Pocket of Lille
The pocket of Lille resisted of the May 25th the May 31st 1940 the surrounding of the German Armée ordered by the Waeger general during the Bataille with France.
The grouping of the French Army under the orders with the general Molinié establishes its general headquarter with Haubourdin. The general June with the 15th division was placed at the Suburb of the Stations at the entry of the city. Loos is held by the 1st division ordered by the Jenoudet general, is of Haubourdin by the 2nd Nord-Africaine division of the Dame general and the west by the 3rd Nord-Africaine division of the Mesny general. The remainder of the 1 {{Re}} division Marocaine, tested hard by the combat of the previous days is placed at Lambersart under the orders of the Mellier general with a handle of British soldiers of the genius. The pockets of resistance gather: 35000 with: 40000 soldiers, is 30 Bataillon S, 12 groups of Artillerie, and 5 groups of recognition.
As of on May 28th, the general Molinié and its officers, informed German plans by the capture of the Kuhn general in the Suburb of the Stations, organize an attempt at exit. It is a carnage. The captain Philippe de Hauteclocque, with the agreement of his superior, will succeed in crossing the German lines and joining on June 4th the French positions more in the south on the channel of Crozat.
The exhausted ammunition, of the hundreds of civilians deaths and soldiers, casualties, the points of resistance cease the combat the ones after the others on May 31st.
The General Molinié and colonel Aizier will negotiate until midnight a rendering in the honor for the defenders of Lille and its suburbs. The Saturday the 1st er June on the Large one Places the French troops as some English ravel out of weapons in front of the Germans and some civilians left the shelters. Seldom, in this way, in the wars of the 20th century overcome were greeted by their winners what made say later to the general June that Lille was the pre square of the safe honor .
The June 2nd, Adolf Hitler reproached the Waeger general for having marked a pause in its progression towards Dunkirk and to have returned the honors with the French. He was dismissed at once. Churchill in its memories estimates that the defenders of Lille gave five days of respite to the Opération Dynamo.
Two future Marshals of France, took part in these terrible days.
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