Chronology of World War II

May 1940

Battle of the Atlantic - The U-boat effort this month is again fairly small. Only 13 ships of 55,500 tons are sunk this way. The start of the German campaign in western Europe is, however, marked by an increase in air and mining activity. The total Allied losses are 101 ships of 288,400 tons. New corvette-type escort vessels are beginning to come into service with the British forces. These ships are slower than is ideal and very uncomfortable for their crews in rough Atlantic weather but they are, nonetheless, of vital importance because they have good range and can be built quickly.(Allied Ships Lost to U-boats)

On May 16 the British Admiralty decide to close the Mediterranean to normal British merchant shipping. This adds more than 20,000 miles to the round trip from Britain to Suez and since many of the convoys on this route will carry important troops and arms they must be escorted strongly. After the French surrender, Freetown will be the only port available on the west coast of Africa but the facilities there will be inadequate to cope with all the traffic. There will be considerable strain on British resources.


Wednesday, May 1st

Battle of the Atlantic

The British submarine Narwhal attacks a German convoy 9 miles east of Skagen. The German steamer Buenas Aires (6097t) is sunk and the steamer Bahia Castillo (8579t) is badly damaged. 60 men and 240 horses are lost and 64 men are wounded on the Buenas Aires. 10 men and 26 horse are lost and 23 men are wounded on the Bahia Castillo.

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China

Japanese forces resume offensive operations with broad attack in western Hupei Province aimed at extending control over the Yangtze River and adding to the pressures on Chungking, the seat of Chiang Kai-shek's government.

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Diplomatic Relations

A personal message is sent by President Roosevelt to Mussolini strongly urging him not to enter the war.

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Hawaii

Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands becomes the new base for the US Pacific Fleet as a deterrent against Japanese aggression.

Pearl Harbor - May 1940


Pearl Harbor - May 1940
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Norway

4,400 men have been evacuated from Andalsnes but a lot of their equipment has been lost. British troops are also evacuated from Ålesund. The Germans counterattack near Narvik, but are repulsed on May 2.

The German forces link up between Oslo and Bergen. 4,000 Norwegians surrender to the Germans in the Lillehammer sector.

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Western Front

The French military attaché in Berne sends a report to Paris that the Germans will open a major offensive between May 8 and 10 with the main effort towards Sedan.

Hitler orders that the Gelb offensive against the Low Countries and France will begin on May 5.

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Thursday, May 2nd

Diplomatic Relations

Mussolini replies to Roosevelt suggesting 'reciprocity", continued recognition of the Monroe Doctrine by Italy in exchange for a US pledge not to interfere in the affairs of Europe.

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Norway

The Germans reach Andalsnes. The Allies begin to leave Namsos. Before dawn 5,400 French and British troops have been evacuated. Small French and British forces are landed at Mosjoen to try to help block the road north to Narvik.

German Reinforcements


German Reinforcements
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Friday, May 3rd

Air Operations, Europe

The RAF bomb Ry (Denmark), Fornebu and Stavanger airfields.

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German Raiders

The German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis sinks the British steamer Scientist (6199t) in the South Atlantic with the loss of 2 of her crew.

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Hickam Field, Hawaii


Hickam Field, Hawaii

Norway

The French destroyer Bison and the British destroyer Afridi are sunk by German air attacks while evacuating the Allied forces from Namsos. The Bison is hit in the Norwegian Sea by German bombing which causes a huge explosion blowing off the fore of the ship. Survivors are taken off by the British destroyer Grenade, others are rescued from the water by British destroyers Imperial and Afridi. Not long after the Afridi is badly damaged by bombing. British destroyers Griffin and Imperial pick up her survivors. 49 of Afridi's are lost along with 30 of Bison's crew.

All the British troops in central and southern Norway are evacuated, leaving only a small force at Narvik. From this point on the war in southern Norway is at an end and the fighting shifts to the north where the Norwegian forces have had time to be prepared.

German Troops in Norway


German Troops in Norway

Evacuation of Namsos


Evacuation of Namsos

Elverum Bombed


Elverum Bombed

The Norwegian forces in the Trondheim area surrender.

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German Ships


German Ships

Secret War

Col Hans Oster of the Abwehr tells Col Bert Sas, Dutch military attaché in Berlin, that Germany will attack the Low Countries soon (probably May 8).

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Western Front

Hitler postpones the Gelb offensive from May 5 to May 6. There are further postponement on May 7 and 8.

The French 2nd Army commander, Gen Charles Huntziger, orders the demolition of anti-tank obstacles (built without his approval) on 2 main roads from the Ardennes forest.

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Saturday, May 4th

Battle of the Atlantic

  • The British submarine Seal lays mines in the Kattegat, then is badly damaged by a mine herself. She is captured and towed by the German trawler Franken to Frederikshavn. Her crew of 54 are taken prisoner. The ship will be repaired and enter German service in November. 4 ships will be lost in the minefield laid by the Seal. The first ship lost is the Swedish fishing boat Aimy (200t) on this same day.
  • The British submarine Severn intercepts the Swedish steamer Monark (1786t) off Stavanger. She had been seized by German forces on 9 April. After removing the prize crew, which were from the German light cruiser Konigsberg, the Severn torpedoes and sinks the Monark.
  • The British tanker San Tiburcio (5995t) sinks 4 miles from Tarbett Ness in Moray Firth on a mine laid by U-9 on 9 February. The crew is rescued by the British anti-submarine trawler Leicester City and the British destroyer Codrington.
    • The Norwegian steamers Blaafjeld (1146t), Pan (1309t) and Sekstant (1626t) are sunk by German bombing near Namsos. The entire crews of the Blaafjeld and Sekstant are rescued. Also sunk by German bombing is the Norwegian steamer Aafjord (335t) at Breiviken.
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    Holland

    In the Netherlands suspected Nazi saboteurs and their sympathizers are arrested.

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    Norway

    British troops land at Mo, south of Narvik.

    The Polish destroyer Grom is bombed by 3 He-111s and sinks off Narvik. 59 of her 180 crew are lost. Her survivors are rescued by the British light cruiser Enterprise.

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    Secret War

    Papal Nuncio warns King Leopold of Belgium that a German attack is imminent.

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    Sunday, May 5th

    Norway

    The German forces continue to advance north from Trondheim. More Allied troops arrive in the north at Tromso and Harstad. This contingent is from the French Foreign Legion, the 13th Demi-Brigade, and the exiled Polish Carpathian Mountain Brigade.

    Norwegian Ministers arrive in London and the Norwegian government-in-exile is established. The Norwegian gold reserve of £33 million arrives in London the next day.

    In the Kattegat channel the minelaying submarine HMS Seal is damaged by a German mine and captured. All sensitive equipment was destroyed before the crew surrendered but the detonators on her torpedoes provide valuable information to German engineers as they are more reliable than enemy detonators.

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    Monday, May 6th

    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The German steamer Vogesen (4241t) is lost in the Kattegat on a mine in the minefield laid by the British submarine Seal on the 4th.
    • The British steamer Brighton (5359t) sinks on a mine in the North Sea. The entire crew is rescued.
    • The German steamer Brage (5954t) sinks on a mine near the Kiel Light Ship.
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    Diplomatic Relations

    Italy promises to respect the neutrality of Greece and the Balkan countries if Britain and Italy went to war, provided the British do not try to establish bases there.

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    Norway

    The Norwegians fight back in the Roeros-Stoeren sector of east central Norway.

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    Secret War

    The Pope tells Princess Marie-José, wife of the Italian Crown Prince, that Germany is about to attack the Low Countries. She passes on this information to her brother, King Leopold.

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    Tuesday, May 7th

    Battle of the Atlantic

    The Norwegian steamer Folden (316t) is sunk by German bombing off Helgeland.

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    Britain, Politics

    In the House of Commons there is a major debate on the conduct of the war and especially of the Norwegian campaign. When a vote is taken, Chamberlain's government has a majority of 281-200 but when compared to the previous support this is not enough to allow the government to continue to claim to be representative. As a result, Chamberlain resigns. In fact the problems in the Norwegian campaign have been at least as much Churchill's as any others. The main reason, however, is Chamberlain's failure to establish a coherent decision-making structure to see that plans were properly coordinated and that subordinates worked sensibly and efficiently.

    Prime Minister Chamberlain


    Prime Minister Chamberlain
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    Holland

    The Netherlands is completely mobilized in preparation for invasion.

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    Secret War

    A French pilot returning from a leaflet raid on Düsseldorf reports seeing a German motorized column 96 km long heading west for the Ardennes.

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    Wednesday, May 8th

    Battle of the Atlantic

    The Swedish steamers Albert (1745t) and Tyra Bratt (1301t) are seized by German forces at Stavanger. The Tyra Bratt is detained at Haugesand and her crew returned to Gotenburg. The vessel is renamed Nogat and placed in German service.

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    Britain, Politics

    At first, it seems that Lord Halifax will be the next prime minister. The Conservative majority prefer Halifax, and the Labor minority are also ready to support him. The problem is that he sits in the House of Lords, not the best situation for a national leader. At the meeting of senior Conservatives Halifax's own worries about this leave Churchill as the only alternative. Churchill visits the King and takes office officially on May 10.

    Even though he is established as the choice for prime minister he still has to win the confidence of his own party. Suspicious of him are the civil service and the military leaders. By a combination of his oratory, his forceful energy, far surpassing Chamberlain's in all his work, and the soundness of his administrative decisions, he quickly attains an unrivalled position. He will not always be easy to work with and often produces wild, impractical ideas but in the major issues, his handling is essentially very sound. Part of his success is owed to the way he delegates responsibility for home affairs to others, for he is less able in this capacity.

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    Secret War

    The Belgian Embassy in Berlin warns Brussels that the German Foreign Office is preparing an ultimatum to Belgium and that the OKW (German High Command) has just given the order for the invasion.

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    Soviet Union, Command

    Kliment Voroshilov is replaced by Semyon Timoshenko as commissar for defense. New training programs are soon introduced to correct some of the defects which have appeared during the Finnish war.

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    Western Front

    Hitler postpones the Gelb offensive one more time, from May 9 to May 10.

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    Thursday, May 9th

    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The cruiser Birmingham and 7 destroyers are attacked in Skagerrak by 4 'E-boats' ('S'-class MTBs). S-31 hits the Kelly (commanded by Lord Mountbatten) and has to be towed back to Newcastle.

      French Submarine Doris


      French Submarine <i>Doris</i>
    • The British destroyer Kelly is hit and badly damaged by a torpedo from U-31 in the North Sea with the loss of 27 of her crew. The British destroyer Bulldog takes the Kelly in tow. She arrives in the Tyne being towed by tugs on the 13th.
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    Air Operations, Europe

    German aircraft drop 100 mines off Dutch and Belgian ports.

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    Britain, Home Front

    Conscription in Britain is extended to include men up to the age of 36.

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    France, Politics

    Since Reynaud has been growing more and more unhappy with the leadership of Gamelin, the Supreme Commander, he would like to dismiss him. The problem is his support in Cabinet by Daladier, who remains influential although he is no longer prime minister. These quarrels now come to a head but no announcement is made pending the formation of a new govermnemt. The German attack on 10 May will cause the changes to be deferred.

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    Secret War

    Col Hans Oster tells Col Bert Sas that the German attack in the west will begin at dawn on May 10. The French Deuxième Bureau reports no signs of 'abnormal German movements' beyond the frontiers of Holland and Belgium.

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    Western Front

    The Belgian army is placed on alert because of recent tension and signs of German troop movements. The Luftwaffe has been successful in keeping Allied reconnaissance flights away from the German preparations.

    At noon Hitler orders that the Gelb offensive begin at 5:35am on 10 May. At 9am the code word 'Danzig' is transmitted to German commanders on the Western Front. Hitler leaves Berlin in a special train for his forward HQ near Münstereifel on the Belgian border.

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    Friday, May 10th

    Air Operations, Europe

    The Luftwaffe raids airfields and towns in Holland, Belgium and northern France at dawn. German airborne forces invade Holland and Belgium, seizing key airfields and bridges; gliders land storm troops at Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium. The Dutch liners Statendam and Verndam are bombed and sink at Rotterdam. The Dutch air force and the RAF destroy many Junkers transport aircraft over Holland. RAF Battle bombers make low-level attacks on panzers advancing through Luxemburg (16 of 32 are shot down, the rest are damaged). In error German aircraft bomb Freiburg, Germany. 57 people are killed. Goebbels blames the French. 9 Belgian Fairey Fox biplanes intercept a group of Me-109s; 1 Me-109 is shot down. 3 Foxes are shot down and 6 are damaged. During the night the RAF launches its first strategic bombing raid on Germany. 8 Whitley bombers attack communication targets in the areas of Geldern, Goch, Aldekerk, Rees and Wesel in an effort to impede German troop and supply movements.

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    Atlantic

    British destroyers, minesweepers and Marines are sent to the coast of Holland.

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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Dutch steamer Boschdijk (6872t) is sunk at Rotterdam by German bombing.
    • The French tug Calaisien (202t) is sunk in Calais by German bombing.
    • The British steamer Henry Woodall (625t) is sunk on a mine 3 miles east of Withernsea with the loss of 7 crewmen. Survivors are picked up by the Estonian steamer Viiu.
    • The German steamer Campinas (4541t) sinks on a mine at Drogden.
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    Britain, Politics

    Churchill leaving Downing St with Sir Kingsley Wood and Anthony Eden


    Churchill leaving Downing St with Sir Kingsley Wood and Anthony Eden
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    Luxembourg

    Grand Duchy Overrun


    Grand Duchy Overrun

    Diplomatic Relations

    'Memoranda' are sent by the Germans to Brussels and The Hague justifying the invasion. Belgian and Dutch governments appeal to Britain and France. Queen Wilhelmina makes a 'flaming protest' against the unprovoked German aggression. The Luxemburg government flees to France. The British and French governments warn Germany against carrying out air raids on civilian targets.

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    Iceland

    Advance elements of a British force land on the island. Their mission is to set up a destroyer and scout-plane base to help in the convoy battles in the Atlantic. Also, they will prevent the Germans from using Iceland to aid in their U-boat campaign.

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    North Sea

    A German troopship is mined south of Oslo.

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    Norway

    British forces, including the 24th Guards Brigade, are sent south from Harstad to Mo-i-Rana to join the small units trying to delay the German advance and to relieve the Narvik force. Some of these units are now engaged at Mosjoen.

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    Western Front

    The Germans attack in the west begins. Their plans are for von Leeb's Army Group C to hold the frontier opposite the Maginot Line while von Rundstedt's Army Group A makes the main attack, with most of the armor, through the Ardennes and von Bock's Army Group B sends a secondary advance through Belgium and Holland to draw the main British and French forces north so that von Rundstedt can hit their flank. Neither the Belgians nor the Dutch have given the Allies any real cooperation in planning a joint defense because they do not wish to compromise their neutrality or provoke the Germans into attacking. The Allied Plan D is consequently less well elaborated than the German scheme. It provides for the French 1st Army Group, the BEF and the French 7th Army to advance to the line of the River Dyle and the Meuse above Namur, to be joined there by the Belgian forces and on the left to link with the Dutch. Gen Maurice Gamelin is the Supreme Commander, Gen Georges commands the armies on the Northeast Front, Gen Gaston Billotte the French 1st Army Group and Gen Lord Gort the BEF. Gort has the right to appeal to the British government if he believes that his orders from the French leaders threaten the existence of his force.

    Germans Advance Into Luxembourg


    Germans Advance Into Luxembourg

    In theory the 2 sides are fairly evenly matched on the ground, the Germans having 136 divisions and the 4 Allies together 149. In tanks the Allied strength is somewhat greater and a number are of superior quality. Of course the Germans have the advantage that all their forces come under a single command and conform to one tactical system. In the air the Germans are very much stronger, with over 3,000 combat planes facing less than 2,000 of the Allies to which the British home-based bombers, about 500, can be added. Later more RAF fighters and bombers will take part in the battle, both from bases in France and England. Most of the Allied planes are of inferior types. The German organization and command are immeasurably superior. Their tanks are concentrated efficiently in armored divisions which are almost invariably energetically, and sometimes brilliantly, led. The higher command is not always ready to accept armored innovation but both individually and collectively it is still superior to the rambling Allied arrangements. Gamelin will take little real control of the operations and several of the French general officers will perform inadequately. The Allied troops of all nations are often poorly equipped and poorly led at more junior levels also. The tanks, especially the powerful French force, are mostly deployed in small infantry support units and will be let down by their poor mobility and defeated in detail. Although the British believe in the idea of the armored division they have not yet deployed one in France. (The 1st Armored Div will be ordered to France, incomplete, on 11 May.)

    German Panzers in the Ardennes


    German <i>panzers</i> in the Ardennes

    The distribution of the Allied forces also leaves much to be desired. The strongest and best-trained units are in the force to be sent forward in to Belgium with the best parts of the small reserve in support. Billotte's 1st Army Group includes almost all the armored units which the French army has formed. All 3 of the light armored divisions and 2 of the 3 heavy armored divisions are with the force which advances into Belgium and the infantry of the BEF and the French 1st Army are the best on the Allied side. The forces covering the Ardennes are weakest because the terrain in this sector is judged to be too difficult to allow a significant German attack. They have almost no reserves. The Maginot Line forces are stronger. In effect, the flanks are strong and the center, where the German attack falls, is weak.

    On the first day von Rundstedt's forces immediately begin their advance through the Ardennes with the 3 armored corps in the van. Von Kleist has 2 panzer corps under command, Guderian's XIX and Reinhardt's XLI and they are heading for Sedan and Montherme. Hoth's XX Panzer Corps is making for Dinant. The Belgian forces withdraw from the Ardennes to the River Meuse, except for 2 infantry companies, which delay the 1st Panzer Div of Guderian's corps with road blocks. The German advance is rapid and the little opposition, mostly French cavalry, is thrown aside.

    Battle of the Hague


    Battle of the Hague

    Far more spectacular and a far greater claim on Allied attention are the efforts of von Bock's Army Group B. Airborne troops land on the bridges at Rotterdam, Dordrecht and Moerdijk deep inside Holland which do much to paralyze Dutch resistance. German units cross the Maas near Arnhem in sudden early-morning attacks and, more exciting still, the fort at Eben Emael is put out of action by a German airborne force which lands its gliders literally on top of it. The fort, the key to the defence of Liège in Belgium, is meant to cover the crossings of the Albert Canal nearby and this is not achieved. The Luftwaffe gives powerful support.

    The British and French react quickly to these attacks as soon as they hear of them from the Belgians. By the evening much of the Dyle line has been occupied but the troops find that there are no fortifications to compare with the positions they have prepared along the Franco-Belgian frontier during the Phony War. Some of the reserve is therefore committed to strengthen the line. Some of the advance forces of Giraud's 7th Army make contact with the Germans in southern Holland and are roughly handled.

    At the end of the day the German advance has gone almost according to plan and the Allies are acting in the manner best calculated to improve the German success. Already it is becoming apparent that the Belgian and Dutch armies are going to fail to hold out long enough to receive British and French help. The main blow against the British and French has not yet fallen but it is being well prepared.[MORE]

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    Saturday, May 11th

    Air Operations, Europe

    French Sud-Est LeO-451 medium bombers attack German motorized columns invading Belgium. 7 out of 8 RAF Battles are shot down while attacking German columns in Luxemburg. Do-17s wipe out No. 114 Sqn RAF, destroying 30 Blenheims. Belgian Battles make suicidal attacks on captured bridges over the Albert Canal. The RAF send 18 Whitley and 18 Hampden bombers to bomb communications in the München-Gladbach area. This night raid is directed against roads and rail facilities and is considered the first major attack by either side against a 'population center'. 3 bombers are lost.

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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Dutch liners Veendam (15,450t) and Statendam (28,291t) are sunk at Rotterdam by German bombing.
    • The Dutch steamer Stella (2818t) is sunk by German bombing at Flushing Roads.
    • U-9 sinks the Estonian steamer Viiu (1908t) off the Westhinder Buoy and the British steamer Tringa (1930t) in the North Sea. 5 survivors from the Viiu are picked up by the British anti-submarine trawler Arctic Hunter 10 miles east of Noss Head. The Tringa loses 17 of her crew; 6 survivors are picked up by the British destroyer Malcolm.
    • The Finnish steamer Sally (2533t) sinks on a mine in the Fairway north of Helsingor.
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    Britain, Home Front

    Government appointments: Attlee, Lord Privy Seal; Alexander, First Lord of Admiralty; Eden, Secretary for War; Sinclair, Secretary for Air.

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    Caribbean

    British and French troops land on the Dutch islands of Aruba and Curacao to protect the oil installations there, and also the approach to the Venezuelan fields.

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    Diplomatic Relations

    Japanese Foreign Minister, Arita, warns the warring powers, the United States and Italy that Japan will not tolerate any change in the status quo in the Dutch East Indies.

    Hate Campaign Against the Allies


    Hate Campaign Against the Allies
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    Leaving for the Front


    Leaving for the Front

    Western Front

    The German offensive continues at high speed. Guderian's Panzer Corps disperses French horse cavalry and light mechanized forces in the Ardennes and 2 of his 3 panzer divisions reach the Semoy River, 16 miles north of Sedan. The advance in Holland is very rapid and even more of the Dutch army is put out of action. The French 7th Army reaches Breda in southwest Holland after making a rapid advance through Belgium. In Belgium the Germans are approaching the British and French positions which are now strongly held. In the evening the Belgian troops fall back from the Albert Canal towards the River Dyle. In their hurried retreat the Belgian troops fail to demolish many important bridges facilitating the German armor and infantry advance. Eben Emael falls to German attacks after some fruitless resistance. Liège is surrounded. Von Rundstedt's forces advance nearer to the Meuse. Heavy bombing raids are carried out on many Belgian towns. 3 divisions of the British Expeditionary Force take up defensive positions on the left bank of the river Dyle between Wavre and Louvain. [MORE]

    Germans Capture the Albert Canal in Belgium


    Germans Capture the Albert Canal in Belgium
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    Sunday, May 12th

    Air Operations, Europe

    5 Battles flown by volunteers make a suicidal attack on the Vroenhoven and Veldwezelt bridges over the Albert Canal in Belgium. All 5 are shot down by flak although the Veldwezelt bridge is damaged.

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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The British steamer Roek (1041t) sinks on a mine in the Nieuwe Waterweg east of Rotterdam. 20 crew and 31 refugees are rescued.
    • The British steamer St Denis (2435t) sinks on a mine in a river between Hook and Rotterdam partially blocking the channel.
    • The Dutch steamer Prinses Juliana (2908t) is sunk by German bombing off Hook. She was carrying troops from Flushing to Ijmiuden. The British destroyers Wild Swan and Havock pick up the survivors.
    • The Swedish steamer Indus (729t) is seized by German troops at Bergen. She will later be renamed Metz for German service. The Swedish steamer Eros is also seized by the Germans at Bergen and later renamed Illkirch for German service.
    • The German trawler Kathe Jurgensen (346t) is sunk on a mine near Lübeck.
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    Britain, Home Front

    3,000 enemy aliens and 11,000 non-enemy aliens are interned. Kingsley Wood is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Anderson, Home Secretary and Morrison, Minister of Supply.

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    Norway

    2 battalions of the French Foreign Legion land at Bjerkvik, near Narvik.

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    Western Front

    The French 7th Army advancing into Holland is engaged with the German advance of the 9th Panzer Div near Tilburg and is thrown back. It is ordered to evacuate Breda and fall back on the Schelde. In their main armored thrust the Germans enter Sedan without a fight spearheaded by Guderian's 1st and 10th Panzer Divs. The French light mechanized forces in the area retire to the left bank of the Meuse where they have substantial artillery support deployed to deny the crossing to the Germans. All the bridges over the Meuse are blown up except at Mézières, where French 'fortress' troops continue to hold both banks. Advance guards of 3 panzer corps reach the Meuse later in the day along a 130 km front, from Dinant to Sedan, having advanced 120 km in 3 days. Farther north the 7th Panzer Div reaches the Meuse on a level with Dinant. The Luftwaffe systematically bombs the Allied lines of communication.[MORE]

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    Monday, May 13th

    Air Operations, Europe

    The first unit of Dewoitine D-520 fighters (the French equivalent of the Spitfire) is in action over the Meuse front. They shoot down 4 German aircraft without a loss of their own.

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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Swedish steamer Edda (1652t) is seized by German forces at Stavanger.
    • The British steamer City of Brussels (629t) is seized by German troops at Brussels.
    • The Dutch steamer Gorm (2156t) sinks on a mine about a mile from the South Mole Light at Zeebrugge.
    • The Dutch steamer Bussum is badly damaged by German bombing and is abandoned north of the West Hinder Light Vessel. The French torpedo boat Bouclier picks up her survivors.
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    Britain, Home Front

    Churchill Speech


    Churchill Speech
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    Norway

    The 2nd Mountain Div (Austrian) starts to move northwards from Trondheim with the aim of reinforcing Dietl's forces in Narvik. They are met with resistance from Allied and Norwegian forces advancing toward Narvik from Harstad. The first landings on the way, at Bjerkvik 10 miles north of Narvik, are successfully carried out by French troops.

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    Western Front

    In the Battle of the Meuse, which will last until 17 May, the panzer corps of Guderian, Hoth and Reinhardt, with strong air support, establish bridgeheads of the River Meuse at Sedan, Monthermé and Dinant. At Sedan, Guderian is right at the front urging his troops on. They overpower the French 55th and 71st Divs who fall back in panic. The young commander of the 7th Panzer Div, Gen Rommel, is performing likewise at Dinant. The French troops opposing them have not prepared their positions properly and are quickly demoralized and terrorized by heavy dive-bomber attacks. As a result, the French 9th Army is destroyed and an 80-km gap is opened in the Allied line.

    Germans Cross the Meuse


    Germans Cross the Meuse

    In Belgium the French 1st Army and Lord Gort's British divisions reach the bank of the Dyle; the British are deployed between Louvain and Wavre, the French between Wavre and Namur. The Germans take Liège and in Holland the defense has now been totally disrupted. The Dutch army is collapsing, and the High Command orders a general retreat to defensive positions on what is called the 'Dutch fortress', an area taking in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht. The advancing German ground troops have linked with the paratroops at Moerdijk. Queen Wilhelmina and the Dutch Government are taken to London at different times during the day. Giraud's 7th Army is in full retreat.[MORE]

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    Tuesday, May 14th

    Air Operations, Europe

    • In an attempt to crush stubborn Dutch resistance and bring tentative ceasefire negotiations to a quick conclusion, 100 He-111s are sent to bomb the center of Rotterdam. The Dutch garrison then offers to surrender but 60 of the bombers cannot be recalled and start huge fires among fats and margarine stores. The fires burn for days. 30,000 people are feared dead (revised total: 980); 78,000 homeless. Over 20,000 buildings are destroyed.
    • While attacking German troop concentrations in the Sedan bridgehead, 45 Battles and Blenheims are shot down out of a force of 109, the largest loss ever by the RAF up to this point.
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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Belgian steamer Ville de Bruges (13,869t) is badly damaged by German bombing in the Scheldt River 10 miles from Antwerp. 3 of her crew are lost. She is beached and abandoned as a total loss.
    • The Swedish steamer Framnas (721t) is seized by German troops Stavanger. She is renamed Borgen for German service.
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    Britain, Home Front

    Anthony Eden announces the formation of the Local Defensee Volunteers. Appeals are made for volunteers, aged 17 to 65, for this new home-defense force. Recruiting begins for this volunteer force from men in reserve occupations or too old or young for military service. Within hours 250,000 men have volunteered. In July the far more-effective title of Home Guard is chosen.

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    Diplomatic Relations

    Prime Minister Churchill writes to President Roosevelt appealing for American aid against the Nazi aggressors.

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    Norway

    The Polish troopship Chrobry (11,442t) is badly damaged by a German low-level bombing attack in Vestfjord. The ship is carrying a large part of the British 24th Guards Bde to join the holding forces south of Narvik. She is set afire by the bombing and is abandoned. 11 of her crew are lost. 1,000 survivors are taken off by the British destroyer Wolverine and sloop Stork. Much equipment is lost. The survivors are taken to Harstad.

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    Western Front

    After a surrender demand has been submitted but before it has expired, Rotterdam is very heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe killing 980 people and destroying 20,000 buildings. The Dutch Commander in Chief, Gen Henri Winkelman, decides that he must surrender 'to prevent annihilation'.

    Rotterdam Bombed


    Rotterdam Bombed

    Rotterdam Burning


    Rotterdam Burning

    Results of the Bombing of Rotterdam


    Results of the Bombing of Rotterdam

    The German armor, led by Guderian's 1st Pzr Div at Sedan, pours across the Meuse there and at Dinant. French tank units, poised to stage a counterattack against the German armored formations in the area, are ordered to disperse over a front of 12 miles. Almost all day wave after wave of Allied bombers, numbering nearly 200 and including obsolete Battles and Amiot 143s, make suicidal attacks on German pontoon bridges at Sedan and the German reinforcements streaming over the Meuse, but with little effect. Me-109s, German anti-aircraft and small arms fire destroy 85 aircraft, 35 of them British. The bridges are undamaged. A French tank-infantry counterattack in the Sedan sector fails. Once across the river the Germans drive west, cutting a huge gap between Corap's 9th and Huntziger's 2nd Army. Huntziger has no orders on which way to retreat. Corap's Army retires to Rocroi. Gen Touchon is appointed to command the French reserves that are earmarked to plug the gap developing between the 9th and 2nd French armies west of Sedan. There is a breach of 50 miles between Dinant and Sedan, and during the afternoon Gen Guderian brings almost all his tanks across the Meuse.

    Gen Walther von Reichenau is ordered to attack enemy positions between Louvain and Namur with his 6th Army. The operation is timed for the next day.[MORE]

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    Wednesday, May 15th

    Air Operations, Europe

    • The RAF Bomber Command begins its strategic air offensive against Germany. 99 aircraft are sent to attack oil installations and marshalling yards in the Ruhr. The targets are only slightly damaged for the loss of 1 aircraft. The Germans announce that they consider the city of Brussels a legitimate military target. Radio Brussels is bombed.
    • In a disastrous climax to a futile three days of combat, the RAF loses more of its French based bombers, bringing the total to 100. Half the force was lost in 72 hours.
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    Atlantic

    The British destroyer Valentine is sunk and the Winchester is badly damaged after being bombed in the Scheldt estuary. 31 sailors are killed and 21 are wounded.

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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Swedish steamer Rosenholm (1736t) is seized by German forces at Bergen. She is later renamed Oxhoft for German use.
    • The French auxiliary minesweepers Duquesne II (189t) and Henri Guegan (251t) are sunk by mines at the entrance of the Scheldt River just southeast of the Wielingen Whistle Buoy.
    • The Italian steamer Foscolo (3059t) is badly damaged by German bombing 6 miles northeast of Zeebrugge. She is abandoned and the survivors are taken to Zeebrugge. She sinks on the 18th. Also damaged by German bombing near Zeebrugge is the Greek steamer Evgenia (5839t). She is abandoned the next day and also sinks on the 18th. The entire crew is rescued.
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    Britain, Planning

    This is a vital, symbolic day for several reasons. At crucial meetings of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the War Cabinet, Air Marshal Dowding argues strongly against sending any more RAF fighters to France. Despite strong opposition Dowding has way. The decision is taken also to send the first strategic bombing raid against the Ruhr. Finally on this day Churchill sends the first in a long series of telegrams to Roosevelt, signing himself as Former Naval Person. He asks consistently for American aid, works to develop a good relationship with Roosevelt and above all to bring America close to active participation in the war. Not the least of Churchill's achievements as prime minister will be the way he cultivates this friendship. Already in this first message he presents a shopping list which includes old destroyers and aircraft as well as other arms.

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    Holland, Politics

    With the War in Europe a little less than 8 months old, the German Army is making steady advances westward. The latest country to fall under German occupation is The Netherlands, and on this May 15th in 1940, Queen Wilhelmina delivers an address from her relocated government, set up in London after having successfully evacuated two days earlier.

    The news was looking grim. After her address, CBS News Correspondent Elmer Davis gave an assessment of events taking place elsewhere. The German Army is advancing in France, having broken through a weak link in the formerly impregnable Maginot Line. The fighting around Norway is all but over. The Germans are advancing on Belgium. It is wondered just how long France would be able to withstand the Blitzkrieg before finally capitulating. And all the time, the constant fear of an impending invasion of Britain.

    A rather nervous day, to put it mildly, as presented by CBS Radio on May 15, 1940.(The Queen's Speech)

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    Norway

    A Luftwaffe parachute batallion from 1st Parachute Regt drops in to reinforce Narvik.

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    United States, Home Front

    McDonald's Opens


    McDonald's Opens
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    Western Front

    The Dutch army capitulates at 1100 hours. Hoth's panzers defeat the French 1st Armored Div west of Dinant. The French division loses 125 of its 175 tanks. The German 6th Panzer Div cuts off the retreat of Gen Corap's army, which is broken up and dispersed. By nightfall, the shattered French 9th Army is in full retreat west of the Meuse and its commander, Gen Corap, is replaced by Gen Giraud. The German 6th Army launches a major attack on the Anglo-French front in Belgium, but is bloodily repulsed. Gen Bilotte, commanding the French 1st Army Group, decides to abandon the Dyle line in the face of von Reichenau's attacks. His superior, Gen 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 6th Army breaches the enemy lines between Louvain and Namur. The 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 that 15 miles from Laon. Guderian is ordered to halt here but after vigorous complaints he is allowed another day's march. Gamelin at once informs Daladier, Minister of National Defence, how far the Germans have advanced. Daladier orders an immediate counterattack. Gamelin replies that he has no available reserves; the French army is about to collapse. [MORE]

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    Thursday, May 16th

    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    United States, Politics

    Roosevelt asks Congress to authorize plans to modernize the US 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.

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    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.

    French Heavy Tank Char B1


    French heavy tank Char B1

    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 and 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]

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    Friday, May 17th

    Air Operations, Europe

    German bombers destroy Middelburg on Walcheren in Holland.

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    Atlantic

    German aircraft commence minelaying operations outside French Channel ports, from Le Havre to Dunkirk.

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    Battle of the Atlantic

    The Norwegian steamer Torgtind (298t) is sunk by German bombing off Batland, Helgeland.

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    Caribbean

    The Venezuelan Navy seizes 2 German merchant ships at Maracaibo to prevent them leaving and causing diplomatic incidents.

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    Norway

    The British cruiser Effingham hits uncharted rocks off Bodo, goes aground and capsizes. She was carrying men and stores to join the forces south of Narvik.

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    United States, Home Front

    The Navy is ordered to recommission 35 destroyers.

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    Western Front

    Von Reichenau's troops enter Brussels, which is declared an 'open city'. Antwerp and the islands at the mouth of the Scheldt are also being abandoned but have not yet been taken by the Germans. The British and French forces in Belgium have now fallen back to the Dendre River. The Belgian government has moved to Ostend. In the main German attacks Guderian's forces, instead of continuing his advance on Paris, turn northwest. Paris breathes a sigh of relief as the Germans are no longer on their way to the capital. By midday Guderian's advance troops reach the River Oise south of Guise, not far from Saint-Quentin. Gen von Kleist reprimands Guderian for the 'excessive' speed and extent of his advance. Guderian immediately resigns, but he is persuaded to reverse his decision later in the evening by List and von Rundstedt. XVI and XXXIX Panzer Corps are detached from the 6th Army in Belgium and sent south to the Meuse sector. On their left flank the French 4th Armored Div led by Col de Gaulle attacks Guderian's XIX Panzer Corps northward from around Laon. The attack does nothing to halt the thrust of Guderian's armored divisions but it does earn de Gaulle promotion to the rank of general. The Luftwaffe attacks them fiercely and prevents any real gains.

    Gen Gort is now worried by the growing threat to his right flank and rear areas and, therefore, forms a scratch force to defend this area. Gen Mason-Macfarlane is put in command. He has up till now been Gort's Chief of Intelligence. Gort can be criticized for weakening this important department at such a vital stage.[MORE]

    Germans Enter Nivelles, Belgium


    Germans Enter Nivelles, Belgium
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    Saturday, May 18th

    Air Operations, Europe

    During the night the Germans raid Dieppe.

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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Dutch steamer Pia (304t) sinks on a mine between Dunkirk and Gravelines with the loss of 6 crewmen.
    • The Norwegian steamer Sirius (944t) is sunk by German bombing off Senja with the loss of 7 of her crew.
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    Britain, Home Front

    Tyler Kent, a clerk at the US Embassy in London, and Anna Wolkoff, a Russian emigree, are arrested on spying charges. Kent has had access to the correspondence between Churchill and Roosevelt, and Wolkoff has helped pass it to Germany via Italian diplomats. Kent's diplomatic immunity is waived by the United States ambassador. Wolkoff has had connections with a pro-Fascist organization, the Right Club.

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    Diplomatic Relations

    Encouraged by the brilliant victories of the Germans, Mussolini sends a negative reply to the messages sent him by Roosevelt and Churchill.

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    France, Politics

    Reynaud appoints a new Cabinet in an attempt to strengthen the French conduct of the war. He himself takes the Ministry of Defense, Marshal Pétain is deputy prime minister, Mandel is minister of the interior and Daladier becomes Foreign Minister. Gen Weygand, even older than Gamelin but far more vigorous, has been recalled from the Middle East to take over the Supreme Command. Although these changes probably do strengthen Reynaud's team, especially his own new office, they will turn out to have been ill-advised. Some of the new men, Pétain in particular, will become deeply pessimistic about the outcome of the war and will in time bring Reynaud down when he himself would have preferred to fight on.

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    Holland, Home Front

    Arthur Seyss-Inquart is appointed Reich Commissioner for Holland. He will take up office on 29 May.


    Norwegian Sea

    A heavy bomb penetrates the battleship Resolution during Ju-88 raids over Narvik.

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    Secret War

    Tyler Kent, an American clerk at the US embassy in London, and Anna Wolkoff, a Russian emebrée, are arrested on spying charges. The American is charged with copying hundreds of confidential documents over a 5-year period and has provided scripts of conversations and correspondence between Churchill and Roosevelt for the woman to pass to Germany via the Italian diplomatic staff in London. The US Ambassador does not allow Kent to claim diplomatic immunity to avoid prosecution.

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    Western Front

    Guderian's Panzers reach Pèronne on the River Somme. St Quentin and Cambrai are taken by German Panzer units. Gen Henri-Honoré Giraud and the remnants of the 9th Army (formerly under Gen Corap) enter Le Cateau, a small town not far from Cambrai, and are captured by Germans of Hoth's Corps, who got there some hours earlier. Farther north von Reichenau's 6th Army takes Antwerp.[MORE]

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    Sunday, May 19th

    Air Operations, Europe

    The RAF bomb oil installations in northwest Germany.

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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • U-37 sinks 9 merchant ships off northwest Spain between 19 May and 2 June. The first ship sunk is the Swedish steamer Erik Frisell (5066t) in the North Sea. All 34 of the crew are rescued by the British armed trawler Cobbers and landed at Stornoway.
    • The British minelayer Princess Victoria (2197t) sinks on a mine at the entrance to the Humber.
    • The British destroyer Whitley is badly damaged by German bombing 2 miles east of Nieuport with the loss of 4 crewmen. Her crew is taken off by the British destroyer Vimiera. The Whitley is determined to be beyond salvage by the British destroyer Keith and is shelled to prevent her use by the Germans.
    • The Belgian steamer Vlaanderen IV (647t) is sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk.
    • The French auxiliary minesweeper Augustin Normand (175t) is sunk by German bombing near Le Havre.
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    Britain, Home Front

    Churchill makes the first of his prime ministerial radio broadcasts to the British public.

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    Western Front

    The 9 German panzer divisions halt in positions between Peronne and St Quentin to regroup but some of Guderian's troops are still pushing forward. After obtaining permission from his immediate superior, Gen Hermann Hoth (Commander of the XV Panzer Corps), Rommel's 7th Panzer Div makes a small advance in the direction of Arras with the intention of occupying the dominating heights there. De Gaulle's 4th Armored Div again attacks north from around Laon. It makes very good progress against gradually stiffening resistance. Some French tanks threaten Guderian's HQ and he summons assistance from 10th Panzer Div, but Stukas halt the French advance before the 10th Panzer arrives. De Gaulle is ordered to retire before any real gains can be achieved.

    Panzers in St. Quentin


    <i>Panzers</i> in St. Quentin

    The possibility that it will be necessary to evacuate the BEF is raised for the first time in telephone conversations between London and the commanders in the field. The government are still optimistic at this stage. The main British forces are now in positions along the Scheldt.[MORE]

    Belgian Refugees


    Belgian Refugees
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    Monday, May 20th

    Air Operations, Europe

    The RAF attack panzers in the Arras-Cambrai sector; carry out a night raid on the Rotterdam oil storage tanks; and attack German communications at Givet, Dinant and Charleville.

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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Norwegian steamer Deneb (750t), British steamer Pembroke Coast (625t) and British steamer Balteako (1328t) are all badly damaged during a German bombing at Harstad. 11 of the crew of the Deneb are rescued, 2 are lost. She is sunk by gunfire on the 21st. The British destroyer Delight, alongside the Balteako when she is bombed, assists the steamer. 2 cremen are lost on the Pembroke Coast. She is towed out to sea and sunk by gunfire.
    • The French tanker Niger (5482t) is sunk off Gravelines by German bombing. The survivors from the tanker are rescued by the French destroyer Cyclone.
    • The French steamer Orphelia (6477t) is sunk by German bombing in Boulogne Roads.
    • The British steamer Mavis (935t) is badly damaged by German bombing near Calais with the loss of 4 crewmen. She is abandoned about a mile northwest of Number 1 Buoy, Calais.
    • The French tug Hercules (216t) sinks on a mine near Calais.
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    Western Front

    The German armored advance again makes considerable progress. Rommel occupies the heights around Arras. The most spectacular gains are made by Guderian's XIX Corps. Amiens is taken in the morning by 1st Panzer Div and in the evening Abbeville is captured by 2nd Panzer Div despite gallant but ineffectual resistance by the British 12th and 23rd Divs. Advance units even reach the coast at Noyelles. The Germans have advanced 386 km in 11 days and have driven a corridor at least 20 miles wide from the Ardennes to the Channel. North of this gap is the French 1st Army, the 9 divs of the British Expeditionary Force and the Belgian army. To the south, from west to east, are 4 French armies: the 10th, 7th, 6th and 2nd.

    The Germans Reach the English Channel


    The Germans Reach the English Channel

    Having reached the sea, the Germans have virtually surrounded 45 Allied divs in Flanders and the northeast tip of France. The obvious need is for the British and French to cut through this corridor before its walls can be strengthened to cut off irrevocably the forces to the north. Before his dismissal Gamelin was planning such an attack, but it has been cancelled following his sacking only to be revived now by Weygand. The delay imposed by these changes of mind prevents it from retaining even a slim chance of success.

    Germans at the English Channel


    Germans at the English Channel

    The Führer says the armistice will be signed in the area of Réthondes (where the armistice of 11 Novenber 1918 was signed) and that France will have to restore to Germany 'all the territory they have raped from her in the past 400 years'.[MORE]

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    Tuesday, May 21st

    Air Operations, Europe

    During the daylight hours the RAF are very active over the fronts of southern Belgium and northern France. There are night raids on road and rail targets in Namur, Dinant and Aachen and troop concentrations at Arras.

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    Atlantic

    • The French destroyer L'Adroit is bombed and sunk off Dunkirk.
    • The French steamer Pavon with 1,500 Dutch troops aboard for evacuation to England, is badly damaged by German bombing between Gravelines and Calais. She is run aground near Calais as a total loss. Survivors are rescued by the French destroyers Cyclone, Sirocco and Mistral.
    • The British steamer Bawtry (835t) is sunk by German bombing in the Dunkirk docks. The crew of 13 along with a naval gunner are saved and returned to England. The steamer is later raised by the Germans, renamed the Rival and placed in German service.
    • The French tug Tumulte (370t) is sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk.
    • The British mine destructor ship Corburn (3060t) is sunk by German motor torpedo boat S.32 off Le Havre.
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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Panamanian tanker Clairy (5838t) is sunk by German bombing about 8 miles off Boulogne. The entire crew is rescued.
    • The British steamer Firth Fisher (574t) sinks on a mine just east of the Boulogne pier with the loss of 7 crewmen. 4 of the crew are rescued by the British steamer Sparta.
    • The Belgian steamer Antverpia (4932t) which was badly damaged by German bombing the previous day is run aground to prevent sinking. The entire crew is rescued. The vessel will be set afire by incendiaries on the 23rd.
    • The French tugs Orme (340t) and Barfleur (330t) and the French auxiliary minesweepers Leopold Soubler (215t) and Christiane Cecile (146t) are all scuttled at Boulogne.
    • The British steamer Hubbastone (873t) is sunk by German bombing in the Dieppe dock. The entire crew is rescued. She is damaged again on the 23rd and abandoned. She will be salvaged later by the Germans and renamed Jurgensby for German service.
    • The British hospital carrier Maid of Kent (2693t) is badly damaged by German bombing in the Paris Basin at Dieppe with the loss of 37 men. She is abandoned in a sinking condition.
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    Germany, Planning

    In a conference Adm Erich von Raeder mentions to Hitler for the first time that it may be necessary to invade Britain. The German navy has made some preliminary studies before this but they have not been based on the availability of French bases. Little real thought is given to the possibility at this stage even after this conference.

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    Germans in Luxembourg


    Germans in Luxembourg

    Norway

    The French, Polish and Norwegian forces moving in on Narvik advance another stage and gain positions on the northern side of Rombaksfiord.

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    Western Front

    Rommel's 7th Panzer Div is sharply attacked around Arras by British tank forces. The attack does very well at first largely because of the comparative invulnerability of the Matilda tanks to the standard German antitank weapons. After some panic on the German side the attack is halted, principally because of the fire of a few 88mm guns. The British force is too small to repeat the advance or to shake free from this setback. A similar effort is made by 2 divisions of the French 1st Army in the direction of Cambrai, but with a similar result. The Germans besiege Maubeuge on the River Sambre west of Dinant.

    Weygand visits the commanders of the northern armies to try to coordinate attacks from north and south of the German corridor to the coast. By a series of accidents he misses seeing Gort, and Billotte, to whom he has given the fullest explanation of his plans, is killed in a car accident before he can pass them on. The attack will never take place. The small British effort has already been made. The Belgians will try to free some more British units for a later effort but this will not be possible. The French themselves, both north and south, are already too weak. Upon the death of Bilotte, Gen Blanchard, commanding the French 1st Army, assumes command of the Anglo-French Army Group I.[MORE]

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    Wednesday, May 22nd

    Air Operations, Europe

    The RAF bomb German communications and dumps on the Meuse River near Namur and north of the Aisne River. During the night there is an attempted raid on the Leipzig power station.

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    Allied Planning

    Churchill is again in Paris discussing plans for an Allied offensive. Once more Weygand proposes an attempt to cut the German line to the Channel by attacks from the north and south. It is agreed that this should be attempted but in reality there is little with which to implement the plans.

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    Atlantic

    • The French steamer Portrieux (2257t) is sunk by German bombing off Gravelines. Survivors are rescued by the French steamer Tlemcen.
    • The Belgian yacht Aloha sinks on a mine off Ostend.
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    Battle of the Atlantic

    The German steamer Helene (2160t) sinks on a mine in Hubert Bay near Borkum.

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    Britain, Home Front

    Parliament passes an Emergency Powers Act giving the government sweeping powers over life, liberty and property of British citizens. They also pass the Treachery Act widening the scope of traitorous acts punishable by the death penalty. At the pumps the price of gasoline goes up.

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    Secret War

    The British Government Code and Cipher School at Bletchley Park breaks the Luftwaffe 'Red' key 'Enigma' cipher for 20 May. Luftwaffe administrative and operational messages will now be read daily for the rest of the war.

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    Western Front

    Guderian's Panzer Corps on the Channel coast turns its attacks to the north from Abbéville toward Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk. The Belgian forces retreat to the Lys.

    At the Chateau de Vincennes on the outskirts of Paris, Gen Weygand explains his plan to avoid defeat to Reynaud and Churchill. Weygand proposes that the Belgians should fall back on the Iser, while the British and the French 1st Army counterattack in force towards the southwest. At the same time the armies advancing from the south must cross the Somme and attack northward in an attempt to join up with the Allied forces in that sector. The necessary air support would be provided by the RAF.

    The politicians approve Weygand's plan, but none of the planned moves can be carried out, despite an unexpected halt in the German advance from May 23 to 25. The Belgians, in particular, are most reluctant to retire further west of the Lys River, so far from attacking southward, the British Expeditionary Force is forced to evacuate Arras during the night of May 23. The Allied attack from the north is, therefore, put off to May 26. But on the evening of the 25th Lord Gort has to send 2 of his divisions to attack in the direction of Arras, to plug a gap in the Allied line that has appeared just at the point where the British and Belgian defensive lines should have joined. Moreover, coordination between the French and British is virtually non-existent.[MORE]

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    Thursday, May 23rd

    Air Operations, Europe

    18 Latécoère seaplanes divebomb bridges and road junctions between Boulogne and the Somme. Me-109s shoot down 3.

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    Atlantic

    • 6 British destroyers evacuate 4,400 troops from Boulogne, under heavy fire. The French destroyer Orage is bombed and sunk off Boulogne. The destroyer Jaguar is torpedoed and sunk by E-Boats S-21 and S-23 off Dunkirk. 13 of her crew are lost.
    • The Greek steamer Galaxias (4293t) is sunk by German bombing at Dieppe. The entire crew is rescued.
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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • U-9 sinks the German steamer Sigurds Faulbaums (3256t) in the North Sea. The vessel had been take in prize by the Belgians at Antwerp on the 10th.
    • The German steamer Franz Haniel (2188t) sinks on a mine in a German defensive minefield near Kiel.
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    Britain, Home Front

    The former leader of the British Union of Fascists, Sir Oswald Mosely, is arrested along with 33 others including 6 women. Also detained is a Member of Parliament, Capt Ramsay. Ramsay has been connected with the Right Club (see May 18). The men are imprisoned at Brixton; the woment, at Holloway.

    Sir Oswald Mosley


    Sir Oswald Mosley
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    United States, Politics

    Pres Roosevelt wins the Democratic primary in Vermont and is now certain to receive his party's nomination for the November elections.

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    Western Front

    The Germans cross the River Scheldt at Oudenarde. Gen von Rundstedt, commanding Army Group A, orders his tank forces to halt their advance. Despite this order 2nd Panzer Div are attacking Boulogne and inland the British evacuate Arras. The BEF are put on half-rations following the loss of its supply depots. Owing to this retreat the planned Allied counteroffensive is postponed. It is becoming clear to the British generals in France that an evacuation by sea is probably going to be necessary.[MORE]

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    Friday, May 24th

    Air Operations, Europe

    There are scattered raids over Yorkshire, East Anglia and Essex. 8 people are injured at Middlesbrough, the first civilian casualties in an air raid on England. The RAF bomb Cologne marshalling yards during the night.

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    Allied Planning

    The Supreme War Council decides to end its involvement in Norway. They agree to capture Narvik and destroy the port facilities before they will evacuate. Ironically the airfield at Bardufoss has only just received its first complement of British aircraft and already the campaign is seeming less one-sided, showing what might have been done. The Norwegians are not yet told of the decision to leave.

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    Atlantic

    • British cruisers and destroyers give supporting fire in the Calais sector. The French destroyer Chacal is bombed and sinks off Boulogne. 21 survivors from the Chacal are rescued by the French submarine chasers CH.5 and CH.42.
    • The British destroyer Wessex is sunk by German bombing off Calais with the loss of 6 of her crew. The British destroyer Vimiera and the minesweeping trawler John Cattling pick up the survivors.
    • The French auxiliary minesweepers La Matelot (260t) is sunk by German bombing and the Etoile de Nord (317t) by a mine at Dunkirk.
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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The British steamer Brighton (2391t) is sunk by German bombing at Dieppe Quay. She had been badly damaged in a bombing attack on the 21st. No crew is on board.
    • U-37 sinks the Greek steamer Kyma (3994t) 175 miles south of Cape Clear with the loss of 7 crewmen.
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    Secret War

    The British Government Code and Cipher School begins regular transmissions of de-coded German 'Enigma' messages to GHQ, BEF, and RAF HQ in France.

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    Western Front

    The German 2nd Panzer Div launches a violent attack on Boulogne. Farther along the coast the 10th Panzer attacks Calais. The Royal Navy is active in support of the British forces in both towns. During the day and later in the night destroyers are used to evacuate 5,000 men from Boulogne and over the next 3 days 2 light cruisers and 7 destroyers are in support near Calais. After the destruction of many reinforced concrete works by heavy artillery and demolition charges, the French fortress of Maubeuge surrenders. There are also German attacks on the line of the Lys and around Tournai. Tournai and Ghent fall to the Germans. The plans for an Allied counteroffensive depend on the Belgians being able to take over a longer section of the front but with this pressure they will not be able to do so.

    Junkers Ju-87 Stuka (German Dive Bombers)


    Junkers Ju-87 <i>Stuka</i> (German Dive Bombers)

    The Army Headquarters in Charleville on May 24, 1940


    The Army Headquarters in Charleville on May 24, 1940

    The partial halt of the main German armored forces already made by von Rundstedt is confirmed by Hitler. They have reached the line Gravelines-Omer-Bethune. Although the ground north of here is not well suited to armored action the Allied defenses are weak. The pause, which lasts until the morning of the 27th, gives the French and British time to strengthen this position and is generally seen as being the move which makes the evacuation of the BEF possible. The motives for Hitler's decision can only be guessed. Certainly the armored forces are in need of a rest. Equally, Göring is pressing for the Luftwaffe to be given a bigger share of the action and the consequent glory. There may also be some truth in the suggestions that Hitler is deliberately being soft on the British in the hope that they can be persuaded to come to terms in the near future.[MORE]

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    Saturday, May 25th

    The Aftermath of the Bombing at South Bank


    The Aftermath of the Bombing at South Bank on Saturday May 25, 1940

    Atlantic

    • The cruisers Arethusa and Galatea, 6 British destroyers and a Polish destroyer give covering fire to the small British garrison besieged in the Calais Citadel. The destroyer Wessex is bombed and sunk. During the night German aircraft drop mines off the English south coast.
    • The Polish submarine Orzel is lost in mining off the southwest coast of Norway.
    • The British steamer Spinel (680t) is sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk. Her crew of 9 are rescued.
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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Swedish steamers Dahlia (1078t), Lygia (1480t) and Brita (1345t) are seized by German forces at Bergen. All are renamed for German service: Dahlia to Johannes Willi; Lygia to Malmedy; Brita to Desiderius Siedler.
    • The British minesweeping trawler Charles Boyes sinks on a mine off the east coast of England with the loss of 15 crewmen.
    • The Panamanian tanker Joseph Seep (7088t) sinks on a mine off Le Havre Roads. The entire crew is towed to safety in a lifeboat from the Norwegian steamer Lystaad.
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    Britain, Home Front

    Munitions factories are now working round the clock.

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    Secret War

    Highly secret documents are discovered in a captured German staff car. The documents reveal a German plan to attack the gap between Menin and Ypres with 2 corps.

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    Western Front

    The Belgian front is breached between Geluwe and the Lys valley. The Belgian forces are driven out of Menin by attacks of units from Army Group B. The BEF despatch 2 divisions to block the gap between Menin and Ypres. The last pockets of resistance in Boulogne are eliminated. 5,000 British and French troops are captured. The Allies fall back on Dunkirk. The British garrison repels an assault on the Calais Citadel and rejects a call to surrender. The French recapture part of Amiens.

    French Tanks Heading to the Front


    French Tanks Heading to the Front

    At 1700 hours Gort cancels the preparations he has been making to join Weygand's offensive. Later in the day Weygand in turn cancels the whole scheme, blaming Gort for this decision. In fact the French forces on the Somme have not made any attacks, as has been claimed, and the French forces with the northern armies are in no condition to do so.[MORE]

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    Sunday, May 26th

    Air Operations, Europe

    Spitfires destroy 6 Me-109s and 6 Ju-87s over Dunkirk. Stukas pound British forces in the Calais Citadel. Berlin falsely claims Calais has fallen. During the night the RAF bomb railway targets in Rhineland.

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    Atlantic

    • The British anti-aircraft cruiser Curlew is badly damaged by German bombing in Ofotfjord and is run aground for a total loss. 10 of her crew are lost. The remainder are picked up by the British destroyer Beagle and taken to Harstad.
    • The British tanker Oleander (7048t) is badly damaged by German bombing at Harstad. She is run aground on the 27th to prevent sinking. The crew is rescued.
    • Sunk by German bombing at or near Dunkirk are the French auxiliary minesweeper Dijonnais (389t), the French steamer Saint Camille (3274t) and the French steamer Ceres (3073t).
    • The Belgian dredger Volkracht IV (300t) is sunk on a mine in the Zeebrugge Canal.
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    Britain, Command

    Gen John Dill becomes Chief of the British General Staff. His predecessor Gen Edmund Ironside takes over as Commander in Chief of Home Forces.

    [rarrrarr2]

    Britain, Home Front

    It is announced in London that due to enemy occupation of Holland and parts of Belgium and Northern France, children are to be evacuated from a number of towns on the east coast.

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    Norway

    The British cruiser Curlew is sunk by air attack of Harstad.

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    Secret War

    Adm Otto Schniewind, Chief of the German Naval War Staff, predicts: 'Evacuation of (BEF) troops without equipment... is conceivable by means of large numbers of smaller vessels... even from the open coast'.

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    Western Front, Dunkirk

    The position of the Belgian army is becoming increasingly grave. It is clear that it is unable to stay in the fight for much longer. The British forces are beginning to fall back on Dunkirk and in the evening the order is issued to begin Operation DYNAMO, the evacuation from Dunkirk. Adm Sir Bertram Ramsay, who commands the Royal Navy forces based at Dover, is appointed to command the operation. A total of 861 ships and boats are involved in the evacuation. A total of 231 of the rescue vesses are sunk, mostly by the Luftwaffe, but German air strikes were restricted by bad weather and the tenacious fighters of the RAF. The scope of the operation is not made clear to the local French commanders at first and they feel, with some justice, that they are being abandoned.

    Evacuation Begins


    Evacuation Begins

    Hitler orders von Rundstedt to resume the advance by his armored forces. The German attack resumes trying to cut off the British and French forces around Lille. A desperate defense enables most of them to get away to positions nearer the coast. The German 6th Army launches a powerful assault on the Belgians holding the Allied left flank. The BEF sends reinforcements. The French and the Belgians withstand violent German attacks between Courtrai and Vanenciennes. The French re-capture several bridgeheads over the Somme east of Amiens. The Belgian High Command tells the British and French that its army's situation is critical. The Belgian government asks King Leopold to leave his country (as the Queen of Holland and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg have done), but the King refuses. In the Dunkirk evacuation only a little is achieved with less than 8,000 men being landed in Britain. During the night Calais falls to the German 10 Panzer Div.[MORE]

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    Monday, May 27th

    Atlantic

    • The British steamer Sequacity (870t) is sunk by German shellfire 6 miles northeast of Calais. Her crew is rescued by the British steamer Yewdale.
    • Sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk are the French steamer Aden (8033t) and the British steamer Worthtown (868t)
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    Battle for the Atlantic

    • U-37 sinks the Argentine SS Uruguay (3225t) 160 miles off Cape Villano with the loss of 15 of her crew. 13 crewmen are landed at Corunna. Argentina issues a protest on 1 June and later forbids its merchant ships to enter European waters.
    • U-37 also sinks the British steamer Sheaf Mead (5008t) about 180 miles from Cape Finisterre with the loss of 31 crewmen. 7 survivors are rescued by the Greek steamer Frangoula B. Goulandris.
    • The French submarine Rubis lays a minefield near Haugesand at Bleivik.
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    Diplomatic Relations

    Roosevelt offers to mediate in talks between Italy, France and Britain in another bid to keep Italy from entering the war.

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    Norway

    The Allied assault on Narvik gets under way. The attacking troops are led by the French Gen Emile Bethouart. The town is taken after a brisk fight. When bad weather at the Bardufoss airfield grounds the Allied fighters, the attack is briefly held up because the ships providing bombardment support then have to fight off the Stukas alone.

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    Western Front, Dunkirk

    Guderian is permitted, by his superiors, to continue his advance from the Aa River towards Dunkirk, employing motorized infantry with his tanks held in reserve. The evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk (Operation DYNAMO) officially gets under way. The RAF provides massive air cover. By the end of this day 7,669 troops have been evacuated from Dunkirk. There is a Franco-British counterattack against the German XXXVIII Corps holding the Abbéville bridgehead south of the Somme. These attacks gravely threaten the Germans on 29 May but run out of steam on 30 May.

    Dunkirk Evacuation Continues


    Dunkirk Evacuation Continues

    When the planned evacuation was announced to the British public on 27 May 1940, a fleet of fishing boats, pleasure craft, merchant marine vessels, and other small boats rushed across the English Channel to help. They retrieved the British, French, and Belgian troops from the bombed-out harbor, which the larger ships could not enter, and ferried those troops to the big ships. These 'Little Ships' quickly gained legendary status, and the 'Spirit of Dunkirk' became a British rallying cry.

    Dunkirk Evacuation Continues


    Dunkirk Evacuation Continues

    In the late afternoon King Leopold of the Belgians sends an envoy to the German general headquarters offering to capitulate. A few hours later the Germans respond to Leopold's emissary that the Führer demands unconditional surrender.[MORE]

    Le Paradis Massacre: 90 captured British soldiers from 2nd Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment are shot by a detachment of the SS Totenkopf Div in a meadow near the hamlet of Le Paradis, Pas-de-Calais.[MORE]

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    Tuesday, May 28th

    Air Operations, Europe

    LeO-451 bombers, escorted by Hurricanes, attack bridges in Aubigny area.

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    Atlantic

    • The British steamer Abukir (694t) with a crew of 21 and 210 passengers is sunk after leaving Ostend by German motor torpedo boat S-34. 16 crewmen and 189 passengers are lost. British destroyers pick up the survivors.
    • The British personnel ship Queen of the Channel (1162t) with 920 men on board is sunk by German bombing after leaving Dunkirk. There are no casualties. The survivors are picked up by the British steamer Dorrien Rose
    • The British minesweeping trawler Thomas Bartlett (290t) sinks on a mine off Calais with the loss of 8 crewmen.
    • The French auxiliary minesweeper Marguerite Rose (409t) is sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk.
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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Swedish steamer Torsten (1206t) is lost in the Kattegat 4 miles south of Vinga on a mine in the minefield laid by the British submarine Seal on the 4th. 16 of her crew are rescued.
    • The Norwegian steamer Blammarren (174t) sinks on a mine near Haugesand. This is a result of the minefield laid by the French submarine Rubis on the 27th.
    • The British anti-submarine trawler Thuringia (550t) sinks on a mine in the North Sea. There are only 4 survivors.
    • The British steamer Carare (6878t) with a crew of 97 and 29 passengers sinks on a mine in the North Sea. 7 crewmen and 3 passengers are lost. The British armed yacht Rhodora and the anti-submarine trawler Cambridgeshire rescue the survivors.
    • U-37 sinks the French steamer Brazza (10,387t) and the escorting trawler Julien (177t) 100 miles west of Oporto. 79 crewmen and 300 passengers are lost from the Brazza. 53 crewmen and 144 passenger are picked up by the French gunboat Enseigne Henry and the British armed merchant cruiser Cheshire. The entire crew of the trawler is rescued.
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    Belgium

    Belgian Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot broadcasts from Paris: he declares that Belgians are 'dumbfounded' by King Leopold's capitulation and that, since the King acted against Government advice, 'henceforth he has no power to govern', and the Belgian Cabinet will take over all powers.

    Belgian Prime Minister Pierlot


    Belgian Prime Minister Pierlot
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    Italy

    With the collapse of Belgium Mussolini decides Italy must enter the conflict as soon as possible.

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    Norway

    Narvik is captured by French Foreign Legion forces and Norwegians under the command of French Gen Béthouart.

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    Headlines


    Headlines

    The White Flag


    The White Flag

    Western Front, Dunkirk

    King Leopold agrees to the surrender of the Belgian army without consulting the other Allies or his government. The Belgian Cabinet in Paris repudiates the king's action, but the fact is that the Belgian army no longer exists. The capitulation becomes effective at 1100 hours. Elimination of the Belgians opens a 32-km gap on the left flank of the BEF-French 'pocket' in the Nieuport area between ad hoc British forces (armored cars of the 12th Lancers, 'infantrymen' of Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery) and the German 256th Div. It is only by a desperately hurried redeployment of the British and French forces that the Germans are prevented from reaching Nieuport, and from there the Dunkirk beaches where there are some 350,000 troops waiting to be taken off by sea.

    A corps of French 1st Army (6 divisions) is holding out in Lille but they have been cut off from the main British and French forces in the evacuation area by 7 German divisions. There is fierce fighting around Cassel and Poperinghe where von Rundstedt's men again press forward. The town and the docks of Dunkirk are heavily bombed, while those British craft that are able to leave harbor have to face the fire of German batteries at Calais and submarine attacks from the North Sea. The evacuation continues, with 17,804 men being brought off at a cost of 1 destroyer, the Windsor damaged by bombs, and several other less important vessels including a small steamer sunk by German MTB S-34.[MORE]

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    Wednesday, May 29th

    Air Operations, Europe

    2 elite units of Ju-88 bombers join the assault on Dunkirk. A squadron of RAF Defiant 2-seat fighters claims 37 'kills' over Dunkirk (actual total: 14).

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    Atlantic

    • The British destroyer Wakeful is torpedoed and sunk by German motor torpedo boat S-30 close to North Kwinte Buoy. 98 of the crew are lost along with 650 troops being evacuated from Dunkirk. 26 survivors are picked up by British ships in the area.
    • The British auxiliary minesweeper Gracie Fields (393t) is sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk 3 miles west of Middelkerk Buoy with loss of 1 crewmen. The British minesweeper Pangbourne picks up the survivors.
    • The British auxiliary minesweeper Waverly (537t) is sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk. About 360 passengers and crew are lost. Survivors are picked up by ships in the area.
    • The British auxiliary anti-aircraft ship Crested Eagle is sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk. The British minesweeper Pangbourne rescues the survivors.
    • The British minesweeping trawler Calvi (363t) is sunk by German bombing in Dunkirk Harbor. The survivors are picked up by the British minesweeping trawler John Cattling.
    • Other ships sunk by German bombing at or near Dunkirk include the French steamers Monique Schiaffino (3236t) and Mars (721t), the French auxiliary minesweeper Joseph Marie (41t) and the Belgian tugs Vulcain (200t), Max (177t) and Thames (144t). The French steamer Saint Octave (5099t) is scuttled at Dunkirk. She is later salvaged by German forces and renames Ilse Fritzen for German service.
    • The British steamer Clan MacAlister (6787t) is set on fire by German bombing at Dunkirk and abandoned. 18 of her crew are lost. Survivors are picked up by the British destroyer Malcolm and the minesweeper Pangbourne.

    British Troops at Dover


    British Troops at Dover
    • The British steamer Mona's Queen (2756t) sinks on a mine off Dunkirk 1/2 mile from Dunkirk Pier Head with the loss of 26. Her survivors are picked up by the British destroyer Vanquisher.
    • Other ships lost in the area include the British steamer Lorena (1578t) by German bombing with the loss of 8 and the British steamer Finella (2376t) by German bombing with the loss of 15.
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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The French steamer Saint Claire (3824t) is sunk by German bombing at Tjeldsundet.
    • The German auxiliary patrol boat Vp.1109, the trawler Antares, (291t) sinks on a mine in a minefield laid by the British submarine Narwhal.
    • U-37 sinks the French steamer Marie Jose (2477t) 40 miles northwest of Vigo near Salvora Island and badly damages the British steamer Telena (7406t). There are 18 dead on the Telena. She is abandoned but is later towed to Spain where it is sold.
    • The British destroyer Grafton is torpedoed and badly damaged by U-62 in the North Sea. 15 of the crew are lost. The British destroyer Intrepid takes off the survivors and then scuttles the Grafton by firing 3 shells into her hull. The British steamer Malines also picks up some of the survivors.
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    Diplomatic Relations

    Rumania concludes a trade treaty with Germany exchanging its oil for German arms.

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    Norway

    British troops are evacuated from Bodo.

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    Occupied Holland

    Dr Arthur Seyss-Inquart takes office as Reichscommissar for Holland.

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    Germans After Belgian Surrender


    Germans After Belgian Surrender

    Western Front, Dunkirk

    The Germans enter Ypres, Ostend and Lille.

    Ferry Monta's Queen Sinks


    Ferry <i>Monta's Queen</i> Sinks

    At Dunkirk, the German forces continue to press all around contracting the perimeter. By the end of the day most of the remaining British troops and a large proportion of the French are inside the final canal positions. The evacuation from Dunkirk and over the beaches goes on. The Luftwaffe increases the strength of its attacks despite the efforts of the RAF to give protection. A further 47,310 men are evacuated but 3 destroyers (Wakeful, Grenade and Grafton by U-62) are sunk and 7 others (6 British and 1 French) damaged. Mackay and Montrose collide and run aground. At least 15 other vessels (8 auxiliary ships and 7 merchant ships) are sunk. The French are now beginning to allow their troops to be evacuated and have sent some ships to assist. Owing to the destroyer losses and the demand for them in other operations the Admiralty decides that the more modern types must be withdrawn.

    Hitler meets the commanders of his Army Groups at Cambrai, telling them that he has decided to 'deploy the armored forces immediately for a southward offensive to settle accounts with the French'. The 10 divisions are re-grouped to form 5 Panzer Corps, 3 under the commnad of von Bock, Commander of Army Group B, and 2 under von Rundstedt, who commands Army Group A. Von Bock moves 3 armies, the 4th, 6th and 9th, to the Somme to take up positions beside von Rundstedt's 2nd, 12th and 16th, already on the Aisne and the Ailette.

    Gen Weygand, Commander in Chief of the French armed forces, plans to counterattack on the south side of the breach opened by the German panzer divisions, where it happens that the bulk of the French forces are concentrated. To face the panzer corps he deploys, on the left, the 10th, 7th and 6th Armies, with the 4th and 2nd in the center and the remainder, the 3rd, 5th and 8th, on the right.

    By midnight the greater part of the BEF and almost half the French 1st Army are in sight of the sea in the area of Dunkirk.[MORE]

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    Thursday, May 30th

    Atlantic

    The French destroyer Bourrasque, with 880 men on board, hits a mine near Ostend and then is sunk by German artillery. 16 of the crew are lost. 300 of the men are picked up ships in the area. The rest are either killed or captured.

    French Destroyer Bourrasque Sinking


    French Destroyer <i>Bourrasque</i> Sinking
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    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The German steamer Finkenau (916t) sinks on a mine south of Drogden near Copenhagen.
    • U-101 sinks the British steamer Stanhall (4831t) off Cape Finisterre with the loss of 1 crewman. The British steamer Temple Moat picks up the survivors.
    • The British boom defense vessel Cambrian (338t) sinks on a mine off Spithead with the loss of 2 of her crew.
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    Italy

    Mussolini decides that Italy will enter the war on 5 June.

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    Mediterranean

    The Belgian steamer Egypte (2568t) is seized as a prize.

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    Western Front, Dunkirk

    While British artillery tries to hold the advancing German troops at bay before their ammunition runs out, there is something of a lull in the land battle around Dunkirk because of confusion and disagreement in the German command.

    The panzer forces begin to withdraw from the front line to take up positions to the south for the next stage of the Battle of France.

    British Artillery, 30 May 1940


    British Artillery 30 May 1940

    The evacuation, of course, continues with 53,823 men being taken off. The small ships over the beaches do most of the lifting but transfer their loads to larger vessels for the trip to England. 1 destroyer is sunk during the day, the French Bourrasque, 3 others are hit and at least 9 of the smaller ships are also sunk. This total does not include the smallest vessels whose losses are also considerable. Gen Sir Alan Francis Brooke, who has commanded the British II Corps with distinction, is one of the evacuees.[MORE]

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    Friday, May 31st

    Air Operations, Europe

    20 LeO-451s (9 lost) attack Amiens and Abbéville.

    LeO-451, French Medium Bomber


    LeO-451, French medium bomber

    Douglas DB-7 bombers make low-level attacks on German columns near St Quentin.

    Douglas DB-7


    Douglas DB-7


    Battle of the Atlantic

    • The Norwegian steamer Jadarland (938t) sinks on a mine near Haugesand. This is a result of the minefield laid by the French submarine Rubis on the 27th.
    • U-101 sinks the British steamer Orangemoor (5775t) southwest of Roches Doures with the loss of 18 crewmen. 22 survivors are picked up by the British steamer Brandenburg.
    • The British sloop Weston sinks U-13 14 miles southeast of Lowestoft. All 26 of the crew are taken prisoner.

      U-13

      ClassType IIB
      CO Oberleutnant zur See Max Schulte
      Location North Sea, N of Newcastle
      Cause Depth charge
      Casualties None
      Survivors 26
    • The French destroyer Sirocco is torpedoed and badly damaged by German S-boats S.23 and S.26. She is then sunk by German bombing while attempting emergency repairs. She had on board 180 crew and 700 French troops. 59 crew and over 600 troops are lost. On patrol nearby, the British destroyer Blyskawica picks up 15 survivors, British patrol sloop Widgeon picks up 166 survivors, Stella Dorado picks up 21 survivors, Wolves picks up 50 survivors.
    • The British anti-submarine trawler St Achilleus (484t) sinks on a mine off Dunkirk with the loss of 1 crewman.
    • French steamers Ain El Turk (2008t) and Cote d'Azur (3047t) and trawlers Puissant (200t), Costaud (140t) and Adjader (414t) are sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk. The steamer Cote d'Azur is later salvaged by the Germans and renamed Elsass for German service.
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      Britain, Home Front

      A series of measures, including the removal of all direction signs from crossroads, is taken to counter worries about fifth-column and parachute attacks.

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      China

      The Japanese High Command in China announces its intention to bomb Chiang Kai-shek's capital of Chungking daily 'until the spirit of Chinese resistance is broken'.

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      Diplomatic Relations

      Roosevelt makes yet another approach to the Italian government. If Italy enters the war against France and Britain, the President says, the USA will be compelled to give much more aid to the Western Allies.

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      Norway

      The British blocking force is evacuated from Bodo.

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    United States, Politics

    Pres Roosevelt introduces a 'billion-dollar defense program' which is designed to boost the United States' military strength significantly.

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    Western Front

    Churchill arrives in Paris with 3 of his closest colleagues, Clement Attlee, Lord Privy Seal, Sir John Dill, Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff, and Gen Lord Ismay, Head of the Military Wing of the War Cabinet Secretariat.[MORE]

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    Evacuation Continues


    Evacuation Continues

    Western Front, Dunkirk

    This is the most successful day of the Dunkirk evacuation, with 68,014 men being taken to Britain. The French destroyers Sirocco and Cyclone are torpedoed by German MTBs. 6 British destroyers are damaged by bombing. The Admiralty decides to withdraw all modern destroyers from the Dunkirk area. Gen Gort returns to Britain after handing over command of the remnant of the BEF to Maj-Gen Sir Harold Alexander as ordered. The French 1st Army surrenders in the Lille sector after a 4-day seige. The BEF withdraws from the Belgian sector of the Dunkirk 'pocket'. During the night the French re-capture part of Abbévile. There are considerable air battles over the beaches at various stages during the day in which the RAF claim to shoot down 38 German aircraft for the loss of 28. In fact the true figures are nearer equality.

    [larr2larr | rarrrarr2]


    [ April 1940 - June 1940]