Weygand Line
베강선
The Weygand Line was the name given to the southern defensive front organized by French forces from late May 1940 along the Somme and Aisne after the German invasion of Belgium and the Allied retreat. It followed the Somme, Crozat Canal, Ailette, and Aisne, and was breached by the German offensive of 5 June.
In depth
After the collapse of the northern front and the evacuation from Dunkirk, French forces reorganized their defence south of the Somme. Unlike the Maginot Line, it was not a purpose-built system of fortified works but a field front assembled rapidly from the available troops and resources. After Maxime Weygand arrived in France on 19 May, the front became known as the Weygand Line; French forces resisted Fall Rot, launched on 5 June, but several sectors were broken through amid severe numerical and operational disadvantages.
Sources
- fr.wikipedia.org (defines the Weygand Line as the defensive front established along the Somme, Crozat Canal, Ailette, and Aisne in May 1940, and describes the 5 June offensive)
- britannica.com (supports its formation in early June 1940 along the Somme and Aisne after the Maginot Line was outflanked through Belgium, and its rapid breach)