The Need for Organisational Resilience Chapter 5

Night to

Unoccupied

May 17 th

09:00

German victory

11:00

French victory

14:30

German victory

15:00

French victory

16:30

German victory

17:00

French victory

17:45

German victory

Table 5.1: Battle for Stonne (Frieser 2005, 210)

At the end of May 17 th , Stonne and the surrounding area were littered with knocked out

tanks and abandoned equipment. The village of Stonne lay in ruins, obliterated by artillery

fire from both sides and streetfighting.

This photo was taken on 13 June 1940. It shows two destroyed Pz IV at Stonne. (BArch, n.d.)

German casualties were immense: around 8,500 men, of whom 3,000 were assumed

killed or missing. The Grossdeutschland regiment alone lost 570 men. The French suffered

an assumed 1,200 killed or missing in action. This battle was a sound French tactical victory.

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