French advance at arras 5/4/40

[robot]

Arras France
5/4/1940
1300 Hours

I have been given command of the IV Legioneers Dragoons. This consists of 3 companys of elite legioneer troops. Plus we have 2 companys of tanks one of medium tanks and a company of heavy tanks. Each platoon has an atr team attatched and a HMG as well. Each comapny will have a section of sappuers attatched as well. Plus a platoon of 60mm mortars assigned to each company and a battery of 81 mm Mortars. CO D is made up of 3 platoons of renault DI tanks. Co E is 3 platoons of heavy tanks.

Hq has a battery of 152 heavy mortars under there command. We are a heavy attack force although the infantry is not mech they have trained to have high endurance lvls and are able to travel large distances and still be ready to engage in battle at the end of the marches.

We are considered to be a very heavy fighting force with alot of fire power. Although a lot of our force is green we do have a core of veterans from the french legioneers that fought in africa for the last two years.

We are to advance in less then 5 minutes against the German panzer division that is moving towards Paris. We are only 102 miles from Paris.
We understand the force is called the XV Panzer Grenadiers veterens from Poland. We must at least hurt or stop them here or Paris is doomed. This should give our men some high motivation to fight today.

We are ready and all the men are up for this. I hear the deep roar of the heavy tanks beginging to start there moters. I must stop and get out there and pep up our men. I hope for Frances sake we are successful today in our efforts.

HQ: IV Legion Dragoons
Col: Marcelle DuBois Commanding

[Alby]

you gave up on the Italians??
[:)]

[robot]

I never give up just holding off on them for a bit. Its so dam frustrating fighting with them is all. Wanted to get all the powers in the war was all.

[robot]

Arras France
5/4/1940
1330 Hours

We are moving well towards tthe objectives. Our losses so far are minimul. Maybe 15 men and 2 or 3 pieces of armor. The Germans dont seem to have too much in the way of heavy artty today. Mostly 81 morters and a couple of 105s have been dropping on us so far. A in the north is very close to capturing there objectives. They have run into only infantry no armor so far. Our artty is doing a bang up job of keeping the Germans slowed and dug down deep in there holes allowing our men to get close and not miss when they open up.

The recon photo shows how close A is to capturing the north objective. The platoon of meduim tanks has gotten to far out in front of the infantry. I have given orders for them to slow down and let the infantry get out in front of them.

Some time it is hard to hold the tankers back when all they are facing is dug in infantry. Our morters took out a Pz IV E a few minutes ago. An 81 dropped right down into the open hatch as the tank commander was giving instructions for the gunner to fire at one of ours. It blowed the hatch completely off of the dam tank.

B Co in the middle still has quite aways before they reach there objective.
They have been having a rough time of it so far. Lots of opposition to there advance. Here too our artty has been doing a bang up job of routing the enemy and keeping there heads down so we can get up close and personal. They have somewhere around 400 feet to go and are moving slow and easy. I told them there is no real hurry we got all day to get to where we are trying to today.

The men are doing a bang up job of standing up to the Germans and giving no quarter to them. This battle still has quite a ways to go but the outcome has already been decided in our favor. B CO in the center is the only one who has had any kind of German armor to face today. Three tanks have shown up a stug and 2 PZ III Hs. Have taken out one of the PZIIIH so far with no losses to our side. Have even put a couple of shots into the stug with no apparent damage so far.

HQ: IV Dragoons
Col: Marcelle DuBois Commanding

[robot]

Arras France
5/4/1940
1330 Hours

This is C CO in the south. They are with in 350 feet of the southern objective and have run into a slew of infantry and at least four tanks.

HQ: IV Dragoons
Col: Marcelle DuBois Commanding

[Riun T]

now start circling your tanks back into your infantry line!!! and turn on the ARRTY!!

[robot]

Arras France
5/4/1940
1410 Hours

A in the north has taken there objectives. They have not been secured as yet. They are still being pressed by a lot of infantry and now some tanks have showed up. The very north of there flank has been attacked by at least a platoon of heavy tanks. Our tanks have manged to take out at least three of the German tanks with no losses for our side.

C comapny has managed to take there objectives as well. They too have had at least a platoon of tanks show up and the infantry is still fighting hard and not giving up ground very easy. They are digging in and fighting for every piece of ground we try and take from them. We have to fight for every 50 feet of ground we take. Our losses in men power is starting to get some what high. Some squads are down below half strength and at least one squad from C has been eliminated.

B in the center is still having a hard time even trying to move forward 50 feet. They are still at least 250 feet from reaching the front of there objective area. Here too the loss of men has begun to mount up. It is hard to dig these Germans out without a heavy loss of life any more. They too have taken out at least 7 tanks of maybe 3 platoons of tanks that has begun to move against them.

Our losses in armor has only been 3 SPAA units no loss of our heavy armor at all. We have also lost 2 atr teams and one HMG team. Our losses in men has to be getting up near 300 men. I dont have an accuate count as yet. Im sure the german losses have to be getting near 800 men. Our artty has accounted for most of these kills im sure. The 81 and 120 Morters have not been quite for even a minute. And they are doing heavy damage to there men as well as taking out a couple pieces of there armor.

This battle is ours im sure of this. I just dont know how many more lives are going to be lost to take the rear objectives. We still have along way to go to reach the rear targets. Took out a couple of 88 awhile back and feel that they are not the only ones we will have to face as we move towards the rear. We are inflicting heavy losses to the enemy but they continue to show heavy resistence to us. Our men have been exceptional today in doing all I have asked of them. The extra training we put them thru before this battle sure has paid off.

HQ: IV Dragoons
Col: Marcelle DuBois Commanding

[robot]

Arras France
5/4/1940
1455 Hours

Almost two hours and the Germans have had enough. They are running from the battle field. We have defeated them this time and they are retreating. Dunkirk is safe and our allies can begin to remove there troops safely. The Germans have been pushed back for now. We lost 245 men one artty and 7 pieces of armor. While we killed 2351 germans and took out 39 artty plus 54 tanks.

The Germans fought hard but our men fought even harder. Our artty was a big factor in our success today. There constant bombardment and excellent accuracy made the big difference in our advance. They took out a lot of men and armor with well placed shots. The Germans where under extreme pressure from our men and very good shooting of our gunners.

The high command has sent down orders we are to pull back to Marseille and begin loading for our next assignment. We are to ship out for Egypt and to begin desert training in preperation for a campaign against the Italians in septmber of this year.

That gives us almost 5 months to get refitted and recieve replacments and train them. Our first battle together has been a hugh success and now we have some what of a veteran base to expand from. We took on the dreaded german panzer force and beat them. I just cannot see how we will not do as well if not better against the Italians.

High command has sent down a unit citation for our men. This has really lifted the spirits of our men. Now we are reconized as a true fighting force.

HQ: IV Dragoons
Col: Marcelle DuBois Commanding