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How did Stuka dive-bombers affect French defenses at Sedan?

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Nazi leaders in Paris — Battle of France Adolf Hitler (center) in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris shortly after signing an armistice with France, June 1940.

At the Battle of Sedan on May 13, 1940, German Stuka dive-bombers played a decisive role in breaking French defenses along the Meuse River.1

As German forces attempted to cross the river, wave after wave of dive-bombers swooped down on the French troops stationed on the south bank. The French defenders, who lacked sufficient antiaircraft artillery to counter the aerial assault, were subjected to a "nerve-racking strain" that they could not withstand. This intense bombardment effectively neutralized the French resistance, allowing German troops to cross the river in rubber boats and on rafts.1

The success of this operation was further enabled by the fact that the French 2nd and 9th armies were poorly equipped with antitank and antiaircraft weapons, leaving them vulnerable to the German air-ground coordination. While a small number of French aircraft attempted to intervene, they were unable to stop the overwhelming air support provided to the German forces.1