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(Friday, May 10, 1940 approximately 4:00 a.m. Western European Summer Time; during Battle of France , part of the Western Front of the World War II) — Nazi Germany invaded without warning Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands shortly before dawn today, swinging 89 army divisions around France’s so-called impregnable Maginot Line.

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The triple invasion by Germany was accompanied by intensive bombings of Amsterdam, Brussels, Antwerp and all the main airports of Holland and Belgium.

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Hundreds of parachute troops were dropped in the invaded countries by heavy transport planes.

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While the new aggression was being staged, German bombers for the first time carried out a series of attacks on French cities, including Pontoise, near Paris, Nancy, Lyon, Lille, Colmar and other points.

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The invasion of France proper, however, would not begin until June 5, 1940.

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