http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/may40/f24may40.htm
Hitler orders panzers to halt
Friday, May 24, 1940 www.onwar.com
On the Western Front... The German attacks on Boulogne continue. Farther along the coast they are also attacking Calais. The Royal Navy is active in support of the British forces in both towns. During the day and later in the night destroyers are used to evacuate 5000 men from Boulogne and over the next three days two light cruisers and seven destroyers are in support near Calais. There are also German attacks on the line of the Lys and around Tournai. The plans for the Allied counteroffensive depend on the Belgians being able to take over a longer section of the front but with this pressure they will not be able to do so. Meanwhile, the partial halt of the main German armored forces already made by Rundstedt is confirmed by Hitler. They have reached the line Gravelines - Omer - Bethune. Although the ground north of here is not well suited to armed action the Allied defenses are weak. The pause, which lasts until the morning of May 27th, gives the French and British time to strengthen this position and is generally seen as being the move which makes the evacuation of the BEF possible.
In Paris... The Supreme War Council decides to end its involvement in Norway. They agree to capture Narvik and destroy the port facilities before they will evacuate. Ironically the airfield at Bardufoss has only just received its first complement of British aircraft and already the campaign is seeming less one-sided, showing what might be done. The Norwegians are not yet told of the decision to leave.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/24.htm
May 24th, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - road/rail communications at Avesnes, La Capelle, Mons, Binche and the Ruhr. 10 Sqn. 12 aircraft. 11 bombed, one damaged by Flak and returned with hung-up bomb. 51 Sqn. 11 aircraft. Two aborted, eight bombed. 58 Sqn. Seven aircraft. All bombed, one damaged by Flak.
AA cruiser HMS Bonaventure commissioned.
Corvette HMS Gardenia commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
WESTERN FRONT: RN: During operations to support the BEF and French falling back on Dunkirk, French destroyers L’Adroit, Orage, Jaguar and Chacal are lost off the channel ports. W class destroyer HMS Wessex is bombed repeatedly and sunk off Calais at 51 00N, 16 37E, as she supports the defenders. (Alex Gordon)(108)
The Royal Navy begins small evacuations today and will continue for two more days from Boulogne, France. This evacuation will lift 5,000 men to Britain.
FRANCE: Arras: Lt. the Honourable Christopher Furness (b.1912), Welsh Guards, died when, against hopeless odds, he led a successful delaying attack on the advancing Germans.
This morning 1 Panzer Div., establishes four bridgeheads on the east bank of Aa canal, at Holque, Saint-Pierre-Brouck, Saint-Nicolas, and Bourbourgville, south of Gravelines, which it could not capture. It is in a position to thrust towards Dunkirk, supported on the right by SS Regiment ‘Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler’, which Guderian had placed at Watten on the Aa, “to lend weight to the 1 Panzer attack on Dunkirk.” For the same reason he orders 2 Panzer to send to Watten, all the units which can be spared from the investment of Boulogne.
GERMANY: Hitler issues his war directive number 13, ordering the annihilation of the Allies in Artois and Flanders and an aerial attack on Britain.
The OKW issues Führer Directive #13.
(i) The next object of our operations is to annihilate enemy forces in Artois and Flanders by concentric attack and the rapid seizure of the Channel coast. The task of the Luftwaffe is to break resistance of surrounded forces, to prevent the escape of English forces across the Channel, and to protect the southern flank of Army Group A. The enemy air forces will be engaged at every opportunity.
(ii) The remaining enemy forces in France will then be destroyed in the shortest possible time. Phase I will entail a thrust between the sea and the Oise towards the lower Seine. Phase II will be the main attack including strong armoured forces directed south-eastwards either side of Rheims, with the intention of defeating the main body of the French Army and bringing about the collapse of the Maginot Line. Phase III includes subsidiary attacks on the Maginot Line with the aim of breaking through the most vulnerable points.
(iii) The Luftwaffe is now authorized to attack the English homeland. When sufficient forces are available the attack will open with an annihilating reprisal for the English attacks on the Ruhr. Air operations will continue in support of our forces in France, with the added aims of breaking up enemy reinforcements and hampering the re-grouping of enemy forces. Consideration should be given to strengthening air defenses in those areas where the enemy is concentrating his attacks.
(iv) All restrictions on naval operations in French and English waters are now lifted. Kriegsmarine plans for the siege of England should be submitted to OKW. The Führer reserves the decision of announcing the form of the blockade. (Marc Roberts)
11.30 am - Hitler arrives at Rundstedt’s CP. According to the army group’s war diary: “he had the situation explained to him, and fully approved of the idea of keeping the Panzers on the line of the canals, in order to block the enemy and beat him once he has been defeated on the east by Group B. He insisted on the absolute necessity of saving the Panzers for ensuing operations, and of not pressing too hard on the surrounded Allies, which would have the undesirable effect of restricting the Luftwaffe’s field of action.” Hence Hitler stops the Panzers at the gates of Dunkirk.
NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN: The Allies decide to pull out of Norway, but not before the port installations of Narvik have been destroyed.
The Norwegians are not informed.
The newly completed HMS Illustrious, escorted by destroyers HMS Escort, HMS Vanoc, and HMS Witherington departs the Clyde at 0300 for acceptance trials. She returns that afternoon. HMS Ark Royal is off Scapa, but fog delays her entry into harbour until 1940.
Meanwhile, at 1315 HMS Glorious departs Scapa escorted by destroyers HMS Wren, HMS Arrow, and HMS Highlander. Her mission is to finally get the Hurricanes of 46 Squadron to Norway. On this trip. she has embarked only six Sea Gladiators of 802 squadron for aerial defence and six Swordfish of 823 Squadron for A/S duty. (Mark Horan)
CANADA: Destroyers HMCS Restigouche and St Laurent departed Halifax for Devonport. (Dave Shirlaw)
MEXICO: Mexico City: The exiled former Russian leader Leon Trotsky is injured when gunmen attack his home.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Kyma sunk by U-37 at 48.30N, 09.30W. (Dave Shirlaw)