Made in Belgium Nº2 : How 80 Belgians stood against 12.000 German Soldiers in May 1940.
Share
On 10 May 1940 as German troops launched their offensive in Belgium, a striking episode unfolded in the village of Chabrehez in the Belgian Ardennes.
The Belgian high command had anticipated that the Ardennes would serve mainly as a delay zone. Difficult to defend and apart from agriculture, the region had no real strategic importance. The goal was to slow the enemy long enough to allow the army to deploy in strength behind the Meuse, between Namur and Liège. At Chabrehez, this role of “Bouchon” fell to 80 Chasseurs Ardennais*. These elite soldiers were children of the land, men who knew their forests and valleys like no others. They carried a strong spirit, forged in hills of the Belgian Ardennes.
The Germans thought they could easily march over the hill, unaware of the storm that awaited them .. The Chasseurs Ardennais were an elite infantry formation of the Belgian Army - created in 1933 specifically to defend the Ardennes region in the southeast of Belgium, renowned for knowing their terrain like no one else. They remain a symbol of Belgian military courage, often described as tenacious and fiercely tied to their homeland.
« Mais les ardennais sont des gens têtus, j'en suis un, je le sais bien. Et on leur avait dit : tu résistes jusqu'à nouvel ordre. Ils ont obéi à leurs instructions et ils étaient très bien encadrés par 2 officiers qui se sont sacrifiés pour tenir la position. » Olivier Weyrich
In front of them, the German 7th Panzer Division, under the command of Major General Erwin Rommel — a name that would soon echo through history as the leader of the ‘Ghost Division’ one of the most renowned armored formations of World War II.
German tanks and infantry advanced, confident they would crush the defenders. Leaving chaos and fear wherever they passed, the Panzer Division came near the little village of Chabrehez. Hearing the distant echoes of German chants, the Chasseurs Ardennais prepared their positions, ready to firmly block the invader’s advance. The Chasseurs Ardennais, though vastly outnumbered, held their ground with unwavering courage and determination. The resistance of Chabrehez lasted +10 hours, the fire and tactics of the 80 Belgians convinced Rommel that he faced a full battalion.
Forced to pause and reorganize, the German division lost time, men and munition. While the small group of defenders continued their desperate stand with tenacity. It was around 9 p.m. that the resistance of Chabruez broke. 80 Belgian soldiers delayed the advance of 12.000 German soldiers, disrupting the German’s plans and buying important time for Belgian Army to regroup. Even today, The Resistance of Chabrehez is a symbol of courage and patriotism, where the fierce determination of local defenders fighted the ennemies.
