HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

UNITED KINGDOM MILITARY SERIES

Edited by J. R. M. Butler

THE WAR IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS
1939-1940

By Major L. F. Ellis
C.V.O., C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C.

LONDON 1954
HMSO


CONTENTS

Chapter   Page
Editor's Preface ix
Author's Preface xv
I Pre-War Policies and Plans 1
II The First Winter (3rd September, 1939, to 9th May, 1940) 15
III Advance into Belgium (20th May to 15th May, 1940) 35
IV Withdrawal to the Escaut (16th May to 19th May, 1940) 59
V Isolation of the Northern Armies (20th May, 1940) 75
VI The Countr-Attack at Arras (21st May, 1940) 87
VII High Level Moves (20th May to 22nd May, 1940) 103
VIII The Canal Line (23rd May, 1940) 121
IX Fighting on Two Fronts (24th May and 25th May, 1940) 135
X Defence of the Channel Ports (22nd May to 26th May, 1940) 153
XI The Decision to Evacuate (26th May, 1940) 171
XII Dunkirk, Bethune and Ypres (27th May, 1940) 183
XIII After the Belgian Surrender (28th May, 1940) 201
XIV The Final Withdrawal (29th May, 1940) 215
XV The Defence of the Bridgehead (30th May and 31swt May, 1940) 225
XVI Last Days at Dunkirk (1st June to 4th June, 1940) 239
XVII From the Saar to the Somme (10th May to 25th May, 1940) 249
XVIII The Fight for the Somme Crossings (26th May to 4th June, 1940) 259
XIX The New German Offensive (5th June to 8th June, 1940) 271
XX From the Bresle to St Valery (9th June to 12th June, 1940) 283
XXI The Final Phase (12th June to 18th June, 1940) 295
XXII Review of Air Operations 307
XXIII Conduct and Consequences of the Campaign 315
Supplement The Planning and Conduct of the German Campaign 333
Appendix A
British Forces Engaged 357
Appendix B
French and German texts quoted in translation 375
Appendix C
German Forces Engaged 400
Index 407

MAPS

  facing page
General 1
General 15
The Canal Line and Ypres Front 121
Boulogne 158
Calais 170
Amiens to Havre 253
From the Somme to the Bresle 270
SITUATION MAPS
British dispositions 9th May, 1940 34
German Advance to the Sea 20th May, 1940 86
Counter-attack at Arras 21st May, 1940 102
Situation immediately before evacuation of Arras on night of 23rd May, 1940 134
Situation on the evening of 26th May, 1940 182
Situation on the evening of 27th May, 1940 200
The Withdrawal to the Coast 202
Situation on the evening of 28th May, 1940 214
Situation on the evening of 29th May, 1940 224
Situation on the evening of 30th May, 1940 238
Situation on the evening of 1st June, 1940 244
Amiens to Havre--Situation on the evening of 8th June, 1940 282
Amiens to Havre--Situation on the evening of 10th June, 1940 294
German Situation Map--24th May, 1940 inside back cover
SKETCH MAPS INCLUDED IN TEXT
Ports, Routes and Lines of Communications 18
Frontier Defences and the Dyle Line 23
Maastricht 41
German Dispositions on 10th May, 1940 45
Dyle Front--British Dispositions on 15th May, 1940 (diagram) 47
Dispositions of B.E.F. on 15th May, 1940, at noon 48
Escaut Front--British Artillery Dispositions, 21st May, 1940 (diagram) 70
Escaut Front--British Infantry Dispositions, 21st May, 1940 (diagram) 71
Locations of Back Component and Advanced Air Striking Force, 24th May, 1940 99
The Escaut, Frontier, Lys and Yser Lines 109
The Escaut and Frontier Lines 122
Sea Routes from Dunkirk 185
Dunkirk Harbour 222
Saar Front, British sector, May, 1940 250
Europe in 1939 and 1940 329
Evolution of Plan Yellow--three versions 342-43
Forward German Divisions disposed for attack on 10th May, 1940 345

ILLUSTRATIONS

  facing page
General the Viscount Gort 10
General Goerges 11
General Gamelin 26
Air Marshal A.S. Barratt 27
The Dyle and the Dendre 68
The Escaut and the Canal Line 69
General Weygand 104
Vice-Admiral Sir Bertram H. Ramsay 212
Dunkirk: the outer harbour 213
St Valery-en-Caux 290
Colonel-Generals von Brauchitsch, von Bock and von Rundstedt 334


Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation