... WITH AUTHOR & HISTORIAN
ALEX CHURCHILL
BLITZKRIEG, 1940
IMAGES: Author's Own/www.livetheworld.com
Tour Code: S130
MAY 1940...
A CATASTROPHE FOR THE ALLIES...
After a prolonged period of inaction, war ignited in the west on 10th May 1940 when Hitler's armies surged into the Low Countries. The French were convinced that this was the main assault, and had ruled out the possibility of an invasion through the supposedly impenetrable Ardennes. They were about to find out that they had walked right into a trap...
Based entirely on first hand accounts from all nations, this tour will be led by ALEX CHURCHILL, who in her bestselling substack makes it her mission to bring French military history into the English language. She'll be joined by Steve Marsdin. Married to a local, he has spent more than four decades exploring the region in fine detail.
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN HISTORY...
This five day tour is utterly unique. Staying in stunning surroundings on the River Semois on the Belgian side of the border, Alex and Steve will guide you through this battlefield as you get to grips in detail with how Allied defeat became inevitable in May 1940.
FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS...
Our itinerary includes must-see locations such as Sedan and Bouillon. You'll venture deep inside the Maginot Line, explore the seismic clash at Stonne, which changed hands 17 times in a matter of hours. You'll venture deep into the Maginot Line, on which France staked her survival. Then it's into the forest that was erroneously determined as 'Europe's best tank trap' in search of outposts, before you examine how an entire French Army collapsed to leave the way open for Hitler's Panzer hordes.
This is a reasonably active tour. There's no extensive hiking, but you will need to be able to get about under your own steam to enjoy it to the full. Your reward for clambering through the Ardennes in search of one of the 20th century's most seismic events will be riverside evenings, all the frites you can eat and a glass of Belgian beer in your hand...
"No one can understand the decisions of that period without realising the immense authority wielded by the French military leaders and the belief of every French officer that France had the primacy in the military art."
- Winston Churchill
Photo Credits: Authors Own
BLITZKRIEG
FIVE DAYS
Activity Level - Active
SPRING 2027
Pricing: £TBC
Single supplement will apply,
(or we'll buddy you up)
A £200 deposit will be payable to secure your place, balances will be due on 31st March 2027
Tour Code: S130
"The 3rd Light Mechanised Division reported that it was impossible to hold its positions any longer without risking destruction. The time for retreat had come. To fully grasp the difficulties of the Cavalry Corps' withdrawal, it is important to remember that the roads were clogged with fleeing civilians, many in horse-drawn carriages; moreover, paratroopers and members of the Fifth Column, mingling with the Belgian civilians, were carrying out attacks behind enemy lines; finally, the crossroads had generally been destroyed by enemy aircraft." General Prioux, Commander, French Cavalry Corps.
SEDAN - THE CROSSING OF THE MEUSE - STONNE - AN EPIC TANK CLASH - MAGINOT LINE - VENTURE DEEP UNDERGOUND - ROMMEL'S CHARGE - UNSTOPPABLE PANZERS AT DINANT - L'EXODE - CIVILIAN'S FLEE THE ENEMY - MAYHEM IN COMMAND - THE COLLAPSE OF AN ARMY - THE LUFTWAFFE - THE BUSIEST DAY OF THE WAR FOR GERMANY'S AIRMEN - DE GAULLE - PUTTING PRE-WAR TANK THEORY INTO ACTION - BREWERY VISIT
"A munitions train, which had been at the Montcornet station for some time, was bombed, and only two cars were blown up. Instead of moving the rest, they waited until the next day to give the German bombers time to drop their bombs on the remaining section. It exploded for seven hours. The northern half of Montcornet was ablaze." RAOUL GASCHARD, French Ninth Army.