This clash formed part of the opening struggle for the Gembloux Gap. As the Allies advanced into Belgium under the Dyle Plan, the French First Army moved to occupy the Gembloux position, while Prioux’s Corps de Cavalerie pushed ahead to screen its deployment and delay the German advance.

On the Hannut axis, 3e Division Légère Mécanique spread across the road net west of the frontier. Its reconnaissance regiment, 12e Régiment de Cuirassiers, operated with Panhard 178 armoured cars, while the division’s tank strength lay with 1er Régiment de Cuirassiers and its Somua S35s, and 2e Régiment de Cuirassiers with Hotchkiss H35/H39 tanks. Opposing them were the forward elements of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 7, probing ahead of 4. Panzer Division with reconnaissance troops and light tanks from Panzer-Regiment 35. What followed was a sharp advance-guard action, fought to gain information, impose delay, and shape the larger battle soon to be fought across the Gap.

Deployment Zones: Units and Blinds are deployed in their respective Deployment Zones.
Roads: Wheeled vehicles move 100% faster on roads.
Woods: Broken Ground (half-speed) and provide light cover (+1D).
Hedges: Cost a Fixed Move to cross and provide light cover (+1D).
Buildings: Each building provides medium cover (+2D) and can hold one infantry platoon.
Objectives 1 & 2: French held objectives – see the Mission Briefings for more information.

The fighting at Hannut formed the opening struggle for the Gembloux Gap. As attacking German armoured forces drove hard into Belgium, Allied armies advanced to meet them.

The Dyle Plan brought the Allied left wing forward into Belgium, while Prioux’s Corps de Cavalerie screened the approaches to the Gembloux Gap.

The Allied Advance into Belgium

When Germany opened its western offensive on 10 May 1940, the campaign in Belgium formed part of a larger operational design. The German high command intended to draw the main Allied armies forward into central Belgium, where they would be fixed in place, while the decisive blow developed farther south. For the Allies, however, the threat through Belgium was real and immediate. The plains east of Brussels and the open country around the Gembloux Gap offered one of the best routes for a rapid advance into northern France. If the Germans reached that ground before the Allied armies had taken position, the consequences could be severe.

The Dyle Plan

The Allied response was the Dyle Plan. Under this plan, the French First Army and the British Expeditionary Force were to advance into Belgium and establish a defensive line running from Antwerp through Louvain and Wavre to the Gembloux Gap. This was an ambitious move. It aimed to meet the Germans head-on, defend Belgian territory, and hold a shorter, more favourable line than one based farther back on the French frontier. The weakness of the plan lay in time and distance. The Allied armies had to move quickly, deploy in the open, and be ready to fight before the Germans could disrupt the process.

Prioux’s Covering Force

To gain that time, the French sent forward Prioux’s Corps de Cavalerie, built around 2e and 3e Divisions Légères Mécaniques. These mechanised cavalry divisions were ordered to cover the advance of the First Army by screening the Belgian frontier, identifying the German thrust, and delaying the enemy long enough for the main Allied line to be organised around Gembloux. Their task was to trade ground for time.

The Road to Hannut

On the Hannut axis, 3e Division Légère Mécanique spread across the road net west of the frontier. Its reconnaissance regiment, 12e Régiment de Cuirassiers, operated with Panhard 178 armoured cars, while the division’s tank strength lay with 1er Régiment de Cuirassiers and its Somua S35s, and 2e Régiment de Cuirassiers with Hotchkiss H35/H39 tanks. Opposing them were the forward elements of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 7, probing ahead of 4. Panzer Division with reconnaissance troops and light tanks from Panzer Regiment 35.

Key Forces

France
Corps de Cavalerie
2e DLM
3e DLM

Germany
XVI. Armeekorps (mot.)
3. Panzer Division
4. Panzer Division

The Gembloux Gap

The Gembloux Gap was one of the most important operational corridors in Belgium. Unlike the more enclosed terrain farther north and south, the Gap offered broad, open ground well suited to rapid movement by mechanised forces. If German armour reached it before the Allied line had formed, the road into the rear of the Allied left wing would lie open. For that reason, Prioux’s cavalry screen had a clear purpose: delay the German advance long enough for the French First Army to occupy the Gembloux position in strength.

This is an After Action Report of a game played with Combat HQ rules.

Figure Scale: 6mm.

British: Mike, Andy, Simon.

Germans: Bryn, Andy on 31^st January 2026 at Ulster Wargames Society.

Forces: British 2 Infantry Battalions and an Armoured Battalion.

Germans: Two Infantry Battalions and an Armoured Battalion.

The British had a superior number of points.

Game set in 1944 in a generic area around Caen.

The AAR is from the British point of view, as inevitably, being British, I wasn’t privy to the full German forces or plan.

The Map

Initial Deployments

The Battle

The British plan was to send the 1^st Dorsets up the left of the road and the 2^nd Dorsets up the right. They were to take Aubrey Farm and St-Pierre Farm by mass assault and create a position for the 12^th Hussars to then be deployed.

Mike leading the 1^st Dorsets was somewhat slowed by a hedge line in his way and getting spotted early by the German outposts. Andy leading the 2^nd Dorsets unobstructed and with failed spotting rolls by the Germans was able to rapidly race to St Pierre Farm, getting three full companies deployed at close range.

The combined effect of the 2^nd Dorsets’ firepower was able to rapidly destroy the German outpost at St-Pierre clearly causing some consternation in the German ranks as the infantry deployed behind a wood behind the farm bugged out back to their main position along the Rued-Rouget farm line.

The 1^st Dorsets took a bit longer to clear Aubrey Farm but eventually completed the task but then came under fire from a German infantry company and Hertzer Company deployed behind.

Simon commanding the British Armoured Battalion, sent forward a company of Archers to St-Pierre farm to bring fire on the Hertzer’s in support of Mike’s attack. They had their effect driving off the German armour as Mike’s infantry threatened to close on them.

As the German outpost line began to collapse under the pressure, things seemed to be going well. The Germans raced up from reserve some more infantry and AT guns to their main line along a line from Rued Farm to Rouget farm to the northern wood. British Artillery forward observers plotted a barrage on the German AT units coming up the road, and the scene seemed set for a great success as Andy and Mike began to prepare for phase two.

Picture Below from German point of view

Photo: The British Push

Alas, a constant series of command failures cancelled and prevented the barrage and the terrible sight of a full company of German Panthers and Tigers and a company of StuGs coming up and forming a line between Rouget and the wood and more German infantry and AT reinforcing between Rued farm and Rouget farm made it clear that further advance would be difficult without a co-ordinated attack.

The Archer company, which had been driving off the Hertzers along with Mike’s infantry, was rapidly destroyed by the hail of German long-range AT fire.

Mike and Andy were largely bogged down at this stage under fire. A decision was taken for both battalions to drive forward, with Andy inclining to the north to join with Mike’s right flank and this mass of infantry to form a screen as the British armoured battalion entering on the extreme northern side of the table moved up in a mass column behind the infantry, aiming for the point between Rouget farm and the wood, hoping to use the infantry to screen them until they were close enough to take on the German heavy armour at close range and overwhelm them by mass.

Alas, the day came to an end, and the British could only claim they had at least pushed in the German outpost line.

Photo: The Final position before nightfall

Key Take Aways

The Germans acted very historically, using an outpost line of infantry to soak up the initial British advance and slow it, forcing units of their blinds to slow down. By the time the British had cleared the outpost line, the Germans had formed a formidable line ahead.

In retrospect, had the British used their staff orders early before command failures started they could have used their armour in mass in the centre whilst the two infantry battalions pushed the outposts back and this might have allowed them to get closer to the German main line before the German heavy armour deployed. It was only when too late and only with a chain of command failures did the British recall they could have put down a smoke screen, which would also have helped against the German long range firepower. The Germans had held the line.

A good game played in good humour by all.

S. P. Reid

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