Re: Arras 21st May, 1940
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:19 pm
Hello to all ; more follows..............
The Battle for Arras.
In its initial stage the battle was developing very successfully. The left column was doing excellently, disabling a great number of enemy tanks and capturing 400 prisoners. The Germans suffered a great many casualties in men killed. The right column at first also advanced somewhat, but then it was stopped by strong enemy forces and in addition, this column was placed in a difficult situation by the confused action of the French armored division, which mistook the British forces for the Germans and opened fire against the former.
At 6:00 PM on 22 May, it became evident that further advance is impossible. Reconnaissance had discovered that German reinforcements, consisting of motorized infantry and tank units, are moving up along the road from Cambrai. A part of the advancing enemy forces was destroyed by fire. Strong counterattacks were made from the region of antitank fortifications, organized by both British columns at Beaurains and Warlus. However, the pressure upon the Allied forces was becoming ever stronger. Simultaneously the enemy made a number of efforts to effect a crossing of the la Scarpe river.
Sources: The Battle for Arras. [“Bor’ba za Arras”. Translated from the Russian by Lieutenant Joseph Dasher, ORC, from Krasnaya Zvyezda, 22 November1940]. Foreign Military Digests. Vol XXI. Nº 81.
http://souvenirfrancaisarras.com/node/70
Cheers. Raúl M .
The Battle for Arras.
In its initial stage the battle was developing very successfully. The left column was doing excellently, disabling a great number of enemy tanks and capturing 400 prisoners. The Germans suffered a great many casualties in men killed. The right column at first also advanced somewhat, but then it was stopped by strong enemy forces and in addition, this column was placed in a difficult situation by the confused action of the French armored division, which mistook the British forces for the Germans and opened fire against the former.
At 6:00 PM on 22 May, it became evident that further advance is impossible. Reconnaissance had discovered that German reinforcements, consisting of motorized infantry and tank units, are moving up along the road from Cambrai. A part of the advancing enemy forces was destroyed by fire. Strong counterattacks were made from the region of antitank fortifications, organized by both British columns at Beaurains and Warlus. However, the pressure upon the Allied forces was becoming ever stronger. Simultaneously the enemy made a number of efforts to effect a crossing of the la Scarpe river.
Sources: The Battle for Arras. [“Bor’ba za Arras”. Translated from the Russian by Lieutenant Joseph Dasher, ORC, from Krasnaya Zvyezda, 22 November1940]. Foreign Military Digests. Vol XXI. Nº 81.
http://souvenirfrancaisarras.com/node/70
Cheers. Raúl M .