Battle of Hannut 12-13 May 1940, After the Action

It is the morning of 12 May 1940. Two days the Germans attacked the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The French High Command has committed to advancing into Belgium to prevent a repeat of WW1.

Things are not going well for the Allies. By means unknown, the Germans have captured the lynchpin of the Belgian defence, a modern fortress at Eban-Emael, which was intended to prevent the Germans crossing the Albert Canal. Large German armoured forces are heading westwards through eastern Belgium.

 The role of the French Cavalry Corps, under General Rene Prioux, is to hold and delay the Germans to give enough time for the French First Army to dig in along the Dyle River, near Gembloux. The French have two Division Legere Mechanique, basically armoured divisions in all but name; the 2nd and 3rd DLMs, with between them more than 500 tanks and armoured cars.

 Unknown to the French, the role of the 3rd and 3th Panzer Divisions, working under General Erich Hoeppner's XVI Armee Korps, is that of the matador: to keep the French Cavalry occupied, to prevent them disengaging and heading south to support the French defenders along the Meuse River, especially at Sedan. XVI Armee Korps has more than 600 tanks, but 250 of them are PzKw Is with only light machine guns and lightly armoured.

The battle space is the farmland east of the small towns of Gembloux and Beauvechain, centred around the villages of Orp, Wansin, and Hannut. To the south lies Namur and Huy along the Meuse. A branch of the Meuse known as the Mehaigne provides a convenient anchor for the French defence. Brussels lies to the west, the fallen city of Liege to the east. It is very familiar country to the French and Germans: their fathers fought here in WW1 and the great battlefields of Ligny, Quatre Bras and Waterloo are only a few kilometres west.

The area is quite flat with only a few small woods. The main defensive positions are the villages and towns with their various fences.

A major road heads roughly east to west and smaller roads run in several directions. A railway lines runs roughly north south, but is flat too. Some trees line parts of the road. In the north there is a small bridge which crosses a small stream.

The Battlefield of Hannut, looking roughly north

The French occupied all the villages in the centre with infantry, holding their artillery back. The 2nd DLM is behind the Mehaigne, on the right in the photo, so the 3rd DLM is the principal combatant. French tanks are concentrated on the left and centre, along with a battery of 75mm guns on the far left, in a small wood.

The Germans are racing westwards along one of the roads, with motor-cyclists and light tanks acting as reconnaissance. In the German centre the German tanks advance across clear fields. Some reserves are available and the German commander brings on a battery of light anti-tank guns and some 105mm artillery. On the right, the German reconnaissance forces run up against their French counterparts, in the form of Panhard 178 armoured cars and some light cavalry tanks, H-39s.

The initial volley of fire is inconclusive. The French armoured cars dodge and although the French tanks are clearly hit, the shells appear to bounce off. The German tanks make an impressive sight.

Seen in the distance, the French reconnaissance platoons withdraw. And then! Disaster!

A group of French attack bombers, little twin-engined Breguet Br 693, evade lurking Me 109Es and strafe and bomb the attacking Germans, destroying two PzKw II and forcing the crew of a PzKw I to abandon their vehicle. The Germans are so surprised and the attack over so quickly that their flak vehicles fail to engage.

After the French planes depart, the crew of the Pz Kw I returns to their vehicle and the advance resumes. Schutzen - German motorised infantry - finally appear, along with a flight of Ju-87B Stuka dive-bombers, destroying one of the French Panhard armoured cares and a light tank, presumed to be a H-39. A French 75mm and infantry team are killes on the French right.

Once they have recovered from the Stuka attack, the French tanks advance in the centre. Led by a platoon of SOMUA S-35 medium tanks, the French make short work of a PzKw IIc, which explodes in a fireball. The French skilfully use treelines to provide cover.

Soon the French are facing two large tank attacks, one in the centre and one on their left. It is an awe-inspiring spectacle.

The French advance is supported by artillery, with French 75mm guns being used as anti-tank weapons, a role for which they were not designed but prove effective at.

Stukas again return, attacking a group of French armoured cars, light tanks, infantry and guns, destroying one of the precious SOMUAs.

German infantry join the attack, marching straight down the road towards the French positions. However, every village is defended by previously hidden French infantry and French light tanks cause heavy casualties.

Even more shockingly, the SOMUAs open fire at the German tanks advancing across the field, knocking out two panzers. French mortars join in with their tanks and infantry to attack the German infantry which is advancing on the exposed French positions in the centre.

On the French left, French tanks and guns confront the second group of Panzers, threatening the French left flank, and in steady fire force several of the panzers to bail. The second in command of one of the panzer divisions is killed when a French 75mm round hits his vehicle.

The Germans succeed in outflanking the French on the left flank with some of their light tanks but the French artillerymen prove surprisingly resilient. The fire is so intense the tanks are forced to withdraw temporarily.

The Germans manage to destroy the last of the French armoured cars with accurate fire from their light tanks.

In the centre the French get a dramatic breakthrough when a French 75mm gun destroys one of the few PzKw III in the German arsenal and the SOMUAs bail a PzKw II.

It is mid afternoon. The German artillery fire has been ineffective, the German infantry is pinned down by accurate French mortar fire and more than half the German left flank's tanks are destroyed.

Another squadron of Stukas appears and destroys one of the SOMUAs.

The French left holds. The attacking tanks are either driven off or destroyed by the French 75mm guns and fire from Somuas nearby.

It has been a desperate day of fighting. At nightfall, the Germans have taken heavy casualties and captured only one of their objectives, but strategically they have succeeded in their mission. The French cavalry are defending stoutly although they too have sustained losses. The French Air Force liaison informs General Prioux, that due to other priorities, no French bombers will be available the following day.

During the night both sides redeploy their troops.

With daylight, the German attack resumes. Additional infantry now supports the panzers in the centre, and seeks to use a wood to advance against the French line.

On the German right a huge column of tanks, supported by infantry, and much further back artillery and 88mm Flak guns, seeks to overwhelm the French.

The German commanders split their forces somewhat, with a third group of motorcycle borned infantry racing along the road on the German right, partially hidden by the tree line.

The attack on the right is supported by two batteries of 105mm guns.

On the French left, a pair of Somuas are now supporting the 75mm gun in the woods.

The Germans move up and open fire on the French left, bailing two of the French H-39 light tanks.

The Germans simultaneously resume the attack on their left, with tanks and infantry supported by a batter of light anti-tank guns.

The French shell the anti-tanks guns, pinning them in place.

On the German right, tanks and infantry attack the forward French position, in a stoutly built house, hosing the building with every available weapon, cannon, machine-guns, rifles, whatever. After a ferocious battle, the Germans capture the village, but is has consumed valuable time.

On the German left, the attack begins to waver. The French tanks and anti-tank guns are too strong. Panzers start brewing up, the light armour too thin for the French 75mm and 47mm guns.

The Germans can barely retain the two small villages they took on the first day in the centre.

On the French left, the situation begins to deteriorate. There are just so many German tanks.

The Germans begin to swamp the French defence on the left. A troop of Somuas is rushed from the right flank to left, providing enfilading fire behind a treeline. The Germans plow on.

On the German left, the situation has become dire. All the German tanks are destroyed and French light tanks have broken through and rolled up the anti-tank guns from the rear. The German infantry sits safely in the woods, disinclined to intervene.

Finally a pair of 88mm flak guns arrives on the right flank. Several French tanks fall foul of the guns, severely hamperingn the operational manoeuvre space for the surviving tanks, which have to ensure they only move where the 88s can't see them.

Infantry and light tanks again seek to turn the French left, but is is a Pyrrhic victory. One of the Somuas is destroyed, but so are most of the German tanks. 

The Germans stream westward, the Somuas in the tree line dispatched.

Only a pair of Somuas stand between the road to the west and the German tank swarm.

It is late afternoon. There is only another couple of hours of daylight. The Germans have managed to destroy the French light tanks which caused them so much grief in their centre but the German left is broken.

The Germans try to swarm the surviving 75mm gun and supporting infantry. The two Somuas stand on the road to the west.

But the French survive. Although reduced to two single tanks, they have held the road.

Although the Germans succeed in destroying the 75mm gun in front of them, they can't destroy the Somuas on the road. Their gamble has failed.

To the victors, the spoils...

The inaugural Erich Manstein award for best Early War game in Flames of War for 2021 goes to Walter Spivak (2nd DLM), left, and Phil le Hunt (3rd DLM).

My thanks to Django Upton for devising the scenario and providing many of the teams, despite outrageous weather in Melbourne in the days preceding the game, and to Andreas Kammel and Karsten Zeidler, whose aggressive tactics came so close. Also many thanks to Auburn Bowls Club, the Monday Knights home and to Club Secretary Scott Bartel.

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