Order in Chaos : The Memoirs of General of Panzer Troops Hermann Balck David T. Zabecki 12 October 2015
General of Panzer Troops Hermann Balck
“…the best division commander in the German Army.” General William E. DePuy U.S. Army
“Perhaps the most brilliant field commander on either side in World War II was Hermann Balck.” Freeman Dyson Physicist and Philosopher
“If Manstein was Germany’s greatest strategist during World War II, I think Balck has strong claims to be regarded as our finest field commander.” Major General F-W von Mellenthin
“Without a doubt, the Germans owed their success at Sedan more to Balck’s 1st Infantry Regiment than to any other unit.” Colonel Robert Doughty U.S. Army
Advance Panzer Group Kleist through Ardennes 11 May 1940
1 st Panzer Division Advance Guard
Breakthrough of Panzer Korps Guderian 13 May 1940
55 th Division Command Post
55 th Division Series B reserve division consisting of older reservists. Henri-Jean Lafontaine
Questions?
General of Panzer Troops Hermann Balck
Backup Slides
Force Comparison 10 May 1940
278 PzKpfw-IV 75mm Main Gun
274 Char B 1 bis 75mm Main/40mm Secondary
Heinz GuderianXIX Panzer Corps