Battle of Elsloo

Second Battle of Elsloo
Part of Western Front
Date February 25, 1940 Location Elsloo, Holland Result French victory
Belligerents
File:Flag of France.png France	Germany
Commanders and leaders
File:Flag of France.png Maurice Gamelin	Gerd von Rundstedt
Strength
150,000	300,000
Casualties and losses
no reliable estimates	no reliable estimates

The Second Battle of Elsloo was one of the first engagements on the Western Front, and the Germans were beaten back in their attack on the city, which had been captured last year.

Background

Western Front front lines as of February 25, 1940.

The French Republic declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, following the German invasion of Poland, a weak Eastern country. The French were eager to fight, and 5,000,000 French able-bodied young men were called up to arms to fight against the Germans. The war was focused on the Eastern Front in the war with Poland for Germany, while France and Britain did not fight the Germans as much as they expected, despite a few limited clashes.

However, the Germans were gradually gaining ground in the Low Countries. However, following the Capture of Elsloo in late 1939, the French set up a new defensive perimeter, the Gamelin Line, and they held this position against many attacks. One such occured on February 25, 1940.

Battle

The Germans, from Sittard in Belgium and Maaseik in Holland, attacked the town from two axes. The Germans pushed into town, but the French soldiers held all of their command posts against German attack and the German troops were gunned down by the dozen by the French soldiers, and they were forced to retreat from this failed attack. They left behind several killed and wounded, but the French lost almost that much as well.