18th May 1940

[Pdf27]

Leading elements of 5th Army blunder into the southern flank of the German advance in the vicinity of Suippes. They are still in a road-march formation, not having expected to meet any enemy forces so deep inside France. The Germans are also somewhat caught by surprise, with the 23rd Infantry Division being somewhat strung out for a road march and having their artillery out of contact. However, of the two sides the Germans were better prepared (they at least know they're in enemy territory) and the leading French units fall back with heavy losses.

Further north, 1st Army starts moving at dawn. The Cavalry Corps reach Laon by nightfall, while II Corps of the BEF is around Saint Quentin. They are followed by 1st (French) Corps which is just leaving the Amiens area, with 3rd and 4th Corps to follow on the 19th when the roads become available.
Meanwhile, the Panzer spearheads are continuing their advance. My midday the first units on the right flank reach the Chauvineau line and are held up. However, the extreme south-east end of the Chauvineau line only corresponds to the centre of the German attack. The left flank of the German attack goes around the end of the Chauvineau line and reaches Meaux by the evening. Following infantry units (particularly SS, which are generally more mobile than the Wehrmacht units due to their higher level of motorisation and so tend to be attached to the leading Panzer troops) are tasked with mopping up French resistance along the line, and bridging the Ourcq and Marne for the follow-on units.

In Belgium, Brussels is surrounded and heavily attacked by Luftwaffe bombers when the Belgian troops try to stage a breakout towards the West through 9th Panzer division. When it becomes clear that the breakout has failed, Leopold III orders his soldiers to lay down their arms to prevent further casualties and damage to his capital. At the surrender negotiations, despite German pressure Leopold insists he is no longer in command of the rest of the Belgian army in the field, only of the Brussels garrison and so cannot order them to surrender as well. Whether this is to enable the rest of the army to keep fighting on, or simply because he no longer believes that his orders will be obeyed will be controversial for decades to come.

In Gent, the Belgian government declares that Albert III is to be considered incapable during his captivity and his functions will be exercised by a regency council. They then promptly withdraw to Bruges, since it has become apparent that the Belgian army cannot stop the Germans before they reach the Escaut, and the British & French have no intention of trying to do so. That puts their current residence on the front line in the very near future – something they have no desire to experience.

Overall the state of the Belgian army is dire – they do hold a semblance of a line along the axis Dendermonde – Aalst – Enghien – Charleroi, but this is largely due to traffic jams in the German rear rather than the efforts of the Belgian army. A large fraction of the army has in fact already withdrawn through the British & French lines on the Escaut and the French border, where they are being rested and re-equipped. A minor controversy has already broken out between the British, French and Belgians over what to do with these troops – the Belgians are thinking of their experience in the last war and want to husband their men as much as possible until their allies liberate their country for them, while the British are obsessed with controlling the North Sea cost so want them shipped to Belgium. The French want them along the Franch-Belgian border to strengthen the defences there, and allow them to withdraw further troops to defend Paris. In the near future, the French view will prevail since most of the Belgian army has ended up along the Franco-Belgian border and there are apparently “transport difficulties” in moving them anywhere else.

[jemhouston]

The wheels are coming off the Allied side.

[Bernard Woolley]

Merely a puncture.