European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse German fall of france1940 continued from Page 13 charging so bravely into machine gun fire in world War i was a growing dread of another Slaughter. France had buried a million and a half of its sons in cemeteries that blossomed like blood spots Over its wounded land. This time with their Maginot mentality they burrowed in and watched the War Clouds Roll. In 1914 their rousing Battle cry had been a on to Berlin Quot in 1939-40 their Call to Battle was less stirring. Quot we will a said the French commander Gen. Maurice Gamelin who rarely left his Headquarters in a huge chateau outside Paris Quot await a a after the German destruction of Poland and accommodation with the soviet Union there commenced that fall and Winter on the Western front what wordsmiths called the Quot phony War Quot and the sit Down War a visitor to the front seeing germans not far away asked Quot Why done to you shoot them a Quot Why should we Quot the soldiers replied. Quot they Arentt shooting at this gentlemanly approach to War with the likes of Adolf Hitler seemed acceptable at the time and in Paris the song of the Day was Quot Paris will always be in the great City observed . Liebling parisians tried to look the other Way. Music Halls opened nightclubs grumbled against the 11 o clock curfew Bistro operators protested against practice blackouts a Quot lets have the lights Quot and gourmets continued to eat. Quot nothing reassures parisians More than this gastronomic normality As they eat lovingly and with discrimination Quot noted Liebling. As parisians worked at normality the germans worked on invasion plans pouring out tanks and planes from their factories. In Early april they walked Over Denmark and bludgeoned Norway. By the time they were ready for France in May they had 155 seemingly irresistible divisions 10 of them an awesome tank Force. The French along with the British expeditionary Force of about nine divisions the French complained the British weren to doing enough which also dug in and waited plus the forces of Belgium and Holland exceeded the germans in numbers. But that was it. Analysts stress that in organization and training in equipment and leadership the germans were clearly Superior. Supplying by far the most manpower the French ran the land show for the allies. The British had doubts especially concerning the thinly manned 50-mile Quot ardennes Gap Quot Between the Northern end of the Maginot line and the beginning of the British fortified belgian Border. Quot thank god for the French army Quot Churchill exclaimed when Hitler came to Power. He grew less effusive later. French commanders rarely bothered to visit much less talk to their troops and morale sagged. Worse the French still muddled along with concepts of Static Trench warfare out of 1914. Lightning War As utilized by the germans against Poland remained a mystery movie to them. In the air the germans were Superior in number and use of aircraft such As the terrifying dive bomber. In tank warfare the concentrated ripping thrusts of the germans were Steps beyond the French military imagination. While the single British tank division Britain Birthplace of the tank Hadnot Given birth to very Many was still Back in Britain the French had plenty of tanks about 2,300, but they were widely dispersed with infantry units unable to act with cohesive Force and did t come close to Matching German tactics. Frances Gamelin meanwhile trotting along in the age of the horse did t grasp the new Battlefield Speed. He Wasny to in radio communication with his commanders at All preferring to dispatch messages by motorcycle from his chateau. On top of such advantages wrote Churchill Quot the germans had full Freedom to choose the moment the direction and strength of the a the germans had no intention of butting their Heads against the Maginot line and the allies believed their foe would repeat the Schlieffer plan of 1914, attacking France on its left flank through Belgium. Unfortunately the French had neglected to extend the Maginot line to cover that Border with Friendly Belgium. They also did not expect the germans to attack in Force through the rugged heavily wooded supposedly Quot impassable ardennes Forest where Belgium Luxembourg and France joined. Quot this sector is not dangerous Quot advised world War i hero Henri Phillipe Petain. Impassable perhaps on the maps at French Headquarters but not on the ground where it counted. The Schlieffer plan was out. Under a new plan devised by Genius tactician Gen. Eric von Manstein the germans prepared to exploit that soft ardennes Middle after luring their enemy Forward. Once the allies committed Large forces northward to save Belgium and Holland wrote Churchill then the invaders would leap behind them in Quot their enormous Onrush through the ardennes to sever the Curling left Arm of the Allied Northern armies at the shoulder in the Days of mechanization the German fast movers Quot were not at All deterred by the a a and so it happened. At 0530 hours on May 10,1940, with the benign announcement that Quot we Are coming to safeguard your neutrality Quot 30 divisions of the germans army group b a the lure a thundered around the Maginot shield of France into Belgium Holland and Luxembourg. As expected Manstein a plan caught the defenders by Surprise. As expected the defenders rushed their Best forces northward through a cheering Countryside to Rescue Belgium and Holland moving the mouse nicely into the trap. As expected except for 10 weak divisions the defenders ignored the ardennes. And then the second phase of Manstein so plan yellow jumped off. The strongest German Force 45 divisions of army group b under Gen. Gerd von Runstedt including seven crack Panzer divisions stormed the ardennes. Few chess moves Ever worked better and the thin French line broke like a wafer. In Paris meanwhile wrote Liebling cafe strategists demonstrated with matchsticks and toothpicks Between the Coffee and the wine How the War could be quickly wrapped up. Whatever the horrors outside Paris inside Paris a nobody Speaks of a crisis or defeat or even of an offensive but of events. A because of the events the French say a the autobuses Are not running today. Because of the events the police Are carrying rifles even As refugees bloated the City victorious veterans of 1914 said with Confidence that a the germans always strike hard to begin with but sooner or later slow up while the French hang on and the French still had a enormous Confidence in their but the army did not have enormous Confidence in itself. Even with their reputation As the masters of land War once the breakthrough occurred they had no strategic Reserve to throw into the breach. No Reserve the listing Churchill was he was further a a staggered when French commanders moaned that Quot All was swarming through the Forest bridging the River Meuse at Sedan roaring Onward to the Somme German armoured columns had by 8 . On 20 May bolted 200 Miles All the Way to the French coast near Noyelles. They had cleaved through and Cut off sluggish Allied armies trapping huge numbers in a shrinking death pocket by the sea called Dunkirk. This was Blitzkrieg. Lightning War. Not bothering to declare hostilities just blowing across Borders. Overwhelming the foe with storm troopers. Mechanized infantry. Screaming dive bombers. Paratroopers. Slashing tank columns moving through the enemy at unheard of speeds. Nothing like it had been seen before. Brilliantly led were those tank divisions tearing the heart out of France. For one Gen. Heinz Guderian creator of the German Panzer Force was a decisive bold commander who constantly went foward. At first Light he would leave his Headquarters in an armoured car with a signals officer his radio and an Quot Enigma Quot cipher machine. Accompanied by paga14 a a a the stars and stripes saturday. A s file photo off or forced French leaders to sign the armistice at comping be where the germans surrendered in 1918. Dispatch riders and a Hal track vehicle for difficult ground e directed operations from the front while keeping in intact with his Headquarters. For another Gen. Erwin Rommel a tanks and motorized Fantry advanced so swiftly that the plodding allies had no Ime to destroy Bridges and roads to delay them. In German Blitzkrieg the weakest Point in the Allied line m hit by an opening tank assault preceded by heavy Kir attacks and artillery bombardment. Paratroopers propped behind Allied lines to disrupt communications and advancing reinforcements. Then the main armoured assault roared Forward closely supported by motorized divisions and behind them came the regular infantry to consolidate the gains. After breaking through armoured spearheads fanned but bypassing and then enveloping defensive tron Points plunging Ever deeper into Allied territory encircling Ever wider areas. The Speed and ferocity of the attack caused panic among civilians and resulted in capture of Large units of confused Allied troops before they could withdraw and regroup. Suddenly As their cup bubbled with stunning successes the germans grew cautious. Instead of pressing on full bore to drive the allies nto the sea the dashing Armor was ordered to slow Down end reorganize. Whether it was Hitler or Runstedt who was responsible has been disputed. In any event the pause before Dunkirk permitted thousands to wriggle off the Pook. A great Chance to finish off soldiers who would come pack to haunt them was lost. It was hitlers first big mistake. Between May 27 and june 4 some 340,000 dazed British and French were evacuated off the smoking peaches Back to Britain. While Hitler celebrated the greatest Triumph Quot in history ordering the Church Bells of Germany to ring for three Days the battered allies rejoiced t the Quot Miracle Quot of Dunkirk. Midst the Joy that so Many had been saved to fight another Day Churchill cautioned that evacuations did not win wars. By then the lion of Britain had replaced the Wishful jinking Neville Chamberlain As his country a Leader. By Hen wrote analyst . Sulzberger a France had dissolved a militarily and by then 73-year-old Gen. Maxime Quot Weygand had replaced 68-year-old Gen. Maurice Gamelin _ it supreme commander. Weygand attempted to stand on he Somme and Aisne Rivers but on june 5 the germans armed through the feeble line to the Seine. Nazi a pan Ganda encouraged tales of terror and 12 million Panicky refugees jammed the roads blocking both the bating French and the advancing a a file photo world War i hero Henri Philippe Petain left was convicted of treason after world War ii. As France went i gloriously to its Knees Benito Mussolini strode onto a Balcony in Rome on june 10, his Chin thrust out like a hunk of Ham and announced to the throng that Italy would now also take a slice of France. He was soundly rebuffed. The germans bulldozed toward Paris. In less than four weeks of fighting the mighty French army was declared exhausted by its commanders themselves Quot Sodden with defeatism Quot in the words of Shirer. There were fighting spirits like Charles de Gaulle and some French units resisted stubbornly Here and there but Overall it was not the old Esprit facing the enemy. Whole columns of 10,000-20,000 soldiers of France threw Down their weapons and marched obediently into German hands their officers leading the Way. On june 12 Paris was declared an open City. Two Days later the germans who had failed so dramatically in the first War to capture Paris marched into the great old City of Light dark boots thumping Down the nearly empty avenues. Only one cafe was open on the champs Elysee. Soon the Swastika flapped from the Eiffel Tower. A German general staring at the scene below was so exultant that he landed in a Light plane on the place de la concorde. An Early tourist was one a. Hitler who came saw and never came Back. After Paris it was As Good As Over. Even old Kaiser Wilhelm in a blather of euphoria from his exile in Holland wired his former Corporal whom until lately he had regarded As a vulgar upstart congratulating him on Quot the mighty Victory granted by Hitler had thus obliterated an army that he supposed to be his greatest enemy at a Cost of but 27,074 German dead. In world War i in a single Battle at Verdun the French had stood fast on a front where perhaps the most nightmarish Battle in history was fought where 40 million shells fell. A they shall not pass Quot vowed the French and they did no tas frenchmen inflicted upwards of 400,000 casualties on the attacking germans. But that was a different time. The Days of Elan. These were the Days of despair Retreat failure of will. Of collaboration. In the fading hours it was Petain the staunch defender of Verdun now 84, who was summoned to the front rank of the French government As a morale builder. The old Tiger however had not Only lost his Teeth but seemingly his Honor As Well. On 22 june a Lovely sunny Day in the Woods of compi6gne, French leaders at Hitler s demand signed an armistice in the same Railroad car on the same spot where the germans Lay Down their sword in world War i. As Shirer wrote Hitler was there with a face full of hate and Joy rubbing it in having his revenge. German troops occupied Northern France and the entire French coast. The French colonies continued to be governed by an unoccupied French state Allied with Germany from Vichy in Southern France. After the War Petain would be tried and sentenced to life imprisonment for aiding the nazis. Now the Battle of France was Over the Candle flickered Low under the fierce nazi winds and the darkest hour was upon the West. The Battle of Britain and their finest hour Lay ahead. French troops Cut off by the German Advance Lay Down their arms in Lille. File photo 16 23,1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 15
