World War II Belgium: Allies Rush North (May 10-12, 1940)


Figure 1.--The Germans launched their long-awaited Western offensive (May 10). On the first two days the primry attacks fell on the Dutch and Belgians. Neuther neutral country, hoping to avoid war, had coordinated their defense with the Allies. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French First Army, however, rushed north, leaving fixed defenses and their supply depots behind. Here Belgian civilians probabluy on May 10 or 11 cheer on the BEF rushing to their aid and the planned defenses along the Dyle. We think we can see the city name on the he left directiomal sign--Louvain. This means that photograph was taken in a French-speaking area of Belgium and the British were headed northeast. (The Flenish spelling is Leuven.) A Dutch reader writes, "I was located well to the north in Amsrerdam when this photograph was taken, but I remenber the weather. We had warm summerly weather in the Netherlands when the Germans invaded, just as we see here to the south in Belgium. Our family lived 45 minutes from Grebbeberg near the small city of Rhenen where there was heavy fighing. Since we lived in the frontline the Dutch authorities forced us to leave our houses and move into other peoples' places in safer areas. Those folks had to make room for us. After 1-2 days we were allowed to go home again. Everything looked normal except for the many dead cows and horses that were lying along the highway. There were many dead Dutch and German soldiers too. After Rotterdam was destroyed all fighting stopped and Holland capitulated (May 15). As you say, the Allies were unable to reach us." You can read about our Dutch reader on his page--Rudi Stueck.

After the German attack, as the Germans anticipated, Gort activated Plan D (D for Dyle) and ordered the BEF north to aid the Dutch and Belgians (May 10). As it turned out, the Dutch after some sharp actions surrendered before the BEF could reach them. The Allies were able to set up a defensive line with some 35 well-equipped divisions at the Dyle. This was virtually the entire British Army and ome of the best units in the French Army. They at first were able to hold Army Group B when it reached the Dyle (May 15). Largely ignored by the Allies as they rushed forward and in pre-invasion planning, however, was the Ardennes Forrest to the southeast. The French concluded that the Ardennes was a barrier and that could not be penetrated by tanks. Thus the Germans could easily be held at the Meuse with the strong defenses at Sedan. Strong allied defenses at the Dyle was separated from the main French defenses by the lightly defended Ardenesses. It proved to be a recipe for disaster. The Allies fought well at the Dyle and the French fought off the Germans at the Gembloux Gap. German Army Group A, however, spring a masterfully executed trap in the Ardennes that undid the Allies efforts and Plan D.

The Belgians

Fort Eban-Emael was a large underground fort dominating three well defended bridges over the Albert Canal. It was modeled on the French Maginot Line forts and considered impregnable. The Fort was manned by over 1,200 Belgian soldiers. A 400-man German glider force silently attacked at dawn (May 10). The German landed nine gliders directly on top of the Fort. They blasted their way through the roofs of the gun emplacements and quickly disabled the guns. With the defending artillery destroyed, the remainder of the German force was able to quickly secure two of the three critical bridges over the canal. The German armored forces were then able to cross the heavily fortified Belgian border without a fight, in a matter of hours. The K-W line which the Belgians held on their own (May 10-13). This provided a very strong defense. The Germans on May 13 using Blitzkrieg tatics deployed Panzer divisions and supported by the Luftwaffe to break through the Allied lines in the Ardenne Forest whih the Belgians and French believed inpenitratible in an area where the Maginot Line ended near Sedan. When the German panzers broke through in the Sedan region and the French had to retreat, the Belgians as a result were forced to abandon their strong positions along the K-W line.

BEF Advances Northeast

The BEF thus rushed north and east out of its prepared positions in France along the Belgian border to aid the Belgians and Dutch. Much of the BEF moved east, to a line on the River Dyle. The BEF was at the time the only fully motirized army in the war and highly mobile. The British commanders, however, had not yet worked out how to use that advantage. And almost all of the British military equipment, including tanks, trucks, artillery, and even small arms was shipped to France with the BEF. Some 35 Allied divisions, including 10 of the BEF reached the Dyle as planned (May 12). The rapid move meant and the lack of pre-invasion coordination with the Belgians meant that the BEF not only abandoned their prepared defenses, but left their supply depots behind. The Dyle was the only realm obstacle that could be used to stop the Germans from advamcing across the flat, central Belgian plains. Forward elements of Army Group B arrived and heavy fighting ensued (May 15). Initially the Alliesheld the Germans at the Dyle. The British commander Lord Gort left his headquarters and moved to a new field headquarters near Lille. He wanted to be close to the action, but was iladvised as it greatly complicated communications at a critical point in the campaign. The BEF was heavily commited atthe Dyle and thre were substantial losses.

French 1st Army Group Rushes North

The French upon receiving news of the German attacks ordered their 1st Army Group, the most powerful French formation, into Belgium. Had they remained in place they woild have been in a good position to block the German break through from the Ardennes. The 1st Army Group moved north in accordance with Plan D. They thus committed their best and most mobil force. By the time the French 7th Army reached the Dutch border, the Dutch army was in full retreat and as their had been no pre-War planning, any kind of joint action was impossible. The French withdrew back into Belgium to help defend Brussels. The French First Army did not have time to prepare defenses when they learned of the defeat on the Belgian border defenses. Allied planning had been based on the Belgians delaying the Germans as they had in World War I. The French had expected the Belgians delaying the Germans for several weeks which even at the time seems extremely optimistic. The French planned to build a defensive line around the Gembloux Gap. Here they had some success in part because the Germans did not yet have much Luftwaffe suppot. Meanwhile the Germans struck through the Ardennes where the Luftwaffe was massed in support.

The Dutch

The Dutch has a much smallr army than the Belgians. Many Dutch people believe that as in World war I, the Germns ould not invade them. Although surpriswd and outnumbered, the Dutch like the Belgians fought back. The Germans struck on a wide front against the neutral Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg. The Luftwaffe destroyed the small obsolete Dutch Air Force was hitvhard on the first day when the Germans seized a key air base. There were several sharp actions as the the Germans smashed into the country and dropped paratroopers at key points. There was in particular a fierce battle at Grebbeberg near Rhenen. After Rotterdam was destroyed all fighting stopped and Holland capitulated (May 15). And tragically by thos time the German trap had been sprug and the Pnzers were breaking through in the Ardennes.

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Created: 10:55 PM 3/27/2015
Last updated: 12:28 AM 3/28/2015