The 147th Fortress Regiment was the backbone of the 55th Infantry Division and was to occupy the bunker positions on the Meuse. [29][30] Kleist pressed for the main point to come at Flize, further west than Sedan. "[22] As late as March 1940, a French report to Gamelin named the defences at Sedan, the last "fortified" position on the Meuse, and the last before the open country of France, as "entirely inadequate. Des prisonniers capturent des chevaux pour les dépecer, se servant des caissons et des chariots, voire de selles en cuir, pour faire du feu. Acquista online La bataille de Sedan di Christel Lamboley, Mathieu Roger, 50Minutes.fr in formato: Ebook nella sezione eBook su Mondadori Store [45] A total of 3,940 sorties were flown by nine Kampfgeschwader (Bomber Wing) units often in Gruppe strength. from Olivier L. Brunet Plus . La plupart des généraux se regroupent autour de l’Empereur à la sous-préfecture. L'empereur français, qui s'est couché, se relève et l'accueille. Et, pour s’en donner les moyens, il prélève les réserves de Douay et de Ducrot, les obligeant à dégarnir le front nord. 75 Wing RAF lost 14–18 Battles and No. Such reports were in error, as the first Panzers only crossed at 07:20 on 14 May. Une émission de la chaîne de télévision franco-allemande Arte, le 22 novembre 2006, émit l'hypothèse que cette guerre fut la « mère » des deux guerres mondiales du XXe siècle. During the Battle of Maastricht in the Netherlands, the Groupement de Bombardement (Bomber Groups, or GB) had its squadrons reduced. La défaite va précipiter le déclassement de la place forte. "The result was a defeat of so comprehensive a nature that the wisdom of publishing it was questioned lest morale be damaged. Unsupported and acting on their own initiative, this small force led by Feldwebel Walter Rubarth opened a decisive breach by knocking out seven bunker positions. [6] To the north and south of Sedan, the French X Corps and French XXXXI Corps (at the artillery fortress at Charleville-Mézières) could also add their artillery and shell Guderian's Panzer units as they crossed the bridgeheads. [9] Loerzer called 14 May "the day of the fighter". Le roi de Prusse n'arrive sur les lieux que dans l'après-midi. Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. 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. SATIRIQUES - GUERRE DE 1870 ET BATAILLE DE SEDAN Monnaie satirique Br 27, module de 5 centimes fme_483379 Medaglias Notices dans des dictionnaires ou encyclopédies généralistes, Chronologie de la guerre franco-prussienne de 1870, grand état-major général de l'armée prussienne, Charles Cousin-Montauban, comte de Palikao, prisonniers de guerre de la guerre franco-allemande de 1870, traité de paix, signé à Francfort le 10 mai 1871, Déroulement de la guerre franco-allemande de 1870-1871, http://centretudargonnais.org/HorizonArgonne87.pdfns, https://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bataille_de_Sedan&oldid=178777401, Bataille de la guerre franco-allemande de 1870, Catégorie Commons avec lien local identique sur Wikidata, Page pointant vers des dictionnaires ou encyclopédies généralistes, Article de Wikipédia avec notice d'autorité, Portail:France au XIXe siècle/Articles liés, Portail:Époque contemporaine/Articles liés, licence Creative Commons attribution, partage dans les mêmes conditions, comment citer les auteurs et mentionner la licence. They flew only an average of one sortie per day, including strategic defensive missions. [59] The AASF flew 81 sorties and lost 52 percent of its strength. Le Mémorial commémoratif de ces charges des Chasseurs d'Afrique a été érigé à. Cette maison existe toujours au bord de la D 764 à la sortie de Donchery, côté gauche en direction de Sedan, une pancarte indique « maison de l'entrevue, c'est une maison privée qui ne se visite pas ». [15][16], On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht invaded Luxembourg, Netherlands and Belgium. The Germans' advance intended to strike at Connage to the south of the town of Chéhéry, to outflank the French. 505 constituted its most westerly position. » Sans se donner la peine de couper les ponts sur la Meuse, il se borne à concentrer son armée sur une hauteur boisée, juste au nord-est de Sedan, dans le triangle Floing-Illy-Bazeilles, entre la Meuse élargie par les inondations et deux ruisseaux, le Floing et la Givonne. The idea of a single massed strike was abandoned, and the German air units were to attack in small formations but constantly, through the day. [46] Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 struck first in the morning of 13 May. As the French pressed forward, the weak German defence struggled to hold its ground. "Leute" signifie "gens, hommes", et par conséquent, dans ce contexte, "soldats" ou "hommes". Les options pour le commandant de l'armée de Châlons sont celles-ci : soit il prend la direction de Metz, avec la perspective de se voir couper la route par les Saxons et voir aussi l'armée prussienne remonter des environs de Châlons en le prenant à revers, soit il renonce et vient défendre Paris. The Luftwaffe was going to have to do most of the work. The presence of the 71st Infantry shortened the front from 20 to 14 kilometres (12.4 to 8.7 mi) along the Meuse. Of the nine companies in position by 10 May, only a few had been holding their respective positions for even a few days and were not familiar with them. [34], The 55th Infantry Division guarding Sedan had little time for combat training, as its time had been spent in construction work. The forces at Huntziger's disposal were formidable. Le 30 août en soirée, sous la menace de la IIIe armée du prince de Prusse, Mac-Mahon fait passer la Meuse à une partie de son armée le 7e corps et une partie du 5e corps défait à Beaumont à Remilly près de Sedan. Le Champ de Bataille de Sedan, 1 Septembre 1870 (1871), Libro in Inglese di Claretie Jules. [79] Only 10 French tanks, out of 40, remained. SATIRIQUES - GUERRE DE 1870 ET BATAILLE DE SEDAN Monnaie satirique Br 32, module de 10 centimes q.SPL The Division also had to advance down to the river on open flat terrain of some 600–800 metres (2,000–2,600 ft). Cela ne va pas sans mal : des commandants, faute de cartes, se trompent de direction, des régiments hésitent à se déplacer sous les tirs d’artillerie, d’autres trouvent la route bloquée par des chariots. Mai 2020, quatre-vingtième anniversaire du désastre de Sedan. [57], All attempts to land on the southern side of the Meuse failed. Sedan est située sur la rive droite de la Meuse dans une gigantesque cuvette entourée de collines avec deux défilés vers Mézières (ouest) et Carignan (est), ce qui réduit fortement les possibilités de s'en échapper. Instead of making sure the medium Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks had priority in crossing the Meuse, the Germans had sent few across, and the van of the advance contained mostly lightly armed and lightly armoured although faster Panzer Is and Panzer IIs. Peut-être, en se constituant lui-même prisonnier, obtiendra-t-il un sauf-conduit pour ses troupes en France ou en Belgique après avoir déposé les armes ? However, by 10 May, most of the bunkers were incomplete, lacking gun port shutters for the artillery casemates. Now that they were pushing largely at an 'open door', the 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions advanced into the undefended French rear with speed. [54] The Großdeutschland Regiment had now penetrated 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) into the French defences. [35] La bataille de Sedan. They contained the fortified artillery positions and dominated the approaches to the strategic and operational depths beyond Sedan and the Meuse. Guderian's decision to strike north west left the 10th Panzer Division protecting the bridgehead alone. Non seulement l'hypothétique fuite vers Mézières ou la Belgique initiée par Ducrot avant l’arrivée intempestive de Wimpffen n’est plus possible, mais l’ennemi a enfoncé un coin entre le corps d’armée de Douay et celui de Ducrot. Marshal Philippe Pétain described them as "impenetrable". [84] The bulk of the British Army escaped from the port of Dunkirk but the Allies left behind large amounts of equipment. The Germans retook the town at 17:00 on 17 May, for the fourth time in nine hours. Un article de Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre. L’après-midi du 31 août, les Allemands commencent à encercler Sedan ; l’armée du prince héritier de Prusse occupe Frénois et Donchéry à l’ouest ; celle du prince royal de Saxe attaque par Daigny pour déboucher sur le plateau d'Illy et le bois de la Garenne[11]. [79], The German High Command did not want to exploit the victory at Sedan and Bulson until the German infantry divisions had caught up with the three Panzer divisions. The nine Kampfgruppen (bomber wings) of II. [68] It was once again the German tanks' radio equipment that enabled them to move around quickly and communicate with one another, to change the point of defence or attack quickly. By nightfall, at least 600 tanks, including those of the 2nd Panzer Division which had to use the 1st Panzer Division's bridge at Gaulier (owing to theirs not having yet been constructed), were across the Meuse. Malgré la victoire à la bataille de Mars-la-Tour au sud de Metz le 16 août[3], Bazaine n'exploite pas son avantage sur la IIe armée prussienne du prince Frédéric-Charles, neveu du roi de Prusse, pour soit lui donner le coup de grâce ou se replier en ordre sur Châlons. With help from two platoons of the 3rd Company of the 34th Assault Engineer Battalion, it had succeeded in knocking out the bunker positions. 71 Wing RAF lost 10 Fairey Battles and five Bristol Blenheims. [50] Moreover, just 56 French casualties were suffered. [66], The Allied bombers received mostly poor protection. Alain Frèrejean, article publié dans le numéro spécial 58 de la revue, Sur les mouvements des armées dans les jours précédant la bataille de Sedan, voir. They needed refuelling after just two hours. The major efforts were now made by the AASF. [46] The French lost 21 fighters in the operation. The attacks failed as they were uncoordinated. En outre Louis Napoléon a abdiqué de ses pouvoirs civils en quittant Saint-Cloud pour accompagner l'armée de Châlons et les a abandonnés à Eugénie, nommée régente ; à telle enseigne qu’elle ne lui a pas demandé son avis pour remplacer le gouvernement Ollivier par un ministère à sa dévotion. The 69th Infantry Regiment was kept in reserve to follow the 86th as reinforcements. 150 Squadron RAF of the RAF Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF) flew 10 sorties against the targets in the early morning. It had also lost 12 dead and 65 wounded. Le 27 août, Mac-Mahon décide ainsi de renoncer à sauver Bazaine. The German 1st Panzer Company was wiped out by French artillery, and pulled back with just one battleworthy tank. [70], During 14 May, General Lafontaine had moved the 55th Infantry Division's command post from its position on the Marfee heights to Bulson, 10–11 kilometres (6–7 mi) south of Sedan. The advance of the 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions had assisted his progress. Loerzer would later say that the official order from Hugo Sperrle had arrived too late to make changes. Its capture would give the Germans a base from which to take the Meuse bridges and cross the river. Prime. À Reims, au camp de Courcelles, Mac-Mahon complète ses effectifs, réorganise son armée et se prépare à défendre la capitale. This was the reason a significant number of French generals insisted on strengthening this sector, while ignoring Sedan. Around 33 French tanks and 24 German Panzers were knocked out. [43], In the early hours of 13 May, the 10th Panzer Division slipped into position upstream to the north-east of Sedan, ready to strike at its designated crossing point near the town of Wadelincourt. Pour éviter les Prussiens de la IIIe armée, Mac-Mahon décide alors de remonter au nord vers le département des Ardennes pour ensuite se diriger sur Metz. This meant all of the French artillery and machine gun positions in the area of Wadelincourt were undisturbed. Une somme de cinq milliards de francs or est demandée à titre de dommages de guerre. Once these lightly defended areas were negotiated, Army Group A's XIX. By this time the Großdeutschland had lost 570 men and were in need of rest and the Panzerjägerkompanie 14 (14th Panzer Anti-tank Company) had lost six of its 12 guns. [80] Guderian ordered the 10th Panzer Division and Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland to hold the Sedan bridgehead, while the 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions struck north west, towards the Channel. The Panzer IV had 30 mm of armour, while the Hotchkiss had 45 mm, and the Char B1 had 60 mm of protection. Cette succession de commandants en chef est à l'origine d'ordres, de contrordres et de tergiversations sur la stratégie. Guderian decided it was better to mount an aggressive defence given the lack of any suitable anti-tank weapons for a defensive battle. Ce fut une victoire décisive des forces prussiennes, l'Empereur ayant lui-même été fait prisonnier, mettant fin à la guerre en faveur de la Prusse et de ses alliés (la Bavière notamment), bien que le combat continuât sous la nouvelle République. Poursuivi et harcelé par les IIIe et IVe armées, Mac-Mahon décide alors de se réfugier, au moins quelques jours, aux alentours de la ville de Sedan, citadelle située non loin de la frontière belge. Crossing at the extreme western end of the Sedan sector on the Donchery axis, it was forced to advance across open terrain for the last 3 km before reaching the bridgehead. The artillery falling on the 2nd Panzer Division's eastern flank was stopped. The 1st Panzer Division under the command of General-Major (Major General) Friedrich Kirchner, had on strength 52 Panzer IIs, 98 Panzer III, 58 Panzer IV, 40 Panzer 35(t) and eight Sd.Kfz. It was a timely deployment. Ellis, Major L.F. Ed. À 18 heures, le général Reille remet la lettre de l'empereur à Guillaume qui se trouve toujours sur les hauteurs de Frénois[21]. Ce fut une victoire décisive des forces prussiennes, l'Empereur ayant lui-même été fait prisonnier, mettant fin à la guerre en faveur d… [8] In total Guderian could muster 60,000 men, 22,000 vehicles, 771 tanks and 141 artillery pieces. » L’Empereur pourrait aussi se retirer sur Mézières tant que la route est libre ; il y serait en sûreté et pourrait revenir activer la défense de Paris ou traiter de la paix avec l’ennemi. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Ce traité engendrera un désir de revanche chez les Français, qui n'auront de cesse de vouloir récupérer les territoires perdus. [20] The French concluded that at best, a German assault through the Ardennes towards Sedan would not reach the Meuse until two weeks after the start of any German offensive, taking between five and nine days to penetrate the Ardennes alone. On 14 May, the Allied air forces, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) tried to destroy the bridges. They found the Germans had beaten them there by a few minutes. Owing to this Lafontaine also delayed issuing orders to the tactical attack units until 05:00 on 14 May, by which time the Germans had consolidated their bridgehead and the Panzer divisions' combined arms infantry teams were already advancing inland to Bulson. Prior to this masses of lorries, armoured cars and other traffic had passed through but not tanks. En sept ou huit endroits, la ville se met à flamber. Le général Ducrot le remplace, mais il est obligé de s'effacer devant le général de Wimpffen, plus ancien en grade et muni d'un ordre du ministre le désignant en cas d'empêchement de Mac-Mahon. Everything depended on the support of the Luftwaffe. The 1st Panzer Division had struggled to advance as quickly as it would have liked, and was jammed on the roads leading out of Gaulier and Sedan. [38] Although the two divisions had 174 artillery pieces, more than the German forces opposing them, they had to share that force between them. Les soldats sont déguenillés, couverts de boue, ils errent par bandes à la recherche de nourriture, se disputant avec forces la moindre pitance qui leur parvient. Only 42 bunkers protected the Sedan bridgeheads on the outbreak of war in September 1939 and an additional 61 were built by 10 May. The French forces in the area were also hindered by mistaken intelligence-reports of which suggested that German tanks had already crossed the Meuse river, several hours before when the first German tank actually crossed the Meuse river. Le chef d'état-major prussien dispose, en plus des deux armées qui assiègent Metz, de 200 000 hommes (IIIe et IVe armées), il envoie la IIIe armée à marche forcée au-devant des troupes françaises en direction de Châlons. Its capture would enable a German advance into the undefended depths of France and to the English Channel, into the rear of the Allied mobile forces advancing into Belgium. Its location guarded the bridgehead, making it dangerous for German infantry attempting a crossing. The only way to respond was with howitzers but the 2nd Panzer Division had handed its heavy howitzers over to the 1st Panzer. [21], The French assessments were less credible in the light of military exercises carried out in 1938. Moreover, its main armament, one 47 mm and one 75 mm gun, outmatched all the German tanks. Les Français sont définitivement battus après la fin du Siège de Paris, le 28 janvier 1871. [55], The 2nd Panzer had been given the most difficult job. [68], The initial encounters took place as the Battle of Hannut was being fought in Belgium. The battle of Stonne took place between 15 and 17 May, and the town changed hands 17 times. Fliegerkorps, nicknamed the Nahkampf-Fliegerkorps (Close Support Air Corps), which contained Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (Dive bomber Wing 77), a powerful concentration of dive-bomber units equipped with the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka precision ground attack aircraft. The men of the division lacked the confidence and will to fight when the battle took place. Ses corps d'armée piétinent entre le 25 et 28 août entre le secteur de Rethel et de Vouziers. L'armée de la Meuse et la Troisième Armée Prussienne du Feld-Marschall Helmuth von Moltke, accompagné par le roi Guillaume de Prusse et le Chancelier Otto von Bismarck, firent jonction et encerclèrent les restes de l'armée française à Sedan. This was to prove fatal, especially coupled with the fact that the French generalship at large was expecting a considerably more prolonged process of initial German assault phase and overall attack effort as a whole. La Bataille de Sedan : 1er novembre 1870 Orario : 11 nov. 2020 06:00 PM Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Vienne[…] Lire la suite. The contribution of the specialists tilted the Sedan attack plan into Guderian's favour. They ran into and defeated elements of X Corps near Chemery. Descendant direct du général auquel avait été confiée la défense du secteur de Sedan, l'auteur raconte cet épisode décisif qui marque la défaite de l'armée française et le début de sa débâcle. 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. Between Sedan and La Ferté lay the Stenay gap, which was a stretch of unprotected terrain not covered by French defences or natural obstacles. To Guderian, this was madness and would throw away the victory at Sedan and allow the enemy time to recover and reorganise its still formidable armoured units. French reports spoke of German tanks crossing the bridges. The attacks were made in Gruppe (group) strength and against the line of maximum resistance along the enemy gun line. Aux averses, succède un soleil de plomb, la chaleur accablante n'arrange pas les conditions des prisonniers. The heavier tanks were handed over to Army Group A as it required the best machines to conduct the critical operation at Sedan. Guderian saw things differently, and pointed out that a thrust along the lines of Kleist's plan would put the flank of the advance within range of the fortress artillery at Charleville-Mézières, some 25 kilometres (16 mi) north west of Sedan. [8] The 10th Panzer Division, under the command of Generalleutnant Ferdinand Schaal, had 44 Panzer I, 113 Panzer II, 58 Panzer III, 32 Panzer IV and 18 Sd.Kfz. [58], In the central sector, at Gaulier, the Germans began moving 3.7 cm Pak 36 light infantry field artillery across the Meuse to provide support to infantry across the river. [23] This estimate was to prove only three hours too late. Les deux armées allemandes se déploient vers le nord, celle du prince héritier de Prusse par le flanc ouest, celle du prince de Saxe par le flanc est, pour ensuite converger vers Illy. An 8.8 cm FlaK dual purpose gun (88 mm) was brought in to do the job. They managed to eliminate the anti-tank lines and entrenched French infantry. In this innocuous town, a vicious two-day battle took place in which the Germans came face to face with the premier French tank, the Char B1-Bis, for the only time. Guderian decided to push for the Channel, even if it meant ignoring the High Command and Hitler himself. [53], The capture of Sedan and the expansion of the bridgeheads alarmed the French who called for a total effort against the bridgeheads at Sedan, to isolate the three Panzer Divisions. [72], On 13–14 May, the Germans were vulnerable. Loerzer's Ju 87s flew some 180 missions against Sedan's bunkers whilst Richthofen's managed 90. German Army Group A crossed the Meuse river with the intention of capturing Sedan and pushing northwards towards the Channel coast, to trap the Allied forces that were advancing east into Belgium, as part of the Allied Dyle Plan. However, the offensive by Army Group B was a diversion. Le 3 septembre, environ 80 000 hommes sont conduits sur la presqu'île d'Iges et parqués pratiquement sans abris et sans vivres. Ce dernier est conduit à la sous-préfecture de Sedan et présenté, à sa grande surprise, à l'empereur, dont la présence à Sedan n'était pas connue des Allemands. Les troupes de marine de la division dite bleue commandée par le général de Vassoigne reçoivent l'ordre de reprendre le village, la 2e brigade du général Martin des Pallières engage une contre-attaque, appuyée par la 1re brigade du général de Reboul. Leggi «La Bataille de Sedan. Kleist agreed that such a delay was unacceptable, so he agreed to Guderian's plan. The breakout was so fast that there was little fighting. In allegato il link per potersi iscrivere alla JPF che si terrà online il 16 novembre 2020 e il programma. La Bataille de Sedan. Groupement de Bombardement d'Assaut 18 (GBA 18) had only 12 of 25 Breguet 693s left. Mais il reçoit l'ordre de secourir l'armée du maréchal Bazaine assiégée à Metz par les Ire et IIe armées allemandes. In controversial circumstances, the German armed forces failed to eliminate the British trapped in the pocket. [36], Such actions damaged the cohesion of the units that were initially strong. Les Bavarois, nettement plus nombreux et surtout appuyés par une artillerie moderne et très efficace, ont repris le village. Fliegerkorps (under Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen). This allowed an attacker coming from the north to use the good road routes through the Fleigneux–Saint-Menges–Glaire axis to enter Sedan from the north. Both divisions were short of anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, a critical short-coming. Some of the bunkers lacked rear doors, making them vulnerable to infiltration by infantry. A quick counter thrust by just two infantry regiments and two tank battalions would have "plunged the Germans into crisis". The French had nearly 300 tanks, with 138 main battle tanks consisting of Hotchkiss and Char B1-Bis. Gravement blessé par un projectile qui lui a traversé les joues, le général Margueritte décédera dans un hôpital belge quelques jours plus tard. Les armées allemandes se retirent progressivement des 21 départements qu'elles occupaient au fur et à mesure des versements. 76 Wing RAF lost 11 Battles. Escort was given from Groupement de … He expected considerable French reserves, particularly X Corps, to stabilise the front. When intelligence did filter through, it was out-of-date. [40], Unknown to Guderian, von Kleist, his immediate superior, had contacted Loerzer and banned Guderian's proposed long systematic approach in favour of one big assault. Car outre la IIIe armée prussienne, Von Moltke a placé la IVe armée du prince royal de Saxe sur la rive droite de la Meuse, la stratégie de Mac-Mahon paraît compromise, la route directe de Metz par Montmédy est bloquée par les troupes saxonnes. Le 2 septembre, vers 8 heures, l'empereur quitte Sedan car il veut s'entretenir avec le roi de Prusse. [12] Moreover, the batteries were short of ammunition. [33] However, the artillery regiments lacked ammunition. On 14 May, the Allied forces had been wrong-footed and through their failures in deployment forfeited the campaign. Moreover, the German soldiers were exhausted after a five-day advance. Guillaume est proclamé Empereur du deuxième Reich allemand. After preparatory raids, the medium and dive-bombers were to smash the French defences in a concentrated blow lasting 20 minutes. La bataille tourne au désastre, car l'armée prussienne du prince héritier Frédéric de Prusse traverse la Meuse à Donchery, au sud-ouest de Sedan, afin de réaliser la jonction avec les corps armées du prince Albert de Saxe venus de Beaumont après la bataille.