TNA ADM 199 795

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in its defences, had had no time to organize rearward
defences, nor any reserves with which to counter-attack.
It was forced back to the line of the river Bresle, the
next natural obstacle, 15 miles in rear.
5. Meanwhile the 1st Armoured Division was refitting
south of the Seine. Its tanks were in poor mechanical
condition, owing not only to battle casualties but also to
the long road distances they had been forced to cover,
and to the lack of opportunity for adequate maintenance.
It was in fact in no condition for offensive operations.
6. On the 7th June the Garmans out in & smashing attack
with their 5th and 7th Amoured Divisions on the point of
junction between the two Corps of the Tenth French Army.
This drive was directed from west of Amiens on Rouen and
the lower Seine, with the object of splitting the Tenth
Army and cutting off its IX Corps between the Saina
Estuary and Dieppe. The IX French Corps than comprised
the British 51st Division on the extrema left, and then
further east the 31st and 40th French Divisions and the
2nd and 5th Light Cavalry Divisions. The wh le of this
force was completely sundered from the X Corps on its
right by the penetration of the German tanks.
British base at Rouen, General Sir Henry Karslake, 0.0.0.
7. Meanwhile, owing to the threat developing to the
the Lines of Communication, had scraped together an
improvised force for its local defence. This force
comprised nine infantry battalions of a sort; they
out to France for pioneer duties and partly of composite
consisted partly of second line Territorial units sent
base. They had no war equipment except rifles and &
units made up from miscellaneous reinforcements at the
never fired before. guns They were without artillery, wans
few odd Bren and enti-tank weapons, which they had
District, units were of the formation, this transport command heterogeneous thus was Lines misled given complete of and Brigadier the of signal into Communication. collection with t tile thinking equipment. artillery Besuman, of had of Division; that untrained been in and Vary it They charge given was ancillary unfortunately were The $ and the of righting French the placed task ill-aquipped services. orth of under
Beauman's holding back so-called line along Division the Rivers Bethung and Andella the
covering a Rouen, and had done good work in organizing
defence of this position.
on While the Cerman of the 7th June, General Weygand personally impressed
8. armoured attack was at its height
visited the afternoon Headquarters east of Rouen and the
on Tenth Army and on General Evans commanding holding the
German attack Armoured on the Seine at all costs as this
British General Altmayer, Division, the necessity for was "the
decisive battle of the war.
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