The Need for Organisational Resilience Chapter 5

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Contrary to expectations the night was one of confusion, not owing to the activity of

the enemy but on account of command difficulties with our superiors. Panzer Group von

Kleist ordered a halt to all further advance and to any extension of the bridgehead. I

neither would nor could agree to these orders, which involved the sacrifice of the

element of surprise we had achieved. I therefore got in touch, personally, first with the

Chief of Staff of the Panzer Group, Colonel Zeitzler and, since this was not enough, with

General Kleist himself, and requested that the order to stop be cancelled. The

conversation became very heated and we repeated our arguments several times.

Finally, General von Kleist approved of the advance being continued for another twenty-

four hours, … (Guderian 2000, 107)

Stonne is a small village with a dozen farms. Its position was of strategic importance.

Elevated at 330m, a force could observe the approach of the enemy and rain down artillery

and anti-tank fire. On the French side, around 15,500 troops were positioned in a fortified

line, although these fortifications were nothing like the massive casemates of the Maginot

line, but consisted mostly of an array of smaller bunkers, earthworks, barbed wire and

mines. On May 15 th , the Germans attacked, again with the Grossdeutschland regiment as spearhead, although supported by a range of PzKpfw IV and IIs at the front (10 th Panzer

Division). They were met by French anti-tank guns, knocking out three of the approaching

German tanks. The Germans, though, swiftly found another path into the village made the

remnants of the French units retreat.

The loss of Stonne was of great concern to the French High Command. What followed is

sometimes referred to as the ‘Verdun of 1940’, because of its viciousness and level of

casualties. Attacks were followed by counterattacks. In total, Stonne changed hands 16

times (see Table 5.1):

Date

Time

Outcome

May 15 th