In the early days of World War 2, the Germans hatched a master plan to take down the mighty
French Army with breathtaking efficiency; dubbed Fall Gelb, or Case Yellow, it was a
strategy that involved attacking France through the least expected region: the dense, foreboding
Ardennes forest.
But it would be in the Belgian town of Hannut where the fiercest fighting occurred.
The 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions of the mighty XVI Motorized Corps of the Wehrmacht locked
horns with the 1st and 2nd Light Mechanized Divisions of the French cavalry in a battle
of epic proportions.
Over three tumultuous days from May 12 to 14, 1940, the ground shook with the thundering
roar of 1,200 German and French tanks as they clashed in a battle for supremacy.
This was no ordinary battle; it was the largest tank battle of the entire campaign and the
most significant clash in armored warfare history at the time.
For some, it was even the first real tank battle of World War 2…
The First Move
The commanders of the French and British troops thought the Ardennes was impassable.
Moreover, they believed the Germans would enter northern France through Belgium, just
like in World War 1.
As dictated by Allied military doctrine, they would build and fortify line after line of
defenses to resist the German invasion, reminiscent of static defense lines built during the previous
war.
But the Germans were strategically superior from the start.
Their primary goal was to allow Army Group A to launch their main attack through the
Ardennes while the strongest elements of the French first army were tied down somewhere
else.
The German breakout from the Ardennes was scheduled for May 15, five days after the
German attacks on the Netherlands and Belgium.
The delay was intended to make the Allies believe that the brunt of the German attack
would come through Belgium and then into France.
The Allied armies advanced into Belgium according to the Dyle Plan, which called for the deployment
of troops to the border between Belgium and France.
Unfortunately, given that Belgium declared itself neutral in the conflict, Allied forces
could not deploy along the border between Belgium and Germany.
They had no choice but to let the Germans strike first.
Hammer and Anvil
It was May 10, 1940, when the Germans put their plan into action.
The powerful "Panzergruppe Kleist'' from Army Group A made its way through the thick Ardennes
forest, between Belgium and Luxembourg.
It aimed to enter northern France and make its way to the English Channel.
Simultaneously, Army Group B, located further north, marched into Belgium.
This move served to cut off the British and French forces, isolating them in Belgium and
northern France.
Panzergruppe Kleist ended up behind the Allied forces aiming to crush them with Army Group
B in a classic hammer-and-anvil move.
The Germans decided to increase the strength of Army Group B by allocating a Panzer Corps
under its command.
This was the XVI Motorized Corps led by General Erich Hoepner, consisting of the 3rd and 4th
Panzer Divisions with 620 tanks, including 498 Panzer Is and IIs, 73 Panzer IIIs, and
52 Panzer IVs.
As the war began, the French cavalry corps entered Belgium seeking to secure the strategically
important Gembloux Gap.
These two Light Mechanised Divisions pushed toward the village of Hannut and took positions
there to cover the Gembloux gap.
The French believed they could prepare for a prolonged defense at Gembloux, about 34
kilometers west of Hannut.
However, the German offensive operations in eastern Belgium at Hannut and Gembloux tied
down the Allied armies, preventing them from moving west and securing their flank.
Meanwhile, the German XVI Motorized Corps broke through Dutch and Belgian positions
and raced towards the Gembloux gap.
A great battle was imminent.
Holding The Reins
Seizing the opportunity, the Germans pushed towards the English Channel, which would encircle
and destroy the Allied forces.
Meanwhile, the French sent two armored divisions forward to conduct a delaying action against
the enemy advance and give the rest of the First Army time to dig in at Gembloux.
The "Corps de Cavalerie" was a newly-formed, fully mechanized unit made up of the 2nd and
3rd Light Mechanised Divisions.
These divisions were equipped with the latest armored vehicles, replacing the horses that
had served their predecessors for centuries.
The 3rd Light Mechanised Division was stationed along the Tirlemont-Hannut line, while the
2nd Light Mechanised Division held the Hannut-Huy line.
Their combined force boasted an impressive array of weaponry, including 600 tanks and
vehicles, such as Somua S35 tanks, AMR35 tanks, and Panhard 178 armored scout cars.
This formidable unit was the pride of the French Army, a force to be reckoned with on
the battlefield.
The cavalry corps' mission was clear: engaging the enemy and slowing their advance.
Their doctrine of armored warfare dictated their tactics.
The 3rd Light Mechanised Division held the line at Hannut, while the 2nd Light Mechanised
Division held the line at Huy.
The delay in the German breakout from the Ardennes was a stroke of luck: it gave them
time to mobilize their troops and move them into position in Belgium.
Nevertheless, the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions came thundering down the road, heading straight
for the point where the two French divisions met.
Under Pressure
On the morning of May 12, the tranquility in Hannut was shattered by the sound of German
armored vehicles charging into French positions, forming a menacing wedge-shaped formation.
The ensuing battle was intense, with fighting breaking out everywhere.
Despite their best efforts, the German advance was stopped by fierce resistance from the
French armored cavalry.
The first day ended with neither side emerging victorious.
However, the Germans were not deterred and attacked again on the second day.
General Erich Hoepner ordered his troops to focus their attack on one point of the French
line, and the 3rd Light Mechanized Division found themselves under heavy pressure from
a concentrated German assault.
To make matters worse, the Germans launched spoiling attacks with infantry units, preventing
nearby French forces from supporting their allies.
Furthermore, with the help of the Luftwaffe, the German XVI Motorised Corps managed to
break through French defenses along Tirlemont-Hannut-Huy.
Realizing they were outmatched, the French cavalry corps quickly withdrew to Perwez,
with the Germans in hot pursuit.
Just two days after the invasion of Belgium, the Germans made their way into Hannut.
And while the French were able to fall back to Gembloux as planned, albeit following several
failed attempts to take the town, the Germans had a strategic victory: they succeeded in
tying down substantial Allied forces which would have otherwise been deployed to the
Ardennes.
Still, the Germans failed to completely neutralize the French 1st Army at Hannut.
Although they inflicted significant losses on the defenders, the Germans would eventually
be stopped at Perwez.
And thus, the tank battle of Hannut came to an end.
A Heavy Toll
In the end, the Germans were able to control the battlefield and outflank the French, who
lost 30 S35 tanks due to insufficient combat radius.
Plus, the French Light Mechanized Divisions deployed their tanks thinly across long lines,
resulting in many losses due to attrition.
In contrast, the Germans concentrated their tanks on a single point, giving them a decisive
advantage in battle.
In addition, the German tanks were manned by five crewmen, which reduced reaction time
and spread out stress among the crew.
The French tanks were more suited to static defense and stressed the importance of armor
over mobility.
Indeed, the French cavalry fought hard and achieved their objective of stalling the German
advance, but they were still defeated.
On the other hand, the German armored units took severe losses.
Most of their tanks were light Panzer Is and IIs, which were no match for the French S35
and H35 tanks.
Only the Panzer IVs with their 7.5-centimeter guns could fight back, but even they struggled
against the heavily-armored French tanks.
Despite the odds against them, the German tank crews fought with personal resolution
and courage.
They flanked the French tanks and attacked their weak points, but it was a brutal and
costly fight, claiming 160 German tanks.
Most of their damaged tanks were refitted and returned to service, but 49 were damaged
beyond repair.
In contrast, the French cavalry corps lost 121 tanks.
The Lighting War
The Tank Battle of Hannut was a pivotal moment in the war.
It was the first time that the German and French armored doctrines clashed, and it highlighted
the importance of tank design and combat tactics.
General Heinz Guderian noted that the Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks had a good balance
between firepower, mobility, and armor, thus becoming an early advocate for the "Blitzkrieg"
strategy.
In the subsequent Battle of Gembloux from May 14 to 15, the French once again scored
tactical successes, which allowed them to retreat to Lille, despite being seriously
maimed, where the 1st Army would further delay the Germans in the Siege of Lille.
What's more, the force would prove instrumental in the re-embarkation of the British Expeditionary
Force as well as French and Belgian troops at the infamous evacuation of Dunkirk a few
weeks later.
Ultimately, the Battle of Hannut was a strategic victory for the Nazis, who had secretly crossed
the Ardennes in preparation for a mighty blitz that would bring the Allies to their knees.
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