As a period of relative quiet came to Stonne after the two-day battle there, the French set about reinforcing their western flank: the Mont Dieu woods line along the Ardennes Canal. Reinforcements included horsemen from the 1st Brigade de Cavalerie. The long-expected German attack on the canal line finally arrived early on the foggy morning of 23 May. The Germans hoped to encircle the Stonne position and force the French to withdraw. Two infantry regiments moved toward Hill 276 on a two-kilometer front, attacking the 1st Hussards after a nasty initial bombardment.

When you've lost everything, remember you still have honor.

The 1st Hussards, first raised in 1719, had fought with distinction at Dettingen, Valmy, Eylau and Sebastopol. They had been nearly annihilated at Sedan in 1870, in the suicidal charge that caused Kaiser Wilhem I to exclaim, "Ah, les brave gens!" This was one ofthe French Army's proudest regiments and they added to the legend on 23 May 1940.

Despite the marshy ground and poor visibility, the 400 Hussars held firm on the heights of the Mont-Dieu woods, facing ten times their number and cutting down more than 130 German soldiers. But the sheer weight of the assault cut the 1st Hussards in two, and the Germans overran another French group to the south. Elsewhere along the river and around Tannay, small French groups continued to defend the bridges and tried to hold the line in hopes of a counterattack.