On 12 May the first armored skirmishes raged around the positions of the 2nd DLM at Hannut before the Germans of the 4th Panzer Division turned aside. The following morning, with the 3rd Panzer Division at its side, the offensive continued. At Hannut, one German column of the 3rd Panzer Division stormed the twin villages of Orp (Orp-le-Grand and Orp-le-Petit) and engaged various small French detachments in the fields beyond. After a brief pause to gather some force, one column drove south towards the village of Jandrain to isolate its garrison from the second defensive line at Jauche. A cautious advance towards the grainfields proved judicious as some Hotchkiss tanks were discovered guarding the village and a platoon of Somuas was spotted further west on the road leading to Jauche. Two Pzkw IVs were destroyed and some PzJg IB from PzJg Abt 39 were called forward.
The attack continued at a slow pace but developed at about 1300 hours as a column from Panzer Rgt 35 of the 4th Pz Division pushed through the 2nd DLM's defense at Merdorp. Three Somua platoons were held in reserve to avoid an encirclement from that direction and were given the order to reach the crest-line near the water tower of Jandrain. Lt. Pasteur went too far, leading his platoon into Jandrenouille. Captain Amel kept the heights and repulsed the 4th Panzer's tanks. At 1600 hours, the Somuas were ordered to fall back into Jauche. When they left, the pressure on Captain Lizeray's 1st Battalion became unbearable and an attempt to reach Jauche under the protection of the surviving Hotchkiss tanks was made. Once in the open ground between the two villages, the Dragoons were cut down by the fire of about fifty tanks. Most of the survivors were then captured while only half of the Hotchkiss tanks escaped.
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