The French 7th Army, commanded by the renowned General Henri Honoré Giraud, was tasked with safeguarding the port of Antwerp and its surrounding region in the event of a German invasion in the west. Its role was defined by a strategic plan known as the "Manoeuvre Dyle-Breda" or in short "Hypothèse Breda.
The two French divisions assigned to Zeeland were the 60th Infantry Division - consisting of the 241st, 270th, and 271st Infantry Regiments, the 50th Artillery Regiment, and the 68th Reconnaissance Group under Brigadier General Deslaurens - and the 68th Infantry Division, comprising the 224th, 225th, and 341st Infantry Regiments, the 89th and 289th Artillery Regiments, and the 59th Reconnaissance Group under Brigadier General Beaufrère.
Both were so called "B-type" divisions, composed largely of older reservists, much like the Dutch units stationed in Zeeland. By French standards, these formations were generally regarded as poorly ranked, inadequately trained, and insufficiently equipped. Their transport relied heavily on bicycles, horses, and carts, while only a limited number of staff units possessed modest motorisation. As a result, it would take the main body of the 60th Division three full days to reach its destination. However, the division’s advance elements were transported by ship and arrived in Flushing on the afternoon of the first day.
The 68th Division - which had not originally been part of the 7th Army - had been assigned coastal defence duties along the Belgian coast. One detachment under Brigadier General Durand, in short known as "Detachment Durand", had been prepared for immediate overseas deployment in the event of war. It consisted of an infantry battalion (II/224th Infantry Regiment), a platoon of motorcycle reconnaissance infantry from the 59th Reconnaissance Group, and a battery of 25 mm anti-aircraft guns.
Following news of the German invasion, the detachment Durand was rapidly mobilised and embarked at Dunkirk. Escorted by several small French destroyers [FS L’Incomprise, FS Branlebas, FS Frondeur, FS Adroit, and FS Fougueux] and preceded by French and British minesweepers, the large coastal vessel FS Côte d’Azur (with most of the troops and equipment on board) sailed for Flushing, arriving at 04:15 in the early morning of 11 May. The formations deployed in and around Flushing upon arrival, whilst Durand made contact with the Dutch command.
Early in the afternoon of 10 May, the first French troops arrived over land at the port of Breskens in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen after a remarkably rapid advance through embattled Belgium. These forces consisted of mechanised reconnaissance units from the 2nd GRDI (Groupe de Reconnaissance de Division d’Infanterie), the 9th DIM (Division d’Infanterie Motorisée), and the 12th and 27th GRDI, all under the command of Colonel De Beauchesne. They were under orders to occupy the Scheldt shores ahead of any German formations until relieved by the forces of the 60th and 68th Division.
This forward detachment was intended to proceed to Noord-Brabant once Detachment Durand had arrived in Flushing and deployed according to plan. Colonel De Beauchesne’s detachment was equipped with a number of light tanks and Panhard P-178 armoured cars. The Colonel himself had raced ahead of his main force and reached Dutch headquarters in Middelburg as early as 15:00 hours; a very remarkable achievement!
During the course of the day, the British destroyer HMS Verity docked in the harbour of Flushing, carrying a demolition party under Commander Cazalet. Their arrival was met with considerable scepticism. Both the Dutch and the French were astonished that Britain’s much-vaunted military contribution appeared to consist of little more than a small team of demolition engineers whose sole mission was to destroy installations that might prove useful to the Germans. To make matters worse, the party had failed to bring sufficient explosives for its tasks and expected the Dutch to supply them - which they ultimately did. During the week that followed, the small British detachment would frequently provoke irritation among both soldiers and civilians.
Indeed, it seemed as though the British had already written off the Dutch position before the fighting had even reached Zeeland. The conduct of the demolition party further reinforced this impression. Civilians as well as Dutch and French troops often saw the British playing football while others were occupied unloading ships and clearing debris after air raids. When the demolition team was eventually called into action a few days later, it proved poorly prepared. The designated targets were blown up, but the engineers had either underestimated the strength of the structures or overestimated the effectiveness of their charges, resulting in only minor damage to the harbour facilities. Once the Germans took control, the damage was repaired in a short time.
In the months that followed, from June to September 1940, the RAF carried out numerous bombing raids on Flushing harbour. These attacks caused many civilian casualties and destroyed large numbers of houses and other civilian buildings, often without seriously damaging the intended targets. As a result, the British initially found little sympathy among the local population. Over time, however, they gradually regained the confidence and support of the civilians.!