French bases under German Admin.

[Dave]

Hello all

I am interested in reading about how French military installations made the
transition to German administration in 1940 and back again in 44 and 45

I'm ashamed to say I don't know the names of any large bases in France.

Books that I've read always mention 'ports and airfields' that fell into
German hands in 1940 but do not specify the names of the installations. I've
read a bit about Saumur, but never about how it was utilized in 1942 and 43.
Also that some of the Maginot Line was used for storage.

I'm really interested in how installations in areas that were not affected
by the fighting in 1940 were handled. Were there formal ceremonies similar
to some Japanese installations being taken over by the allies, with the
garrison on parade?

Any book recommendations or web sited would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Dave Kennedy

[Don Phillipson]

"Dave" <cut_spam_...@charter.net> wrote in message
news:ImXKm.13047$ZF3....@newsfe13.iad...

> I am interested in reading about how French military installations made
the
> transition to German administration in 1940 and back again in 44 and 45

. . .

> I'm really interested in how installations in areas that were not affected
> by the fighting in 1940 were handled. Were there formal ceremonies
similar
> to some Japanese installations being taken over by the allies, with the
> garrison on parade?

Apparently no special ceremonies. The practical difference was the
Occupation Zone agreed by the French surrender. In Occupied (northern)
France the Germans could do as they pleased, e.g. took direct control of
such airfields as Le Bourget and ports as Le Havre. (The Occupied Zone
included the whole Atlantic seaboard of France: i.e. the German Navy
needed no French permission to put its ships wherever it pleased, to
build new U-boat bases etc.) By contrast in the Unoccupied Zone the
French government maintained direct control of the army and navy,
enlisted and discharged soldiers, etc. and Vichy France maintained
its own embassies in some overseas capitals e.g. Ottawa and
Washington. After the US invasion of North Africa (the French
Overseas Departments of Algeria and Protectorate of Morocco)
the Germans occupied the whole of France. The Vichy government
continued in charge of the post office, tax collection, civil police etc.

Books about Occupied France may provide some of the information
you seek about military bases. Current bases probably have their
own web sites which probably tell us whether they were in service
in the 1940s. (Web sites offer the summary war history of many
Royal Air Force and RN stations including which units were stationed
there with dates. French web sites might be similar.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)