Akarwa muhondo ye1940 yeSomme (inowanzozivikanwa mumitauro yeChirungu seHondo yeAbbeville) pakati pa27 Chivabvu na4 Chikumi 1940, uyezve mukuteedzana kwezvidiki "kunonoka zviito", kutanga padivi peSeine uko maGerman airwira kutora akateedzana emabhiriji akakosha varwiri vasati vaputika, uyezve kumadokero muNormandy neBrittany. Kupinda kweGermany muFrance kunorangarirwa nokukurumidza uko mauto eGermany akakwanisa kushandisa kukwirira kwavo mumhepo uye kupayona mitoo mitsva yehondo yemotokari kuti vatore rutivi rwokuchamhembe rwenyika. Mauto eGermany akapinda muParis musi wa14 June 1940 uye hurumende yeFrance yakasaina chibvumirano chokumisa hondo mazuva mashomanana gare gare. Pakazosvika 16 June 1940 Claude Hettier de Boislambert akanga ari pachiteshi chengarava cheBrest. Sezvo France yakawa, akatsunga kupfuurira kurwa, uko kwaireva kuyambuka kuenda kuBritain, uko kwaakaita achiperekedzwa nevakuru vakuru ivavo nevashoma vakanga varwa pasi pake avo zvino vakazvipira kumutevera. Vakafamba nengarava yezvikepe yainge yatumwa neEngland kunotora mauto ePoland ayo akanga achirwa muFrance achipikisa kupindirwa kweGermany, akatiza kubatwa neGermany neSoviet
renyika yavo.