Juin 1940 La Bataille D'Abbeville

TEXT IN FRENCH

A new previously unpublished view on of one of the most important battles of June 1940, here is the chronicle of the journey of the horse-drawn infantry cannons of the famous List Regiment which had distinguished itself in the first world war and was also the regiment of a certain Adolf Hitler, as it invaded France from the Rhineland and headed for Normandy

We share the day to day life of these infantrymen and the difficult conditions they suffered along the way during the long journey that took them into the heart of the Battle of Abbeville in which the German 57. Infanterie-Division faced the 4e DCR (4th Armored Division) of Colonel Charles de Gaulle.

Faced with hundreds of tanks, the 13th company resisted many long days until the final success. Each day, in a notebook, Corporal O. Bär recorded his words: sensitive and attentive descriptions; intimate and realistic reflections; humanistic astonishment with combat situations, on crossing “deserted” and ghostly territories. Like a professional war correspondent, this young German corporal wrote down what he experienced, and his unmistakable style gives this testimony great depth. Published originally in August 40, this notebook, comprising original and unpublished texts and photographs by O. Bär, is a rare and exceptional document.