No Miracle on the Marne this time.
Hello folks....
The “Great” Tank Battle at Gembloux, a.k.a The Battle of Hannut, (12-14 May) is the first big tank battle of World War 2.
The French Cavaly Corps (411 tanks of all types) holds, then counterattacks against the fuel-starved 4th Panzer, with 3rd Panzer following on (3.PzD doesn’t cross the Meuse River until the afternoon of 13 May).
The French are defending a completely unprepared position, without air recon, despite assurances by the Belgies of Anti-tank support and prep. The Belgium Army retreats late on the 12th, leaving the FCC completely exposed on both flanks.
This is where the French Sousa S35 tanks wreak havoc on the Panzer I’s,II’s, and even III’s, of 4Pzd, inflicting heavy casualties. The French Hotchkiss tanks are almost useless.
The few available PzIV’s are the only German tanks that can deal with the Sousa’s. This is also where the 88mm Flak guns gain the rep as a tank-killer, in use against the S35’s.
The French, ordered to hold for 2 days, do so until 3Pzd becomes fully engaged, then withdraw under heavy air attack behind the French 1st Army.
This would be the only large-scale deployment of French tanks as a big fighting unit, being relegated to fire-brigades to support units collapsing elsewhere.
This is a French Tactical Victory that should have been a model for later.
Its good to see the US getting serious about defense, I would hate to think we might be attacked by the NAZI’s and invaded like poor Norway and Netherlands.
Lafayette College faculty gets upset at the idea of defending our hemisphere?