Battle of Arras (1940)

Battle of Arras (1940). The Battle of Arras was a significant, though ultimately unsuccessful, Allied counter-attack during the Battle of France in the Second World War. Launched on 21 May 1940 by a mixed British and French force, its objective was to sever the spearhead of the advancing German Army and relieve the besieged British Expeditionary Force. While the attack caused considerable alarm and temporary disruption within the German high command, it failed to achieve its strategic goals and was repulsed by forces including the 7th Panzer Division under Erwin Rommel.

Background

Following the rapid German breakthrough in the Ardennes and the subsequent advance to the English Channel during the Battle of Sedan, the Allied armies in northern France and Belgium were in danger of being encircled. The British Expeditionary Force, alongside the French First Army, was being pushed back towards the channel ports. In response to the deteriorating situation, the Allied commander, Maxime Weygand, devised the Weygand Plan, which called for simultaneous attacks from north and south to cut the German corridor. The attack from the north was to be launched from around Arras, a key communication center. The force assembled for this task, codenamed Frankforce, was commanded by Major-General Harold Franklyn and comprised a hastily organized mix of British infantry from the 5th Infantry Division and the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, supported by a limited number of Matilda I and Matilda II tanks from the 1st Army Tank Brigade.

The battle

The attack commenced in the afternoon of 21 May 1940, with two columns advancing south from Arras. The right column, consisting primarily of French units from the 3rd Light Mechanized Division under General Marie-Germain-Christian de La Laurencie, made limited progress. The left, British column achieved initial, startling success. The heavily armored Matilda II tanks proved largely impervious to standard German 37mm anti-tank guns, overrunning positions of the 7th Panzer Division and the SS Division Totenkopf. The advance caused panic among German infantry and support units, reaching as far as the villages of Wailly and Achicourt. The situation was stabilized by the personal intervention of Erwin Rommel, who ordered every available weapon, including 88mm anti-aircraft guns and 105mm field howitzers, to be deployed in a direct-fire role against the tanks. This heavy artillery fire, combined with mounting losses, mechanical failures, and a lack of infantry support, halted the British advance. By evening, the Allied forces were compelled to withdraw to their start lines.

Aftermath

The counter-attack at Arras, while a tactical failure, had significant psychological and operational consequences. It inflicted one of the first substantial local reverses on the seemingly unstoppable Wehrmacht, causing high-level anxiety at OKW and contributing to the critical decision by Gerd von Rundstedt and Adolf Hitler to halt the panzer advance on 24 May, known as the Halt Order. This pause arguably facilitated the evacuation from Dunkirk. For the Allies, the battle highlighted severe deficiencies in coordination, communication, and combined arms tactics. The heavy losses in tanks and men further weakened the already beleaguered BEF, which continued its retreat towards the coast. The city of Arras itself fell to German forces shortly thereafter on 24 May.

Assessment

Military historians regard the Battle of Arras as a bold but flawed operation. It demonstrated the potential vulnerability of over-extended panzer formations and the effectiveness of well-armored infantry tanks like the Matilda II in certain conditions. However, it also exposed critical Allied weaknesses: the attack was undermanned, lacked adequate air support from the Royal Air Force, and suffered from poor coordination between British and French units and between armor and infantry. The German response, particularly the improvisational use of 88mm guns as anti-tank weapons, became a hallmark of their tactical flexibility. Ultimately, the battle failed to alter the strategic course of the Battle of France, but its shock effect on the German command influenced subsequent decisions during the Dunkirk evacuation.

In popular culture

The Battle of Arras has been depicted in several notable works concerning the early phase of the Second World War. It features prominently in the 1969 film *The Battle of Britain*, which includes scenes of the attack and the German reaction. The battle is also a key sequence in the 1974 television series *The World at War*, using contemporary footage and veteran accounts. More recently, it was portrayed in the 2017 film *Dunkirk*, directed by Christopher Nolan, which contextualizes the desperate Allied actions preceding the evacuation. The battle is a common scenario in historical wargames and is detailed in numerous historical documentaries and books on the Fall of France.

Category:Battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom Category:Battles of World War II involving France Category:Battles of World War II involving Germany Category:Battles of the Battle of France Category:Conflicts in 1940 Category:History of Pas-de-Calais