A couple of sentences...

[Prit]

...from a war diary.

Am Vormittag Angriff. Die Schwarzen sind nicht zu werfen. Aber längst liegt uns nicht mehr ein einheitliche Truppe gegenueber.

The words pose no problem, but it's the combination that I can't get my head around!

[Howard]

Should be eine einheitliche Truppe, but I guess you know that and it's just a typo.

I'd suggest it means that after tough fighting there were no longer any regular troops left facing the unit, but I'm not 100% sure.

HTH

[pak]

einheitliche Truppe

I'm not sure either, but could "coherent troops" be an interpretation?
Ie they are not fighting as a unit any more...

[Prit]

Thanks, chaps.

The context is, this is the drive towards Dunkirk in May 1940. I'm fairly happy with the last sentence - 'But there were no longer organised units deployed against us' or something to that effect. Can you help me with 'Die Schwarzen sind nicht zu werfen'?

[pak]

Thanks, chaps.

The context is, this is the drive towards Dunkirk in May 1940. I'm fairly happy with the last sentence - 'But there were no longer organised units deployed against us' or something to that effect. Can you help me with 'Die Schwarzen sind nicht zu werfen'?

It goes something like this: "It is not possible to throw the Blacks (out of their positions)"

[Prit]

Thanks, Pak. Again, context is everything. This is a panzer division temporarily holding a defensive position near Lille. Would it be reasonable that the author is referring to black-uniformed panzer troops rather than French colonial troops? Were panzer troops referred to in this way?

Prit

[Howard]

As this is from a German war diary, written from their point of view, then maybe the reference is to the Panzer unit and means that this unit was not be thrown forward in the attack?

If it refers to French colonial troops then as far as I can see it can only mean that they couldn't be thrown out of their positions in the attack.

[pak]

As this is from a German war diary, written from their point of view, then maybe the reference is to the Panzer unit and means that this unit was not be thrown forward in the attack?

I didn't think of it that way
And I agree. There are two possible interpretations of this.....

But is it known who the diarywriter's unit were fighting?

[HeinrichFrey]

I understand these words and I´ll try to translate, because the proposals(?) came near but don`t fit correctly.
" Assault in the Morning. The blacks can`t been thrown out of their positions. But they aren`t in formation still now." The last sentence means that they are (heavily) weakened by the assaults.

[Howard]

Think you've cracked it Matthias

So it should run something like -but after a time there was not a single cohesive unit left facing us. I'm not sure if cohesive is the right expression, maybe something like unbroken is better.

[HeinrichFrey]

Yes Howard,
"cohesive" is perfect!

[Prit]

Thank you all for your comments.

The context is that this is the fighting during Operation Dynamo, with the mainly French rearguard struggling to hold back the panzer divisions. The excerpt comes from Plato's history of 5 Panzer Division.

I am still not sure whether the author refers to French colonial troops or the Panzer crewmen as 'Blacks' - does anyone know of any examples of panzer crews being referred to in this way?

Prit

[HeinrichFrey]

Hello,
"Schwarze" had been at this time coloured people. The context tells me that the enemy troops had been black people und that the germans had success in fighting the enemy.

[Prit]

Thank you Matthias!

Further research shows that French Senegalese troops were present, so I think that wraps it all up.

Thanks to all for the help

Prit

[nczempin]

I understand these words and I´ll try to translate, because the proposals(?) came near but don`t fit correctly.
" Assault in the Morning. The blacks can`t been thrown out of their positions. But they aren`t in formation still now." The last sentence means that they are (heavily) weakened by the assaults.

I don't think "werfen" here means to throw them out of their positions. It is used more as a synonym for "beat". To me it feels like a reference to something like a Judo or wrestling throw (after which you are beaten). Not a literal reference, but a metaphor.