The Breaking Point

by Robert A Doughty

  Since it was so late in the afternoon, the 6th Company chose to rest for a few minutes. In an unusually hot day for May, the soldiers had been under heavy fire and in an attack for about three hours. During this pause, the 2nd Battalion established contact with the 1st Infantry Regiment to its right (west).

  But they soon moved forward again and returned to their own sector. Their objective was the top of Hill 247, which included the La Prayelle center of resistance. They did not want to provide the French a chance to rest or to regroup; they had to push forward and take advantage of the crumbling defenses. While moving up the final rise of Hill 247 and passing through wire entanglements and deep bomb craters, they came under heavy defensive fire from a rear slope position. Attacking in small groups under the protective fire of mortars, the Germans moved forward firing their machine guns and automatic pistols and throwing grenades. In close hand-to-hand combat, they finally overcame the last French defenders.42

  Thus Hill 247 fell around 1900 hours. The 2nd Battalion had accomplished its mission.

  Because of the fighting skills and courage of the 6th Company, the Germans had widened the crack in French defensive lines. In an area barely larger than a square kilometer, the 1st Infantry Regiment captured the bunkers at Bellevue while the Gross Deutschland Regiment captured the three bunkers and positions northwest of Hill 247 from which French fire could be placed on the route between Claire, Bellevue, and points south. Though the French continued fighting, this broke the back of their main defenses in the Frénois area.

  Despite this success, French defenders continued to resist in the Bois de la Marfée behind Hill 247. The remainder of the Gross Deutschland Regiment did not cross the Meuse and the 3rd Battalion did not reach Hill 247 until later that night. The 3rd Battalion finally managed to get its last two companies across the river and used the darkness to provide cover against continued small-arms fire from a few French soldiers.

  As will be explained, the 10th Panzer Division may have contributed to the capture of Hill 247. Though exact details are unclear, elements from that division may have moved up from the vicinity of Wadelincourt and attacked the hill from its flank. Nevertheless, Lieutenant de Courbière's company apparently made the largest contribution by successfully capturing the three bunkers on its northwest slope.

  BRIDGING THE MEUSE

  By 1930 hours the Germans had crossed most of the elements of five infantry battalions and one motorcycle battalion using boats. To the rear of these infantrymen, efforts intensified to hurry additional troops and equipment across the river. Shortly after the 1st Infantry Regiment first crossed the Meuse, the 2nd Company, 505th Engineer Battalion and an engineer company from the 37th Engineer Battalion began unloading bridging materials at the designated crossing site about 200 meters west of Gaulier and began constructing a raft. Even before the 6th Company captured the first large bunker in the French second line of resistance, the engineers began assembling two rafts for crossing the Meuse. To protect themselves, they worked behind the walls of a large factory that was between them and the river.

  By 1920 hours the first raft was operating and by 1940 the second. To decrease the amount of time it took to ferry men and equipment across the river, the engineers hooked the two rafts together. Among the units crossed first were elements from the 73rd Artillery Regiment. By 1930 hours the engineers were working hard on the construction of a bridge just to the west of Gaulier.43 Shortly after 2300 hours the engineers completed the sixteen-ton bridge. When they had finished, the engineers had almost no bridging materials remaining. If the Allies somehow had managed to destroy the bridge, the 1st Panzer Division would have been in a precarious situation.

  Though the Germans could have moved some of their light tanks across on the ferries, they decided to leave the tanks on the northern bank. Instead of ferrying tanks, they moved artillery, armored reconnaissance vehicles, self-propelled guns, antiaircraft guns, and half-tracked vehicles across the Meuse. In an article published in Militär Wochenblatt in 1941, Lieutenant Grübnau from the 2nd Company, 505th Engineers, said that the Germans used the rafts to transport tanks across the Riven.44 Despite Grübnau's claim, and despite numerous French reports of German tanks being across the Meuse very early, the German after-action reports do not mention the movement of tanks on rafts. In fact, the first tanks did not cross until after the bridge was finished around 2300 hours. Guderian personally decided to delay the movement of the tanks across the river.45

  As Major General F. W. von Mellenthin later pointed out, this engagement proved to be an important turning point in the development of armored warfare. Though the Germans initially kept infantry units separated from armor units, subsequent events demonstrated the importance of mixing armor and infantry in combined arms units. Balck and his men crossed the river by themselves, and tanks were not sent across immediately even though the rafts were available and could have carried a few across. Guderian preferred to keep the tanks together so they could be used for the decisive thrust. In the fighting after the tanks crossed the Meuse and in the rest of the campaign, the need to support armor with infantry, and infantry with armor, became readily apparent.46

  The division's daily log summarized the day's events:

  The 13th of May 1940 has been…the best day for the 1st Panzer Division. The division succeeded in being the first to cross the Meuse, to punch a hole in the defensive line of the French, and to force a penetration through a defensive zone considered by the French as impenetrable. Every soldier of the division was completely aware of the importance of the mission of the day. The decisiveness of this penetration at Sedan had been hammered into every single person from the moment the division was attached to the XIXth Army Corps in Cochem.47

  The daily log also included General Kirchner's message of congratulations to the division for performing so well: “You are the spear point for the German attack. The eyes of all of Germany are focused upon you!”48

  WITH THE 10TH PANZER DIVISION AT WADELINCOURT

  At the 10th Panzer Division, the headquarters did not have time to complete a detailed plan for the attack on the 13th, so it issued an oral order at 0130 hours. This order corresponded to the organization and approach used in the last map exercise conducted on 8 May at Bernkastel. At 1200 hours the headquarters issued a written order very similar to the one used during the map exercise.49 As with the 1st Panzer Division, using the plan that had been written for the earlier map exercise saved valuable time and enabled subordinate units to receive information about their mission faster than otherwise would have been possible.

  Unfortunately, a written order from corps headquarters arrived at 1100 hours and changed the entire scheme of maneuver for the division. Instead of the 10th Panzer Division establishing two bridgeheads, the new plan called for the division to establish only one bridgehead in the Noyers-Pont Maugis area. Because of the late arrival of the written plan for corps, the division had little time to react and apparently chose to ignore the latest change. The division commander decided to make two crossings of the river, one between the southern edge of Sedan and Pont Maugis, the other between Pont Maugis and Remilly-Aillicourt. The main effort would be made by the 86th Infantry Regiment in the area between Sedan and Pont Maugis. To the southeast, the second attack would be made by the 69th Infantry Regiment. Fire support for the attack would come from the 90th Artillery Regiment, since the heavy artillery of the 1/105th Artillery had been attached to the 1st Panzer Division for the river crossing.

  As with other units, the 10th Panzer Division came under heavy artillery fire during the night of 12–13 May. Shortly after midnight the division command post had to move to escape the artillery fire. In midmorning on the 13th, it had to make another move.50 Its units also suffered from the fire.

  During the move to the river, obstacles along the route of advance caused great concern, as did blockages caused by the cramming of too many troops onto the approach route. Because of terrain constrictions, the division had to use a sing
le route to move forward from its crossing point at Mortehan on the Semois. The route had been badly damaged, and the wreckage of buildings in several villages, particularly in Givonne, had to be cleared.51

  Despite their high priority and urgent task, engineer units had severe problems bringing forward the boats for the assault across the Meuse. Two hours before the attack, the commander of the 41st Engineer Battalion reported personally to the division headquarters and assured the staff that the boats would arrive in time. Unfortunately, delays occurred, and the engineers with the boats linked up too late with the attacking troops from the 86th Infantry Regiment. Consequently, the attack northwest of Pont Maugis started late, after the shock of the aerial attack on the French defenders had subsided.

  More importantly, as the engineers rushed to unload the crossing equipment for the 69th Regiment, which was supposed to cross near Pont Maugis, artillery fire smashed it to pieces.52 In the haste to get the equipment to the river, the Germans apparently exposed it to enemy fire. The result was that the regiment had practically no boats to carry it across the Meuse, placing the easternmost crossing in jeopardy.

  But there was more bad news. The aerial attacks had not affected the capability of the French artillery to fire into the area around Bazeilles, and surprisingly effective concentrations disrupted the German forward movement across the open pastures. At 1600 hours the commander of the 69th Regiment reported to the division commander that his unit could not start the attack from Bazeilles and complained that the enemy artillery was not being engaged by German artillery or air assets. For a moment, it appeared the attack by the 10th Panzer Division was doomed to failure.53

  Unfortunately for the French, a remarkable performance by a few German soldiers opened a path for the division. Staff Sergeant Rubarth and his squad of assault engineers from the 49th Engineer Battalion gave one of the most astonishing performances of the entire campaign. In brief, they successfully crossed the Meuse just north of the bridge known as Pont du Bouillonais, moved forward and destroyed seven bunkers, and thus broke through the main French defenses along the river.

  Staff Sergeant Rubarth later described the actions of himself and his men on 13 May. After marching about five kilometers to their attack position, he met the infantry his unit was to accompany, and he moved forward to make a reconnaissance of the crossing point. He said:

  Before us is open terrain that is easily seen. The Meuse flows through the middle of an open meadow 400 to 500 meters to the front and left. Directly behind the river and at the foot of heights to its rear, enemy bunkers can clearly be recognized. Half-right and right before us is the part of the city [of Sedan] the enemy occupies. For an attack the terrain is very unfavorable. A cannon is brought forward to support us. I give directions to the gun's commander concerning the bunkers threatening to stop us short [of our objective].

  In a violent Stuka attack, the enemy's defensive line is bombarded. With the dropping of the last bomb at 1500 hours, we move forward and attack with the infantry. We immediately receive strong machine gun fire. There are casualties. With my section I reach the bank of the Meuse in a rush through a woodline and a sports field. Enemy machine guns fire from the right flank across the Meuse.

  Once again all the forces assemble. The rubber boat moves across the water, and I reach with my men, together with an infantry squad, the bank on the other side of the Meuse. During the crossing, constant fires from our machine guns suppress the enemy, and thus not one casualty occurs. I land with my rubber boat near a strong, small bunker and together with Lance Corporal Podszus put it out of action. The enemy's artillery places heavy fires on our crossing point. I cut through a wire entanglement, and we overcome a wire obstacle to the front of the infantry….

  We seize the next bunker from the rear. I use an explosive charge. In a moment, the force of the detonation tears off the rear part of the bunker. We use the opportunity and attack the occupants with hand grenades. After a short fight, a white flag appears, and over the bunker [moments] later waves our flag with a swastika. From the other bank, the sound of loud cheers from our comrades comes across to us.

  Encouraged by this, we fling ourselves against two additional small bunkers, which we know are around 100 meters to our half left. In doing so, we [move] through a swampy area, so that we temporarily must stand in water up to our hips. With reckless daring, Lance Corporal Brautigam attacks the left bunker alone and through skillful action captures the occupants. The second bunker I take together with Sergeant Theophil and with Lance Corporals Podszus and Monk. Thus the first line of bunkers immediately behind the Meuse is broken through with a breach of around 300 meters.

  We go forward again and reach the road, behind which a railway embankment passes. Here we come under such heavy fire that we must go running forward under cover. For the first time I recognize that I am alone on the far bank [of the Meuse] with a sergeant, four men and an infantry squad which secures our left flank. Unfortunately, our ammunition is expended, so we cannot continue our attack immediately.

  To bring up reinforcements and ammunition, I go back to our crossing point and discover that the crossing operation has been interrupted by very heavy enemy fire. The rubber boats are deflated or shot to pieces. Four men from my platoon were killed there. My company commander, who is on the other bank and who has followed the course of the fighting, immediately orders the bringing up of new rubber boats and forms new crews from my platoon. With four men as reinforcements, I set out again for Sergeant Theophil with whom I had left three men behind at the railway embankment.

  In the meantime, according to Sergeant Schildert, the following had occurred: the enemy had in the pause [in the attack] reassembled and attacked us from the right flank. After a hard fight, our few men silenced the enemy fire. Lance Corporal Brautigam, who was a close friend of all of us, sacrificed his young life in this fight. Lance Corporals Monk and Podszus were wounded.

  Meanwhile, joining the infantry squad, our attack moves further forward toward the left in the direction of the railway line. From the railway embankment I and my men attack an enemy machine gun, whose position in open terrain has covered the fighting. The enemy next concentrates his artillery along the railway embankment, and we quickly attack the second bunker line with a few people. We must cross over about 150 meters of open terrain and a wire entanglement at the foot of the heights before us. The enemy's artillery follows each step. Then we stop before a bunker with two firing ports. We attack it from two sides. One Frenchman, who had left the bunker and aimed [his weapon] directly at me, was rendered harmless with a hand grenade. We press forward toward the bunker, moving through fieldworks and do battle with the enemy. Lance Corporal Hose has meanwhile blasted open the entrance. The crew, which recognizes the uselessness of further resistance, surrenders. A French machine gun [from this bunker] becomes a valuable weapon for us in another fight. We widen the breakthrough point when we take out of the fight two bunkers to the left of us. The second, of which the crew had covered the firing ports, surrenders without resistance. The breakthrough of the second bunker line was thereby completely accomplished. One man who was injured is taken back by prisoners.

  In the meantime, an infantry platoon moves past us. Once again the enemy artillery covers us with a barrage for a quarter of an hour. We must take cover in a trench. The enemy fire ceases, and we launch an attack forward in unison with the infantry against the heights before us. By the fall of darkness, we reach our objective, the heights situated before us, two kilometers south of Sedan. Thus our mission is fulfilled.54

  Sergeant Rubarth and his men made their crossing just north of the destroyed railroad bridge known as Pont du Bouillonais. He and his men initially destroyed four bunkers along the Meuse and then moved forward and destroyed three more. By an immensely lucky stroke, they had managed to cross the Meuse near the junction where the line of bunkers extending from Bellevue (along the French second line) connected to the line of bunkers extending along the river. This extremely
small group of men almost single-handedly punched through the major part of the French defenses. For his remarkable achievements, Rubarth later received a commission as a lieutenant and was awarded the Knighthood of the Iron Cross.

  Shortly after Rubarth's successful crossing, another small German force from the 1/86th Infantry crossed the Meuse closer to Wadelincourt. According to French reports, they crossed the river near the small island just east of Wadelincourt. In an action similar to Sergeant Rubarth's and his men, the small group of infantry, which was led by Lieutenant Hanbauer, fought their way through the French defenses near Wadelincourt. They were apparently followed by the 2/69th Infantry.55

  An after-action report written by one of the participants described the deep penetration made by the German infantry at Wadelincourt. The report explains:

  The first boat has already reached the other side. Some engineers jump into the third boat and cross the Meuse without losses. The last two boats are hit by machine gun fire from a bunker and sink. Except for two men, the occupants are able to rescue themselves. The group [that crossed the river] is small, but all [are] determined.

  Our lieutenant starts to roll up the trenches on the right and left. An engineer sergeant advances to a bunker and puts it out of action by himself.56 A wire entanglement, which could impede our forward movement, is cut quickly. Though the last wires are not yet cut, the lieutenant jumps over them, disregarding the very heavy fire he receives. Sergeant W. sets out with two comrades toward a bunker situated on the right, sneaks up to it, and finishes the occupants with a pair of hand grenades. The others immediately follow the lieutenant over the wire entanglement…. Even though some of the enemy have raised their hands [to surrender], hand grenades are again thrown and silence returns. A black [Frenchman] is quickly cut down with two well-aimed shots. Our lieutenant will not rest. With a few people, he slips toward a slope, recovers his breath for a moment, and waits for his [other] comrades to follow. Seconds, then minutes pass without anyone following….