May 1940, from Sedan to Stonne

Stonne - 1940

The southern wing of the german attack

In 1940, the principal axis of the German attack was to break through the front at Sedan before pushing through to the English Channel to encircle the Allied armies that had advanced into northern Belgium. Confronted with a form of battle for which it was unprepared, the French army suffered the greatest military defeat of its history.

German victory was undeniable at a strategic level, but this was often not the case on a tactical level. Numerous Allied units fought with tenacity, especially in may around Stonne.

Some German officers would speak of it as as the « Verdun of 1940 ».