To Lose a Battle [N.F. - WWII, History] by Horne Alistair

Author:Horne, Alistair [Horne, Alistair]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: France, History, Journalism, War, World War II
ISBN: 9780141937724
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2008-11-28T02:00:00+00:00

French Reinforcements to Sedan

On the French side, the forces sent by Huntziger (on the night of the 13th) to hold the Bar consisted of the 5th D.L.C. and the 1st Cavalry Brigade – both badly knocked about during the early skirmishes in the Ardennes – under command of General Chanoine. To link up with them, on the Second and Ninth Army hinge, General Corap had dispatched Colonel Marc’s 3rd Spahi Brigade, which had retired with such disastrous precipitancy from the Semois, and the 53rd Division. But owing to a series of typical counter-orders which had sent the 53rd chasing around in circles all night, only the Spahis and Chanoine’s group were in position that morning, and it was upon them that the weight of Guderian’s right-wheel had fallen.

Commanded by General Etchberrigaray, the 53rd was the third of those ‘B’ divisions so disastrously located around Sedan at the time of the German attack. It had spent the winter building the fortifications in the north, and the early spring working on farms outside Paris. Constituting Corap’s reserve for his right-hand sector, on 12 May the 53rd had been ordered to back up General Libaud’s XLI Corps, between Mézières and the Bar. At 2100 hours on the 13th, Corap warned Libaud that contact had been lost with the Second Army at Sedan, and therefore the 53rd Division should be sent to hold the Bar, facing east. Then, three-quarters of an hour later, when the 53rd was already under way, Libaud received another message from Corap, announcing (for no very clear reason) that the situation had become less critical and that the 53rd was to resume its position facing north, i.e. in support of the Ninth Army, anticipating a threat coming via Mézières. At 2230 hours, Libaud re-transmitted this latest order to General Etchberrigaray, but on his way the liaison officer carrying it received another counter-order direct from Corap, instructing the 53rd once again to deploy along the Bar. Meanwhile, to add to its sense of insecurity, the division in its peregrinations was soon running into those demoralizing fugitives encountered by other reinforcements on that night of 13 May. Says General Doumenc:

elements of our own artillery passed with their trucks but without any guns. Their officers declared that there was no longer any infantry in front of them; that the Germans had crossed the Meuse near Donchery, that they were already on the Ardennes Canal.

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