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HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

UNITED KINGDOM MILITARY SERIES

Edited by J. R. M. Butler

THE WAR IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS
1939-1940

By Major L. F. Ellis
C.V.O., C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C.

LONDON 1954

HMSO

CONTENTS

Chapter		Page
Editor's Preface		ix
Author's Preface		xv
I	Pre-War Policies and Plans	1
II	The First Winter (3rd September, 1939, to 9th May, 1940)	15
III	Advance into Belgium (20th May to 15th May, 1940)	35
IV	Withdrawal to the Escaut (16th May to 19th May, 1940)	59
V	Isolation of the Northern Armies (20th May, 1940)	75
VI	The Countr-Attack at Arras (21st May, 1940)	87
VII	High Level Moves (20th May to 22nd May, 1940)	103
VIII	The Canal Line (23rd May, 1940)	121
IX	Fighting on Two Fronts (24th May and 25th May, 1940)	135
X	Defence of the Channel Ports (22nd May to 26th May, 1940)	153
XI	The Decision to Evacuate (26th May, 1940)	171
XII	Dunkirk, Bethune and Ypres (27th May, 1940)	183
XIII	After the Belgian Surrender (28th May, 1940)	201
XIV	The Final Withdrawal (29th May, 1940)	215
XV	The Defence of the Bridgehead (30th May and 31swt May, 1940)	225
XVI	Last Days at Dunkirk (1st June to 4th June, 1940)	239
XVII	From the Saar to the Somme (10th May to 25th May, 1940)	249
XVIII	The Fight for the Somme Crossings (26th May to 4th June, 1940)	259
XIX	The New German Offensive (5th June to 8th June, 1940)	271
XX	From the Bresle to St Valery (9th June to 12th June, 1940)	283
XXI	The Final Phase (12th June to 18th June, 1940)	295
XXII	Review of Air Operations	307
XXIII	Conduct and Consequences of the Campaign	315
Supplement	The Planning and Conduct of the German Campaign	333
Appendix A	British Forces Engaged	357
Appendix B	French and German texts quoted in translation	375
Appendix C	German Forces Engaged	400
Index		407

MAPS

	facing page
General	1
General	15
The Canal Line and Ypres Front	121
Boulogne	158
Calais	170
Amiens to Havre	253
From the Somme to the Bresle	270
SITUATION MAPS
British dispositions 9th May, 1940	34
German Advance to the Sea 20th May, 1940	86
Counter-attack at Arras 21st May, 1940	102
Situation immediately before evacuation of Arras on night of 23rd May, 1940	134
Situation on the evening of 26th May, 1940	182
Situation on the evening of 27th May, 1940	200
The Withdrawal to the Coast	202
Situation on the evening of 28th May, 1940	214
Situation on the evening of 29th May, 1940	224
Situation on the evening of 30th May, 1940	238
Situation on the evening of 1st June, 1940	244
Amiens to Havre--Situation on the evening of 8th June, 1940	282
Amiens to Havre--Situation on the evening of 10th June, 1940	294
German Situation Map--24th May, 1940	inside back cover
SKETCH MAPS INCLUDED IN TEXT
Ports, Routes and Lines of Communications	18
Frontier Defences and the Dyle Line	23
Maastricht	41
German Dispositions on 10th May, 1940	45
Dyle Front--British Dispositions on 15th May, 1940 (diagram)	47
Dispositions of B.E.F. on 15th May, 1940, at noon	48
Escaut Front--British Artillery Dispositions, 21st May, 1940 (diagram)	70
Escaut Front--British Infantry Dispositions, 21st May, 1940 (diagram)	71
Locations of Back Component and Advanced Air Striking Force, 24th May, 1940	99
The Escaut, Frontier, Lys and Yser Lines	109
The Escaut and Frontier Lines	122
Sea Routes from Dunkirk	185
Dunkirk Harbour	222
Saar Front, British sector, May, 1940	250
Europe in 1939 and 1940	329
Evolution of Plan Yellow--three versions	342-43
Forward German Divisions disposed for attack on 10th May, 1940	345

ILLUSTRATIONS

	facing page
General the Viscount Gort	10
General Goerges	11
General Gamelin	26
Air Marshal A.S. Barratt	27
The Dyle and the Dendre	68
The Escaut and the Canal Line	69
General Weygand	104
Vice-Admiral Sir Bertram H. Ramsay	212
Dunkirk: the outer harbour	213
St Valery-en-Caux	290
Colonel-Generals von Brauchitsch, von Bock and von Rundstedt	334