The largest tank battle of 1940 was a strategic feint to hide a secret invasion.
Fought in May 1940, the Battle of Hannut was the largest tank clash of its era. While the French achieved tactical victories against German armour, the entire engagement was a calculated German deception. By drawing Allied forces into Belgium, the Germans cleared the path for their true, decisive strike elsewhere.
The Battle of Hannut, occurring from 12 to 14 May 1940, served as a critical component of the German operational plan Fall Gelb. General Erich von Manstein designed this strategy to lure the French First Army into Belgium, creating the illusion that the main German offensive would mirror the World War I Schlieffen Plan. By engaging the French at Hannut and Gembloux, the Germans successfully tied down the strongest Allied elements, preventing them from reinforcing the critical Ardennes sector where the primary German breakthrough was scheduled for 15 May.
The French Cavalry Corps, commanded by General René Prioux, consisted of the 2e and 3e DLMs, fielding a total of 520 tanks, including the capable SOMUA S35 and the lighter Hotchkiss H35. Facing them was General Erich Hoepner’s XVI Army Corps, which possessed 618 tanks, though many were lightly armoured Panzer I and II models. Despite the German numerical and air superiority, the French forces held their ground during the initial fighting. On 12 May, French armour successfully repelled several German probes, and despite German reports, the French emerged victorious on the first day of the engagement.
Ultimately, the French successfully delayed the German advance, allowing the First Army to establish defensive positions at Gembloux. However, the German objective of pinning down Allied reserves was achieved. As the French were distracted by the fighting in the north, the German Army Group A broke through the Ardennes at Sedan. This maneuver enabled the Germans to race toward the English Channel, encircling the Allied forces. The tactical successes at Hannut and the subsequent Battle of Gembloux could not prevent the strategic disaster that followed, eventually leading to the evacuation at Dunkirk.
The battle remains a study in the limitations of doctrine. General Prioux attempted to maintain a defensive front on open terrain, straining the limits of French cavalry manuals which advised against such wide-front engagements without sufficient anti-tank obstacles. While the French infantry and artillery performed effectively in strongpoints, the lack of air cover and the overwhelming pressure from the Luftwaffe and German armour forced a series of retreats that, while orderly, played directly into the German trap.
Source: Battle of Hannut
