| Guderian records this incident that "early on the 25 May I went to Wattern to visit the Leibstandarte and to make sure they were obeying the order to halt.When I arrived there found the Leibstandarte engaged in crossing the Aa.On the far bank was Mount Watten, a height of only some 255 feet but that was enough in this flat marshland to dominate the whole surrouding countryside.On the top of the hillock,among the ruins of an old castle, I found the Divisional Commander, Sepp Dietrich.When I asked why he was disobeying orders, he replied that the enemy on Mount Watten could look down the throat of anybody on the far bank of the canal (I am assuming Guderian is referring to the Canal de la Haute Colme which runs to Bergues and then with a connection to Dunkirk).Sepp Dietrich had therefore decided to take it on his own initiative.The Leibstandarte and the Infantry Regiment "G.D" on its left were now continuing their advance on Berques and Wormhoudt.In view of the success that they were having I approved the decision taken by the commander on the spot and made up my mind to order the 2nd Panzer Division to move up in their support."
For the aerial situation,Guderian reported that on the previous day,the day of the Hitler order to "halt and stop on the Aa, Dunkirk is to be left to the Luffewaffe" (24 May 1940 ) that "Fierce enemy air activity met little opposition from our Air Force"
Dietrich advanced on to Wormhoudt and was implicated but found not guilty, post war,of the massacre of The Royal Warwicks POWs at Wormhoudt.His defence was that he was separated from leading the Leibstandarte, having had to seek shelter in a ditch when under attack and consequently missed the proceedings of the day. |