wehrmacht troops in Narvik are heavily outnumbered, one regiment facing several divisions, but are well-led and have advantages of terrain.

British cruisers HMS Aurora and HMS Effingham bombard Bjerkvik early in the morning. At 01:00, the French land the Foreign Legion and light tanks at Bjerkvik and Øyjord (13th Demi-Brigade Legion Etranger). This position can be used for landings across the Rombaksfjord, and also offers the chance to cut the main Narvik rail line to Sweden. The French take 36 casualties, and the local citizens also suffer.

British No. 2 Independent Company arrives in Bodo.

British Government: While introducing his new war cabinet in a radio broadcast, Winston Churchill fires off one of his best lines: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." The aim is:
"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be, for without victory, there is no survival."
His new Minister of Labour and National Service is Ernest Bevin, appropriately a Labour politician in Churchill's coalition government.

War Crimes

The Battle of Grebbeberg is fiercely fought, and there have been potential war crimes on both sides. Obersturmbannführer Wäckerle, in a desperate situation (he could not foresee the fall of the Dutch defenses so quickly), uses Dutch prisoners as human shields to break out. He also orders his men to don Dutch uniforms - though they forget to put on Dutch boots, which gives them away. The real Dutch units recognize the deception and fire on the escaping SS men, whose breakout fails. Wäckerle himself is badly wounded and evacuated once his troops are rescued.

Netherlands 

Several members of the royal family, including Queen Wilhelmina (aboard HMS Hereward), and part of the Dutch government (HMS Windsor) arrive in London.

British Homefront

The British government interns all Germans and Austrians in England as possible saboteurs.

China

US gunboat USS Tutuila (PR 4), stranded on a reef in the Yangtze River near Chungking, escapes from its predicament.

YouTube (First Speech as Prime Minister to the House of Commons
- "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat"
)

   Impressive performance by the Dutch in terms of the casualties inflicted, despite having their lines broken and much of the country being overrun. Too many mistakes by the allies overall however.

   In "As the force's commanding General, Brigadier Williams, on the ship, the person left in overall command of the force is Colonel Gubbins." I suspect something is missing as it doesn't make sense? If the entire brigade was on the ship then other than possibly a small proportion there should be nothing landed? Also unclear who is on the ship and who's ashore between Williams and Gubbins. Sounds like Gubbins is in charge of what's landed but if most hasn't landed it could be Williams has landed and Gubbins is with the bulk of the force retreating on the damaged ship.

Day 258 of World War II, May 15th 1940

Western Front

Forced by the destruction of Rotterdam, Holland surrenders to German forces. In Rijsoord, a suburb village of Rotterdam, Netherlands, Commander in Chief of Netherlands land and sea forces General Henri Winkelman signs formal capitulation of Netherlands armed forces to Germany. By the end of the campaign in the Netherlands, the Luftwaffe has lost 167 Junker Ju 52 transport aircraft totally destroyed including nearly ninety per cent of the strength of KGzbV 2 during the landings near The Hague. The real tragedy is that the instructors from the Luftwaffe Training schools who flew these aircraft are a loss that the Luftwaffe cannot easily replace.

Photo: General Henri Winkelman after signing the Dutch capitulation on May 15th 1940.



Photo: German paratroopers at the Inner Court (Binnenhof), The Hague, shortly after occupying the city.


British, Belgian and French troops believe they face bulk of the German army (it is, in fact, Bock’s Heeresgruppe B) on a line from the Channel coast in Zealand, Holland, South to Sedan on the French/Luxembourg border. Meanwhile, the Panzers of Rundstedt’s Heeresgruppe A prepare to spring the trap. The German Army begins a large attack across a 60-mile front of the River Meuse from Namur to Sedan. The Army succeeds in crossing the Meuse in three places. Reinhardt gets his 2 Panzer divisions across the Meuse at Monthermé, Guderian begins to break out from Sedan and Rommel advances 40km West from Dinant to Cerfontaine. German forces attack an Irish regiment holding a railroad station on the eastern edge of Louvain, successfully taking the position. General Bilotte, commanding the French 1st Army Group, decides to abandon the Dyle line in the face of Reichenau's attacks. His superior, General Georges, concurs with the decision and is now in fact beginning to lose his nerve. At this stage Gamelin, the Supreme Commander, remains oblivious and confident. The German tank forces push forward, urged on all the time by their commanders who are up with the leaders and in complete control of the situation. Their momentum is maintained by this leadership. The optimistic atmosphere at French GHQ is partly dispelled by the news that Guderian's tanks have reached Montcornet less than 15 miles from Laon. Guderian is ordered to halt here but after vigorous complaints he is allowed another day's march.

THE BATTLE OF GEMBLOUX: In the aftermath of the Battle of Hannut, some 35 km (22 mi) to the northeast, the town of Gembloux represented the last major prepared defensive position for the French on the Belgian front after the withdrawal from Hannut. 6.Armee intelligence continued to insist that the Allies were retreating, ordering XVI Corps to pursue and claiming that German tanks were already west of Gembloux (which was false). General Hoepner had decided to throw his tanks with available artillery and air support at a solid French defense rather than wait another day to bring up his two infantry divisions for a more powerful effort. At 0800 hours 3rd and 4th Panzerdivisions were to attack the railroad line on both sides of Tilly, well beyond the French defenses at Gembloux. Fliegerkorps VIII with the artillery available would support an assault on both sides of Ernage on a front of less than 6 km (3.7 mi). Stever of 4.Panzerdivision ordered his 4.Schützenbrigade to deploy three battalions in line from Gembloux to Ernage. As the infantry crossed the railroad line they were to fire white starshell. At this signal, 5.Panzer-Brigade would break cover and charge the French position together with the riflemen. Pursuit in the direction of Nivelles would follow. Stumpff's plan for 3.Panzerdivision is less clear. His first objective was to reach two hills west of the line Chastre-Noirmont.

At 0800 hours, the infantry of 4.Panzerdivision advanced undisturbed by enemy shelling. At 0810 hours, riflemen fired white starshell indicating that they had crossed the railroad line, but at 0820 hours French artillery engaged the incursion, and as the German tanks drove forward, they were pinned down. At 0930 hours, 36.PanzerRegiment was suffering heavy losses standing before an anti-tank obstacle, 35.PanzerRegiment similarly at 0945 hours. When 5.Panzer-Brigade headquarters asked why the infantry was not advancing, they were told "attack hopeless". By 1000 hours, II Battalion of the German 12.Schützen-Regiment had a company on the railroad line at Gembloux, but the advance was slow and costly and had halted by 1100 hours. Radio contact with 5.Panzer-Brigade was lost and the tanks were milling around and being picked off one by one. Meanwhile, infantry of 3.Panzerdivision attacked from Walhain-St.Paul against Perbais at 0915 hours, but they too were stuck fast by 1100 hours. By 1118 hours, the weight of French shelling on approach routes and installations drove the corps artillery commander to conclude that holding gains made and bringing in reinforcements were "gravely threatened". When the tanks finally began to fall back, the I. Battalion of the 12.Schützen-Regiment also withdrew, contrary to orders, forcing staff officers to turn out to stem the retreat. An attempt by 36.PanzerRegiment to exploit a gap in the railroad embankment near Lonzee against the 15th DIM broke down immediately under French fire. The 4.Panzerdivision was halted.

Map showing 7th Panzer Division movement. 



Since 3.Panzerdivision withheld its tank brigade, its battle went rather differently. At dawn, Third Battalion, the 3.Schützen-Regiment was to the northeast of Ernage, but its I and II Battalions (to the north and northwest of Ernage respectively) had moved too far to their right during the night, opening a gap of 1–2 km (0.6–1.2 mi) between 3. and 4.Panzerdivisions which should have abutted near Ernage. Thus, 3.Panzerdivision found itself engaged more against the French 110th Infantry Regiment (of the 1st DIM) at Perbais than intended. The I Battalion of the 3.Schützen-Regiment attacked the northern edge of the village, but the attack broke down under infantry fire. At 0800 hours, after further air and artillery preparation, II Battalion advanced toward Perbais and failed in turn. The commanders of the two battalions met to concert their efforts, while III battalion west of Baudeset received orders to close the gap between 3. and 4.Panzerdivisions. In a second effort, I and II Battalions renewed their advance with the support of 75.Artillerie-Regiment and took Perbais despite heavy loss and advanced to the railroad line. A few tanks came up to support them, and the situation began to look more promising. General Hoepner arranged for a new Stuka attack for 1200 hours and ordered his divisions to exploit it to break through the enemy position. But the French fire did not let up, and at 1230 hours Oberstleutnant Eberbach commanding the 35.PanzerRegiment refused to renew the attack, having lost half his tanks including his own. Stever came up to the headquarters of 33.Schützen-Regiment to urge on the attack, and was hit by a French shell and evacuated. Breith, commanding 5.Panzer-Brigade, was out of contact, so command devolved on Oberst von Boyneburg commanding 4.Schützenbrigade. At about 1400 hours, Hoepner passed on the order to stop the offensive, but he did not halt the effort of 3.Panzerdivision in the Ernage area. He began planning a new attack with the addition of 35. and 20.Infanterie-Divisionen. 6.Armee refused XVI Corps's request to renew the attack the next morning in favor of an set-piece attack by the whole army, which could not begin before 17 May. At 1500 hours, 4.Panzerdivision reported to XVI Corps that the Panzer Brigade staff was stuck on the railroad line. The 4.Schützenbrigade also had suffered heavy losses and there was no prospect of success, and it was "dubious" whether the troops could attack again on 16 May. At 1540 hours, Breith—wounded in the face by a shell fragment—turned up at division headquarters. He had spent three hours in a shellhole playing dead under heavy artillery fire. Stever was convinced a renewed attack on 16 May would not be possible. At 2000 hours, XVI Corps notified 4.Panzerdivision that the attack would be renewed only on 17 May, without 4.Panzerdivision.

The situation of 3.Panzerdivision was different. It had committed only a fraction of its tanks, and one of its three rifle battalions had not yet been heavily engaged. During the afternoon 3.Panzerdivision was troubled by reports from the neighboring 18t.Infanterie-Division of French armored counterattacks toward the division's right flank. At 1300 hours, 88 mm Flak and tanks of 5.PanzerRegiment moved to the Perbais area to ward off this threat. At 1648 hours, 3.Panzer-Brigade reported effective enemy artillery fire. At 1800 hours, units of 3.Schützenbrigade began withdrawing from Perbais. The 3.Panzer-Brigade ordered tanks forward to stem the retreat, but at 1820 hours the 3.Panzer-Brigade reported breaking through the anti-tank obstacle northwest of Ernage under heavy fire and Panzer Brigade called for artillery support. At almost the same instant, the 18th Infantry Division reported enemy armour attacking on both sides of Corbais. At 2000 hours, a captured enemy map arrived, showing the French dispositions. The intelligence officer of 3.Panzerdivision concluded that the situation was ripe for an attempt to break through. He travelled to corps headquarters to propose this but, as noted above, the proposal contradicted orders from 6.Armee and was dropped. Most of the tanks spent the day on standby around Orbais. Hoepner finally ordered the forward units of 3.Panzerdivision to hold their positions. In the meantime, however, almost the whole of 3.Schützen-Regiment and its supporting tanks pulled back. Its I and II Battalions were exhausted and had not been resupplied for 36 hours. The opportunity to break through the French defenses, if it ever really existed, was lost. The Battle of Gembloux ended with the Germans losing about 250 tanks, which was the equivalent of an entire armored division. The weakened French forces, however, were unable to hold the line despite their effective 75mm artillery and 25mm anti-tank guns. They fell back toward the Belgian-French border.

French Premier Paul Reynaud phones British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, telling him;"We have been defeated; we have lost the battle".

He asks for all the troops and planes he can send. Churchill decides to go himself to assess the situation. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill tells US President Franklin Roosevelt;"I think myself the battle on land has only just begun."

Air War over Europe

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 German industry. 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 - 24 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.

Anglo/US Relations

PM Winston Churchill sent a message to Franklin Roosevelt, asking for 40 to 50 destroyers, hundreds of fighters, anti-aircraft guns, steel, among other war-related materials, signing himself as Former Naval Person. He also asked the US President to order a visit by US Navy warships to Ireland as a show of force. In regards to the situation in the Pacific Ocean, he requests Roosevelt to intimidate the Japanese, offering the Americans the use of Singapore if deemed necessary.

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 2,400 Germans and 400 members of the Dutch National Socialist group.

China

The Japanese begin attacking Chungking and Chengtu.

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.

Day 260 of World War II, May 17th 1940

Western Front

French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud is casting about for a solution to an insoluble problem. He has fired Commander-in-chief Gamelin and recalled Generals Weygand and Petain from the Middle East. He also appeals for a thousand American planes to fill the French skies and drive out the invader.

The German OKW (military high command) is increasingly agitated at the panzer divisions heading toward the channel without waiting for the infantry. Many of the top general are infantry officers who do not understand or appreciate fluid battles. In addition, and more importantly, Hitler gets nervous and throws tantrums about the danger of armour advancing beyond the infantry. General Jodl notes in his diary that Hitler is "nervous and irritable - terrified by success, fearful of collapse."

General Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist issues (another) stop order and holds a dramatic meeting with General Guderian. Guderian resigns, and von Kleist accepts the resignation. General Gerd von Rundstedt, though, who was one of the original advocates of the Fall Gelb plan, steps in. He reinstates Guderian. Guderian is allowed to continue his "reconnaissance in force," and he maintains the farce by purposefully understating the extent of his troops' advance in reports to his superiors.

As shown in several actions, the French tanks are of high quality. More investment in them and less in the Maginot Line might have made more sense in the pre-war years. While strong, however, they have the odd weakness of having limited range. Many French tanks are rendered useless to operations when they simply run out of gas while assembling for battle.

The Dash to the Channel by General Guderian's XIX Corps and General Hoth's forces, led by General Erwin Rommel's 7th "Ghost" Panzer Division, is proceeding at full speed.

General Rommel and the 5th Panzer Division have lost 50 of their 500 tanks destroying French 1st Division Cuirassée (DCR), which has been forced to retreat with only 3 tanks left. Before dawn, Rommel takes Avesnes-sur-Helpe. Rommel presses forward throughout the day, and reaches and seizes Le Cateau by evening. To do so, he must cross the Sambre River. The French helpfully have left a bridge there intact for him. Rommel at this point claims to have taken 10,000 prisoners to losses of only 36 men.

Map: crossing the river.



Guderian's armoured troops (1st, 2nd and 10th Panzer Divisions) are near the Oise River south of Guise. Guderian continues west nonetheless. His troops reach Maubeuge by evening.

The French 4th Armored Division under General Charles de Gaulle is assembled near Laon with 200 tanks, including the fine Char B. At 04:14, he attempts a flank attack on General Guderian's own headquarters at Montcornet. Guderian calls the 10th Panzer Division back from its fight on the flank, and also calls in the Luftwaffe's Fliegerkorps VIII.

De Gaulle's men surround Montcornet by noon and take 500 prisoners, but the Luftwaffe and the Germans in the town (using 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank guns), along with some panzers, stop the assault around mid-day. At 16:00, de Gaulle tries again, and this time the German defenders add 88 mm Flak guns to the defense. The Luftwaffe returns at 18:00, and the French are forced back to their starting positions having lost 23 tanks. The Germans are not impressed by the French tentativeness. De Gaulle does get one cheery bit of news, though, when a superior tells him that his advocacy of mass armoured attacks is indeed the correct strategy: "Cheer up! The Germans have proved you right!"

German Sixth Army under General Reichenau have brushed aside all resistance and today take Brussels as the BEF retreats before it. The Allies evacuate Antwerp and the islands of Walcheren and Beveland, but the Germans are not yet ready to occupy them.

Lord Gort, in charge of the BEF, has a decision to make. He has a strong force of capable troops, while the Germans in front of him are not much of a threat. There is, however, a very dangerous German spearhead breaking out from Sedan (headed westward) advancing to the sea just to his south. Gort can either retire toward the coast himself, or perhaps stage a spectacular flank attack on the German mobile forces.

Gort makes his decision. He forms a small force to protect his flank from the Germans under his chief of intelligence, General Mason-Macfarlane. Regardless of the his abilities as a battlefield commander, Mason-Macfarlane likely would be of more use in his intelligence role than in commanding troops. Gort then retreats to the west. It is this retrograde movement that enables Reichenau's 6th Army to enter Brussels. The British and French fall back from the Dyle River to the Dendre River.

Battle of Zeeland (Netherlands)

The Germans are in control of the east part of Walcheren and Zuid-Beveland. The map below clearly indicates the Allied positions in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen at the end of the day, and the short cut the Germans took to be as expeditious as possible in cutting off French and Dutch forces at Walcheren. Many Dutch units remained trapped in the west of Walcheren.





Air War over Europe 

The RAF sends in a dozen or so Blenheim bombers against the Germans at Gembloux, Belgium, losing eight and not appreciably damaging the Wehrmacht troops.

RAF Bomber Command continues its turn to strategic bombing and attacks Hamburg, Bremen and Cologne during the night.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Venezuelan government orders the navy to take over German merchant ships Durazzo and Sesostris.

Convoy SL 32 departs from Freetown.

Norway

British cruiser Effingham is carrying 2nd Battalion of the South Wales Borderers and supplies south of Narvik. Due to fears of Luftwaffe attacks, it is proceeding at a fast 23 knots in shallow waters. It hits a rock 12 miles off Bodø. HMS Effingham is a complete write-off and eventually is scuttled to avoid capture. The battalion of troops aboard is brought back to Harstad.

The Germans of 2nd Mountain Division attack the allies at Stien, some 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Mo i Rana. They mount a frontal assault under Generalleutnant Valentin Feurstein. The main German assault is stopped, but a flanking effort using skis comes down behind the defenders on the Dalselva River using Schmeisser machine pistols. The Allies withdraw.

Iceland

The British 147th Infantry Brigade takes over as an occupation force. Pursuant to government orders, the (invading) troops are to be treated as "guests," and it is a fairly easy billet but for the weather. This is Operation Fork. The 147th Brigade has a sense of humor and adopts as its unit insignia a polar bear on an ice floe.

Holland

General Tiedemann is the new military commadner of Amsterdam. He tells the Mayor that "If the Jews don’t want to see us, we don’t want to see them."

French Military

The French military is a true multicultural force. The Journal officiel de la République française publishes a decree allowing chaplains for Muslims in the French Army.

US Navy

President Roosevelt plans to recommission 35 "flush deck" destroyers. This will free up destroyer's to meet British Prime Minister Churchill's needs.

China

At the Battle of Tsaoyang-Ichang, the Japanese 11th Army marches into Tsaoyang.

Day 262 of World War II, May 19th 1940

Western Front

The French are completely discombobulated, with little idea where the front is and what the Germans might do. The commander of the French 9th Army, General Giraud, is captured by a German panzer unit.

Lord Gort, head of the BEF, has a conversation with General Edmund Ironside, the British Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Ironside recommends attacking southwest toward Amiens. Lord Gort replies that he has insufficient troops, as 7 of his 9 divisions are in action on the Scheldt. Somewhat bizarrely, Gort relates that his putative French commander, General Billotte of the 1st Army Group, has not issued him any orders in a fortnight.

Ironside then talks to General Billotte, who is nearby. He finds that Billotte is incapable of taking action. Ironside returns to England convinced that the end is near for the BEF and ramps up anti-invasion efforts. A code name is generated for a BEF evacuation: Operations Dynamo.

Much of the German Panzer forces has been halted between Péronne and St. Quentin for refueling, maintenance, and re-supply. Today, General Guderian starts moving forward again. He takes Péronne, only 50 miles from the French coast. This disrupts the supply lines of the BEF and French forces fighting to the north.

General Rommel regroups at Cambrai.

Brigadier General de Gaulle launches his second attack from Laon into the German spearhead flank at Montcornet using the 4th Armoured Division. Once again, as on the 17th, he makes some progress, but the effort runs out of steam. However, there is no corresponding thrust from the other side of the bulge which might cut off the most advanced German units.

Map: French Counterattacks at Montcornet and Crecy-sur-Serre May 17–19th 1940



The Belgian army withdraws in the sector including St Nicholas, Lakeren, and Audenard.

Photo Belgian tank on fire in Zwyndrecht, Antwerp, Belgium



The BEF pulls back near Lille.

On the Maginot Line, the German 71st Infantry Division, after a three-day battle, take the left-most anchor of the line, Fort La Ferté (known as Panzerwerk 505 to the Wehrmacht). The French inside succumb to smoke and toxic fumes after their ammunition catches fire. The fort, 20 km south of Sedan on a hill overlooking the Chiers River, has been blocking the German advance. The Germans occupy the village of Villy. underneath the fort The fort had been scaled back during construction due to cost, making it a death trap for the 107 soldiers inside.

Air War over Europe 

Fliegerkorps VII is covering the German advance toward Abbeville. This is a key component of "Blitzkrieg." There are radio-equipped forward liaison Luftwaffe officers travelling with the panzers who have direct lines to the Luftwaffe bases. The amount of time between a request for air support and its arrival is minimal, around 10 minutes for Henschel HS 123s and 45-75 minutes for the Ju 87 Stukas.

The Luftwaffe bombs Royal Navy destroyer HMS Whitley, which must be beached and scuttled.

The Luftwaffe bombs Dieppe.

The Luftwaffe also is supporting the attacks on the Maginot Line in the south. They are hitting fortresses and helping the ground to make progress against this supposedly invulnerable line.

The RAF once again bombs oil refineries in the Ruhr.

The RAF begins pulling its last squadrons in Belgium. They have lost over half of their aircraft and the German army is approaching their airfields. BEF air cover will be conducted from England.

There are reports that 100,000 people perished in the Rotterdam air attacks, with a third of the city destroyed. This figure is likely wildly exaggerated for propaganda purposes, but then again, nobody knows how many people died. The high figure illustrates the depths of fear and terror being sown by the innovative Blitzkrieg. Rotterdam has joined "Warsaw" on the litany of Luftwaffe misdeeds chronicled in Allied propaganda.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-37 (Kapitänleutnant Victor Oehrn) torpedoes and sinks 5,066 ton Swedish freighter MV Erik Frisell. All 34 aboard survive, picked up by armed trawler HMS Cobbers.

Royal Navy minelayer HMS Princess Victoria hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea.

Convoy OA 151 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 151 departs from Liverpool, and Convoy OG 30 forms at Gibraltar.

Norway

The evacuation of Mo i Rana concludes, with the last rear guard troops of B Company of the Scots Guard and No. 1 Independent Company pulling out. The German 2d Mountain Division occupies the town, and sends troops further north toward Bodo.

Military Intelligence

The cryptoanalysts at Bletchley Park crack the Enigma "Red" code being used by the Luftwaffe liaison officers to coordinate ground support.

Anglo/US Relations

Winston Churchill sends President Roosevelt a plea for quick aid while discussing something else. "If [the old destroyers] were here in 6 weeks, they would play an invaluable part."

Sweden

The government announces that, like Great Britain, it will form its own home defence corps. It also institutes gasoline rationing.

Ethiopia

A group of Italian settlers arrives.

War Crimes

Civilians live in fear of Allied troops who reportedly are shooting civilians who they are mistaking for German paratroopers or infiltrators. There are other anecdotal reports of Allied troops shooting civilians who they believe, for one reason or another, to be aiding the Nazi advance.

British Homefront

Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes an address to the British people which he calls " Be ye men of valour," which is a quotation from 1 Maccabees in the Apocrypha. Churchill mentions that only "a very small part" of the French army has been engaged with the Germans, but that it would be "foolish ... to disguise the gravity of the hour." He vows to "wage war until victory is won, and never to surrender ourselves to servitude and shame, whatever the cost and the agony may be."

American Homefront

Charles Lindbergh makes another radio broadcast in support of isolationism:
"We need not fear a foreign invasion unless American peoples bring it on through their own quarreling and meddling with affairs abroad. If we desire peace, we need only stop asking for war. No one wishes to attack us, and no one is in a position to do so."