Comments by "John Brereton" (@johnbrereton5229) on "The 10 Biggest Mistakes of the Wehrmacht in World War II" video.

  1. The 'Halt Order' at Dunkirk did not come from Hitler, so he can't be blamed for it. After the British attack at Arrass alarmed German high command they ordered the halt to allow their stretched infantry and supplies lines to catch up. They were worried this attack could repeat the WW I 'Miracle of the Marne' when British troops attacked the very similar stretched lines of the German advance and along with the French pushed them all the way back to where they had started. Hitler only agreed to the Halt after they had already authorised it. However, while they rested, German army group B took over the attack from the North, so it wasn't really a Halt, more of a change of emphasis. Army group A needed to rest and regroup to attack further south, because they thought the BEF was trapped at Dunkirk and couldn't go anywhere, they were wrong !
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  2. Hitler didnt 'drive out the BEF' ! The BEF was the smallest force there and was sent to assist the French and Belgium forces who were both far larger. Yet despite this, the BEF advanced while both the French and Belgiums retreated leaving the BEF flanks exposed and forcing them to retreat too. If Hitler ever thought he was a military genius, which is doubtful. It would have been after defeating the Polish, the Dutch and Belgium Armies but particularly after defeating the French who were considered the finest and best equiped Army in Europe at the time, yet the Germans defeated them in only 6 weeks. So if Hitler felt any sense of pride at this time, it was certainly justified.
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