Dunkirk Fight to the last man

[AlexandrosPella]

Anyone read this book by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore?
He says that the reason the Germans defeated the British and French in 1940 was because quite a lot of the French tanks ran out of fuel and British only had very tanks with armour penetrating capabilities. Most British tanks only had machineguns apparently.
Is this true?

Also, he says the reason the German paratroopers won against the Belgians is because the Belgians didnt have enough small arms fire ammo and some of their small arms malfunctioned and failed to fire. Also that the Belgians didnt have enough grenades. Is this true?
It seems that he is suggesting that the Germans only won because they were better equipped.

[SurvivingPanzer]

Wrong on both counts.

French tanks were divided in small groups, diluting their capabilities while German tanks were employed in mass. Combined with conservative Allied leaders adn the deployment of the BEF and French forces to the Dyle Line (Plan D for the defense against a German puch through Belgium) lead to victory. The ability to supply the panzers, especially on their drive to the sea was extremely important, but was not the only factor that won the Germans the war.

Eban Emael was not a close combat or hand to hand battle. The Belgians were inside the fort and the Germans landed outside, using shaped charges to destroy the gun turrets. You really need to go their to understand that with the germans outside on top and the Belgians inside the Belgians had no opportunity to fire upon the attackers IN MASS! Though a few inventive Belgians did cause a few minor German casualties. The fort was not overtaken, it was surrendered after the bridges that the fort was supposed to protect had been destroyed (I thikn one of three might have been captured). There was no close quarters fighting inside the fort, though an enterance was breached Germans could not/would not exploit it.

[AlexandrosPella]

Actually, regarding the fight against Belgium I am talking not about Eban Emael, but in general.

And regarding the fight against the French and British does any one know if this was true?

[PZIV]

French tanks were divided in small groups, diluting their capabilities while German tanks were employed in mass. Combined with conservative Allied leaders adn the deployment of the BEF and French forces to the Dyle Line (Plan D for the defense against a German puch through Belgium) lead to victory. The ability to supply the panzers, especially on their drive to the sea was extremely important, but was not the only factor that won the Germans the war.

Correct. The genius of Gudarian that the British nor French could compete with. They thought the armor should usually be deployed as support to infantry so they were easily broken by German panzer divisions (which at the time didn't have the greatest tanks).

The men at Dunkirk got lucky Hitler had the strange order to halt the advance of German troops.