Quote Originally Posted by Brenus View Post
“ Rundstedt slowed the advance near Dunkirk, allowing the withdrawal of thousands of troops who could have been netted.” He did it for good reasons: Hitler and Von Rundstedt remembered the lesson from 1914, when the German being too advanced in France were badly defeated by a French counter-offensive. At the time of Dunkirk, the French were still holding at Lille, and had won a tactical battle of Gembloux few days before, giving the blitzkrieg myth a blow that the German final victory will delete from minds. Several French counter offensives (as in Arras) were potentially dangerous and were successfully contained thanks to the decisive action of the Luftwaffe.
However, nothing could tell Hitler and his generals than France had no reserves (and she had), and couldn’t or wouldn’t have the possibility to attack on the exposed flank of the Panzer Divisions.
Even Rommel had his nose made red when he confronted the French tanks, and was saved by the Stukas. If the French would have been able to secure the sky (and it was still a possibility on Dunkirk) and had the potential to counter attack (and they had),, the first task was to secure the flank at Lille (May 25 – May 31): According to Churchill: These Frenchmen, under the gallant leadership of general Molinié, had for four critical days contained no less than seven German divisions which otherwise could have joined in the assaults on the Dunkirk perimeter. This was a splendid contribution to the escape of their more fortunate comrades of the BEF" (Winston Churchill, The Second World War. vol. II. Their Finest Hour, Cassel & Co., 1949, p. 86.
The German General was sacked by Hitler for he gave to the French Garrison the Honours of War, which lost him one day and slow down the assault on Dunkirk. So Hitler wanted to go fast, but he wanted as well to be safe.

The German High Command had a huge respect for the French Army, and it was deserved as shown by the Battle of Stonne (26,500 casualties for the Germans, 7,500 French and where the French tank B1 Bis shown itself as better than the Panzer), reason why Guderian’s aim was not to fight the French, but to forbid them of possibilities to fight. If the French would have counter attack earlier, the German might have been defeated according to post war writings from the German General Hermann Hoth.
Certainly some truth in that, and you may well be correct in the whole. In point of fact, the French fought hard. The Germans suffered nearly as many casualties as had the French during the first 3 weeks of fighting. However, the paralysis -- "shock" effect -- induced by the blitzkrieg had thrown the French out of whack far more than the mere level of casualties would indicate. Their heavier armor was a match -- or more -- for the best the Germans had in the field but their coordination wasn't up to the task. Moreover, far too many of their numerically larger force were in haphazardly equipped divisions. The best French divisions of the time were the equal of anybody, but were never deployed concentrated and never given adequate strategic leadership. The Germans consistently underestimated the "shock" effect of the blitzkrieg and halted early, fearing a counter-attack, when their opponent was seeing stars and unable to do more than swing blindly. I don't think the grand counter-punch you envision, Brenus, could have happened. Had it, you may well be right as to the result.