The Montcornet Counterattack, France 1940 | 3e RAM Outflanked! | Easy Red 2 Mod

5/16/1940 Map and Missions by Xerxes https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile... The Battle of Montcornet took place on 17 May 1940 during the early stages of the German invasion of France in World War II. It occurred near the town of Montcornet in northern France, as German armored forces were pushing rapidly through the Ardennes toward the Channel coast. By this point, French defenses were already collapsing in several sectors after the breakthrough at Sedan. The engagement is most notable because it was one of the few early counterattacks launched by French armored forces, led by then-Colonel Charles de Gaulle, commanding the 4th Armored Division (4e Division cuirassée). De Gaulle’s force struck elements of the German XIX Panzer Corps under General Heinz Guderian. The French managed to temporarily disrupt German movements and destroy some vehicles, particularly around the village approaches and road junctions. However, despite initial local success, the French attack lacked sufficient air support, artillery coordination, and logistical depth. German forces quickly regrouped and counterattacked with superior combined-arms tactics, forcing de Gaulle’s units to withdraw. While the battle had no strategic impact on the overall campaign, it became symbolically important as one of the rare French armored counteroffensives during the 1940 collapse, and it helped establish de Gaulle’s reputation as one of the few French commanders willing to challenge German operational momentum. On May 16, the mobile elements of the 3rd Armored Car Regiment of the 3rd Light Cavalry Division were deployed facing northeast around Dizy-le-Gros and along the Serre River, where the bridges at Montcornet and Rozoy-sur-Serre were already held by the Germans. Around 4:00 p.m., approximately one hundred German tanks arrived at Dizy-le-Gros from the south via the Reims Road, taking the 3rd RAM in the rear. After a battle fought without heavy weaponry, the survivors of the three engaged squadrons withdrew under cover of darkness toward Sissonne.