THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE IN THE WEST 49
On May 10, Germany attacked the Netherlands, Belgium, and
Luxembourg. Paratroopers were dropped in the Netherlands, taking
key bridges and opening the way for ground forces. By May 12, German
tanks had reached Rotterdam, which was heavily bombed by the
Luftwaffe. The Dutch surrendered on May 14. In Belgium, German
gliders dropped paratroopers onto the roof of Fort Eben-Emael, between
Liège and Maastricht. They were joined by ground forces, which moved
toward the British and French forces at the River Dyle in Belgium (see
flag marked in Brussels). After 18 days of fighting, Belgium surrendered
on May 28. Luxembourg surrendered in a matter of hours.Breaching Allied defenses
British and French generals were sure that Germany could not penetrate
France’s fortified eastern border—the Maginot Line—or the densely
forested Ardennes region. They were wrong. On May 12, panzer corps
moved into the Ardennes and crossed the River Meuse at Sedan. This
meant the Germans could advance to the Channel via the undefended
countryside. To the south, the French fought to stop the Germans
moving on Paris. However, Paris was not the goal, and on May 20
the Germans reached the Channel coast at Abbeville (center left) and
trapped the Allies. The sole British tank division counterattacked Arras
on May 21 (upper left), but to no avail. German forces pushed through
Belgium, and panzers drew closer from the south and east. On May 20
Britain opted to evacuate its troops via Dunkirk.THE GERMAN
OFFENSIVE IN
THE WEST
The Germans began their campaign in the west in
May 1940. Within one day they had invaded the Low
Countries, and within weeks they had swept across
northern France to reach the Channel coast, trapping
thousands of French and British soldiers around Dunkirk.
▷ German advance
German infantry accompanied by a
tank maneuver in the Ardennes in
May 1940 during the Battle of France.Wehrmacht map, May 21, 1940
With German (black) and Allied (red) units, this
map shows the German advance by May 21.
Both sides’ headquarters are marked with flags.
The French 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Armies are
ranged along the French border east to west,
while the British counterattack can be seen
west of Lens.US_048-049_The_German_offensive_West.indd 49 24/05/19 1:15 PM