GIVENCHY EN GOHELLE
Meeting with generals(3)
Location: Unknown
At Pont-
Von Kluge and Rommel
talking to Hitler.This picture was probably taken at the Vimyhöhe.
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940)
PONT-
The cars driving past the station
(pictures: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940)
Station (12b)
Locations: Place du Maréchal Foch (station)
Today: There’s a new station on this location.
The cars drove on through Arras, where they passed city hall and the station. After that they went to Douai.
Arras station today
(picture: wikipedia)
Town hall (12a)
Locations: Place de Héros (Grand Place)
Today: Still there
The cars drove on through Arras, where they passed city hall and the station. After that they went to Douai.
The city hall of Arras
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940)
ARRAS
Chateau de Brigode (1)
Location: Probably near the park near the Avenue du Golf and the Avenue de Brigode
Today: Gone. Only a bridge that belonged to the castle was still there.
At 8.30 a.m. on June 2, 1940 Hitler and his men drove away from the castle de Brigode for a journey through the northern parts of France.
ANNAPPES
Route through Lille (2)
Exact route: Unknown
The cars drove through Lille to get to Pont-
LILLE
Meeting with generals (4)
Location: Unknown
Next on the route was Avelin where Hitler met general Adolf Strauss.
Hitler and Strauss
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940)
AVELIN
Route through Seclin (5), Carvin (6) and Lens (7)
Exact route: Unknown
The cars drove through Seclin, Carvin and Lens on their way to the Vimyhöhe.
SECLIN, CARVIN & LENS
Route through Neuville (9) and Souchez (10)
Exact route: Unknown
The cars drove through Nouville and Souchez to the Loretto-
NEUVILLE & SOUCHEZ
ABLAIN St. NAZAIRE
Sint-
Location: Railroad crossing east of Douai
Today: A bridge crosses the railroad today.
When the column of cars had past Douai they crossed a railroad track at Sint-
The road has been lifted by a bridge. The road still runs between the houses.
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann)
DOUAI
Rue d’Ostrevant (14) and Tour l’Ostrevant (15)
Location: Rue d’Ostrevant
Today: Still there. The tower has been open for the public in the past. I’m not sure about that today.
In Bouchain Hitler met general Walter Heitz, who gave a presentation on top of the tower l’Ostrevant. They walked along the Rue d’Ostrevant to get there. Hitler wanted to know why in the Bouchain area the German army was stopped for about a week. The tower was chosen because it gives an oversight of the region.
Hitler and General Heitz on the Rue d’Ostrevant
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940)
Above: On the roof of the Tour l’Ostrevant
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940)
Right: The tower today
(picture: the Hitlerpages, 2009)
The same location today
(picture: the Hitlerpages, 2009)
Left: The Rue d’Ostrevant. Hitler and his group walking towards the tower.
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940) Right: The same street. In both pictures the same wall is in the background. (picture: the Hitlerpages, 2009)
Left: The Rue d’Ostrevant: Hitler and his group walking back to the cars
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940)
Right: The same location. (picture: the Hitlerpages, 2009)
All three pictures above: The Ostrevant today
(pictures: the Hitlerpages, 2009)
BOUCHAIN
Route through Cambrai (16)
Location: Place Aristide Briand
Today: Still looks pretty much the same.
Going to the airport of Niergnies the cars went through Cambrai.
The German troops stood along the road to cheer Hitler on.
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940)
Niergnies Airport (17)
Location: Airfield Cambrai/Niergnies, along the D960 or Route de Guise, on the Rue de l’Argilierre, south of the village of Niergnies
Today: There’s still an airport at this location.
On Niergnies Airport Hitler met General Ewald von Kleist. The group had a meal and after that they got on the plane to Charleville. They left at 3.00 p.m. They landed in Charleville at 4.00 p.m.
Niergnies Airport
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940)
Niergnies Airport today
(picture: wikipedia)
CAMBRAI
Hitler’s car arriving at the Maison Blairon on May 24, 1940
(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann, 1940)
CHARLEVILLE-
On June the first and second, 1940 Hitler was driven through Belgium and the north of France. In the morning of the second day of June he left Annappes to meet several generals. He also went to the Vimyhöhe, a location he had not seen during the First World War. In Bouchain Hitler went to an army presentation on a tower that overlooked the region. After that he met more generals in Cambrai and Charleville-
1. Chateau de Brigode, Annappes 2. Lille 3. Pont-
8. Vimyhöhe 9. Neuville 10. Souchez
11. Lorettohöhe 12a. Town Hall, Arras
12b. Station, Arras 13. Sint-
14. Rue d’Ostrevant, Bouchain 15. Tour l’Ostrevant 16. Place Aristide Briand, Cambrai 17. Niergnies Airport, Cambrai 18. Maison Blairon, Charleville-
Belgium and France, June 2, 1940 weergeven op een grotere kaart
