Defending Jandrain ETO (id:#63100)

(Schwerpunkt #23 ID: SP 265)   [next]   [previous]

Jandrain, Belgium 1940-05-13 (61 others)

Overview:

At midday the battle for Hannut was in full swing. Generalmajor Horst Stumpff's 3rd Panzer Division was attacking to clear French forces from the villages on the Petite Gete River line. Elements of General Langlois’ 3e Division Legère Mécanique stopped the 3rd Panzer Division near Orp-le-Grand, forcing Stumpff to divert to the south to clear the village of Jandrain. Capitaine Lizeray's 13e Escadron, 11e Régiment de Dragoons Portés twelve H-39 Hotchkiss tanks and a battery of 25mm anti-tank guns were defending the village when the 3rd Panzer Division’s spearhead struck. Panzer IV’s from Oberstleutnant von Lewinski's 6 Panzer Regiment blasted the village with their 75mm guns while the light tanks assaulted Jandrain. One 25mm gun crew (led by Sergeant Morel) knocked out a PzIB, compelling the remaining enemy light tanks to break contact. At 1500, Pz III’s from the 6th Panzer Regiment arrived and soon knocked out several of Sous Lieutenant Jolibois' H39 tanks. Capitaine Lizeray formed a "last square" in the middle of Jandrain and held out for one more hour, but the Germans were quickly encircling the village. Sous Lieutenant Robert le Bel managed to break out and retreat south with the last four H39 tanks just as Jandrain fell to the Germans.

Defender: French (13e Escadron, 11e Régiment de Dragoons Portés)  

Errata (source)