What was Operation Paula (1940)

Introduction Unternehmen Paula (Undertaking or Operation Paula) is the German codename given for the Second World War Luftwaffe offensive operation to destroy the remaining units of the Armée de l’Air (ALA), or French Air Force during the Battle of France in 1940. On 10 May the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) began their invasion of Western… Read More

What was the Siege of Lille (1940)?

Introduction The Siege of Lille, or Lille Pocket (28 to 31 May 1940), took place during the Battle of France in the Second World War. The siege around the city of Lille took place between the French IV Corps and V Corps (about 40,000 men) of the First Army (General René Prioux) and four German… Read More

What Operation Dynamo (1940)?

Introduction The Dunkirk evacuation, code-named Operation Dynamo and also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers during World War II from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the north of France, between 26 May and 04 June 1940. The operation commenced after large numbers of Belgian, British, and French… Read More

What was the Battle of Dunkirk (1940)?

Introduction The Battle of Dunkirk (French: Bataille de Dunkerque) was fought in Dunkirk (Dunkerque), France, during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation to Britain of British and other Allied… Read More

What was the Le Paradis Massacre (1940)?

Introduction The Le Paradis massacre was a war crime committed by members of the 14th Company, SS Division Totenkopf, under the command of Hauptsturmführer Fritz Knöchlein. It took place on 27 May 1940, during the Battle of France (World War Two), at a time when troops of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) were attempting to… Read More