Defense of Le Cateau

On May 15, the 7th Panzer Division of General Rommel crossed the border between Belgium and France, and his troops reached Avesnes-sur-Helpe. Its next objective was Cambrai but on May 17, Rommel found the French 9th Motorized Infantry Division, just …

1940-05-19

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On May 15, the 7th Panzer Division of General Rommel crossed the border between Belgium and France, and his troops reached Avesnes-sur-Helpe. Its next objective was Cambrai but on May 17, Rommel found the French 9th Motorized Infantry Division, just back from Belgium, in his way. General Didelet, who was in command of the Division, was ordered to defend the canal of the Sambre. They knew it was a sacrifice mission in an effort to stop the inexorable advance of the Panzers. For two long days they fought in the worst conditions and even launched a counter-attack on Catillon. However, on May 18 General Didelet was captured and the 9th Motorized Infantry Division ceased to exist, despite the fact that some of his troops continued to fight until May 19. In Catillon, the soldiers of the 95th infantry Regiment ran out of ammo and burned their flag to prevent its capture by the enemy. For Rommel, the path was finally clear.

Catillon, France

The Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries during the Second World War. On 3 September 1939 France had declared war on Germany, following the German invasion of Poland. In early September 1939, France began the limited Saar Offensive. By mid-October, the French had withdrawn to their start lines. In six weeks from 10 May 1940, German forces defeated Allied forces by mobile operations, conquering France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, ending land operations on the Western Front until the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944. Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940.

Wikipedia: Battle of France

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