World War II, air war, German European offensive
From Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium
German air operations in Europe began with Case White, the invasion of Poland. After the end of that campaign and temporary peace with Russia, Hitler turned to Western Europe, first with threats, and then with the invasion of France and the Low countries. Planning began for Operation Sealion, the invasion of the British Isles, which would be called off in late 1940. Nevertheless, after Western Europe had followed and action against Britain reduced to harassment and action against shipping, Hitler's attention turned to the south of Europe, which Churchill regarded as the "soft underbelly".
Contents |
The invasion of Poland
Operations in continental Western Europe
The Low Countries
German air and air assault operation met with mixed success, but prepared the way for the attack into
France
The 17th June 1940, when there was no longer talk about 'Réduit Breton' (*1), the first German bombardment in the west left more than 800 dead at Rennes railway station. This spread terror among the civilian population. Two hours earlier Marshal Pétain broadcast this message on the radio; ‘Frenchmen we must cease fighting.’ The roads to Brittany were then open to the army of the 3rd Reich. For the twentieth anniversary of that sorrowful day, Pierre Cressard relates the catastrophic events of the day in the following article.[1]
