Dunkirk and the Fall of France by Geoffrey Stewart

Author:Geoffrey Stewart
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Non-Fiction, World War II, France, Germany, War & Military, History
ISBN: 9781783409150
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2009-04-16T23:00:00+00:00

As a precautionary measure the Admiralty should assemble a large number of small vessels in readiness to proceed to the ports and inlets on the French coast.

That same morning Churchill dispatched General ‘Tiny’ Ironside, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, to Gort’s HQ to make sure he rejected thoughts of withdrawal and focused instead on the attack southwards. Gort pointed out the impossibility of withdrawing from engagement with one undefeated enemy – von Bock – to turn to engage another heavily armoured one, and he was faced with fast dwindling supplies. The best he could offer was a limited offensive from Arras with his two spare reserve divisions. Gort stressed doubts about his French allies and their ability to launch a joint attack with the British. Ironside began to share these doubts but asked to visit Billotte himself at the French HQ at Lens. He was appalled by what he found. Billotte and Blanchard, commander of the French First Army, ‘were both in a state of complete depression’.

Ironside’s nickname came from his massive 6’ 4″ frame and enraged at Billotte’s spinelessness, shook the French general by his tunic’s buttons and extracted a promise of an attack southwards towards Cambrai the next day. Ironside’s fury with the French was increasingly tinged with despair with regard to the chances of the BEF: ‘God help the BEF. Brought to this state by the incompetence of the French Command.’

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