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From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker)
Newsgroups: sci.military,soc.history
Subject: 50 Years Ago: Tuesday, 21 May, 1940
Message-ID: <1990Jun1.200504.4442@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 1 Jun 90 20:05:04 GMT
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Tuesday, 21 May, 1940

British tanks attack the German northern flank near Arras, and achieve
initial success.  The well-armored infantry tanks are nearly impervious
to German antitank guns, and their progress is only halted by 88mm AA
guns in direct-fire mode, personally supervised by General Rommel. A
similar attack from the south toward Cambrai by French tanks meets with
little success;  the two attacks succeed, however, in alarming German 
high command.

A conference is held in Ypres between the Allied commanders in the north;
Generals Weygand, Billotte, and Gort (BEF).  While returning to his
headquarters, Billotte is fatally injured in a car crash, adding further
confusion to the Allied command structure.

The French destroyer L'Adroit is sunk off Dunkirk by the Luftwaffe.

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Bill Thacker			            military@cbnews.att.com
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"France cannot die !  ... if I were told tomorrow that only a miracle could
save France, I should reply, 'I believe in miracles because I believe
in France !'" - Premier Paul Reynaud, to the French Senate