Battle of Hannut

Overview

The Battle of Hannut was a Second World War battle fought during the Battle of Belgium which took place between 12 and 14 May 1940 at Hannut in Belgium. It was the largest tank battle in the campaign. It was also the largest clash of tanks in armoured warfare history at the time.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Hannut, fought in Belgium on 12–14 May 1940, was the largest tank battle of the 1940 campaign in the West and, at the time, the largest armored clash in the history of warfare. Occurring within the broader Battle of Belgium, it brought together French forces under René Prioux against a German armored force under Erich Hoepner that outnumbered the French in personnel. French casualties are not recorded in available sources, though German losses reached between 164 and 200. The engagement's scale marked a significant moment in the evolution of armored warfare, demonstrating the scope of mechanized operations that characterized the opening phase of the German offensive in the West.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)