Xref: utzoo sci.military:4460 soc.history:1183
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker)
Newsgroups: sci.military,soc.history
Subject: 50 Years Ago: Saturday, 18 May, 1940
Message-ID: <1990Jun1.200312.4199@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 1 Jun 90 20:03:12 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Followup-To: soc.history
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 37
Approved: military@att.att.com

Saturday, 18 May, 1940

Panzer units under Guderian reach the River Somme at Peronne, while
forces under Rommel reach Cambrai, where tanks were first used (by
Britain) in the World War.  German troops also enter Antwerp.

The battleship HMS Resolution, operating off Narvik, is struck by a bomb
from a German Ju 88.  The bomb penetrates 3 decks, but damage is light
enough to permit continued duty.

Premier Reynaud replaces four cabinet ministers; Marshal Petain is recalled
for the post of Vice-Premier, and Reynaud himself assumes the role of
Defense Minister.

Conferences between Japanese and Chinese delegates raise hopes for a truce
in China.

References:
J. Keegan, ed., _The Times Atlas of the Second World War_
C.Argyle, _Chronology of World War II_
J. Piekalkiewicz, _Tank War 1939-1940_
R.Dupuy and T.Dupuy, _The Encyclopedia of Military History_
C.Salmaggi and A.Pallavisini, _2194 Days of War_
C.Messenger, _Atlas of World War Two_
The New York Times, daily editions
Time magazine
Newsweek

--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
Bill Thacker			            military@cbnews.att.com
Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com

"Every soldier agrees that shelling and machine-gunning, as they were done
in the last war, had nothing of the terror of these 300-mile-an-hour dives
to a height of about 200 feet and the scream and pound, pound, pound of the
bombs that are so neatly released by a little automatic switch." 
- unidentified Frenchman, quoted by P.J. Philip in the NY Times