military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (06/02/90)
Tuesday, 14 May, 1940 Guderian's 1st Panzer division breaks out of its bridgehead across the Meuse River near Sedan, and is quickly reinforced. The breakout is met with counterattacks by French tanks and infantry, but these are repulsed with heavy losses. Stuka dive bombers support the breakout by suppressing French artillery and attacking troop formations, while some 80 Allied aircraft are lost in unsuccessful attack on the German pontoon bridges across the Meuse. The French forces in the area fall back in disarray, opening a 50-mile gap between Sedan and Dinant. Rotterdam is subjected to heavy bombing raids, and surrenders. A further raid, already in the air, hits soon after the surrender, starting huge fires. Nearly a thousand people are killed, though initial estimates are as high as 30,000, and 78,000 are left homeless. The British War Office calls for "Local Defense Volunteers", aged 17-65, to fight possible German paratroop invasions. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@cbnews.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "Is it always like this here ?" - Colonel-General von Rundstedt, to General Guderian, while standing on a pontoon bridge during an air raid.