Völkischer Beobachter Front Pages: May 1940

Background: This page is part of a larger project to trace the history of World War II as reflected in the headlines of the Völkischer Beobachter, the Nazi Party’s daily newspaper.

May 1940 was a trimphant month from the Nazi viewpoint. By the end of the month Belgium and the Netherlands had capitulated and British and French forces were retreating everywhere. The war was going well from the German perspective.

Völkischer Beobachter: May 1940

	1 May 1940 Führer Order to the Norwegian Fighters "I am Proud of You!"
	2 May 1940 No Issue
	3 May 1940 Andalsnes in German Hands The British-French Norwegian Plot Defeated
	4 May 1940 Namsos Also Cleared of the British Panicked Withdrawal from Central Norway — 135 ships of the British Fleet Rendered Unfit for Combat Since 9 April
	5 May 1940 Fleeing British Fleet Hit Hard Blackest Day for England’s Sea Power — Dive Bomber Sinks Battleship — Heavy Cruiser Destroyed — Other Warships out of Action — British Betrayal of Norwegian Commander Denounced
	6 May 1940 London Considers a New Desperate Step The World Expects More Criminal Actions by the Allies against Neutrals
	7 May 1940 Attention! The Date is 20 May Plans of the Aggressors Revealed — Sensational Telephone Conversation between Chamberlain and Reynaud — London in a Hurry
	8 May 1940 Tensions in the Southeast at a High Point Are the Western Powers Heading toward a Conflict with Italy?
	9 May 1940 Disappointment in Chamberlain Confidence in the Great Fleet Shaken — British Opposition Demands New War Efforts
	10 May 1940 Italy Reveals London’s Coup Plans Italian Attack to be Forced — Expeditionary Force Prepared in Levant Harbors Italy was not yet in the war. The claim is that England and France are trying to find ways to draw Italy into the conflict.
	11 May 1940 The Führer Directs the Entire Operation The German Western Army Attacks along the Whole Front Neutrality of Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg under German Protection — English-French Attack through Holland and Belgium on the Ruhr Repulsed — German Luftwaffe Formations Attack Belgian and Dutch Airfields
	12/13 May 1940 The German Luftwaffe’s First Major Attack Lüttich’s Strongest Fort Falls — Western Army Rapidly Advances — Use of New Methods of Attack — Successful Attacks on Enemy Airfields and on Channel Traffic
	14 May 1940 Liége Has Fallen! Albert Canal Defensive Line Broken Through in Several Places — Connections Established with the Paratroopers in Rotterdam — French Troops West of the Ourthe Thrown Back — Destructive Successes of the Luftwaffe
	15 May 1940 Holland Capitulates! Sedan and Ligny in German Hands Unprecedented Victories by Our Troops — 220 More Enemy Planes Destroyed — 2 Cruisers and 1 Destroyer Sunk
	16 May 1940 The Führer Thanks the Holland Fighters “You Have Done Something Unique” Extended Maginot Line Broken Through near Sedan — French Tank Division near Namur Destroyed — Maas Crossed along a Broad Front — Further Forts in German Hands — Over 200 Enemy Aircraft Destroyed
	17 May 1940 The Enemy Prepares for Battle German Troops in den Haag and Amsterdam — French Tank Attack Repulsed — Armored Vehicles Destroyed by Bombs — Another 100,000 Tons Destroyed
	18 May 1940 German Troops in Brussels Maginot Line Broken Through over 100 Kilometers —Antwerp Threatened
	19 May 1940 Fortress Antwerp Falls German Panzer Corps Reach the Oise Two Enemy Infantry Divisions Defeated — The Island Province Zealand Capitulates — Revenge Measures by the German Luftwaffe Announced — Mines Laid Near South African Harbors
	20 May 1940 Storm Attacks along the Entire Front Eupen and Malmedy Incorporated into the Reich 110,000 Prisoners in France and Belgium — Further 147 Aircraft Destroyed — Dr. Seyß-Inquart Appointed Reich Commissar for the Netherlands
	21 May 1940 German Troops Storm Laon French Breakout Attempts Fail — The British Retreat in Disorder — Upper Schelde Reached — New Blows against the Enemy Fleets
	22 May 1940 Breakthrough to the English Channel Succeeds The Western Powers Reap the Harvest of their War French-English-Belgian Army in the North Cut Off — Luftwaffe Delivers Destructive Flows to the Fleeing British — Commander of the French 9th Army captured
	23 May 1940 English Channel Breakthrough Extended Heavy Attacks on French and Belgian Channel Ports — New Breakout Attempts Repulsed
	24 May 1940 German Advance on Calais Constant Attempts at Breakout Bloodily Repulsed — Dover Bombed for the First Time — Dutch Cities Attacked by Enemy Air Forces
	25 May 1940 German Tanks Near English Channel Harbors The Schelde Position Captured — Loretto Heights Taken — Six Transports Sunk in the Channel — Heavy Blows against British Warships at Narvik
	26 May 1940 Belgian Army, England’s Expeditionary Force, and Parts of the 1st, 7th, and 9th French Armies Surrounded Coast between Calais and Dunkirk Reached — Boulogne, Kortryk, and Ghent Captured — Hail of Bombs on the British Narvik Squadron
	27 May 1940 Churchill Plans New “Athenia” Crime Battle of Annihilation against the Surrounded Army Concentrated Advance of German Troops — Numerous English Airfields Bombed — Enemy Aircraft Carrier Sunk at Narvik
	28 May 1940 Deep Breakthrough in the Enemy Front along the Ypres Colored French Through in Vain into the Fire — Dunkirk Harbor in Flames — Airfields near Paris Bombed
	29 May 1940 After Belgium’s Capitulation Beginning of the End for the Plutocrats Battle of Flanders at Its High Point Strong Border Fortifications North of Valenciennes Broken — Schelde Canal Crossed — 30 Enemy Tanks Destroyed on the Lower Somme
	30 May 1940 Sadistic Agitation for Murder in France The Encircled Face Destruction Ostend and Lille Fall — Dunkirk under Heavy German Fire — Ypres and Kemmel Stormed — Great Luftwaffe Successes — Proud Victories by Flak Forces — Heavy Fighting Near Narvik
	31 May 1940 Bombers Attack Fleeing British Army The Battle of Annihilation in Flanders Nears Its End 20 Warships and Transports Sunk — 41 Warships and Transports Heavily Damaged or in Flames — Commander of the 1st French Army Captured — Battle at Narvik Continues

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Völkischer Beobachter: May 1940

Führer Order to the Norwegian Fighters

"I am Proud of You!"

No Issue

Andalsnes in German Hands

The British-French Norwegian Plot Defeated

Namsos Also Cleared of the British

Panicked Withdrawal from Central Norway — 135 ships of the British Fleet Rendered Unfit for Combat Since 9 April

Fleeing British Fleet Hit Hard

Blackest Day for England’s Sea Power — Dive Bomber Sinks Battleship — Heavy Cruiser Destroyed — Other Warships out of Action — British Betrayal of Norwegian Commander Denounced

London Considers a New Desperate Step

The World Expects More Criminal Actions by the Allies against Neutrals

Attention! The Date is 20 May

Plans of the Aggressors Revealed — Sensational Telephone Conversation between Chamberlain and Reynaud — London in a Hurry

Tensions in the Southeast at a High Point

Are the Western Powers Heading toward a Conflict with Italy?

Disappointment in Chamberlain

Confidence in the Great Fleet Shaken — British Opposition Demands New War Efforts

Italy Reveals London’s Coup Plans

Italian Attack to be Forced — Expeditionary Force Prepared in Levant Harbors

The Führer Directs the Entire Operation

The German Western Army Attacks along the Whole Front

Neutrality of Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg under German Protection — English-French Attack through Holland and Belgium on the Ruhr Repulsed — German Luftwaffe Formations Attack Belgian and Dutch Airfields

The German Luftwaffe’s First Major Attack

Lüttich’s Strongest Fort Falls — Western Army Rapidly Advances — Use of New Methods of Attack — Successful Attacks on Enemy Airfields and on Channel Traffic

Liége Has Fallen!

Albert Canal Defensive Line Broken Through in Several Places — Connections Established with the Paratroopers in Rotterdam — French Troops West of the Ourthe Thrown Back — Destructive Successes of the Luftwaffe

Holland Capitulates!

Sedan and Ligny in German Hands

Unprecedented Victories by Our Troops — 220 More Enemy Planes Destroyed — 2 Cruisers and 1 Destroyer Sunk

The Führer Thanks the Holland Fighters

“You Have Done Something Unique”

Extended Maginot Line Broken Through near Sedan — French Tank Division near Namur Destroyed — Maas Crossed along a Broad Front — Further Forts in German Hands — Over 200 Enemy Aircraft Destroyed

The Enemy Prepares for Battle

German Troops in den Haag and Amsterdam — French Tank Attack Repulsed — Armored Vehicles Destroyed by Bombs — Another 100,000 Tons Destroyed

German Troops in Brussels

Maginot Line Broken Through over 100 Kilometers —Antwerp Threatened

Fortress Antwerp Falls

German Panzer Corps Reach the Oise

Two Enemy Infantry Divisions Defeated — The Island Province Zealand Capitulates — Revenge Measures by the German Luftwaffe Announced — Mines Laid Near South African Harbors

Storm Attacks along the Entire Front

Eupen and Malmedy Incorporated into the Reich

110,000 Prisoners in France and Belgium — Further 147 Aircraft Destroyed — Dr. Seyß-Inquart Appointed Reich Commissar for the Netherlands

German Troops Storm Laon

French Breakout Attempts Fail — The British Retreat in Disorder — Upper Schelde Reached — New Blows against the Enemy Fleets

Breakthrough to the English Channel Succeeds

The Western Powers Reap the Harvest of their War

French-English-Belgian Army in the North Cut Off — Luftwaffe Delivers Destructive Flows to the Fleeing British — Commander of the French 9th Army captured

English Channel Breakthrough Extended

Heavy Attacks on French and Belgian Channel Ports — New Breakout Attempts Repulsed

German Advance on Calais

Constant Attempts at Breakout Bloodily Repulsed — Dover Bombed for the First Time — Dutch Cities Attacked by Enemy Air Forces

German Tanks Near English Channel Harbors

The Schelde Position Captured — Loretto Heights Taken — Six Transports Sunk in the Channel — Heavy Blows against British Warships at Narvik

Belgian Army, England’s Expeditionary Force, and Parts of the 1st, 7th, and 9th French Armies Surrounded

Coast between Calais and Dunkirk Reached — Boulogne, Kortryk, and Ghent Captured — Hail of Bombs on the British Narvik Squadron

Churchill Plans New “Athenia” Crime

Battle of Annihilation against the Surrounded Army

Concentrated Advance of German Troops — Numerous English Airfields Bombed — Enemy Aircraft Carrier Sunk at Narvik

Deep Breakthrough in the Enemy Front along the Ypres

Colored French Through in Vain into the Fire — Dunkirk Harbor in Flames — Airfields near Paris Bombed

After Belgium’s Capitulation

Beginning of the End for the Plutocrats

Battle of Flanders at Its High Point

Strong Border Fortifications North of Valenciennes Broken — Schelde Canal Crossed — 30 Enemy Tanks Destroyed on the Lower Somme

Sadistic Agitation for Murder in France

The Encircled Face Destruction

Ostend and Lille Fall — Dunkirk under Heavy German Fire — Ypres and Kemmel Stormed — Great Luftwaffe Successes — Proud Victories by Flak Forces — Heavy Fighting Near Narvik

Bombers Attack Fleeing British Army

The Battle of Annihilation in Flanders Nears Its End

20 Warships and Transports Sunk — 41 Warships and Transports Heavily Damaged or in Flames — Commander of the 1st French Army Captured — Battle at Narvik Continues