Battle Map Northwest Europe: May 21- June 4

After forging the enormous kessel trapping the cream of the Allied
armies, including the entire BEF, the German spearheads sat
immobilized by Hitler's 23rd May order to halt. Hitler's reasoning behind
halting his rampaging panzer armies remains heavily debated to this
day. Suffice it to say Hitler, having lacked a clear strategy for dealing
with the British since the War had began, misjudged his opponent at
Dunkirk. The British rescued approximately 338,226 British and Allied
soldiers. Despite the successful escape, nearly all the equipment
Britain brought to France sat abandoned on Dunkirk's beaches or in
the French countryside including 2,472 artillery pieces, 63,879
vehicles, and hundreds of thousands of tons of ammunition, fuel, and
other war material.

British material losses were compounded by the destruction of one of
the world's premier armies when the Germans turned their attention
south and forced the French surrender on June 22, 1940. Two million
French soldiers marched into German prisoner of war camps.
Nevertheless the individual French soldier had fought hard, in spite of
poor leadership and tactics; at least 120,000 Frenchmen lost their
lives in just six weeks fighting. The Belgians suffered just over 7,000
dead, the Dutch 3,000 killed in action, and the British lost only 3,457
dead in the campaign (although overall British casualties reached
68,111 including wounded, and captured). Germany's victory was far
from bloodless; the Wermacht suffered 49,000 dead and missing and
100,000 wounded, however Hitler stood as master over nearly all
Western and Central Europe.

Map Courtesy of: Department of History, United States Military
Academy