0515_01A: The Verdun of 1940 - PzC 12 France '40

The Battle of Stonne, 15 May 1940: On the evening of May 14th, following the collapse of the French defense at Sedan, the Allied situation was dire but not yet irretrievable. The 5e division légère de cavalerie and other varied elements were deployed west of the Ardennes Canal in a desperate attempt to block the advance the Panzers. Flavigny's XXIe corps d'armée deployed between the Ardennes Canal and the Meuse. He had at his disposal the elite 3e division d'infanterie motorisée, one of the most capable divisions in the Allied armies, the 3e division cuirassée, the 2e division légère de cavalerie, and elements of the 1re division d'infanterie coloniale and 3e division d'infanterie nord-africaine. 1. Panzer-Division had swiveled to the west and had left its left flank and supply lines entirely vulnerable. This golden opportunity would pass without French action. Flavigny had been issued orders to seal off the gap and then to counterattack. The methodical approach was compatible with French doctrine and the slow pace of the First World War but could not cope with the speed of the Panzers. Lacking confidence in the mechanical reliability of French tanks and concerned by reports received from retreating soldiers and officers, Flavigny emphasized the defensive rather than offensive aspect of his mission. He dispersed many of the 3e DCr's tanks in defensive "corks" at key points on the Ardennes Canal and the base of Mont Dieu. Even if Flavigny had committed to an immediate counterattack, the gas-guzzling B1-bis tanks could not have been ready for action on the 14th. By the night of the 14th-15th elements of 10. Panzer-Division, I.R. Grossdeutschland, and two motorized infantry divisions were assembling on Flavigny's front. The French army's chance to deliver a fatal blow to Guderian's motorized corps and restore the situation at Sedan had come and gone. Not content to dig in and wait for a French counterattack, the Germans attacked at dawn on the 15th. The ensuing battle, in which the village of Stonne changed hands 17 times, saw some of the fiercest fighting of the 1940 campaign and, according to one German veteran who was present at both Stalingrad and Monte Cassino, of the entire war. [Size: Medium Small] Note: This "short version" of the scenario covers only the first two days of the battle.