On May 10, 1940, the Ardennes Chasseurs fought against the Germans at Bodange. We immerse ourselves in this battle full of rebounds thanks to the circuit of 5 panels in the province of Luxembourg in Belgium.
The Ardennes Hunters are an elite unit. Their distinctive sign: a green Basque beret decorated with a boar’s head.
”Standing on the border On the slopes of the black hills, Here, is the proud troop that watches without rest. Before the threat the hunter faces, And fights and fights one against three and fights one against three”.
Extract from the March of the Ardennes Hunters
The first panel shows the general alert in Bodange. The Chasseurs blow up a bridge to prevent the advance of the Germans. All the events are described on the second panel. A second platoon positioned on the hill called “Stein” confronts the invaders who attack from the other side. For more information on this resistance, go to the third panel!
Then, we discover the shelters built from 1933 by Devèze, Minister of Defense. The Wisembach forts served as a decoy to trap the Germans. They went around them thinking they were occupied. Discover the complete story on the fourth panel.
Finally with the last panel we discover the end of the fighting in Bodange. The advance of the German army finally forces the Ardennes Chasseurs to withdraw. Thus, they are forced to surrender, but their resistance strongly slowed down the German progression. The Germans then invaded the town and occupied the houses.
When they had no more resistance, the Germans took over the village and climbed into all the houses. Our house was a Gruyere: the wall was ripped open, revealing the two-body wardrobe that could not hold its contents.
Léonie Feller, 5 years old in May 1940
