The Montcornet Counterattack, France 1940 | Taking the Bridges | Easy Red 2 Mod

5/17/1940 Map and Missions by Xerxes https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile... Taking the Bridges at Le Hurtaut was one of the key objectives of Colonel Charles de Gaulle's counterattack during the Battle of Montcornet on 17 May 1940. Le Hurtaut (often written Hurtaut or Hurteau) lay just east of Montcornet and controlled important road and stream crossings that German forces were using to support their advance. De Gaulle's operational plan specifically called for the seizure of both Montcornet and Hurtaut, aiming to disrupt German supply and command routes. In the early hours of the attack, French tank units advanced rapidly and overran several German positions, destroying transport columns and reconnaissance elements. The crossings around Le Hurtaut were particularly important because they offered one of the few routes through the area for vehicles and artillery. French armored units reached and temporarily secured some of these approaches, threatening German rear-area communications and causing concern among elements of General Heinz Guderian's XIX Panzer Corps. However, the French advance soon encountered determined resistance from German anti-tank guns, artillery, and aircraft. Lacking sufficient infantry support and air cover, the French were unable to consolidate their gains around the bridges. By afternoon, German reinforcements had stabilized the situation, and the French attack lost momentum. Although the crossings at Le Hurtaut were contested and briefly threatened, the French could not hold them, and the counterattack eventually withdrew. The action nevertheless demonstrated that German supply lines were vulnerable and represented one of the most aggressive French armored counterattacks of the 1940 campaign.