Battle of Sedan (1940)

For the Franco-Prussian War battle, see Battle of Sedan (1870).

Battle of Sedan
Part of the Battle of France in the Western Front of World War II

German troops with French prisoners crossing the Meuse on 15 May 1940 near Sedan
Date12–17 May 1940
Location
Sedan and the surrounding area, France
49°42′9″N 4°56′33″E / 49.70250°N 4.94250°E / 49.70250; 4.94250
Result German victory[1][2]
Belligerents
 Germany
Commanders and leaders
Strength
  • 20,000 men
  • 300 tanks
  • 174 artillery pieces[3]

152 bombers[4][5]

  • 60,000 men[6]
  • 41,000 vehicles[7]
  • 771 tanks[8]
  • 1,470 aircraft[3]
  • 141 artillery pieces[3]
  • 96 rubber boats
Casualties and losses
  • 5,000+ killed, wounded, or captured
  • 167 aircraft[9]
  • 5,067 killed or wounded (12–17 May)[10]
  • [11]
  • at least 81 rubber boats[12]

The Battle of Sedan or Second Battle of Sedan (12–15 May 1940)[10][13][14] took place in World War II during the Battle of France in 1940. It was part of the German Wehrmacht's operational plan codenamed Fall Gelb (Case Yellow) for an offensive through the hilly and forested Ardennes, to encircle the Allied armies in Belgium and north-eastern France. German Army Group A crossed the Meuse with the intention of capturing Sedan and pushing westwards towards the Channel coast, to trap the Allied forces that were advancing east into Belgium, as part of the Allied Dyle Plan.

Sedan is situated on the east bank of the Meuse. Its capture would give the Germans a base from which to take the Meuse bridges and cross the river. The German divisions could then advance across the open and undefended French countryside to the English Channel. On 12 May, Sedan was captured without resistance and the Germans defeated the French defences around Sedan on the west bank of the Meuse. German Luftwaffe bombing and low morale prevented the French defenders from destroying the bridgeheads. On 14 May, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the French Armée de l'Air jointly tried to destroy the bridgeheads, but the Luftwaffe prevented them from doing so. In large air battles, the Allies suffered high losses which depleted Allied bomber strength in the campaign.[15]

The French counter-attacked the German bridgeheads from 15 to 17 May, but the offensives fell victim to delay and confusion. On 20 May, five days after consolidating their bridgeheads, the German Army reached the Channel. Crossing the Meuse had enabled the Germans to achieve the operational goal of Fall Gelb and encircle the strongest Allied armies, including the British Expeditionary Force. The resulting June battles destroyed the remaining French army as an effective fighting force and expelled the British from the continent, leading to the defeat of France.[15][16]

  1. ^ Frieser 2005, p. 145.
  2. ^ Mitcham 2000, p. 38.
  3. ^ a b c Frieser 2005, p. 158.
  4. ^ a b Frieser 2005, p. 179.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Healy 2007, p. 56 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Frieser 2005, p. 157.
  7. ^ Krause and Cody 2006, p. 171.
  8. ^ Healy 2007, p. 44.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Frieser 2005, p. 181 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Frieser 2005, p. 196.
  11. ^ Frieser 2005, p. 210.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Frieser 2005, p. 168 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Mansoor 1988, p. 1.
  14. ^ Krause and Cody 2006, p. 174.
  15. ^ a b Dear 2005, p. 326.
  16. ^ Healy 2007, p. 62.