Not very beautiful on May 10, 1940, Belgium and the Netherlands receive from the German command an ultimatum reproaching the violation of neutrality – the passing of British aircraft over their territory. The note calls on Holland not to hinder German troops entering the country, not as enemies. However, by this time the German soldiers are already on the land of the Netherlands. The government of the country dams and cheese requests help from the British and French. Their expeditionary corps are nominated to establish contact with the Dutch. German paratroopers capture a strategically important bridge at Rotterdam. This move allows German tanks to block large Dutch infantry units. Under the threat of bombardment of the capital, there is a demand for complete surrender. The ultimatum is accepted, however, as a result of the error, or the deliberate action of 60 Heinkel 111 bombers dropping 97 tons of bombs on Rotterdam. Holland surrenders five days after the declaration of war. Losses of the Dutch side: 2330 soldiers and officers, 70 aircraft, (68 «Typhoon» lose the Air Force of England), as well as 2000 civilians. Germany – 3000 military, 275 aircraft. The photograph shows the outskirts of the Dutch Rotterdam after the bombing.
The idea of the ambitious German officer Erich von Manstein – to attack the superior in number (4 million versus 3 million Wehrmacht) Anglo-French army through the mountainous Ardennes, from the north, by the few cohesive tank units, is found in the Fuhrer.Photography – German soldiers inspect the British tank "Matilda", shot down during the Ardennes operation
The battle continues to unfold in neighboring Belgium. Here, on May 10—11, French, British, Belgian troops and Wehrmacht units converge. The first really grand operation of the Germans begins almost a failure. In the vicinity of Luxembourg, a motorized column of 41,000 units of equipment, a bumper to the bumper, gets into a 250-kilometer traffic jam. However, the bewildered allies never bombard this light target. Finally, 1,100 tanks break away from infantry clusters and break through mountain serpentines into Belgium. Three days later, steel cars, with crews tightly tucked in pervitin, almost seamlessly cross the borders of France.Photography – German scouts are moving along the street of the destroyed French city
From the battles of this period, we note a large tank battle at Annu. 623 German (Panzer 1—2) and 415 French (Renault, Hotchkiss) tanks converge here. The shortcomings of German armored vehicles are revealed – thin, 14, 5 mm. armor and weak 20 mm. a gun. They are opposed by 45 mm. armor and 37 mm. the guns of Hotchkiss, whose crews, however, consist of only two people. The tactics of the panzerwaffe – to beat with a steel fist, with a clear coordination on the radio and a clear goal, shows superiority over the manner of the opponents to place the tanks in a shaky line. The armed forces of Belgium withdraw from the fight on May 28.The photo shows the dead French tanker near the Renault tank, France, 1940.
During offensive operations of the Wehrmacht in the Benelux countries, and in France, in addition to parachute assault forces, towed gliders are actively used. This method of landing is associated with the loss of the aircraft, but allows the fighters to remain in the group with the cargo. It seems that war for these soldiers is just such an adventure.
German fighter «Messerschmitt Focke-Wulf 190». The basis of German domination in the air of the first half of World War II. The take-off weight is 2200 kg. The maximum speed after replacing the engine in 1938 is 570—580 km. h. Armament – four 7.92 mm. machine gun, or two machine guns and 20 mm. a gun. During the war years produced 33,000 units (the most massive combat aircraft in history).
Battle sites are shifted to the French Dunkirk. Promotion of the German Panzerwa is ruined by rugged terrain. Also, they do not seek to enter the zone of the British ship artillery. Surrounded by the Anglo-French troops, taking advantage of the weather that interferes with the actions of aviation, they are evacuated by sea, leaving the enemy with all heavy equipment. The idea to create a springboard, a thorn in the body of Continental Europe, is not considered. Photography – evacuation of British soldiers on ships coming close to the shore. Dunkirk, June 1940
taly is entering the war on the side of Germany. Although its three hundred thousandth army is not successful, it finally demoralizes the French. And, on June 21, in the Compiegne Forest, in the same place where an armistice was signed 20 years ago, France’s capitulation is announced. The loss of Belgium: 6,000 people irrevocably, 202,000 prisoners, 112 aircraft. France: 84,000 killed, 1.8 million prisoners (they are sent to forced labor in Germany), 50 aircraft. United Kingdom: 68,000 people, 1,000 aircraft, 64,000 units of vehicles. And, victorious Germany – 18,000 soldiers and officers according to German data and 45,000 according to the calculations of English historians. Luftwaffe lose 432 aircraft. In addition to the French economy, Germany gets 2,000 battle-capable tanks (used against partisans or converted into self-propelled guns), 1,400 aircraft, and seven thousand French volunteer legions. Photography – rescued «Tommy» move to the shores of Albion, Pas-de-Calais, June 1940
Burning storage tanks Dunkirk. Exodus ends. On the right is a British aircraft patrol
Dunkirk through the lens of a German camera
The wagon in Compiegne Forest (France), the one in which 22 years ago was signed a humiliating world for Germany. The capitulation of France, or, more precisely, its northern half, is taken by the once glorious Marshal Petain, the hero of the First World War (right in the center)
The occupation of France, Germany and Italy, 1940. The main part of the French fleet, maintaining a high degree of combat effectiveness, is based in Toulon. The resort town of Vichy becomes the capital of the government
German children and soldiers welcome the success of Nazi Germany, 1940
On the night of July 3, 1940, British units seize French ships in British ports. Not without bloody incidents. On both sides, several people die. The meaning of the operation is not to allow the French, if they wish, to transfer the fleet to the Germans (or go over to their side). Similar actions are being taken in all the bases of the Mediterranean Sea, where the ships controlled by Vichy are located. In the Egyptian port of Alexandria, the initiative of the British captain-negotiator allows you to come to a compromise. In July 1943, the battleship, four cruisers and several destroyers joined the Anglo-American allies. But, in other places, everything is much more complicated.
To neutralize part of the French fleet, stationed in the harbor of Mers-el-Kebir (Algeria), the British equip a squadron of three battleships, two cruisers, an aircraft carrier and eleven destroyers. In the ultimatum filed by the French, there is a requirement to go to the ports of the West Indies, or to scuttle ships. The British commander orders to open fire at 16.45, without waiting for the expiration of the submitted note. Shells cover the crowded, anchored battleships, cruisers, destroyers, navigation vessels and submarines. Three battleships are hard to repair damage and are stranded.