On the extreme left the main push comes from Rommel's 7th Panzer Division. The Führer has entrusted its commander with a special mission: to capture Cherbourg as quickly as possible in order to prevent the last British units, now falling back in the Cotentin peninsula, from reaching the port and embarking. This means a race between the German armor and Gen Marshall-Cornwall's 'Normanforce'.

The British troops had started for the coast at midnight on June 16th and are hurrying along the two roads leading to Cherbourg: the one on the left, which runs through Coutances and La Haye-du-Puits, and the one on the right, which runs throu Saint-Lô, Carentan and Valognes. They were slowed down, however, by columns of French soldiers and refugees.

The 7th Panzer Division, which is in the vicinity of Laigle, starts moving forward at dawn. Its orders are to reach the Nonnant-Sées road and then head straight for Cherbourg, smashing its way through every obstacle that it encounters. By this time German air reconnaissance crews are reporting warships and transport vessels at Cherbourg. It seems likely that the evacuation has already started.

By 1pm the division is near Boucé, and by midnight it has covered more than 150 miles, pausing only in Flers to refuel. It is still 25 miles from Cherbourg, however, and by then the British units are already in the port. They have driven 200 miles in 24 hours.

In Laval, principal town of the department of Mayenne, the civilian and military authorities are faced with difficulties typical of these crisis days. The town has been made the evacuation center for the entire population of Aisne. The normal population of Laval was 28,000. It now has to shelter an additional 80,000.

In addition, 400,000 who have come from Laon, Saint-Quentin, Vervins, Soissons and Château-Thierry are scattered along the road between Paris and Quimper. They are lost in the flood of refugees from fifteen other Départements. There can be no question of regrouping them, aiding them or even advising them. Food is running short. An epidemic of dysentery has broken out, particularly among the women and children packed in the cellars.

In Rennes, likewise packed with refugees, 2,000 are killed and 900 injured by an intensive air raid.

In Brest a number of cruisers forestall the arrival of the panzer divisions by sailing for Dakar with the remaining gold reserves of the Bank of France.

In Saint-Nazaire work on the uncompleted Jean-Bart is vigorously stepped up in an attempt to save the 35,000-ton battleship from falling into German hands.p>

In the center the German columns that have crossed the Loire at La Charité and Nevers are threatening Touchon's and Frère's decimated armies from the rear. On the right the Germans are striking boldly southward through the Saône and Rhône valleys in a bid to cut off the Alpine Army. Guderian's panzers have reached Pontarlier and Montbéliard. The units that make up the XXXIX and XLI Panzer Corps are close to physical exhaustion, but they are spurred on by a commander who is determined to forge ahead.

Within a week the Panzers have advanced from Charleville to the Swiss border. When Guderian triumphantly telephones Hitler with the news that he has entered Pontarlier, the Führer tells him he must be wrong - surely he means Pontailler-sur-Saône.

Then Guderian orders a general 'left-wheel' toward Belfort and the Meuse, in order to mop up resistance in the Jura hills and attack the Maginot Line from the rear. By 9am Gen Prételat is telephoning from Bourg to announce that he is cut off from Belfort. His question, is he to rejoin his troops? Gen Georges presses him to make every effort to get through by plane, since his presence would put fresh vigor into the fighting.

All over France, the roads are a sorry sight. The long lines of cars and trucks move more and more slowly, like an outflow of lava cooling and setting. Fuel is running out. Another few gallons and that will be the end. Vehicles that have been brought to a standstill are being tipped off the roads to make room for those that are still moving, for the time being.

If the cars can be halted, the panic can not. 'The roads were silent now,' writes Fabre-Luce, 'but they were still packed with men of military age afraid of being captured, soldiers trying to make their way home, Polish and Spanish workers freed by the Ministry of Munitions.'

At 9:30pm Gen Sir Alan Brooke leaves Saint-Nazaire aboard the armed trawler Cambridgeshire.

ARMISTICE NEGOTIATIONS

The gist of Paul Baudouin's 1am conversation with Senor de Laquerica has been telephoned to Madrid. It reaches Wilhelmstrasse at 3am. From there it is sent by special wire to Hitler at Sedan.

The Führer at once gets in touch with Mussolini, informing him of the French request for an armistice and suggesting talks in Munich.