Air Operations, Europe

26 LeO-451s with fighter escort bomb Panzers refuelling at Montcornet. 4 are lost. The RAF's Advanced Air Striking Force withdraws from bases south of the Meuse to Troyes area east of Paris.

China

John Nevin Sayre, self-proclaimed peace ambassador and Christian pacifist, tells Roosevelt that Japan is willing to negotiate and wants to 'retire gracefully' from its costly Chinese war.

Diplomatic Relations

Churchill writes to Mussolini urging him to avoid a conflict between Britain and Italy. It could well be that the imminent threat of Italian intervention in the war could force the British to give up the Mediterranean route for the safer but longer route around the Cape of Good Hope.

United States, Politics

Roosevelt asks Congress to authorize plans to modernize the U.S. Army and Navy including the production of 50,000 military planes per year. In all, $1.2 billion is requested to finance this massive operation. Congress applauds him and public opinion is favorable.

Western Front

The British and French forces which advanced into Belgium only a few days ago, begin to retreat to their former positions behind the line of the Scheldt. The Belgian government moves to Ostend.

A French heavy tank Char B1 lays destroyed at the Belgian town of Beaumont The Char B1 was a specialised heavy break-through vehicle, originally conceived as a self-propelled gun with a 75 mm howitzer in the hull; later a 47 mm gun in a turret was added, to allow it to function also as a Char de Bataille, a "battle tank" fighting enemy armour, equipping the armoured divisions of the Infantry Arm. Starting in the early twenties, its development and production were repeatedly delayed, resulting in a vehicle that was both technologically complex and expensive, and already obsolescent when real mass-production of a derived version, the Char B1 "bis", started in the late thirties. Although a second uparmoured version, the Char B1 "ter", was developed, only two prototypes were built. Among the most powerfully armed and armoured tanks of its day, the type was very effective in direct confrontations with German armour in 1940 during the Battle of France, but slow speed and high fuel consumption made it ill-adapted to the war of movement then being fought. After the defeat of France captured Char B1 (bis) would be used by Germany, with some rebuilt as flamethrowers or mechanised artillery.

Units of Hoth's XV Panzer Corps, with Rommel's 7th Div well to the fore, have penetrated 50 miles into French territory in the direction of Cambrai and to the south Guderian's forces are moving on St Quentin. Again a halt order is issued to the German tank forces because some of the more conservative minds at army headquarters cannot accept that the Panzers can advance so far without exposing their flanks. Towards evening Guderian's armored divs reach a point about 60 miles west of Sedan.

In fact the speed of the advance has itself protected them & thrown the French into confusion. The French Premier, Reynaud, tells Churchill by radio that the battle is lost and the road to Paris already wide open to the enemy. Churchill, accompanied by Sir John Dill, Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff, arrives in Paris by air in the early afternoon. He goes to the Quai d'Orsay to meet with Reynaud, Daladier and Gen Gamelin. Perhaps the best indication of the German success is the conversation between Churchill, on a visit to Paris, and Gamelin. Churchill asks where the strategic reserve is and is appalled to receive the answer that there is none, or at least none left. Outside the room where this meeting takes place French government employees are beginning to burn secret files.[MORE]