14. Main Dressing Station: La Virée farm (½ mile south of La Chapelle).
15. Divisional Headquarters: Prés St. Rémy.
Advanced Divisional H.Q.: High ground south-west of Givonne.
signed: SCHAAL.
APPENDIX VII
Headquarters, XIX Army Corps
Operations Department Corps H.Q., wood near La
Chapelle,13.5.40, 22.30 hrs.
1. Only one French Fortress Brigade and artillery are engaged in the defence of the Meuse. They have been severely shaken.
2. Of this corps the following have crossed the Meuse and reached the areas indicated:
2nd Panzer Division, the area south-west of Donchéry.
1st Panzer Division, the northern edge of the Bois de la Marfée.
10th Panzer Division, Wadelincourt.
3. The divisions will continue to attack with maximum energy and will reinforce their elements already across the river with all available troops. The divisions on either wing will make their point of main effort on their interior wings and will thus ensure close mutual co-operation.
4. The divisions will capture their objectives according to the map exercise, with the exception of the 10th Panzer Division, which will advance only as far as the area east of Bulson and will then swing west.
2nd Panzer Division will advance through Boutancourt to Poix Terron.
1st Panzer Division will advance through Vendresse–La Chesne, and with its left wing along the Aisne to Rethel.
10th Panzer Division will for the time being cover the corps left flank along the line assigned to it.
5. Corps headquarters will remain for the time being at La Chapelle.
signed: GUDERIAN
APPENDIX VIII
Headquarters, XIX Army Corps
Operations Department Corps H.Q., wood near La Chapelle
14.5.40, 21.00 hrs.
Corps Order No. 5 for May 15th, 1940
1. The corps has today defeated and smashed two French divisions with tanks and other strong army troops. Thousands of prisoners have been captured.
2. The attack will be continued on May 15th, 1940. The mass of our troops will advance from the area already captured in a westerly direction and will reach as primary objective the line Wasigny-Rethel.
3. Tasks:
(a) 2nd Panzer Division will send a strong left wing through Boulzi-court and Poix Terron, will move south of the Petit Forêt de Signy, and will reach the line Wasigny–Séry.
(b) 1st Panzer Division will advance across a line Singly–Omont and will reach the line Séry–Rethel.
Boundaries: Chéhéry–Singly–La Horgne–Mazerny (to 1st) Faissault (to 2nd)–Drovizy (to lst)–Séry (to 2nd).
Move off of these two divisions to be at a time which I shall order.
(c) 10th Panzer Division, with Infantry Regiment Gross–Deutschland which is henceforth under command, will protect the left flank of the corps along the line of the Ardennes Canal–the Stonne heights –the Meuse bend south of Villemontry. This line will be captured and prepared for defence.
4. Artillery Commander 101, with the II Battalion Artillery Regiment 45, Heavy Artillery Battalion 616, II Battalion Artillery Regiment 69 and II Battalion 1, remains under command of 1st Panzer Division. Likewise the Mortar Battalion, though for the time being it will remain in its present lodgement area.
5. Reconnaissance:
Reconnaissance Area for XIX Army Corps:
Charleville–Rozoi–Montcornet–the Montcornet–Neufchâtel road–the railway line Neufchâtel–Pont Faverger–Grandpré–Dun–Mouzon.
Boundary:
Between the armoured squadron and 4/Army Recce 31: Le Chesne– Attigny–Blanzy–Neufchâtel.
Between 4/Army Recce 31 and 3/Army Recce 31: Le Chesne–Grandpré.
Task of 4/Army Recce 31:
To establish whether the enemy is moving up forces along the roads within the reconnaissance area against the front and flanks of 1st Panzer Division. Report drops: Corps H.Q. and 1st Panzer Division.
The divisions will reconnoitre in their respective sectors of advance:
(a) forward as far as a line Montcornet-Neufchâtel,
(b) on the right flank as far as a line Charleville-Hirson,
(c) on the left flank as far as a line Vouziers-Rheims.
10th Panzer Division will reconnoitre as far as a line Clairmont-Verdun.
In view of the limited reconnaissance forces available only the main roads of advance will be reconnoitred.
signed: GUDERIAN.
APPENDIX IX
Headquarters, XIX Army Corps
Operations Department Corps H.Q., Soize
16.5.40
Corps Order No. 7 for May 17th, 1940
1. The enemy opposing 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions has once again been decisively defeated and is withdrawing westward along the whole front.
XIX Army Corps has reached the area west of Montcornet with the mass of its forces. Advance units are moving towards the Oise between Origny and Hamégicourt.
XIV Army Corps, following behind and to the left of XIX Army Corps, is covering the left flank along the Aisne.
2. XIX Army Corps will continue to advance in a north-westerly direction on May 17th, by-passing St. Quentin and Péronne. Move off 09.00 hrs.
3. The advance will be as follows (for march routes see Annex 1):
(a) Right: 2nd Panzer Division across the line Origny–Ribémont along march routes 1 and 2.
(b) Left: 1st Panzer Division across the line Mézières sur Oise-Hamégicourt along march routes 3 and 4.
4. 10th Panzer Division is once again under command. It will follow behind the left wing along the march routes previously numbered (on 16th May) 2 and 3, as far as Noircourt. Then it will send its left wing column through Dizy-le-Gros, Clermont Pierrepont, Hamégicourt. Then march route 4 in accordance with Annex 1.
A road will be freed for the right wing column.
5. The 2nd (Motorised) Infantry Division is placed under command of XIV Army Corps.
6. Reconnaissance: see Annex 2.
7. Corps Headquarters: originally Soize (3 miles east of Montcornet), then moving along march routes 2 and 3.
signed: GUDERIAN.
APPENDIX X
Headquarters, XIX Army Corps
Operations Department Corps H.Q., Soize
18.5.40, 00.45 hrs.
Corps Order No. 8 for 18 May, 1940
1. The enemy has today continued to withdraw, south-westwards. He is apparently holding the crossing-places over the Somme. He has launched isolated tank attacks from the direction of Laon towards Montcornet through Clairmont and La Ville aux Bois.
2. XLI Army Corps is advancing on Cambrai.
Boundary with XLI Army Corps: St. Gobert-Neuvillette-Nauroy-Gouzeau-court (all to XLI Army Corps)–Bapaume (to XIX Army Corps).
3. XIX Army Corps will attack from the Oise bridgeheads at 05.30 hrs. on 18.5.40 towards Bapaume. Its first objective will be the securing of a bridgehead running: the heights north-west of Bellicourt–east of Villeretle Vergier–Vendelle–Fléchin–Poeuilly–Tertry–Monchy–Falvy.
4. Tasks of the divisions:
(a) 2nd Panzer Division will attack from the Origny and Ribémont bridgeheads, will seize the Somme crossings on either side of Morcourt, and will capture without delay the high ground between Villeret and Le Vergier. The bridge of St. Quentin is to be captured by a surprise attack and the rest of the town to be taken by means of weak forces entering it from the rear. Care is to be taken to avoid a battle inside the town.
(b) 1st Panzer Division: will attack from the Bézières and Hamégi-court bridgeheads, will seize the Somme crossings on either side of Castres and will push on at once to the high ground on either side of Poeuilly.
Notes to (a) and (b): The divisions will carry out the attack in the same manner as the attack across the Meuse. Strong artillery support is to be used from the very beginning with the purpose of smashing all enemy atte
mpts to organise the defence. All chances of seizing the crossing-places by means of surprise attacks are to be exploited. With this in view reinforced reconnaissance forces are to be thrown across the Oise at the beginning of the attack.
(c) 10th Panzer Division will follow behind the left wing of the corps along the roads designated below. It will cover the left flank of the corps, first of all in the Laon direction, then along the Serre, the Crozat Canal, and the Somme. It will mop up along the right banks of the Canal and of the Somme, will occupy the bridges and will prepare them for demolition.
Boundary between 2nd and 1st Panzer Divisions: Marey (2nd)-Châtillon (1 st)–Faucouzy (2nd)–Parpeville– Ribémont–St. Quentin–Fayet– Maissemy (all2nd)–Vendelle–Marquaix–Temploix–Moislains–Rancourt–Combles–Flers –Warlencourt (all 1st).
5. Reconnaisance: see Annex.
In order to avoid any confusion of units in front of the anticipated defended localities along the Somme, the ground reconnaissance troops will move off at least half an hour ahead of the main bodies.
Point of main effort for reconnaissance by 1st and 10th Panzer Divisions, the left flank.
6. Anti-aircraft Regiment 102 will cover the jumping-off areas and crossing-places over the Oise from 05.30 hrs. and will later move forward to the Somme.
7. Corps Headquarters, as at the beginning of the attack, 05.30 hrs., Villers-le-Sec.
signed: GUDERIAN.
Roads for 10th Panzer Division:
(a) Erlon–La Ferté–Chevresis–Hamégicourt–Seraucourt–Tertry–Péronne-Cléry–Longeuval.
(b) Dersy–Crécy–Achéry–Vendeuil–Artemps–Sancourt–Péronne and thence as (a).
Postscript to Corps Order No. 8 for 18.5.40.
Bomb line:
Arras–Bapaume–the Somme to Ham–the railway line La Fère–Laon–Rethel (all towns exclusive).
APPENDIX XI
Headquarters, XIX Army Corps
Operations Department Corps H.Q., Villers–le–Sec
18.5.40.
Corps Order No. 9 for 19th May, 1940
1. The enemy is withdrawing from the north in a south-westerly direction. Serious fighting continues in the area of our right wing and of XLI Army Corps’ right flank. English troops identified near St. Christ on the Somme, also north of Péronne and on the Bouchavesnes heights. In the areas Ham, Jussy, Remigny and Quesy the enemy withdrew across the Somme during the evening of May 18th.
2. Group von Kleist is continuing to advance towards Bapaume and leading units have reached the general line Cambrai–Péronne.
XLI Army Corps’ advance units have reached the line Cambrai-Metz en Couture.
Boundary with XLI Army Corps: St. Gobert–Neuvillette–Levergies–Gouzeaucourt (XLI)–Bapaume–Berles–au–Bois–Sombrien (XLl)–Magnicourt (XLI).
The Commander–in–Chief of the Army has explicitly approved further advances by Group von Kleist.
3. XIX Army Corps will move forward on May 19th, 1940, and will first of all reach the line Fins–Péronne with 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions. From here it will capture a bridgehead over the Canal du Nord and advance towards the line Le Mesnil–Cléry.
The Canal will be crossed at 14.00 hrs.
The corps will also, during the night 18th–19th May, establish bridgeheads over the Somme in the Péronne and Ham areas in order to give the Supreme Command the opportunity to swing south–west when the time comes.
4. Tasks of the divisions:
(a) 2nd Panzer Division will cross the Canal between Èquancourt and Manancourt. It will capture the high ground around Le Mesnil and then will turn sharply south at a point west of the Péronne road and will thus assist the advance of 1st Panzer Division.
(b) 1st Panzer Division will force a crossing of the Canal to either side of Moislains, point of main effort being with the northern wing. It will then push on to the high ground south of Rancourt and will swing in against the flank and rear of the enemy holding the high ground north of Péronne.
Notes to (a) and (b):
Artillery preparation for both divisions will be arranged by Artillery Commander 101 to conform to the bombing plan. After the enemy has been destroyed a bridgehead will be established running: Èquancourt–Le Mesnil–Sailly Saillisel–Rancourt–Cléry. Steps to prepare the defences of this bridgehead will be taken.
Boundary between 2nd and 1st Panzer Divisions: the western edge of St. Quentin–Payet–Maissémy–Montigny–Roisel–Aizécourt–Bois de Vaux–southern edge of Bois St. Pierre Vast (all places to 2nd Panzer Division)– Combles–Flers–Warlencourt (all places to 1st Panzer Division).
1st Panzer Division, as already told verbally, will, during the evening of the 18th, capture and hold the bridgehead west of Péronne running roughly: Biaches–La Maisonette–Bellevue Ferme.
(c) 10th Panzer Division will be responsible for protecting the left flank by sending units to block the crossings of the Somme and the Serre. The division will probably be engaged on this task until the evening of May 19th. The enemy who crossed in the areas Ham, Jussy, Remigny and Quessy is to be thrown back across to the south bank of the Canal de Quentin early on the morning of the 19th. The bridges are to be blocked off or alternatively destroyed according to instructions already issued verbally.
In the Ham area a bridgehead running roughly from the bridge west of Eppeville–Maille Villette Galant will be established and held.
The mass of the division will also be moved across the Oise in the Essigny–le–Grand area so that a crossing of the Somme in a northwesterly direction along two roads will be possible.
5. The Air Force will support the attack of 1st Panzer Division by bombing the installations and wooded areas around Bouchavesnes as well as Moislains and Rancourt during the period 13.45-14.00 hrs. The Canal is to be crossed immediately the bombing ceases.
The bomb line is laid down as:
(a) Arras–Albert–Roye–Boyon–Berry au Bac.
(b) The line of the Canal du Nord.
6. Reconnaissance:
(a) Air reconnaissance in the areas Le Cateau–Cambrai–Arras–Doullens –Amiens–Montdidier.
Direct instructions will divide the area between 4/(Army) 31 and the armoured squadrons.
(b) Ground reconnaissance by 2nd and 1st Panzer Divisions as far as the bomb line in the sector Haucourt–crossroads 4 miles north–east of Nesle–Roye–Noyon–Chauny.
7. Anti–aircraft: Anti–aircraft Regiment 102 will use the mass of its force to cover the advance of the two divisions to their jumping–off areas, the crossing of the Canal and the establishment of the bridgeheads. Elements will be detached to cover the move of 10th Panzer Division and to protect it in its new lodgement area.
8. Reports: Reports will be submitted as soon as the jumping–off area has been successfully reached and as soon as the assault has been successfully launched.
9. Signal Battalion 80 will arrange for wireless links with the divisions and for the laying of cable between corps headquarters and the divisional headquarters.
10. Corps Headquarters from 13.00 hrs., 19th May, 1940, Holnon Wood.
signed: GUDERIAN.
APPENDIX XII
Headquarters, XIX Army Corps
Operations Department Corps H.Q., Villers–le–Sec
18.5.40, 13.00 hrs.
1. With reference to Corps Order No. 8 concerning flank protection of the corps by 10th Panzer Division along the Serre and the Somme Canal between Falvy and Mortiers, for this purpose the following units will be placed under command of 10th Panzer Division as of 16.00 hrs., 18 May:
Staff, Engineer Regiment 511, with
Engineer Battalion 666
Engineer Battalion 49
Engineer Battalion 37
Engineer Battalion 41 (will later relieve Engineer Battalion 37).
Anti–tank Demonstration Battalion of 10th Panzer Division.
Commanders of these Battalions will report to divisional headquarters, 10th Panzer Division, Renansart.
> 2. 10th Panzer Division will arrange, in agreement with the commander of Engineer Regiment 511, which bridges shall be destroyed and which shall only be prepared for demolition.
These decisions shall be based on the following principle: bridges that are unimportant and that simply require a waste of guard personnel will be blown; bridges that are necessary for operational movement (advances) will not be blown.
Commander of Engineer Regiment 511 will forward to corps headquarters, through 10th Panzer Division, his plan for blocking and demolition, with sketchmaps.
3. 10th Panzer Division will retain the mass of the division this side of the Canal west of the Oise. Only weak forces will be moved to the far side and will reconnoitre as far as a line Noyon–Coucy le Château–Laon.
4. The area south of the railway line Nesle–Ham–La Fère–Laon–Neuf–châtel is a bomb target area. Any troops that are therefore in this area must give ample recognition and identification signals to the flyers.
signed: GUDERIAN.
APPENDIX XIII
Headquarters, XIX Army Corps
Operations Department Corps H.Q., St. Marleville
19.5.40, 24.00 hrs.
Corps Order No. 10 for 20th May, 1940
1. The enemy opposite the corps front has been defeated. He is attempting to break through from Belgium towards the south-west.
2. XIX Army Corps is pressing on without pause towards the north-west, the mouth of the Somme and the Channel Coast.
On the corps right XLI Army Corps is advancing.
Boundaries: Between 2nd Panzer Division and 1st Panzer Division: Combles–Longueval–Pozières–Varennes–Puchevillers–Canaples–Flixécourt –the Somme (all localities to 1st Panzer Division)–Dreuil–Oisemont (localities to 2nd Panzer Division)–the mouth of the Ligar.
Left-hand boundary of 1st Panzer Division: the Somme.
Panzer Leader Page 63
