– News reports and analysis by T.R. Ybarra and William Hillman – June 13, 1940 – NBC – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
Word from France was grim this June 13th. With the eventual capitulation and fall of France coming at almost any hour, certainly within days, all that seemed left was hindsight as the German army continued its advance and encirclement of Paris, and the French army was virtually powerless to stop.
Speculation whether or not Paris would be defended or would become an open city were rife as the Germans from their front lines could clearly see the Eiffel Tower as they approached the city limits. The French Army, completely exhausted was in a perpetual state of retreat, executing rear-guard actions in an effort to stave off what was the inevitable. At the last minute, it was decided not to defend Paris. Premier Reynaud, sending a desperate message to President Roosevelt to send aid; a message that was sent a week earlier but disclosed only this day for reasons of State. President Roosevelt pledged support, but it would be far too late to do any good, as the German Army was poised to enter Paris and it was now a matter of fleeing the city and in order to carry on the government of France somewhere considered safe.
The German Army was now claiming over 100,000 French Prisoners and an untold amount of captured equipment. In the middle of this broadcast analysis by T.R. Ybarra, the program switched over to Paul Auchinard in Paris who reported the Premier of France had just finished an address to the French people over Paris Radio saying that the government had relocated and that Reynaud had sent one last appeal to FDR for aid. It was also disclosed that the French Army, despite being outnumbered some 3 to 1 by the German Army still had a line of defense from the sea to the Maginot Line.
And that’s where it stood in France on this June 13, 1940 – a day where the fate of France itself was under speculation, all from NBC Radio.
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