Battle of Abbeville

Overview

The Battle of Abbeville took place from 27 May to 4 June 1940, near Abbeville during the Battle of France in the Second World War. On 20 May, the 2nd Panzer Division advanced 56 mi (90 km) to Abbeville on the English Channel, overran the 25th Infantry Brigade of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and captured the town at 8:30 p.m. Only a few British survivors managed to retreat to the south bank of the Somme and at 2:00 a.m. on 21 May, the III Battalion, Rifle Regiment 2 reached the coast, west of Noyelles-sur-Mer.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Abbeville, fought from 27 May to 4 June 1940 during the Battle of France, was a consequence of the German 2nd Panzer Division's rapid advance to the English Channel on 20 May, which overran the 25th Infantry Brigade and captured Abbeville by evening. The German drive severed Allied forces along the Somme, with only a small number of British survivors withdrawing to the south bank. By 2:00 a.m. on 21 May, German rifle units had reached the coast west of Noyelles-sur-Mer, consolidating the encirclement that cut off Allied forces to the north. The engagement illustrated the speed and depth of German armored penetration and the inability of the defenders — outnumbered roughly 21 to 1 in force size — to hold the Channel coast, contributing to the broader collapse of French and British defensive positions during the 1940 campaign.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)