Airaines: The Hell

Dunkirk had fallen, the Belgian Army had surrendered, and the British had left. The best French divisions were trapped in the north and the east. The situation was desperate. Behind the Somme River. every village was hastily fortified in hopes …

1940-06-07

HiD28

Dunkirk had fallen, the Belgian Army had surrendered, and the British had left. The best French divisions were trapped in the north and the east. The situation was desperate. Behind the Somme River. every village was hastily fortified in hopes of delaying the on rushing German armies until June 15th, when reinforcements were supposed to come. The 53rd RICMS [Senegalese mixed lnfantry Regiment] defended the village of Airaines for three hard days. At last the regiment decided to retreat under the cover of night. Captain Charles N'Tchorere and his company volunteered to cover their comrade's retreat. They battled all the day against elements of the 7th Panzer Division before surrendering, out of ammo and totally exhausted. Later the same day. the Germans executed the survivors.

Airaines, France

Fall Rot (Case Red) was the plan for a German military operation after the success of Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), the Battle of France, an invasion of the Benelux countries and northern France. The Allied armies had been defeated and pushed back in the north to the Channel coast, which culminated in the Dunkirk evacuation. The operation to complete the conquest of France by the German Army began on 5 June 1940.[1] Fall Rot began with a preliminary attack over the river Somme on the Channel Coast to the Seine, beginning on 5 June and the main offensive by Army Group A on 9 June further east over the river Aisne.

Wikipedia: Fall Rot

France

Germany