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Die Wehrmacht im Kampf
Dunkirk: German Operations in France 1940
The German Army invaded France on 10 May 1940, and in just over ten days their rapid advance, led by three panzer corps, had left three French field armies, Belgian forces and the British Expeditionary Force with their backs to the sea, trapped along the northern coast of France. General Gort realized that evacuation was the only option, and so began a chaotic withdrawal towards the port of Dunkirk.
While the Luftwaffe continued to attack pockets of Allied forces, the German ground forces were ordered to halt their advance on 22 May. These orders were changed four days later, but these crucial four days of inaction allowed the Allies time to retreat into Dunkirk and prepare a defensive perimeter.
The fighting during the last days of May was desperate, with the remnants of the French First Army surrounded at Lille, holding off seven German divisions until finally forced to surrender, and the Belgian Army forced to capitulate to the east of Dunkirk. Though the cost was devastatingly high, Dunkirk was held long enough for over 300,000 Allied troops to be evacuated back to England, with the remainder of the rearguard of French troops surrendering on 4 June.
The British narrative of the retreat and evacuation that prompted perhaps Winston Churchill's most famous wartime speech has always been well-known; however only now is Hans-Adolf Jacobsen's detailed account of the battle from the German perspective available in English.
While the Luftwaffe continued to attack pockets of Allied forces, the German ground forces were ordered to halt their advance on 22 May. These orders were changed four days later, but these crucial four days of inaction allowed the Allies time to retreat into Dunkirk and prepare a defensive perimeter.
The fighting during the last days of May was desperate, with the remnants of the French First Army surrounded at Lille, holding off seven German divisions until finally forced to surrender, and the Belgian Army forced to capitulate to the east of Dunkirk. Though the cost was devastatingly high, Dunkirk was held long enough for over 300,000 Allied troops to be evacuated back to England, with the remainder of the rearguard of French troops surrendering on 4 June.
The British narrative of the retreat and evacuation that prompted perhaps Winston Churchill's most famous wartime speech has always been well-known; however only now is Hans-Adolf Jacobsen's detailed account of the battle from the German perspective available in English.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2018
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About the author
Hans-Adolf Jacobsen
71 booksHans-Adolf Jacobsen (* 16. November 1925 in Berlin; † 12. Dezember 2016 in Bonn) war ein deutscher Politikwissenschaftler und Historiker. Er war von 1969 bis 1991 Ordinarius am Seminar für Politische Wissenschaft der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 23, 2019
Originally published in 1958, Dunkirk relates the incredible success of the German army in crushing French, Belgian, and British opposition in a blitzkrieg campaign that took place over a few weeks in May 1940. In five chapters, running to about two-hundred pages, including fourteen maps, Hans-Adolf Jacobsen explains what happened and, perhaps more importantly, what did not happen when Hitler’s infamous order to halt the panzers came down on 22 May. The result is a valuable, albeit incomplete, analysis of one of the most important turning points of World War II told from the perspective of the victorious Germans. 6/10
February 21, 2021
Provides some fascinating detail on the German advance in France the pursuit of the BEF from the German perspective. Definitely a research resource rather than a read from cover-to-cover book.
February 14, 2024
Interesting
It's not the Blitzkrieg Legend, but it's still a good read for when it was written. I will read more of this series
It's not the Blitzkrieg Legend, but it's still a good read for when it was written. I will read more of this series
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews