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The German Invasion of Belgium MAY 1940 the Road to Occupation NETHERLANDS Belgium in May 1940 the Invasion of Belgium

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The German Invasion of Belgium MAY 1940 the Road to Occupation NETHERLANDS Belgium in May 1940 the Invasion of Belgium The German Invasion of Belgium MAY 1940 The road to occupation NETHERLANDS Belgium in May 1940 The Invasion of Belgium Malèves Although World War 2 began in September 1939, when In May 1940, Hitler ordered a blitzkrieg – a Hertain 4 11 9 Jandrain-Jandrenouille Great Britain and France declared war on Germany concentrated land and air attack – through 1 Liège after the invasion of Poland, eight uneventful months Luxembourg, the Netherlands and central Belgium. Chièvres 8 5 of ‘Phoney War’ followed, as the Axis powers and the The bulk of the French army hurried north to intercept Cortil-Noirmont Allies readied themselves for another confrontation in the German advance, while the British Expeditionary north-west Europe. The battlefront would be much Force (BEF) poured in from across the Channel to 12 2 Namur more fluid than in World War 1, with faster-moving lend its support. Mons tanks on the ground and more destructive fighters and The Allies expected the main battleground to be the bombers in the air. The similarity was that, Poland marshy Dyle Valley around Louvain and Wavre. Up to 6 Haut-le-Wastia aside, both conflicts began with a German attack a point they guessed correctly, but the Wehrmacht’s on Belgium. advance towards the river Dyle was principally a 3 Marche-en-Famenne GERMANY Stung by its resounding defeat in 1914, Belgium diversion to allow another, larger battle group to take a FRANCE had taken precautions against another possible southerly route through the Ardennes, cross the River German invasion. During the 1930s the two rings of Meuse and push into northern France. forts protecting Liège and Namur were strengthened The French had an impressive tank fleet and a and modernised, scores of bunkers were built to larger army than the invader, but both they and the Cendron 10 7 defend the river crossings, and a deeper defensive line BEF were wrong-footed by the speed and intensity of Brûly-De-Pesche – the ‘K-W Line’ – was extended from Antwerp to the German advance. To make matters worse, tens of Namur, covering Brussels and purpose-built to resist thousands of civilians fled westwards to escape the a tank invasion with fields of rails and a chain of steel fighting. The Allies, heading in the opposite direction, anti-tank ‘gates’. frequently found the roads blocked by refugees. THE GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG “I would say to the House … I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” Winston Churchill’s first speech as Prime Minister to the House of Commons, 13 May 1940 Contents “Gentlemen, you are about The Invasion of Belgium 3 Belgium’s Defences Under Siege to witness the most famous 5 victory in history.” The Chasseurs Ardennais 6 Adolf Hitler, addressing his generals on First Historic Tank Battle 7 9 June 1940 First French Victory Repels the Panzers 8 Enter Rommel: the Battle of Flavion 10 “To all the French people, Hitler’s Belgian Bunker 11 France has lost a battle. The Road to Dunkirk: Retreat, Surrender But France has not lost the war.” and Evacuation 12 Occupation and Resistance 13 Général de Gaule, London, 18 June 1940 Liberation 14 2 walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk 3 MAY 1940 THE INVASION OF BELGIUM German trucks crossing the River Meuse near Dinant © Musée du Souvenir HLW Soldiers and civilians alike found themselves under the Royal Navy and the legendary flotilla of ‘little ships’ constant attack from the air: the frightening Stuka dive- from England, leaving almost all of their motorised bombers made no distinction between them. Chaos equipment and weaponry on the French coast. By 4 ensued, and the loss of life and damage to Belgium’s June, more than a third of a million Allied troops had infrastructure was devastating. been rescued, but by then Hitler’s attention had shifted The French 1st Army mounted stubborn resistance to the total defeat of France. in the Dyle Valley, slowing the German advance and The vast underground inflicting heavy losses on the Panzer Divisions in two tunnels of Eben Emael Fort titanic engagements, but they had to leave the battlefield The Fall of France to defend their own territory when the Germans broke through at Dinant and Sedan, with two of the On 6 June Hitler arrived at his newly-built headquarters Belgium’s Defences Under Siege Wehrmacht’s finest generals – Rommel and Guderian in Wallonia near the battlefield close to the French border; – at the helm. The Belgian anti-tank defences proved the following week German troops marched unopposed 1 Liège 2 Namur ineffective because they contained a number of easily- into Paris, and on 22 June Germany and France signed breached gaps, and the defensive forts were left to an armistice. In contrast to the four years of almost static Eben Emael Fort Saint Heribert Fort fight alone with little artillery or military support. The trench warfare in World War 1, Hitler had achieved all but The main obstacle facing the northern prong of the Like Liège, Namur had a ring of re-designed forts, outcome was inevitable. one of his objectives in six tumultuous weeks. There was German attack on Belgium was the city of Liège, with 40 long-range guns in rotating steel turrets. Fort As the Allies fell back towards the Channel, there unfinished business to be done with the British, who had protected by a newly upgraded ring of 12 forts. de St-Héribert – four miles south of the city - had was courageous resistance at Lille, and the Belgian Army been badly bruised but not defeated - but the rest of north- The most formidable of these was Eben-Emael, 20 longer-range (75mm) guns than in World War 1, helped secure a defensive position around Dunkirk that west Europe would remain under German occupation miles north-east of the city, which was designed to better ventilation, sanitation and communications, enabled the BEF to retreat in reasonable order, but a until early 1945, despite the efforts of a resistance network prevent a crossing of the River Meuse and the Albert but was made of unreinforced concrete that would mere seventeen days after hostilities began, trapped that ensured the invaders didn’t have everything their Canal. This vast triangular complex could house yield to the German artillery. On 18 May the fort in a pocket in north-west France, the Belgians were own way. 1,200 men and was considered to be impregnable, came under heavy bombardment and the roof was forced to surrender. On the following day, 28 May, the This is the story of the extraordinary events with powerful weaponry, more than three miles of badly damaged. Supporting fire came from three Belgian government capitulated. By then, the first of the that changed the course of world history in May underground galleries and modern amenities such other forts in the ring, but eventually the German Allied troops were being evacuated from Dunkirk by and June 1940. as dormitories, showers and a hospital. But in a 317th Infantry Regiment destroyed each of the fort’s masterstroke of military planning (said to have been turrets. On 21 May St-Héribert lost power, rendering the brainchild of Hitler himself) about 80 German its gunnery useless, but not before it had fired all but paratroopers neutralised the fort by floating on to ten of its 7,500 shells. The fort surrendered shortly RAF VCs the roof from gliders at first light on 10 May 1940, afterwards, having lost only one of its defenders. Two days after hostilities began in Belgium, bombers from RAF 12 and thrusting hollow charges – a new form of high After the war, St-Héribert was buried by vegetation. Squadron were sent to destroy the important Veldwezelt Bridge explosive which could melt armour-plating - into the It is now being excavated and restoration is well over the Albert Canal. Leading the formation, Flying OfficerDonald ventilation shafts. Eben-Emael’s guns were silenced underway. It is the only Namur fort that can be Garland’s aircraft was shot down, but not before its bombs had within 15 minutes, and the 650-strong garrison was visited by the public. There are regular open days destroyed the western end of the bridge. Garland and his navigator forced to surrender after just 31 hours. The path and groups can visit on request. Sergeant Thomas Gray died in the crash, and were posthumously was now clear for a full-scale German assault into www.fortsaintheribert.be awarded the Victoria Cross for the coolness and accuracy of their Belgium. Eben-Emael still belongs to the Belgian attack under heavy fire, to become the first two RAF VCs of World Army and is open for public tours. War 2. The crew’s gunner, Leading Aircraftman Lawrence Reynolds, www.fort-eben-emael.be is buried alongside them at the War Graves Cemetery in Haverlee. Our comprehensive guide of all the Liège forts can be © Rotarepok - Dreamstime.com ordered online: www.walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk 4 walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk walloniabelgiumtourism.co.uk 5 MAY 1940 THE INVASION OF BELGIUM German soldiers inspecting a French tank B1 Bis near Denée (Florennes) on 15 May 1940 © Musée du Souvenir HLW First Historic Tank Battle Believing that the invasion of the Netherlands and the German war machines, and the invader’s losses central Belgium represented the Germans’ main were higher. The Germans lost 164 tanks with a thrust, the French took up defensive positions around further 30 damaged; the French lost 105 – about half Hannut in accordance with the so-called Dyle Plan of them destroyed by the Luftwaffe. One hundred and Monument to the Chasseurs Ardennais in Martelange (named after the river that flows through central sixty two French soldiers perished; German casualties Belgium, which was reinforced by some anti-tank are unknown.
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