Perhaps it is not an exaggeration to say that the tank battles of World War II are one of its most important images. How are trenches an image of the First World War or nuclear missiles of the post-war confrontation between the socialist and capitalist camps. Actually, this is not surprising, since the tank battles of World War II largely determined its character and course.
Not the least of the credit for this belongs to one of the main ideologists and theorists of motorized warfare, German General Heinz Guderian. He largely owned the initiatives of the most powerful strikes with a single fist of troops, thanks to which the Nazi forces achieved such dizzying successes on the European and African continents for more than two years. Tank battles of the Second World War especially produced brilliant results in its first stage, defeating morally outdated Polish equipment in record time. It was Guderian's divisions that ensured the breakthrough of the German armies near Sedan and the successful occupation of French and Belgian territories. Only the so-called “Dunker miracle” saved the remnants of the French and British armies from total defeat, allowing them to reorganize later and initially protect England in the sky and prevent the Nazis from concentrating absolutely all their military power in the east. Let's take a little closer look at the three largest tank battles of this entire massacre.
Prokhorovka, tank battle
Tank battles of World War II: the Battle of Senno
This episode occurred at the very beginning of the German invasion of the USSR and became an integral part of the Battle of Vitebsk. After the capture of Minsk, German units advanced to the confluence of the Dnieper and Dvina, intending to launch an attack on Moscow from there. From the Soviet side, two combat vehicles totaling more than 900 took part in the battle. The Wehrmacht had at its disposal three divisions and about a thousand serviceable tanks, supported by aviation. As a result of the battle on July 6-10, 1941, Soviet forces lost more than eight hundred of their combat units, which opened up the opportunity for the enemy to continue their advance without changing plans and launch an offensive towards Moscow.
The largest tank battle in history
In fact, the biggest battle took place even earlier! Already in the first days of the Nazi invasion (June 23-30, 1941), there was a clash between the cities of Brody - Lutsk - Dubno, in Western Ukraine, involving more than 3,200 tanks. In addition, the number of combat vehicles here was three times greater than at Prokhorovka, and the battle lasted not just one day, but a whole week! As a result of the battle, the Soviet corps were literally crushed, the armies of the Southwestern Front suffered a quick and crushing defeat, which opened the way for the enemy to Kyiv, Kharkov and the further occupation of Ukraine.
The Second World War was the bloodiest and most brutal military conflict in the entire history of mankind and the only one in which nuclear weapons were used. 61 states took part in it. The dates of the beginning and end of this war are among the most significant for the entire civilized world. The causes of the Second World War were the imbalance of power in the world and the problems provoked by the results of the First World War, in particular territorial disputes. The winners of the First World War, the USA, England, and France, concluded the Treaty of Versailles on conditions that were most unfavorable and humiliating for the losing countries, Turkey and Germany, which provoked an increase in tension in the world. At the same time, adopted in the late 1930s by England and France, the policy of appeasing the aggressor made it possible for Germany to sharply increase its military potential, which accelerated the Nazis’ transition to active military action.
The main battles of World War II, which were of great importance for the history of the USSR, are:
By the end of September 1941, the Wehrmacht overcame the resistance of Soviet troops in the Battle of Smolensk. Having secretly concentrated more than half of the troops on the Soviet-German front, the Germans launched an attack on Moscow.
The Center Group began to implement the carefully developed Typhoon plan. The Germans managed to break through the heavily extended defenses of the Soviet troops and, wedged deep into the rear, encircled two Soviet armies near Bryansk and four near Vyazma. More than 660 thousand soldiers were captured.
Every day the situation near Moscow became more and more dramatic. Hitler's troops came close to the city.
By the beginning of December 1941, the Germans managed to reach the Moscow-Volga Canal and, having crossed it, occupy Khimki. From the east, the Germans crossed the Nara River and reached Kashira. On October 8, the State Defense Committee decided to evacuate a significant part of government institutions and enterprises. The creation of a militia began in Moscow, and the city went into a state of siege.
Despite the difficult situation at the front, on November 7, 1941, a military parade took place on Red Square. Stalin made a patriotic speech. This made a tremendous impression on Soviet citizens, instilling in them confidence in victory. From the parade the troops went to the front line.
The troops were tasked with defeating the strike forces of the Army Center and eliminating the threat of the capture of Moscow.
This came as a complete surprise to the German command. During this offensive, German troops were driven back 120-150 km from the capital.
During December, they lost over 120 thousand soldiers and officers killed. The Red Army liberated the cities of Kaluga and Tver.
For the first time in all previous military campaigns, fascist troops suffered such losses. The myth of their invincibility was dispelled before the whole world near Moscow.
The Battle of Stalingrad July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943, which marked a radical turning point in the war.
The Battle of Stalingrad, one of the greatest battles of the Great Patriotic War, was a turning point during the Second World War. Interest in Stalingrad does not wane, and the debate among researchers continues. Stalingrad is a city that has become a symbol of suffering and pain, which has become a symbol of the greatest courage. Stalingrad will remain for centuries in the memory of mankind. The Battle of Stalingrad is conventionally divided into two periods: defensive and offensive. The defensive period began on July 17, 1942 and ended on November 18, 1942. The offensive period began with a Soviet counteroffensive on November 19, 1942 and ended with victorious salvoes on February 2, 1943. At certain stages, more than 2 million people took part in the battle.
The Battle of Stalingrad surpassed all previous battles in world history in terms of the duration and ferocity of the fighting, the number of people and military equipment involved. It unfolded over a vast territory of 100 thousand km2. At certain stages, more than 2 million people, more than 2 thousand tanks, more than 2 thousand aircraft, 26 thousand guns took part in it on both sides. The results of the battle surpassed all previous ones. During its time, the Soviet armed forces defeated five enemy armies: two German, two Romanian and one Italian. The Nazi troops lost up to 1.5 million soldiers and officers and a large amount of military equipment, weapons and equipment killed, wounded, and captured.
The Motherland highly appreciated the historical feat of Stalingrad. It was awarded the title of hero city. 55 formations and units that distinguished themselves in the Battle of Stalingrad were awarded orders.
The Battle of Stalingrad ended, the historical significance of which was recognized by the whole world. Stalingrad lay in ruins. The total material damage exceeded 9 billion rubles. And it was quite understandable that people wanted to see it revived and not just a city for residents, but a monument city, in stone and bronze, with an edifying lesson in retribution to the enemy, a city of eternal memory for its fallen defenders. Every Stalingrad family suffered - 300 thousand civilians were evacuated, 75 thousand people fought in militias and fighter battalions, 43 thousand people died during enemy air raids and artillery shelling, 50 thousand people were wounded, forced into forced labor in 46 thousand people were kidnapped in Germany.
The revival of the hero city became a significant milestone in the history of the people and the country.
Battle of Kursk July 5 - August 23, 1943, during which the largest tank battle of World War II took place near the village of Prokhorovka.
The Battle of Kursk occupies a special place in the Great Patriotic War. It lasted 50 days and nights, from July 5 to August 23, 1943. This battle has no equal in its ferocity and tenacity of struggle.
The general plan of the German command was to encircle and destroy the troops of the Central and Voronezh fronts defending in the Kursk area. If successful, it was planned to expand the offensive front and regain the strategic initiative. To implement his plans, the enemy concentrated powerful strike forces.
The Soviet command decided to first bleed the enemy's strike forces in defensive battles and then launch a counteroffensive. The battle that began immediately took on a grand scale and was extremely tense. Our troops did not flinch. They faced avalanches of enemy tanks and infantry with unprecedented tenacity and courage. The advance of enemy strike forces was suspended. Only at the cost of huge losses did he manage to wedge into our defenses in some areas. On the Central Front - 10-12 km, on Voronezh - up to 35 km. The largest oncoming tank battle of the entire Second World War near Prokhorovka finally buried Hitler’s Operation Citadel. It happened on July 12. 1,200 tanks and self-propelled guns simultaneously participated in it on both sides. This battle was won by Soviet soldiers. The Nazis, having lost up to 400 tanks during the day of battle, were forced to abandon the offensive.
On July 12, the second stage of the Battle of Kursk began - the counteroffensive of Soviet troops. On August 5, Soviet troops liberated the cities of Orel and Belgorod. On the evening of August 5, in honor of this major success, a victorious salute was given in Moscow for the first time in two years of war. From that time on, artillery salutes constantly announced the glorious victories of Soviet weapons. On August 23, Kharkov was liberated. Thus the Battle of the Kursk Arc of Fire ended victoriously. military bloody tank Kursk
The Battle of Berlin - which led to the surrender of Germany.
In the second half of April 1945, the Red Army dealt the final blow to Nazi Germany and its armed forces.
The troops of the Belorussian, Ukrainian 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts from the line of the Oder and Neisse rivers launched a grandiose offensive against Army Group Vistula and the left wing of Army Group Center, which was covering Berlin. Troops of the 1st and 2nd Polish armies also took part in the Berlin operation. 41,600 guns and mortars, more than 6,250 tanks and self-propelled guns, and 7,500 aircraft took part in the assault on Berlin from the Soviet side.
The German armies covering Berlin included about a million soldiers and officers, 10,400 guns and mortars, over 1,500 tanks and assault guns and 3,300 aircraft. In the face of a terrible danger, the Nazi command concentrated its forces in the east against the Red Army advancing along the entire front. In addition, the Nazis were looking for ways to avoid disaster diplomatically. To this end, they tried to start negotiations with the United States and England to conclude a separate peace. However, these attempts were not successful. Nothing could save Hitler's Germany and its army from complete defeat.
Troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front reached Berlin from the south and southwest. On the night of April 25, in cooperation with the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front, they completed the complete encirclement of the Berlin enemy group. On the same day, troops of the 5th Guards Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front reached the Elbe River and in the Torgau area came into contact with units of the 1st American Army. For ten days there were fierce riots on the streets of the capital of Nazi Germany. 8th Guards Army under the command of General V.I. Chuikov, the troops of the 3rd Shock Army under the command of General V.I. Kuznetsov fought their way towards each other to unite in the Reichstag area.
The Berlin enemy group was divided into four isolated parts. At dawn on April 30, Soviet soldiers, who had captured the central region of Berlin, launched an assault on the Reichstag. The fascist leaders were completely at a loss. Some of them fled from Berlin, others committed suicide. On the afternoon of April 30, Hitler himself committed suicide.
At 18 o'clock on the same day, as a result of a swift attack, Soviet soldiers found themselves at the Reichstag building.
The troops of the 2nd and 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts in early May reached the line Wismar - Schwerin - Wittegburg - Elbe to Meissen, and along its entire length came into contact with the Anglo-American troops advancing from west.
The significance of World War II for the Soviet Union is enormous. The defeat of the Nazis determined the future history of the country. As a result of the conclusion of the peace treaties that followed the defeat of Germany, the USSR noticeably expanded its borders. At the same time, the totalitarian system was strengthened in the Union. Communist regimes were established in some European countries. Victory in the war did not save the USSR from the mass repressions that followed in the 50s.
I propose to plunge a little into history and analyze the hand-to-hand combat of the Second World War. Why were they even needed in the era of automatic weapons? Or were all military tactics based on them? Did you practice any styles at that time or just beat each other up as best you could? I will try to answer these and some other questions.
First, until the end of World War II, none of the participating countries had an army fully equipped with automatic weapons. They fought as best they could. Even now, with missiles, lasers and computers, hand-to-hand combat is given special importance in the training of military personnel. The same Americans first bomb and then land ground troops. They definitely need hand-to-hand combat skills. Someone could survive on earth. By the way, sports such as sambo and jiu-jitsu became in demand precisely during the Second World War.
80% of the world's population participated in World War II. Many had no weapons at all, they fought with shovels. And with such means you can’t kill anyone without hand-to-hand combat skills. Our soldiers did not use a Mosin automatic rifle, for example. While you are reloading, the German is already running towards you. Hand-to-hand combat took place everywhere in World War II.
Yes, at least they could just run out of cartridges. Most of the combatants did not know any style, bayonet-knife in hand and forward. Fists and teeth were used.
Even though most fighters were not specifically trained in hand-to-hand combat, progressive armies still prepared their soldiers for face-to-face combat (especially the SS).
We must not forget that hand-to-hand combat in World War II was the only way to eliminate an opponent for partisans who did not have weapons. For example, it was necessary to blow up a bridge, and to do this, quietly remove the guards.
ON THE QUESTION ABOUT HAND-HAND COMBAT
The issue of hand-to-hand combat and, in particular, the use of the bayonet was repeatedly discussed in the press. At the same time, two directions emerged during the discussion. Some believe that the bayonet has lost its meaning and therefore one should not pay much attention to teaching bayonet operations. Others believe it is necessary to increase attention to training in hand-to-hand combat, including bayonet combat, as an important means of suppressing and destroying the enemy.
In the article “On Close Combat,” Major Malinin writes: “In the last war, hand-to-hand combat, when fighters
acted with cold steel was a very rare occurrence. Relatively often it was encountered during battles in large populated areas, in the forest, and in other cases this battle was expressed mainly only in the use of grenades." Lieutenant Colonel V. Gankevich in the article "Training of an infantry fighter" ("Red Star" dated January 1, 1940 .), agreeing with Major Kalinin, adds: “The experience of the Patriotic War confirmed that the old heavy rifle with a long bayonet is becoming obsolete, giving way to a rapid-fire machine gun. A machine gunner, as a rule, does not accept hand-to-hand combat. He is able to destroy his enemy with a short burst from any position, being in a trench, on a tree, in the attic of a building, while maintaining freedom of maneuver. Thus, the close combat distance for an infantryman is now determined not by the length of the bayonet, as it was before, but by the distance of an aimed shot from a machine gun." Lieutenant Colonel A. Gerasimenko has a different opinion. He wrote in the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper:
“The widespread use of light infantry weapons leads some officers to believe that, as a result, the importance of the bayonet in close combat is reduced.” Considering such views erroneous, the author argues that the bayonet and bladed weapons in general are indispensable in the hands of a brave, well-trained fighter. “Suppose,” he writes, “that in conditions of poor visibility (at night and fog) a search is carried out with the aim of capturing the “tongue”. In such cases, the matter is usually resolved by using a bayonet or a knife-dagger. There are many examples when our intelligence officers,
those who acted, in order to avoid noise, only with these weapons, destroyed field guards, captured prisoners, including officers." In the article "The Main Thing in Infantry Tactical Training" ("Red Star", 1946, 63)
Lieutenant General Gerasimov writes: “From a distance of 40-50 meters, the attacking infantry ceases fire in order to reach the enemy trenches with one decisive throw. From a distance of 20-25 meters, they use hand grenades thrown while running. Then comes a point-blank shot and defeats the enemy with cold weapons." If we compare these statements with the provisions of our regulations: “The infantry is strong with its fire, combined with a forward movement, completed by a decisive bayonet strike,” then it becomes clear that in modern warfare the bayonet has by no means lost its importance. This is also evidenced by the materials we collected.
We decided to interview as many participants as possible in the Great Patriotic War who took part in attacks that ended in hand-to-hand combat. This work took us a year of time, but it was completely worth it. Instead of abstract reasoning, we received factual material from people who were directly involved in both the attack and the hand-to-hand combat. A total of 2018 people were interviewed in units: 648 officers (32.1%), 966 sergeants (47.8%) and 404 privates (20.1%). Of these, 1,990 people (98.6%) took part in the attacks.
Among the respondents: 22 sappers, 92 motorized riflemen, 313 tankmen, 364 artillerymen, 1,199 riflemen.
These 1,990 people went on the attack a total of 7,754 times, i.e., each on average 4 times. In addition, they had to see attacks from other units 415 times, i.e., also an average of 4 attacks, and repel enemy attacks.
These numbers (more than 16,000) indicate that attack is the most frequent and decisive action for achieving success in modern combat and that attack training must be carried out in all branches of the military.
Of the 1,990 people who participated in the attacks, 883 people used hand-to-hand combat, i.e. 44%.
In hand-to-hand combat they used:
bayonet injections m-399, butt strikes - 390, injections with repulsion of the enemy's weapon - 11, knife-dagger strikes - 116, small shovel - 96, large shovel - 53.
These data show that the attacks actually ended in hand-to-hand combat and that it was necessary to use not only a bayonet, butt and dagger knife, but small and large sapper shovels. At the same time, a rifle with a bayonet was used in hand-to-hand combat much more often than all other means.
Hand-to-hand fights took place: in the field (1410 cases), in wooded areas (11,185 cases) in populated areas
points (196 cases) and less often in other conditions.
Thus, when preparing for an attack, one should not lose sight of the special training of troops for hand-to-hand combat
in various conditions.
The following data is also interesting: out of 1,282 attacks, the enemy accepted (allowed for hand-to-hand combat) 372 (29%), and in 910 cases (71%) evaded hand-to-hand combat. Thus, it becomes obvious that our units strive to bring the attack to hand-to-hand combat (and not to “the distance of an aimed shot from a machine gun,” as Lieutenant Colonel V. Gankevich believes). Along with this, the data obtained confirms the tenacity of our troops in defense.
The comrades we interviewed noted 9,405 cases of enemy attacks (including 1,025 cases of him launching a counterattack). At the same time, the use of hand grenades was noted in 1,134 cases (69%), bayonets - in 270 cases (16%),
other means, including improvised means - in 134 cases (15%).
Thus, it becomes obvious that hand-to-hand combat is a very important means of developing the moral and volitional qualities of soldiers, sergeants and officers necessary in battle.
No less interesting is the question of hand-to-hand combat in reconnaissance.
According to the same survey, 822 intelligence officers used the following hand-to-hand combat techniques with groups of the enemy or with individual soldiers: strikes with a dagger knife (182 cases), bayonet thrusts (92 cases), blows with a butt (86 cases), fighting one against several ( 61 cases), blows with a small shovel (48 cases), blows with other available means (34 cases), martial arts (18 cases), other techniques (57 cases).
The given figures indicate the peculiarity and specificity of actions in reconnaissance: in the first place here is a knife-dagger, and then come other means and methods of hand-to-hand combat. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct special training for intelligence officers. Of course, the data of the survey we conducted cannot serve as the basis for any final conclusions, especially since only 2,018 people were surveyed, but, comparing the data obtained with the requirements of our charters, as well as with the opinion of many generals and front-line officers expressed On the pages of the military press, we can draw the following conclusions: Modern hand-to-hand combat also includes bayonet combat. Hand-to-hand combat can occur in all cases of combat activity of troops, so it should become the subject of deeper study and improvement. In addition to its military-applied significance, hand-to-hand combat must be considered as an important means of developing moral, volitional and other qualities necessary in battle. Hand-to-hand combat training must be introduced in all branches of the military.
Since the 1920s, France has been at the forefront of world tank construction: it was the first to build tanks with projectile-proof armor, and the first to organize them into tank divisions. In May 1940, the time came to test the combat effectiveness of the French tank forces in practice. Such an opportunity already presented itself during the battles for Belgium.
Cavalry without horses
When planning the movement of troops to Belgium according to the Diehl plan, the Allied command decided that the most vulnerable area was the area between the cities of Wavre and Namur. Here, between the Dyle and Meuse rivers, lies the Gembloux plateau - flat, dry, convenient for tank operations. To cover this gap, the French command sent here the 1st Cavalry Corps of the 1st Army under the command of Lieutenant General Rene Priou. The general recently turned 61 years old, he studied at the Saint-Cyr Military Academy, and ended the First World War as commander of the 5th Dragoon Regiment. From February 1939, Priou served as Inspector General of the Cavalry.
The commander of the 1st Cavalry Corps is Lieutenant General René-Jacques-Adolphe Priou.
alamy.com
Priu's corps was called cavalry only by tradition and consisted of two light mechanized divisions. Initially, they were cavalry, but in the early 30s, on the initiative of the cavalry inspector General Flavigny, some of the cavalry divisions began to be reorganized into light mechanized ones - DLM (Division Legere Mecanisee). They were reinforced with tanks and armored vehicles, horses were replaced with Renault UE and Lorraine cars and armored personnel carriers.
The first such formation was the 4th Cavalry Division. Back in the early 30s, it became an experimental training ground for testing the interaction of cavalry with tanks, and in July 1935 it was renamed the 1st Light Mechanized Division. Such a division of the 1935 model should have included:
- reconnaissance regiment of two motorcycle squadrons and two squadrons of armored vehicles (AMD - Automitrailleuse de Découverte);
- a combat brigade consisting of two regiments, each with two squadrons of cavalry tanks - cannon AMC (Auto-mitrailleuse de Combat) or machine gun AMR (Automitrailleuse de Reconnaissance);
- a motorized brigade, consisting of two motorized dragoon regiments of two battalions each (one regiment had to be transported on tracked transporters, the other on regular trucks);
- motorized artillery regiment.
Re-equipment of the 4th Cavalry Division proceeded slowly: the cavalry wanted to equip its combat brigade only with the Somuah S35 medium tanks, but due to their shortage it was necessary to use the light Hotchkiss H35 tanks. As a result, there were fewer tanks in the formation than planned, but the equipment of vehicles increased.
Medium tank "Somua" S35 from the exhibition of the museum in Aberdeen (USA).
sfw.so
The motorized brigade was reduced to one motorized dragoon regiment of three battalions, equipped with Lorraine and Laffley tracked tractors. Squadrons of AMR machine gun tanks were transferred to a motorized dragoon regiment, and combat regiments, in addition to the S35, were equipped with H35 light vehicles. Over time, they were replaced by medium tanks, but this replacement was not completed before the start of the war. The reconnaissance regiment was armed with powerful Panar-178 armored vehicles with a 25-mm anti-tank gun.
German soldiers inspect a Panhard-178 (AMD-35) cannon armored vehicle abandoned near Le Panne (Dunkirque area).
waralbum.ru
In 1936, General Flavigny took command of his creation, the 1st Light Mechanized Division. In 1937, the creation of a second similar division began under the command of General Altmaier on the basis of the 5th Cavalry Division. The 3rd Light Mechanized Division began to form already during the “Phoney War” in February 1940 - this unit was another step in the mechanization of the cavalry, as its AMR machine gun tanks were replaced by the latest Hotchkiss H39 vehicles.
Note that until the end of the 30s, “real” cavalry divisions (DC – Divisions de Cavalerie) remained in the French army. In the summer of 1939, on the initiative of the cavalry inspector, supported by General Gamelin, their reorganization began under a new staff. It was decided that in open ground cavalry was powerless against modern infantry weapons and too vulnerable to air attack. The new light cavalry divisions (DLC - Division Legere de Cavalerie) were to be used in mountainous or wooded areas, where horses provided them with the best cross-country ability. First of all, such areas were the Ardennes and the Swiss border, where new formations developed.
The light cavalry division consisted of two brigades - light motorized and cavalry; the first had a dragoon (tank) regiment and a regiment of armored cars, the second was partially motorized, but still had about 1,200 horses. Initially, the dragoon regiment was also planned to be equipped with the Somua S35 medium tanks, but due to their slow production, the light Hotchkiss H35 tanks began to enter service - well armored, but relatively slow-moving and with a weak 37-mm cannon 18 calibers long.
The Hotchkiss H35 light tank is the main vehicle of the Priu Cavalry Corps.
waralbum.ru
Composition of the Priu body
The Prieu Cavalry Corps was formed in September 1939 from the 1st and 2nd Light Mechanized Divisions. But in March 1940, the 1st Division was transferred as a motorized reinforcement to the left flank 7th Army, and in its place Priou received the newly formed 3rd DLM. The 4th DLM was never formed; at the end of May, part of it was transferred to the 4th Armored (Cuirassier) Division of the reserve, and the other part was sent to the 7th Army as the “De Langle Group”.
The light mechanized division turned out to be a very successful combat formation - more mobile than the heavy tank division (DCr - Division Cuirassée), and at the same time more balanced. It is believed that the first two divisions were the best prepared, although the actions of the 1st DLM in Holland as part of the 7th Army showed that this was not the case. At the same time, the 3rd DLM that replaced it began to form only during the war; the personnel of this unit were recruited mainly from reservists, and officers were allocated from other mechanized divisions.
Light French tank AMR-35.
militaryimages.net
By May 1940, each light mechanized division consisted of three motorized infantry battalions, about 10,400 soldiers and 3,400 vehicles. The amount of equipment they contained varied greatly:
2ndDLM:
- light tanks "Hotchkiss" H35 - 84;
- light machine gun tanks AMR33 and AMR35 ZT1 – 67;
- 105 mm field guns – 12;
3rdDLM:
- medium tanks "Somua" S35 - 88;
- light tanks “Hotchkiss” H39 – 129 (60 of them with a 37-mm long-barreled gun of 38 calibers);
- light tanks "Hotchkiss" H35 - 22;
- cannon armored vehicles "Panar-178" - 40;
- 105 mm field guns – 12;
- 75-mm field guns (model 1897) – 24;
- 47-mm anti-tank guns SA37 L/53 – 8;
- 25-mm anti-tank guns SA34/37 L/72 – 12;
- 25-mm anti-aircraft guns "Hotchkiss" - 6.
In total, Priu's cavalry corps had 478 tanks (including 411 cannon tanks) and 80 cannon armored vehicles. Half of the tanks (236 units) had 47 mm or long-barreled 37 mm guns, capable of fighting almost any armored vehicle of that time.
The Hotchkiss H39 with a 38-caliber gun is the best French light tank. Photo of the exhibition of the tank museum in Saumur, France.
Enemy: 16th Motorized Corps of the Wehrmacht
While the Priu divisions were advancing to the intended line of defense, they were met by the vanguard of the 6th German Army - the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions, united under the command of Lieutenant General Erich Hoepner into the 16th Motorized Corps. Moving to the left with a large lag was the 20th Motorized Division, whose task was to cover Hoepner’s flank from possible counterattacks from Namur.
The general course of hostilities in northeastern Belgium from May 10 to May 17, 1940.
D. M. Projector. War in Europe. 1939–1941
On May 11, both tank divisions crossed the Albert Canal and overthrew units of the 2nd and 3rd Belgian Army Corps near Tirlemont. On the night of May 11-12, the Belgians withdrew to the line of the Dyle River, where the allied forces were planned to exit - the 1st French Army of General Georges Blanchard and the British Expeditionary Force of General John Gort.
IN 3rd Panzer Division General Horst Stumpf included two tank regiments (5th and 6th), united into the 3rd tank brigade under the command of Colonel Kühn. In addition, the division included the 3rd motorized infantry brigade (3rd motorized infantry regiment and 3rd motorcycle battalion), 75th artillery regiment, 39th anti-tank fighter division, 3rd reconnaissance battalion, 39th engineer battalion, 39th Signal Battalion and 83rd Supply Detachment.
The German light tank Pz.I is the most popular vehicle in the 16th Motorized Corps.
tank2.ru
In total, the 3rd Panzer Division had:
- command tanks - 27;
- light machine gun tanks Pz.I – 117;
- light tanks Pz.II – 129;
- medium tanks Pz.III – 42;
- medium support tanks Pz.IV – 26;
- armored vehicles - 56 (including 23 vehicles with a 20-mm cannon).
German light tank Pz.II is the main cannon tank of the 16th Motorized Corps.
Osprey Publishing
4th Panzer Division Major General Johann Shtever had two tank regiments (35th and 36th), united in the 5th tank brigade. In addition, the division included the 4th motorized infantry brigade (12th and 33rd motorized infantry regiments, as well as the 34th motorcycle battalion, 103rd artillery regiment, 49th anti-tank fighter division, 7th reconnaissance battalion , 79th Engineer Battalion, 79th Signal Battalion and 84th Supply Detachment The 4th Tank Division consisted of:
- command tanks - 10;
- light machine gun tanks Pz.I – 135;
- light tanks Pz.II – 105;
- medium tanks Pz.III – 40;
- medium support tanks Pz.IV – 24.
Each German tank division had a serious artillery component:
- 150 mm howitzers – 12;
- 105 mm howitzers – 14;
- 75 mm infantry guns - 24;
- 88-mm anti-aircraft guns – 9;
- 37 mm anti-tank guns – 51;
- 20-mm anti-aircraft guns – 24.
In addition, the divisions were assigned two anti-tank fighter divisions (12 37-mm anti-tank guns in each).
So, both divisions of the 16th Tank Corps had 655 vehicles, including 50 “fours”, 82 “threes”, 234 “twos”, 252 machine-gun “ones” and 37 command tanks, which also had only machine-gun armament (some historians put the figure at 632 tanks). Of these vehicles, only 366 were cannon, and only medium-sized German vehicles could fight the bulk of enemy tanks, and even then not all of them - the S35 with its sloped 36-mm hull armor and 56-mm turret was too tough for the German 37-mm cannon only from short distances. At the same time, the 47-mm French cannon penetrated the armor of medium German tanks at a distance of over 2 km.
Some researchers, describing the battle on the Gembloux plateau, claim the superiority of Hoepner's 16th Panzer Corps over Priou's cavalry corps in terms of the number and quality of tanks. Outwardly, this was indeed the case (the Germans had 655 tanks versus 478 French), but 40% of them were machine-gun Pz.I, capable of fighting only infantry. For 366 German cannon tanks, there were 411 French cannon vehicles, and the 20-mm cannons of the German “twos” could only cause damage to the French AMR machine-gun tanks.
The Germans had 132 units of equipment capable of effectively fighting enemy tanks (“troikas” and “fours”), while the French had almost twice as many - 236 vehicles, even not counting the Renault and Hotchkiss with short-barreled 37-mm guns.
Commander of the 16th Panzer Corps, Lieutenant General Erich Hoepner.
Bundesarchiv, Bild 146–1971–068–10 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
True, the German tank division had noticeably more anti-tank weapons: up to one and a half hundred 37-mm guns, and most importantly, 18 heavy 88-mm mechanically-propelled anti-aircraft guns, capable of destroying any tank in its visibility zone. And this is against 40 anti-tank guns in the entire Priu body! However, due to the rapid advance of the Germans, most of their artillery fell behind and did not take part in the first stage of the battle. In fact, on May 12–13, 1940, a real battle of machines unfolded near the town of Annu, northeast of the city of Gembloux: tanks against tanks.
May 12: counter battle
The 3rd Light Mechanized Division was the first to come into contact with the enemy. Its section east of Gembloux was divided into two sectors: in the north there were 44 tanks and 40 armored vehicles; in the south - 196 medium and light tanks, as well as the bulk of the artillery. The first line of defense was in the area of Annu and the village of Kreen. The 2nd Division was supposed to take positions on the right flank of the 3rd from Crehan to the banks of the Meuse, but by this time it was only advancing to the intended line with its advanced detachments - three infantry battalions and 67 AMR light tanks. The natural dividing line between the divisions was the hilly watershed ridge that stretched from Anna through Crehen and Meerdorp. Thus, the direction of the German attack was completely obvious: along the water barriers through the “corridor” formed by the Meen and Grand Gette rivers and leading directly to Gemble.
Early in the morning of May 12, the “Eberbach Panzer Group” (the vanguard of the 4th German Panzer Division) reached the town of Annu in the very center of the line that Priou’s troops were supposed to occupy. Here the Germans encountered reconnaissance patrols of the 3rd Light Mechanized Division. A little north of Anna, French tanks, machine gunners and motorcyclists occupied Crehen.
From 9 a.m. to noon, tank and anti-tank artillery of both sides engaged in a fierce exchange of gunfire. The French tried to counterattack with the advance detachments of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, but light German Pz.II tanks reached the very center of Annu. 21 light Hotchkiss H35s took part in the new counterattack, but they were unlucky - they came under fire from German Pz.III and Pz.IV. The thick armor did not help the French: in close street battles at a distance of a hundred meters, it was easily penetrated by 37-mm German cannons, while short-barreled French guns were powerless against medium German tanks. As a result, the French lost 11 Hotchkisses, the Germans lost 5 vehicles. The remaining French tanks left the city. After a short battle, the French retreated to the west - to the Wavre-Gembloux line (part of the pre-planned "Diele Position"). It was here that the main battle broke out on May 13–14.
Tanks of the 1st battalion of the 35th German tank regiment tried to pursue the enemy and reached the city of Tin, where they destroyed four Hotchkiss, but were forced to return because they were left without motorized infantry escort. By nightfall there was silence at the positions. As a result of the battle, each side considered that the enemy’s losses were significantly higher than its own.
Battle of Annu May 12–14, 1940.
Ernest R. May. Strange Victory: Hitler's Conquest of France
May 13: difficult success for the Germans
The morning of this day was quiet, only towards 9 o’clock a German reconnaissance plane appeared in the sky. After this, as stated in the memoirs of Priu himself, “the battle began with renewed vigor along the entire front from Tirlemont to Guy”. By this time, the main forces of the German 16th Panzer and French Cavalry Corps had arrived here; south of Anna, the lagging units of the 3rd German Panzer Division deployed. Both sides gathered all their tank forces for the battle. A large-scale tank battle broke out - it was a counter battle, as both sides tried to attack.
The actions of Hoepner's tank divisions were supported by nearly two hundred dive bombers of the 8th Air Corps of the 2nd Air Fleet. French air support was weaker and consisted mainly of fighter cover. But Priu had superiority in artillery: he managed to bring up his 75- and 105-mm guns, which opened effective fire on German positions and advancing tanks. As one of the German tank crews, Captain Ernst von Jungenfeld, wrote a year and a half later, the French artillery literally gave the Germans "volcano of fire", the density and efficiency of which was reminiscent of the worst times of the First World War. At the same time, the artillery of the German tank divisions lagged behind; the bulk of it had not yet managed to reach the battlefield.
The French were the first to launch an offensive on this day - six S35s from the 2nd Light Mechanized Division, which had not previously participated in the battle, attacked the southern flank of the 4th Panzer Division. Alas, the Germans managed to deploy 88-mm guns here and met the enemy with fire. At 9 o'clock in the morning, after an attack by dive bombers, German tanks attacked the village of Gendrenouille in the center of the French position (in the zone of the 3rd Light Mechanized Division), concentrating a large number of tanks on a narrow five-kilometer front.
The French tank crews suffered significant losses from the attack by dive bombers, but did not flinch. Moreover, they decided to counterattack the enemy - but not head-on, but from the flank. Deploying north of Gendrenouille, two squadrons of Somois tanks from the fresh 1st Cavalry Regiment of the 3rd Light Mechanized Division (42 combat vehicles) launched a flank attack on the unfolding battle formations of the 4th Panzer Division.
This blow thwarted German plans and turned the battle into a counter battle. According to French data, about 50 German tanks were destroyed. True, by evening only 16 combat-ready vehicles remained of the two French squadrons - the rest either died or required lengthy repairs. The tank of the commander of one of the platoons left the battle, having used up all the shells and having traces of 29 hits, but did not receive serious damage.
The squadron of S35 medium tanks of the 2nd Light Mechanized Division operated especially successfully on the right flank - in Crehen, through which the Germans tried to bypass French positions from the south. Here, Lieutenant Lociski's platoon was able to destroy 4 German tanks, a battery of anti-tank guns and several trucks. It turned out that German tanks were powerless against medium French tanks - their 37 mm cannons could penetrate the Somois armor only from a very short distance, while the French 47 mm cannons hit German vehicles at any distance.
Pz.III from the 4th Panzer Division overcomes a stone fence blown up by sappers. The photo was taken on May 13, 1940 in the Annu area.
Thomas L. Jentz. Panzertruppen
In the town of Tins, a couple of kilometers west of Annou, the French again managed to stop the German advance. The tank of the commander of the 35th Tank Regiment, Colonel Eberbach (who later became the commander of the 4th Tank Division), was also destroyed here. By the end of the day, the S35s had destroyed several more German tanks, but by the evening the French were forced to leave Tines and Crehan under pressure from approaching German infantry. French tanks and infantry retreated 5 km to the west, to the second line of defense (Meerdorp, Zhandrenouil and Zhandren), covered by the Or-Zhosh River.
Already at 8 o'clock in the evening the Germans tried to attack in the direction of Meerdorp, but their artillery preparation turned out to be very weak and only warned the enemy. A firefight between tanks at a long distance (about a kilometer) had no effect, although the Germans noted hits from the short-barreled 75-mm cannons of their Pz.IV. German tanks passed north of Meerdorp, the French first met them with fire from tank and anti-tank guns, and then counterattacked on the flank with the Somua squadron. The report of the 35th German Tank Regiment reported:
“...11 enemy tanks came out of Meerdorp and attacked the motorized infantry. The 1st Battalion immediately turned around and opened fire on the enemy tanks from a distance of 400 to 600 meters. Eight enemy tanks remained motionless, three more managed to escape.”
On the contrary, French sources write about the success of this attack and that French medium tanks turned out to be completely invulnerable to German vehicles: they left the battle with from two to four dozen direct hits from 20- and 37-mm shells, but without breaking through the armor.
However, the Germans learned quickly. Immediately after the battle, instructions appeared prohibiting light German Pz.IIs from engaging in battle with enemy medium tanks. The S35 was to be destroyed primarily by 88mm anti-aircraft guns and 105mm direct fire howitzers, as well as medium tanks and anti-tank guns.
Late in the evening the Germans went on the offensive again. On the southern flank of the 3rd Light Mechanized Division, the 2nd Cuirassier Regiment, already battered the day before, was forced to defend against units of the 3rd Panzer Division with its last forces - ten surviving Somuas and the same number of Hotchkisses. As a result, by midnight the 3rd Division had to retreat another 2-3 km, taking up defense at the Zhosh-Ramily line. The 2nd Light Mechanized Division retreated much further, on the night of 13/14 May, moving south from Perve beyond the Belgian anti-tank ditch prepared for the Dyle line. Only then did the Germans pause their advance, awaiting the arrival of the rear with ammunition and fuel. It was still 15 km from here to Gembloux.
To be continued
Literature:
- D. M. Projector. War in Europe. 1939–1941 M.: Voenizdat, 1963
- Ernest R. May. Strange Victory: Hitler's Conquest of France. New York, Hill & Wang, 2000
- Thomas L. Jentz. Panzertruppen. The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force. 1933–1942. Schiffer Military History, Atglen PA, 1996
- Jonathan F. Keiler. The 1940 Battle of Gembloux (http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/the-1940-battle-of-gembloux/)
