Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

German campaigns and battles 1919-1945.

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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; something more................

The Infanterie Regiment Grossdeutschland in France.

Villers -sur Semois .

The gun No. 6 went into action firing on nearby buildings, a shell exploded among French horses, that galloped uninjured in a stampede. The gun No. 5 took a position in the courtyard of the church in order to silence a heavy machine gun and succeeded after two shots. The French troops were of the 2 . Squadron, 5e Cuirassiers ( 2 DLC). Beck-Broichsitter's story: the commanders of the weapons and the grenadiers behaved superbly. From the cover of a bush I saw how, one after another, four enemy light tanks were knocked out. Our plan of attack was correct.

Finally the enemy evacuated the town's center but renewed his resistance on the western edge, actually at 17:20 hours (plus one hour for the Germans) the HQ of the French Regiment had ordered the withdrawal along the railway located slightly west of Villers . The 2 . Squadron was violently attacked at 17:30 hours (18:30 hours German time) and had to withdraw, reaching Tintigny at 20:30 hours.

The II. / IR GD remained in Villers -sur- Semois overnight. The next day at 05:00 hours the vanguard and with it the 3. Platoon of assault guns moved again towards Mellier.

"First Contact!" 6./II Battalion Infantryregiment ’Grossdeutschland’ and the battle for Villiers-sur-Semois. 10 May 1940. An historical background for Flames of War By Simon McBeth.
La Campagne de mai 1940 en Belgique. Lt Col A. Bikar.
German Armored Assault Artillery. Information Bulletin Nº 2. MID 461.
historyfacts.biz/en/04.../Sturmbatterie.pdf

Cheers. Raúl M 8).

Feliz Año Nuevo - Happy New Year - feliz Ano Novo - gluckliches Neues Jahr - Bonne Année - Felice Anno Nuovo - Szczęśliwego nowego roku!!. :beer:
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In the foreground a Stug III Ausf A armed with a gun of 75 mm ........
In the foreground a Stug III Ausf A armed with a gun of 75 mm ........
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

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Hello to all :D; more.........................................

Apostilles of the Schützen Regiment 1 in France 1940.

On May 12, 1940 the I./ SR 1 with the support of two platoons of PR 1 and artillery support of the II. / AR 73 reached the Semois in Bouillon. Towards the afternoon it was possible to clear the city and to form a bridgehead in the heights of the south shore.

Image
A Sd Kfz 251 Ausf. A of SR 1 wading the Semois by Bouillon in May 1940; By the platform on the driver's compartment it is seen that it is the vehicle of a Pl/Coy leader ...................................................

After overcoming the obstacle of the Meuse River, on May 14, 1940, at 11:30 hours the SR 1 crossed the Ardennes Canal west of Omicourt. The II. Battalion of the regiment marched behind some tanks towards the dominant heights in Vendresse and there established a defense. From 16:00 hours, the French attacks were reduced and the regiment was able to continue its advance. The first battalion of the regiment continued the march as the vanguard.

Image
A Sd Kfz 251 Ausf. A of the 8. / SR1 in advance westwards by Vendresse ....................................

Sources: http://www.ebay.at/sch/i.html?_pgn=1&cn ... ia%20fotos
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... er/SR1.htm
http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Homepage_ ... iants.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

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Hello to all :D; more.........................................

Hangest sur Somme 1940.

On June 5, 1940, the Battle of Hangest-sur-Somme began. The challenge of this battle is to cross the Somme, which the 7. Panzer (which crossed the Ardennes) managed to do. The 5th DIC defended Hangest-sur-Somme to the last with paltry means (a 25mm anti-tank gun).

At 09:00 in the morning, Hangest-sur-Somme has not yet fallen. The Senegalese of the 53rd RICMS (Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale Mixte Sénégalais) hold the top of the larris but the Germans, supported by large artillery, mount the assault and score a success.

However, according to a testimony by Robert Dupays: "At Hangest-sur-Somme, certain sharpshooters from the same regiment were shot down immediately after their capture." The fighting was so violent that the German press (Pommersche Zeitung) quoted the fight with the colonial soldiers in these terms: "The French fought fiercely, the Negroes used every possibility of defense to the last, every house was defended. To break this resistance, it was necessary to put the flamethrowers into action and defeat the last Senegalese, killing them one by one.

Hangest-sur-Somme will fall in the afternoon. The 7. Panzer can now move south...................

Sources: http://www.ajpn.org/commune-Hangest-sur ... 80416.html
http://www.picardie-1939-1945.org/phpBB ... =39&t=2873

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Fallen colonial soldiers on a street in Hangest...................................
Fallen colonial soldiers on a street in Hangest...................................
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French cemetery in the surroundings..............................
French cemetery in the surroundings..............................
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

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Hello pal :D; something more...............

The II. Abteilung (Detachment/Group) of the 77th Artillery Regiment.

The II. / 77th Artillery Regiment was formed on October 12, 1937 in Schwäbisch Gmünd, in Military District V. The group was formed through contributions from the 73rd Artillery Regiment and the 76th Artillery Regiment. The unit was formed as a motorized element. It was equipped as an element at army level with light field howitzers. In 1938, the detachment was relocated to its original location in Karlsruhe, also in Military District V. During the Polish campaign, the group was deployed as an army troop.

On May 9, 1940, at 2:30 p.m., the detachment was alerted and received orders to march in the following day. The group had been housed in the permanent quarters in Sechtem, in the Bonn district, since the first days of November 1939.

On May 10, 1940, the march from the local quarters in Sechtem took place at 4:30 p.m. It went via Waldorf, Brenig, Heimerzheim, Ollheim, Muddendorf, Cuchenhaim, Röchheim. The detachment was deployed in the Roitzheim area and in a forest 2 kilometers south of Euskirchen. The detachment was now subordinate to the XV Army Corps (Mot) in the 4th Army.

At the beginning of the Western campaign, the 62nd Infantry Division and the 5th Panzer Division were subordinate to the XV Army Corps (also known as Hoth Group). On May 11, the 7th Panzer Division was subordinate to it. The corps' task was to cover the right flank of Panzer Group Kleist. From May 10, 1940, the corps advanced through the Ardennes about 35 km north of Panzer Group Kleist. The corps was to try to reach and cross the Meuse between Dinant and Houx before the advancing French units.

On May 11, 1940, the order for the departure time and marching order for II./ AR 77 arrived at around 6:00 a.m. At 8:00 a.m. the detachment was integrated into the marching column, which was made up of corps troops. The march went via Münstereifel, Tondorf, Blankenheim, Dahlen, Kronenburg. The detachment was stationed in the Baasen area and north of there. The weather that day was sunny and clear, but still relatively cool. The energetic intervention of all superiors was often necessary to get the columns that had collided with each other moving again.

Source: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... orps-R.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... AR77-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

Post by Prosper Vandenbroucke »

Not in France but in the Belgian village of Thulin near the French-Belgian border in the end of may 1940
Source : Mai 40 la campagne de dix-huit jours Peter Taghon
German soldiers and an a french soldier at Thulin  (Belgium)in the end of may 1940
German soldiers and an a french soldier at Thulin (Belgium)in the end of may 1940
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

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Hello pal :D; thanks Prosper :wink:. More...............

The II. Abteilung (Detachment/Group) of the 77th Artillery Regiment.

On May 12, 1940, at around 5:30 a.m., the detachment set off again and was integrated into the marching column on the Dg. 6 (Durchgangsstraße). The route: led via Hallschlag to Losheim. Here the Belgian-German border was crossed. At around 8:45 a.m. they reached St. Vith. There they received the order to continue marching through the night. One of the experiences of the day was that thorough preparatory work made it easier for the columns to join and leave the lodging when they left the place. On May 13, 1940, they continued via Sambrée - Devantave to Ciney. The detachment took up quarters there. The enemy only made itself known through its air force. Their own anti-aircraft guns intervened effectively.

The vanguard of the two Panzer divisions reached the Meuse on May 12. The attempt by the 7th Panzer Division to cross the Meuse by surprise failed, and some of the bridges there were blown up at the last second. South of Houx, parts of the 8th Panzer Reconnaissance Detachment (Aufklärungsabteilung) were able to cross the Meuse at nightfall and form a first bridgehead. On the morning of May 13, three infantry battalions of the 5th Panzer Division crossed the Meuse at this point and fought off the French guards on the river. By the evening, the bridgehead had been extended by four kilometers to the village of Haut-le-Wastia.

Heavy fighting broke out around this village the following day. At the same time, the 7th Panzer Division also managed to cross the Meuse near Dinant and Leffe and advance to Onhaye on May 14.

On May 14, 1940, at 3:00 a.m., the alarm was raised. At around 4:30 a.m., the II./AR 77 was moved about 3 kilometers east-southeast of Dinant to the area near Sorinne and deployed there. The Group was placed under the command of the 7th Panzer Division. The 2nd Group was given the order to fire on the heights beyond the Meuse. The ammunition consumption was around 500 rounds. At around 5:00 p.m. the 2nd Group made a jump change of position forward. It moved into its new position around 500 meters east of Herbuchenne. At around 10:00 p.m. the division was placed under the command of the 78th Artillery Regiment to support the tank attack of the 7th Panzer Division.

On May 15, 1940, the "Tank Battle of Flavion" took place when the Corps encountered the 1st French Armored Division and was able to destroy it. The 7th Panzer Division advanced to Philippeville on the same day.

On May 15, 1940 the 2nd Group marched on via Gemmeschenne to Bouvignes. Here the Meuse was crossed on a pontoon bridge. It continued via Dinant, Onhaye, Authée, Morville to Rosée. The detachment took up position here, as the rest of the enemy threatened the right flank of the division. The batteries had to fend off almost all tank attacks. The 4th and 6th Batteries had great success with direct fire at distances of up to 2500 meters. The advance continued that same evening.

After two longer stops, once enemy tanks were reported in the front, and the other time the detachment was unpleasantly harassed by snipers, the detachment reached Cerfontaine via Philippeville. One of the experiences of the day was that the telescope in the gun squad proved very useful in this defense against tank attacks for flawless target identification. The 4th Battery suffered one death, and Hauptwachtmeister Spilleke was wounded by the 5th Battery. The 4th Battery put out of action three enemy armored vehicles, the 6th Battery put out of action six armored vehicles, including one of the heaviest armored vehicles.

Source: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... orps-R.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... AR77-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

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Hello pal :D; more...............

The II. Abteilung (Detachment/Group) of the 77th Artillery Regiment.

On May 16, 1940, the batteries moved to their recognized firing positions in the early morning hours. The whole day passed in silence. Around 3:00 p.m. there was a change of position towards Sivry. The advance teams scouted observation points, but had to avoid an enemy machine gun. The batteries took up firing positions at Sivry. It was a quiet night. Oberleutnant Eder from the Pilsen replacement Abteilung joins the Group.

On May 17, 1940, battery troops were sent to explore observation points. Since the various pastures and meadows were separated from each other by dense hedges, the view forward was greatly impeded. On the other hand, on the ascending slope the enemy bunkers were clearly visible. A piece of the 4th Battery was advanced and used in direct fire against these bunkers. The artillery group was in front of its own infantry. Some prisoners were taken. Towards noon the group changed position towards Berlaimont.

Scattered units of a cavalry division attacked from the right and were repelled. The 4th Battery's howitzer completely destroyed one bunker disguised as a barn and drove the five-man crew out of another, with losses to the enemy. The group, without the 6. Battery, was subordinate to the Rifle Regiment 6. It was assigned the task of forming a bridgehead for the 5. Panzer Division near Berlaimont. The group encountered fierce enemy resistance. The 5th Panzer Division did not reach the bridgehead until the afternoon.

On the morning of May 18, 1940, the group changed positions. It returned to Avesnes and then via Marbaix to Landrecies. A tank attack hit the units, which counterattacked. The infantry advanced with great difficulty. A long-distance battery harassed the artillery group, as did an enemy bombardment in which our own fighters intervened with complete success. The group then changes position to Le Cateau, from where it immediately continues towards Inchy. There it adopted a hedgehog position (360°). When a French company attacks, the detachment takes 70 prisoners.

Until May 17, the 7. Panzer Division was able to advance towards Avesnes. Contrary to the orders received, the division advanced towards Landrecies, there took the bridge over the Sambre in one fell swoop and advanced towards Le Cateau. The division then advanced towards the Arras area, while the 5. Panzer Division crossed the Scheldt north of Cambrai.

Source: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... rps-R.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... AR77-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

Post by Prosper Vandenbroucke »

Hello everyone, hi Raul,
French POW's and German soldiers atTrélon in Northern France at the 20th of may 1940
Those french soldiers were taken POW during the German attack on 17th or 18th of may 1940.
This picture is extracted from here:
http://chris59132.canalblog.com/archive ... 58382.html
Germansoldiers and French POW's at Trélon
Germansoldiers and French POW's at Trélon
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Kindly regards from Belgium
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

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Hello to all :D; many thanks Prosper :wink:. More...............

The II. Abteilung (Detachment/Group) of the 77th Artillery Regiment.

On May 19, 1940, the Abteilung went to Igniel, but was immediately called back again because enemy troops were reported to be behind them. When they arrived there, the matter had already been resolved. The Abteilung took up position near Razuol against the enemy, which had been identified by armored reconnaissance vehicles in Catillon. After a few observed fire attacks, the artillery group received orders to change position in the area around Cambrai. So they went back to Igniel, to the positions east of Awoingt that had already been reconnoitred in the morning.

The arrival of the SS brought the necessary support. Cambrai was heavily shelled in the afternoon from the positions around Awoingt. To avoid complete destruction, the division sent a parliamentarian to demand that the city surrender. The negotiations could not be concluded because all the authorities of the departments had left the city. The area was swarming with scattered enemy troops, who were captured by our riflemen. The observation post crew of our 4th Battery also pulled a stray Englishman out of a pile of straw in the farmhouse where the OP was located.

During the night of 19-20 May 1940, Cambrai was bypassed by two columns on the right and left. In formation with a company from the 7th Rifle Regiment, a motorized engineer company and a motorcycle company, the detachment bypassed Cambrai to the south. The tanks took over the security of this night march, which took place completely blindfolded.

On 20 May 1940, the detachment was deployed east of Arras in the area of ​​Beauvains and Neuville. The commander and his staff had driven forward with the first infantrymen, the battery was quickly brought up and brought into position. Low-flying aircraft attacked, enemy artillery fire began. The enemy fired several barrages on the advance route, which was in an excellent position. All 3 batteries had to change position.

The observation posts also received enemy fire, which hit the 4th Battery just below the telescope and the 6th Battery itself without injuring anyone. The department command post was housed in a clean and comfortable villa and was largely spared. The night was quiet.

Source: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... orps-R.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... AR77-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

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Hello to all :D; more...............

The II. Abteilung (Detachment/Group) of the 77th Artillery Regiment.

At Arras, the 7th Panzer Division was hit by a British counterattack on 21 May, but was able to repel it. That same day, the II./AR 77 changed position and withdrew. It headed southwest and was deployed at Wailly with a front to the north. Since the SS had left, the observation posts formed the front line. At the time when the 6th Rifle Regiment was advancing from Wailly towards the northwest and sought to overtake the Group's observation posts, the enemy, who was surrounded in the Arras area, made the first attempt to break through with about 60 tanks.

Parts of the 6 Rifle Regiment, the commander and the staff who had been hit on the flank by the tank attack fled to the observation posts, which were located in the small forest on Hill 105. At the same time, parts of the enemy tank formation advanced laterally beyond the observatory positions toward the firing position areas. The guns were forced to defend themselves in close combat. Communication lines were destroyed, so it was not possible to control the fire from observation points. The tanks destroyed the Group's scissor binocular and fired incendiary munitions, but failed to harm the command post personnel who remained well covered.

Four large tanks were destroyed in the firing positions with direct fire. The crew of the observation post went one by one to the firing points. Picking up the vehicles took some time. However, two hours later the old positions were resumed. The Abteilung played its part in this success against a large enemy armored force. The 5th Battery destroyed 3 armored vehicles and a larger number of unarmored vehicles, the 6th Battery eliminated one armored vehicle.

The division had ordered an advance towards Acq for 22 May 1940. Parts of the 6th Rifle Regiment, to which an artillery surveying team was assigned, had advanced during the night towards the ordered area and held the position there, isolated from the bulk of the division, until their arrival in the late afternoon. The surveying group had to mourn the loss of the officer candidate, Wachtmeister Steiss, during this operation. After the Group changed position in the area of ​​Beaumetz and Berneville, a fierce tank attack near Berneville had to be repelled from open positions.

The 6th battery annihilated 5 tanks; otherwise fire was fired on the enemy near Berneville. Then, the II./AR 77 was deployed in the Acq area with a front towards the northeast. The Abteilung's mission was to defend against the superior enemy trapped north of Arras. The night passed peacefully. A repair squad vehicle hit a mine that day while in the Cambrai area and was completely destroyed. No one was seriously injured.

6th Battery Report: At 4:00 a.m., the battery commander received the order: The battery moves to a position on the northern edge of Berneville to defend against an expected tank attack from the north. For this, the battery is subordinated to the II. Battalion of the 7th Rifle Regiment. At 7:00 a.m. in the morning the first tank attack was carried out by 5 tanks and half an hour later by another 8 tanks. The cannons were deployed in a semicircle around the town so that they could have effect on three sides. There was no cover for the gunners. The fight takes place at distances of 1,300 m, 400 - 500 meters and once even at 40 meters.

This showed that the effect without delay at distances greater than 800 m is better than with anti-tank projectiles, since the dispersion is too large and the ability to observe the impact is too poor. In the fight against tanks, the forward gun especially stood out and shot down 4 of the 5 tanks destroyed by the battery. The battery then had to endure a fire attack and lost a wounded man. The French anti-tank gun, which we carried from Philippeville in place of our second gun, is rendered useless by two direct hits from a French tank.

Sources: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... orps-R.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... AR77-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

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Hello to all :D; more...............

The II. Abteilung (Detachment/Group) of the 77th Artillery Regiment.

On May 23, 1940, the circle around the trapped enemy became increasingly tighter. The Artillery Group, together with the II. Battalion of the 7th Rifle Regiment, moved its positions to the Barlin area and was deployed there personally by the division commander. The 6th Battery immediately moved to the front line to be ready to defend against enemy tanks. Fire missions and harassing fires were executed over Noeux-les-Mines, Verquin and Bethune.

In the afternoon the position was changed to Bouvigny. The 6th Battery in its former anti-tank position near Barin. The day passed calmly. There was little to see of the enemy. What was especially unpleasant in this area was the crowd of thousands of refugees who had probably worked to the end in the mines of Barlin, Bully and Bethune and who now populated the streets, houses and hiding places. The French officials had decided something about the organization and feeding of the refugees. No positions have been taken. Therefore, the population mostly adopted a hostile attitude. The driver of a vehicle from the 6th Battery was shot with a small caliber rifle.

Report from the 6th Battery: The battery occupies a front line position southeast of Barlin. There were no attacks. Only one French reconnaissance vehicle appears 1,200 m in front of the firing points and immediately disappears again. In the afternoon, a man was wounded by snipers in Barlin. The arrest of 10 hostages prevents new attacks.

Due to the "halt order" of Army Group A, which was personally approved by Hitler, the XV. Army Corps (Mot) deployed on May 24 in the Neuffossé Canal.

The defense against the surrounded enemy was further strengthened on 24 May 1940 and positions were improved. For this reason, during the afternoon, the 7th Rifle Regiment was taken to the canal near La Bassée and deployed in the Vermeilles - Gambrin - Sailly - La Bassée area with a front towards the northeast. With him, the II. Group of the 77th Artillery Regiment took up positions south of Sailly. Some of the bridges over the canal had been blown up by the enemy. The night was marked by harassing fires and planned fire concentrations and was otherwise calm.

Report of the 6th Battery: Early in the afternoon, the battery changed position and headed with the II. Battalion of the 7th Rifle Regiment to Annequin and settled there for a close-range defense. This day also passed without any contact with the enemy.

Sources: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... orps-R.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... AR77-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

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Hello to all :D; more...............

The II. Abteilung (Detachment/Group) of the 77th Artillery Regiment.

The deployment and situation remained unchanged on May 25, 1940. There was no sign of the enemy, even from forward observation points. Our own air superiority seemed to be completely there. The Abteilung took advantage of the quiet day to repair equipment and vehicles. Fire was observed to be opened on the enemy in the canal south of Givenchy in support of an infantry attack. The 6. Battery remained subordinate to the II. Battalion of the 7th Rifle Regiment (SR 7).

Report from the 6th Battery: This day it was possible for the first time to establish an observation position, since until then the firing positions were always on the first line of infantry. The battery is moved to a shift position, the observatory was installed in Cambrin. From there support was provided at the immediate request of the II. Battalion of the 7th Rifle Regiment, which attacked from Cambrin in the afternoon to gain the bank of the canal on this side.

On May 26, 1940, the morning was calm. Towards noon, the II./AR 77 changed its position in the area south of Cuinchy (the observation posts were on piles of coal and those of the 4. Battery on a water tower). The artillery group operated alongside Machine Gun Battalion 8 (MG. Btl. 8 ) in support of the division's attack on La Bassée. Advanced observers were deployed in the forward positions of the Canal d'Aire. However, observing conditions were extremely difficult due to the flat terrain.

The enemy bombarded their own troops in tenaciously held positions across the canal with observed artillery and machine gun fire. The A.V.Kdo (Artillerie Versuchs Kommando) had therefore brought 1 gun from the 4. Battery to the front to use it to attack enemy observatories and pockets of resistance with direct fire. The tower of the La Bassée church was destroyed. During the night there were attacks by opening fire in La Bassée and harassing fire on the roads towards Lille. The 6th Battery remained assigned to II. Battalion of the 7th Rifle Regiment.

Report from the 6. Battery: During the morning the observatory will move to the tower of the Cuinchy church. The post was approximately 50 m in front of the English lines and provided an observation that the gunners often desired but rarely found. The battery fought against machine gun nests, observation positions, command posts and an enemy battery. The enemy expressed their intention to reinforce their position on the other bank of the canal with the use of heavy weapons, which was largely prevented by observed fire from the battery together with a group of heavy infantry mortars. At night, the II./SR 7 launched an attack across the channel.

A forward observer provided was ineffective because a radio connection could not be established due to interference from a storm. Support was provided by suppressing machine gun nests outside Givenchy.

Sources: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... orps-R.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... AR77-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

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Hello to all :D; more...............

The II. Abteilung (Detachment/Group) of the 77th Artillery Regiment.

On May 27, 1940 during the early morning hours the enemy attacked the parts of the division that had advanced across the canal west of Cuinchy with heavy tank and artillery support. The Abteilung, together with the heavy batteries of the 607th Artillery Regiment (*), fought off the tank attack and forced the enemy to retreat. A larger tank was destroyed. During midday, the division managed to build a temporary 16-ton bridge over the canal in the Cuinchy area.

During this time, the Abteilung carried out fire missions in areas where the 8th Machine Gun Battalion suspected resistance, as well as on roads towards Lille that were occupied by marching enemy columns. At noon the division crossed the Air Channel; The planned operation at Givenchy was outpaced by the pace of the attack movement (tank and rifle regiments). The batteries, without the 6. Battery, which remained subordinate to the 7 Rifle Regiment, independently changed position towards the Herlies area.

6th Battery Report: After a personal reconnaissance by the battery commander, a forward observer heads to the front infantry lines across the channel in the early hours of the morning and arrives just in time to repel a flank attack by enemy tanks from the direction of La Bassée against the crossing point together with the other batteries. A larger tank is left burning. The rest retreats behind Givenchy.

The battery changes position to the other side of the channel to be used in a close defense. There is no longer any attack. Since the infantry receives intense fire from the machine gun nests in Givenchy, the battery advances to the outskirts of Givenchy by order of the commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Rifle Regiment and fights with direct fire at a distance of 300-400 m . against machine gun and sniper nests.

Two hours later, the battery had to endure 6 fire attacks in which 2 were wounded. During the attack that has now begun, contact with the II. Battalion of the 7th Rifle Regiment is temporarily lost due to rapid advance. The battery changes position every 25 km. From an intermediate position, two enemy anti-tank guns were disabled with direct fire.

(*) I did not find this unit, instead I found the schwere Art. Abt. 607

Sources: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... orps-R.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... AR77-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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tigre
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Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more...............

The II. Abteilung (Detachment/Group) of the 77th Artillery Regiment.

On May 28 1940, by personal order given by the division commander, the division advanced into the Lille belt of forts and shifted the front to the northeast. The 4th and 5th Batteries took up positions west of Ennetiers (with observation posts at Fort Englos) and carried out raids against the districts of Contelen and Lomme opposite Lille.

The Abteilung came under well-placed enemy medium-calibre artillery fire, which destroyed all lines up to the firing positions and Command Post II in one hit with a direct impact. A line repairman of the 5th Battery was severely wounded by shrapnel. At around 22:00 hours, the Abteilung was ordered to change position and advance towards Perenchies and Verlinghem with Panzer Regiment 25 and Machine Gun Battalion 8 and close the encirclement around Lille that night. However, this action was no longer carried out, because the neighbour on the right had already advanced via Verlinghem to Quesney.

Only by chance was a clash of arms avoided when the Abteilung commander came across his own infantry reconnaissance group while reconnoitering the positions. The artillery group then moved to Perenchies. The 6th Battery was again subordinated to the Abteilung, but continued to provide support to the II. Battalion of Rifle Regiment 7. Heavy rain had made the movement of the artillery group difficult in the morning hours. The delivery of food was also somewhat delayed due to the intense artillery fire in the towns near Ennetiers.

Report of the 6th Battery: Towards noon, the battery again took up position on the front line to defend itself against an attack by enemy tanks which, according to the prisoners' statements, was expected from the north. Apart from some heavy pieces coming from the citadel of Lille, the battery had no contact with the enemy. During the night the battery will return to the control of the II./ AR 77.

Sources: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... orps-R.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... AR77-R.htm

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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tigre
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Posts: 7230
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: Incidents from the battle of france 1940.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more...............

The II. Abteilung (Detachment/Group) of the 77th Artillery Regiment.

On the evening of May 29, 1940, the division was moved for several days to a barracks in the St. Pol area. A billeting command was moved forward to the area. Billeting took place in St. Michel (local bivouac). Also on May 29, 1940, Oberleutnant Kern (leader of the 6th Battery) was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class for the successful use of his unit to combat enemy tanks as the first member of the Abteilung.

Towards the evening of May 30, 1940, the 6th Battery was reassigned to the Artillery Group. On 31 May 1940, the regimental music band of the 78th Artillery Regiment gave a concert in the garden of the headquarters, which the soldiers attended with joy. Around noon, the Group was withdrawn from the 78th Artillery Regiment and placed back under the orders of the Corps and was grouped with other units under the command of the Stab Artillery Regiment 623 (*). On June 1, 1940, the Artillery Group had a day of rest. Spare parts for weapons and equipment could be picked up in Mainz (!), a total of 2 l. FH 18. On June 2, 1940, the Group had another day of rest.

For its part, the XV. Corps detailed that on 30 May, the Corps reached the Lille - Armentieres road, as well as the area southwest of Armentieres and northeast of Estaires, fighting with the enemy, some of whom were tough. On 31 May, the corps, with parts of the 5th Panzer Division, as well as the 11th Infantry Division and the 267th Infantry Division, closed the Haubourdin-Loos-Lille area from the south, west and northwest and cleared it with the XVI Army Corps around Armentieres.

(*) The Staff of the Artillery Regiment z.b.V. 623 was organized in the XIII Military District during the mobilization of August 26, 1939. The regiment's headquarters was created as a motorized staff of the troops at army level. At the beginning of the Western Campaign, the staff was subordinated to the XV Army Corps in the 4th Army.

Sources: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... orps-R.htm
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... AR77-R.htm
https://lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliede ... R623-R.htm

That's all. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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