The Battle of Sedan or Second Battle of Sedan (12–15 May 1940)

The United Kingdom and France declared war on Nazi Germany on September 3, 1939, but for the next eight months, nothing much happened between these belligerents: this was the period of the “Phony War”. Action began in May, 1940 when German troops marched into Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg and the Battle of France began.

The German invasion of France, code-named Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), was two pronged: German Army Group B was to attack through Belgium while Army Group A was to attack through the Ardennes. The offensive by Army Group B was a diversion. The real thrust of Fall Gelb was to be conducted by Army Group A through the Ardennes in Luxembourg and southern Belgium. Once into France, Army Group A's Nineteenth Panzerkorps, under the command of Heinz Guderian, were to strike into France at Sedan.

The Allies fully believed the Army Group B attack in Belgium was the main thrust of the German assault. The Allied First Army Group, containing the three French Armies and the British Expeditionary Force advanced to the Dyle River so as to form a solid front line to halt the German advances in Belgium. But Sedan was the real target of the German offensive. From the position of Sedan on the east bank of the Meuse River, German forces would have a base from which to capture bridges across the Meuse and from there drive across the open and undefended French countryside to the English Channel. The aim of this manoeuver was to encircle and trap the Allied forces that were advancing east into Belgium.

Sedan was an easy target for the Germans. Following the First World War, the French General Staff decided that tanks could not cross the hilly terrain of the Ardennes-Sedan sector. The Maginot Line ended twenty kilometres east of Sedan at La Ferté. Between Sedan and La Ferté lay the Stenat gap, which was a stretch of unprotected terrain not covered by French defences or natural obstacles. Believing the Meuse and Ardennes to be natural defensive features, the French concluded that at best, a German assault through the Ardennes towards Sedan would not reach the Meuse until two weeks after the start of any offensive. They should have known better. French military exercises in the area in 1938 clearly demonstrated that local defences would collapse under armored assault. The French Army authorized strengthening of the fortifications around Sedan in the autumn of 1939, which was too late because work was not completed before spring 1940.

The French Ninth and Second Armies, which were made up of poor-quality divisions and equipped with obsolete weapons, were posted in this sector. They had almost no regular army officers and reinforcements were minimal. Sedan itself was guarded by the 55th Infantry Division, also a poorly trained and poorly organized unit made up mostly of reservists over the age of thirty. None of the French defenders had adequate anti-tank or anti-aircraft guns.

The Germans were well trained and well equipped. Army Group A contained 1,753 tanks mostly heavy Panzer III and Panzer IVs. German forces consisted of the 1st, 2nd, and 10th Panzer Divisions. In total, Guderian mustered some sixty thousand men, twenty-two thousand vehicles, 771 tanks and 141 artillery pieces. He could also call upon 1,470 aircraft. The French in the Sedan sector really did not stand a chance.  

Within forty-eight hours of the German attack on France starting, Rundstedt’s tanks had pushed through the Ardennes and effective Luftwaffe air cover prevented Allied air attacks against the armored columns. In the evening of 12 May, the Germans captured Sedan without resistance, and the 19th Panzerkorps rolled into the town.

Guderian's plan for 13 May was not complex: The 2nd Panzer Division in the north was to attack on the right flank near Donchery. The 1st Panzer Division, reinforced by the Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland as well as a battalion of assault engineers and artillery, was to make the main attack by crossing the Meuse just north of Sedan and seizing the Heights of La Marfée overlooking the city. The 10th Panzer Division was to cross the Meuse south of Sedan and protect the southern flank of the attacking force.

In the early hours of 13 May, the panzer divisions began their attacks.  Guderian was concerned about the large number of encased French artillery pieces in the area that he did not have enough available artillery to neutralize. His solution was to launch a major Luftwaffe assault against the French positions.

Luftflotte 3, under the command of Hugo Sperrle, and , supported by Luftflotte 2, initiated the heaviest air bombardment the world had yet seen, and the most intense by the Luftwaffe during the entire war. Two Sturzkampfgeschwader dive bomber wings were committed to the assault (flying three hundred sorties against French positions) as were nine Kampfgeschwader bomber wings who flew close to four thousand sorties, often in group strength.

The Luftwaffe's target was La Marfée, which was to the south-east of Sedan Map where the French had many fortified artillery positions which dominated the area. The Luftwaffe attack was a great success. The air assault and gunners psychologically overwhelmed the French 55th Infantry Division, which abandoned their positions even though none of the bunkers had been destroyed by direct hits and there were only fifty-six French casualties. The French 55th Infantry Division’s panic spread to French forces in the area of Buzon. So rattled were the French, that mere rumours of a German armoured attack on Buzon caused soldiers in the area to abandon their positions and their heavy equipment.

Following the effective Luftwaffe attack, the German ground assault proceeded apace. By midnight on 13 May, elements of the 1st, 2nd and 10th Panzer Divisions had negotiated the Meuse River, and armoured vehicles and trucks were crossing in force.

The loss of Sedan and the Meuse bridgeheads motivated the French to counter-attack using 21 Corps (3d Armoured Division, 3rd Motorized Infantry Division, 5th Light Cavalry Division, 1st Cavalry Brigade) near Flavigny. A second group, consisting of the 2nd Light Cavalry Division and 3rd Tank Division reinforced Flavigny. Tenth Corps, with the 12th and 64th Reconnaissance Battalions, elements of the 71st Infantry Division, 205th Infantry Regiment and the 4th Tank Battalion also joined the attack. The French had nearly three hundred tanks, with one hundred and thirty-eight main battle tanks consisting of Hotchkiss and Char B1-bis.

On paper, the French should have had a significant material advantage in a tank battle. The French tanks had heavier armor and armament than the Panzers, and the French tanks’ main armament, 47 mm, and 75 mm guns, outmatched all the German tanks. In an open field engagement, Guderian's armor stood little chance. But French tanks were fuel guzzlers, needing refueling every couple of hours. They were also slow having been designed to manoeuver in close support to infantry. The speed of the FCM 36 was not designed to go any faster for this reason, so its top speed was only 24 km/h. Superior German tanks' radio equipment enabled crews to communicate with one another, affording opportunities for coordinated attacks.  Faster German tanks could offset inferior firepower with greater manoeuverability. The Panzer III and IVs could speed into the rear of French formations, closing quickly and knocking out the French armor from the rear. Importantly, the Germans learned of particular weakness between the chassis and turret of the French tanks, which were vulnerable to their fire.

On 13–14 May, the Germans were spread thin and vulnerable. A strong attack at this point by the French armored units could have prevented a German breakout and perhaps changed the outcome of the campaign. But French commanders in the field were inherently cautious and defensively focused in thinking. Decision makers were also located far in the rear, away from the action and so lacked a clear, up-to-the-minute understanding of tactical conditions. At a time when initiative was needed, the French command dithered and so allowed the Germans to consolidate their advances.

On May 14, French armor advanced on Bulson Ridge Map , only to find that the Germans had occupied the position shortly before them. French artillery concealed in wooded areas had some success, wiping out the German 1st Panzer Company. But the 2nd Panzer Company was rushed to the scene and together with reinforcements from the Großdeutschland Infantry Regiment managed to eliminate the anti-tank positions and entrenched French infantry.

With Buzon firmly in German hands, Guderian decided to push for the Channel. He ordered the10th Panzer Division and Großdeutschland Infantry Regiment to hold the Sedan bridgehead, while the 1st and 2nd Panzer struck north west, towards the Channel, which they did with considerable speed.

To further secure his rear flank, Guderian ordered the the10th Panzer Division and Großdeutschland Infantry Regiment to attack across the Stonne plateau. MAP Here, an intense two-day battle took place in which the German Panzers for the first time faced the premier French tank, the Char B1-bis. One of these tanks, commanded by Pierre Billotte, proved invulnerable to German anti-tank fire, and took 140 hits while at the same time destroying thirteen German tanks (two PzKpfw IV and eleven PzKpfw III) and a number of anti-tank guns. The fight for Stonne raged from 15-17 May, and the town changed hands 17 times. The destroyed town was finally captured for the last time by the Germans on May 17.

With the capture of Stonne, French ability to stop the Germans near Sedan ended and the Germans were able to breakout and push toward the English Channel. The flank of the Allied army groups in Belgium were now exposed and the Battle at Sedan sealed the fate of Belgium and France. The crossing of the Meuse enabled the Germans to break into the undefended rear of the Allied front and to advance to the English Channel without significant opposition. The French attempted to launch counterattacks but without success. Five days after consolidating their bridgeheads at Sedan, on 20 May, the German Army reached the Channel. The victory at Sedan achieved the operational goal of Fall Gelb and encircled the Allied armies, including British Expeditionary Force. The resulting battles destroyed the French army as an effective fighting force, and expelled the British Army from the continent, leading to the defeat of France in June 1940.

visiting Sedan

For information about visiting Sedan, see Sedan, 1870.