to order that all mobile units were to operate either side of Arras and infantry units were to operate to the east. The crisis among the higher staffs of the German army was not apparent at the front and Halder formed the same conclusion as Guderian; that the real threat was that the Allies would retreat to the channel coast too quickly and a race for the channel ports began. Guderian ordered the 2nd Panzer Division to capture Boulogne, the 1st Panzer Division to take Calais and the 10th Panzer division to seize Dunkirk. Most of the BEF and the French First Army were still from the coast but despite delays, British troops were sent from England to Boulogne and Calais just in time to forestall the XIX Corps panzer divisions on 22 May. Frieser wrote that had the panzers advanced at the same speed on 21 May as they had on 20 May, before the halt order stopped their advance for , Boulogne and Calais would have fallen. Without a halt at Montcornet on 15 May and the second halt on 21 May after the Battle of Arras, the final halt order of 24 May would have been irrelevant, because Dunkirk would have already been captured by the 10th Panzer Division. Commemoration The battle honour Defence of Arras was awarded to the British units involved in the counter-attack. See also List of British military equipment of World War II List of French military equipment of World War II List of German military equipment of World War II Footnotes References Further reading External links The War Illustrated, 20 September 1940, p. 282 Battle of Arras The Defence of Arras: 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regiment A Pictorial History of the 4th and the 7th Royal Tank Regiment US army report on the Battle of France Documentary on Dunkirk, with a focus on the impact of tanks at Arras Arras Conflicts in 1940 1940 in France May 1940 events Battle of France Arras, Battle of (1940) Arras, Battle of (1940) Arras, Battle of (1940) Arras, Battle of (1940) Arras, Battle of (1940) Arras, Battle of (1940) Tank battles of World War II