c-eight
11-11-2007, 11:53 AM
Following of the thread "WWII - France: battle of the Somme June 1940 (Part I)"
The entire Somme front resist
On all the Somme front the French army fight 1 vs 3 and sometime more, and resist with the same energy. East of Abbeville the 3rd light cavalry division loose half of its atillery but one group destroy 38 tanks, one battery destroying 18. The 13th infantry division attacked by 3 divisions fight with all its strenth.
In the sector of Pérone, the Wehrmacht archive a break. The 3rd and 4th panzerdivions supported by the 9th and 10th panzerdivions coming from Amiens push through the poor 7th north african divisions fighting 1 vs 6.
Time for the new French tank-division to enter the fight. The tanks of the 1st DCR (124 tanks) counter-attack East of Roye to stop the flow and rescue the 29th infantry divisions fighting with the 7th DINA. The French tanks supported by the 23th alpine infantry division push back the ennemy, reach Carrépuis then push on the Roye/Liancourt road. The Luftwaffe intervene massively and stop the advance of the 1st DCR.
The 47th DI make a efficient resistance pocket which contain the Wehrmarcht offensive.
The 1st DCR tank division fight with heroism at Noyon the 7th an 8th of June loosing half of its R35 tanks. During several days the general Welvert is going to sacrify his tanks, there are no more than 50 remaining tanks the 11th of June (on 124).
It's extreem bitterness, the anti-tanks of the 117th RI destroy about 50 German tanks, those of the 29th RI can claim 41.
The 19th DI can put a lot in fire too.
Marchelepot south of Peronne is kept by the 22th regiment of the Légion.
The village fall after street fight even in the church. Other keep a little wood crunched by shells. The survivors keep on the fight in a farm. Several légionaires suicide better than fall in the hand of the Germans.
Many units follow this example of bravery.
The 7th panzerdivion of Rommel attacks the sector defended by the 5th colonial division. Fight are bitter and losses hight. The senegalese climb on tanks with their swords and try to kill someone through the slit of aim.
Their fierce resistance is recounted by Rommel and in the German paper Signal of the 1st of January 1941.
Surounded, some colonial troops succeed to break with close combat at bayonet range. But the 7th compagnie, out of amunission, surrenders.
The 72th artillery regiment reduced to 12 pieces fight to the last piece and destroy 32 German tanks.
But the place is taken and a 'soldier' called Erwin Rommel order to kill all the blacks of the 7th compagnie. Even the captain N'Tchoréré, high rank officer. His corp is crunched by the tracks of several German tanks. Another (white) French officer is killed without other crime than insulting the Germans.
26 are executed and digged in a mass grave, 83 are found in the souronding.
How to call such an act against soldiers who fought so heroïcally?
Anyway, the 7th panzerdivion reduced to 150 tanks endure the counter-attack of the 7th armored regiment reduced to 85 tanks, 25 excellent Somua S35 tanks among them. The tanks engage the fight against the 150 tanks supported by 36 105mm guns, self-propelled 150mm, 88 mm anti-tanks. The adjudant Pierson with his four Somua group destroy 15 enemy tanks.
Rommel break the fight and call for a massive Luftwaffe raid, he get as usual (thanks for his politician connexions, as a good nazi politician who always got the best material...), and he let them and his artillery to deal with the French tanks.
Like on the rest of the Somme, confronted by immenselly large forces the tanks are destroyed by little group leaving 73 burnt or drilled tanks on the ground on 85 initialy!
Avoiding the resistance islands, the 7th panzerdivion rush ahead deep inside the French line.
The break is done. But it's another story.
Elsewhere, on the Aisne, the army group A of the general von Rundstedt is strong of 4 panzerdivisions (1200 tanks) and 15 infantry divisions.
The army group attacks on the Aisne the 9th of June. The defenders are 5 infantry division and Buisson tanks division (160 tanks). The German superiority is 1 vs 3 for the infantry and 1 vs 8 for the tanks.
The 10th DI face 3 German divisions (3rd, 23th 298th), the 2nd DI face 2 panzerdivions (1st and 2nd) and 3 infantry divisons (17th, 21th and 52th), the 14th DI is attacked by 3 infantry divisions (73th, 82th and 86th), the 36th DI face 3 infantry divisions (26th, 10th, and SS-Polizei).
Two other panzerdivision (6th and 8th) are behind to take profit of the piercing when it'll be achieved.
Each French division must defend 20km which is three times more than it should be.
The attack of the 9th of June can't go though in spite geman expectations and in spite the mass support of the Stukas. Worst, 2000 German prisoners fall in the hands of the 14th DI. The 25th RI bring 400 in three counter-attacks and a tanks group of the 3rd BCC catch 800! French losses are relativally light. The 14th DI is comanded by the general De Lattre who will become famous latter.
The 36th DI fight as well. The rate of forces are 55000 Germans vs 18000 French.
« we were supported by a excellent artillery » say the colonel Poitevin (then lieutnant). « with 81mm mortars, 75, 105, 155mm guns. The anti-tank defense were 25 and 47 mm guns. But our AA defense was very poor with two 20mm guns for 20 km. We had a excellent moral »
The 9th at 4:00 AM the German artillery rage: 105mm, 150mm, mortars make a flood of fire on the positions of the 36th DI. By group of 10 the German bombers drop their bombs on villages, crossroads, batteries. A 7:00 the German infantry hidden by a deep artificial smog attacks. The 1st and 2nd compagny which face the axis of the attack is grinded on place. The French resist everywhere.
The 1st battalion facing 6000 German with his 600 men is massacred in place better than go backward. Many officers are killed.
In few hours the 10th and 26th German infantry divisions seems to have created a very dangerous situation for the 36th DI, a 10 km penetration and it now reach the artillery were the gunners fights with rifles. But the situation is going to change dramatically thanks the the fast reaction of général Aublet. Two compagnies of light tanks (26 FCM36) are thrown in the battle. During 2 days, the 57th RI supported by tanks, is going to archieve a brilliant success. The evening of the 9th the situation of the 36th DI is restored. The German plan to make the 6th and 8th panzerdivions go though after the piercing made by the 3 infantry divisions (10th, 26th, and SS-Polizei) is a total failure.
The German divisions have endured considerable losses (6000 vs 2000 for the 36th DI)
On front of this resistance, the general Guderian decide to move all his army group to the sector of Rethel. The ennemy has admited the heroical resistance of the French troops in a article of the Deutsche Allemeine Zeitung of the 28 of february 1941: « in spite the strenth of our attacks, the defenders of Voncq supported by a hell of a artillery have left ground only step by step and a counter-attacks of tanks vomiting death have made us move back. The deal was given to the SS-Polizei the 10th of June but in spite our violent attacks we couln't go through the solid French divisions»
East of the 36th DI, three French infantry divisions (6th, 35th and 1st DIC) push back five German divisions (24th, 36th, 58th, 76th and 299th) during three days.
Lieutnant Fornamy of the 12th senegalese regiment (1st DIC):
«we've made 300 prisioners. We are again victorious on the battle field in spite all the efforts made by the ennemy. We stand for four weeks and since nobody have time to read papers or listen to the radio in the troop, we couln't doubt that the Germans will occupy Bordeaux two weeks later. Our success is complete but before we can finish the cleansing we are given the order to retreat. The ennemy is south of the Aisne and we can't reduce the threat, they already threaten Chalon »
Because indeed, as everybody know, the Germans weren't stopped on the Somme.
West of the 14th DI the unfortunate 2nd and 10th infantry divisions are crunched the 10th and 11th of June by two panzerdivisions (1st and 2nd) and six infantry divisions (3rd, 17th, 21th, 23th, 52th, and 298th) then supported by the two panzerdivisions which failed to go through at Voncq (6th and 8th) so 158000 men and 1200 tanks against 35000 French soldiers!
More than they could humanly stand. The Buisson tank division reduced to 160 tanks (30 B1 bis only) try to stop the flow of the four Guderian's panzerdivions. Violent tank fights occure near Jubiville and Perthes, the 1st panzerdivions is even shoved for some time. If the B1 bis make heavy losses to the panzers (Guderian witnessed it), they can't change the course of the battle. The Buisson tank division oppose again the tanks the 12th and is almost totaly annihilated and its chief killed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/cesm1/b1bis.jpg
B1 bis tank
But it doesn't go as fast as Guderian expect. German General Halder: « the hopes to quickly drill the front are disapointed. Guderian trample again and in the night a message from him insist on the fact that there are several divisions on front of him. Among those divisions, there are at least three that Guderian pretended to have destroy the previous day »
Nevertheless, after 8 days of doggery resistance, the divisions of général Weygan are physically no more able to dyke the flow of the Wehrmacht.
« men leave their positions with rage » write a officer. « they had resisted so well...»
They've hoped. A letter of a infantryman of the 14th DI « they run to our position shouting 'Heil Hitler'. One of our little gun have destroyed 12 of their tanks. We have taken them 60 trucks full of supply »
A artiller of the same division « for them our division is a real plague and already numerous German tanks are destroyed on front of us at Rethel. For the infantry they make a nice barricade. I've just counted the number of shell shooted by my gun since the beginning of the war: more than 1000 and half of them since the 17th »
A soldier of the 4th DCR write to his parents « we've stand stronger than the 'Boches' and we've pushed them away with formidable losses, we've taken them equipments, trucks, cars, guns. Our side the moral is truly excellent in spite certain things that turn against us. We'll get those scums »
The general Frère, who command 90 km of the Somme front write to général Buisson (tank division Buisson): « Here everybody stand. We are sourounded, but we stand. A group of the 304th artillery regiment has just counter-attacked and have made 150 prisoners. The artillery can you believe it? I have the absolute conviction that the French army is about to save itself »
The colonel Gauché, chief of the 2nd bureau (inteligence) sent to general Weygan the following note: « The moral is clearly good in all controled units. The mail control gives more and more the feeling that if the troop – now warned and in a good part hardened – is well comanded, well entrenched, well supplied with sufficient material and supported by a really active aviation, no more lapse is to be feared, even on front of a ennemy with far superior numbers »
Lapses did not occured but the heroical resistance of the French army was crunched by a hugelly superior in numbers German army.
Jean-Louis Crémieux-Brilhac highlight: « men memory rarely remind the details of lost battles. It's unfair to silent the battle of the Somme and Aisne of June 1940. It was a eminent moment of national consciousness. History, mixing in one and single disaster the defeats of May and the debacle of mid-june, have missed this week when the nation in arms was ready to die for the motherland. Begining of June 1940 deserve a place in the history of French passions. It demonstrate the persistance patriotism and its vigor »
... but the fight isn't finished!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/cesm1/soldatfranais1940.jpg
God bless them all.
And the Germans while we are at it.
***
This article is a translation/sumerize of this book (http://www4.fnac.com/Shelf/article.aspx?PRID=1623225&OrderInSession=1&Mn=1&SID=0a07dfb6-2c80-ddb6-7ed6-2c0b412ac9fb&TTL=091120072351&Origin=fnac_google_home&Ra=-1&To=0&Nu=1&UID=14054D328-FB11-F95B-D973-D22E3208EBC2&Fr=0)
Well, I've done my best, sorry for the english faults.
The entire Somme front resist
On all the Somme front the French army fight 1 vs 3 and sometime more, and resist with the same energy. East of Abbeville the 3rd light cavalry division loose half of its atillery but one group destroy 38 tanks, one battery destroying 18. The 13th infantry division attacked by 3 divisions fight with all its strenth.
In the sector of Pérone, the Wehrmacht archive a break. The 3rd and 4th panzerdivions supported by the 9th and 10th panzerdivions coming from Amiens push through the poor 7th north african divisions fighting 1 vs 6.
Time for the new French tank-division to enter the fight. The tanks of the 1st DCR (124 tanks) counter-attack East of Roye to stop the flow and rescue the 29th infantry divisions fighting with the 7th DINA. The French tanks supported by the 23th alpine infantry division push back the ennemy, reach Carrépuis then push on the Roye/Liancourt road. The Luftwaffe intervene massively and stop the advance of the 1st DCR.
The 47th DI make a efficient resistance pocket which contain the Wehrmarcht offensive.
The 1st DCR tank division fight with heroism at Noyon the 7th an 8th of June loosing half of its R35 tanks. During several days the general Welvert is going to sacrify his tanks, there are no more than 50 remaining tanks the 11th of June (on 124).
It's extreem bitterness, the anti-tanks of the 117th RI destroy about 50 German tanks, those of the 29th RI can claim 41.
The 19th DI can put a lot in fire too.
Marchelepot south of Peronne is kept by the 22th regiment of the Légion.
The village fall after street fight even in the church. Other keep a little wood crunched by shells. The survivors keep on the fight in a farm. Several légionaires suicide better than fall in the hand of the Germans.
Many units follow this example of bravery.
The 7th panzerdivion of Rommel attacks the sector defended by the 5th colonial division. Fight are bitter and losses hight. The senegalese climb on tanks with their swords and try to kill someone through the slit of aim.
Their fierce resistance is recounted by Rommel and in the German paper Signal of the 1st of January 1941.
Surounded, some colonial troops succeed to break with close combat at bayonet range. But the 7th compagnie, out of amunission, surrenders.
The 72th artillery regiment reduced to 12 pieces fight to the last piece and destroy 32 German tanks.
But the place is taken and a 'soldier' called Erwin Rommel order to kill all the blacks of the 7th compagnie. Even the captain N'Tchoréré, high rank officer. His corp is crunched by the tracks of several German tanks. Another (white) French officer is killed without other crime than insulting the Germans.
26 are executed and digged in a mass grave, 83 are found in the souronding.
How to call such an act against soldiers who fought so heroïcally?
Anyway, the 7th panzerdivion reduced to 150 tanks endure the counter-attack of the 7th armored regiment reduced to 85 tanks, 25 excellent Somua S35 tanks among them. The tanks engage the fight against the 150 tanks supported by 36 105mm guns, self-propelled 150mm, 88 mm anti-tanks. The adjudant Pierson with his four Somua group destroy 15 enemy tanks.
Rommel break the fight and call for a massive Luftwaffe raid, he get as usual (thanks for his politician connexions, as a good nazi politician who always got the best material...), and he let them and his artillery to deal with the French tanks.
Like on the rest of the Somme, confronted by immenselly large forces the tanks are destroyed by little group leaving 73 burnt or drilled tanks on the ground on 85 initialy!
Avoiding the resistance islands, the 7th panzerdivion rush ahead deep inside the French line.
The break is done. But it's another story.
Elsewhere, on the Aisne, the army group A of the general von Rundstedt is strong of 4 panzerdivisions (1200 tanks) and 15 infantry divisions.
The army group attacks on the Aisne the 9th of June. The defenders are 5 infantry division and Buisson tanks division (160 tanks). The German superiority is 1 vs 3 for the infantry and 1 vs 8 for the tanks.
The 10th DI face 3 German divisions (3rd, 23th 298th), the 2nd DI face 2 panzerdivions (1st and 2nd) and 3 infantry divisons (17th, 21th and 52th), the 14th DI is attacked by 3 infantry divisions (73th, 82th and 86th), the 36th DI face 3 infantry divisions (26th, 10th, and SS-Polizei).
Two other panzerdivision (6th and 8th) are behind to take profit of the piercing when it'll be achieved.
Each French division must defend 20km which is three times more than it should be.
The attack of the 9th of June can't go though in spite geman expectations and in spite the mass support of the Stukas. Worst, 2000 German prisoners fall in the hands of the 14th DI. The 25th RI bring 400 in three counter-attacks and a tanks group of the 3rd BCC catch 800! French losses are relativally light. The 14th DI is comanded by the general De Lattre who will become famous latter.
The 36th DI fight as well. The rate of forces are 55000 Germans vs 18000 French.
« we were supported by a excellent artillery » say the colonel Poitevin (then lieutnant). « with 81mm mortars, 75, 105, 155mm guns. The anti-tank defense were 25 and 47 mm guns. But our AA defense was very poor with two 20mm guns for 20 km. We had a excellent moral »
The 9th at 4:00 AM the German artillery rage: 105mm, 150mm, mortars make a flood of fire on the positions of the 36th DI. By group of 10 the German bombers drop their bombs on villages, crossroads, batteries. A 7:00 the German infantry hidden by a deep artificial smog attacks. The 1st and 2nd compagny which face the axis of the attack is grinded on place. The French resist everywhere.
The 1st battalion facing 6000 German with his 600 men is massacred in place better than go backward. Many officers are killed.
In few hours the 10th and 26th German infantry divisions seems to have created a very dangerous situation for the 36th DI, a 10 km penetration and it now reach the artillery were the gunners fights with rifles. But the situation is going to change dramatically thanks the the fast reaction of général Aublet. Two compagnies of light tanks (26 FCM36) are thrown in the battle. During 2 days, the 57th RI supported by tanks, is going to archieve a brilliant success. The evening of the 9th the situation of the 36th DI is restored. The German plan to make the 6th and 8th panzerdivions go though after the piercing made by the 3 infantry divisions (10th, 26th, and SS-Polizei) is a total failure.
The German divisions have endured considerable losses (6000 vs 2000 for the 36th DI)
On front of this resistance, the general Guderian decide to move all his army group to the sector of Rethel. The ennemy has admited the heroical resistance of the French troops in a article of the Deutsche Allemeine Zeitung of the 28 of february 1941: « in spite the strenth of our attacks, the defenders of Voncq supported by a hell of a artillery have left ground only step by step and a counter-attacks of tanks vomiting death have made us move back. The deal was given to the SS-Polizei the 10th of June but in spite our violent attacks we couln't go through the solid French divisions»
East of the 36th DI, three French infantry divisions (6th, 35th and 1st DIC) push back five German divisions (24th, 36th, 58th, 76th and 299th) during three days.
Lieutnant Fornamy of the 12th senegalese regiment (1st DIC):
«we've made 300 prisioners. We are again victorious on the battle field in spite all the efforts made by the ennemy. We stand for four weeks and since nobody have time to read papers or listen to the radio in the troop, we couln't doubt that the Germans will occupy Bordeaux two weeks later. Our success is complete but before we can finish the cleansing we are given the order to retreat. The ennemy is south of the Aisne and we can't reduce the threat, they already threaten Chalon »
Because indeed, as everybody know, the Germans weren't stopped on the Somme.
West of the 14th DI the unfortunate 2nd and 10th infantry divisions are crunched the 10th and 11th of June by two panzerdivisions (1st and 2nd) and six infantry divisions (3rd, 17th, 21th, 23th, 52th, and 298th) then supported by the two panzerdivisions which failed to go through at Voncq (6th and 8th) so 158000 men and 1200 tanks against 35000 French soldiers!
More than they could humanly stand. The Buisson tank division reduced to 160 tanks (30 B1 bis only) try to stop the flow of the four Guderian's panzerdivions. Violent tank fights occure near Jubiville and Perthes, the 1st panzerdivions is even shoved for some time. If the B1 bis make heavy losses to the panzers (Guderian witnessed it), they can't change the course of the battle. The Buisson tank division oppose again the tanks the 12th and is almost totaly annihilated and its chief killed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/cesm1/b1bis.jpg
B1 bis tank
But it doesn't go as fast as Guderian expect. German General Halder: « the hopes to quickly drill the front are disapointed. Guderian trample again and in the night a message from him insist on the fact that there are several divisions on front of him. Among those divisions, there are at least three that Guderian pretended to have destroy the previous day »
Nevertheless, after 8 days of doggery resistance, the divisions of général Weygan are physically no more able to dyke the flow of the Wehrmacht.
« men leave their positions with rage » write a officer. « they had resisted so well...»
They've hoped. A letter of a infantryman of the 14th DI « they run to our position shouting 'Heil Hitler'. One of our little gun have destroyed 12 of their tanks. We have taken them 60 trucks full of supply »
A artiller of the same division « for them our division is a real plague and already numerous German tanks are destroyed on front of us at Rethel. For the infantry they make a nice barricade. I've just counted the number of shell shooted by my gun since the beginning of the war: more than 1000 and half of them since the 17th »
A soldier of the 4th DCR write to his parents « we've stand stronger than the 'Boches' and we've pushed them away with formidable losses, we've taken them equipments, trucks, cars, guns. Our side the moral is truly excellent in spite certain things that turn against us. We'll get those scums »
The general Frère, who command 90 km of the Somme front write to général Buisson (tank division Buisson): « Here everybody stand. We are sourounded, but we stand. A group of the 304th artillery regiment has just counter-attacked and have made 150 prisoners. The artillery can you believe it? I have the absolute conviction that the French army is about to save itself »
The colonel Gauché, chief of the 2nd bureau (inteligence) sent to general Weygan the following note: « The moral is clearly good in all controled units. The mail control gives more and more the feeling that if the troop – now warned and in a good part hardened – is well comanded, well entrenched, well supplied with sufficient material and supported by a really active aviation, no more lapse is to be feared, even on front of a ennemy with far superior numbers »
Lapses did not occured but the heroical resistance of the French army was crunched by a hugelly superior in numbers German army.
Jean-Louis Crémieux-Brilhac highlight: « men memory rarely remind the details of lost battles. It's unfair to silent the battle of the Somme and Aisne of June 1940. It was a eminent moment of national consciousness. History, mixing in one and single disaster the defeats of May and the debacle of mid-june, have missed this week when the nation in arms was ready to die for the motherland. Begining of June 1940 deserve a place in the history of French passions. It demonstrate the persistance patriotism and its vigor »
... but the fight isn't finished!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/cesm1/soldatfranais1940.jpg
God bless them all.
And the Germans while we are at it.
***
This article is a translation/sumerize of this book (http://www4.fnac.com/Shelf/article.aspx?PRID=1623225&OrderInSession=1&Mn=1&SID=0a07dfb6-2c80-ddb6-7ed6-2c0b412ac9fb&TTL=091120072351&Origin=fnac_google_home&Ra=-1&To=0&Nu=1&UID=14054D328-FB11-F95B-D973-D22E3208EBC2&Fr=0)
Well, I've done my best, sorry for the english faults.