14 May
At Bergen op Zoom, units of the 12 were surrounded by two companies of a SS battalion. The French retreated from Woensdrecht, sealing the fate of their comrades at Bergen op Zoom. They left many tanks and supplies behind.
A Dutch force of about 200 men had taken control of the forest south of Bergen op Zoom, however they were forced to retreat when the French troops in the surrounding area were ordered to fall back. The French launched a counter-attack at Huijbergen. They had armored cars and Hotchkiss tanks available, but lost five Panhard cars and 200 men as POW's. The Germans pushed on, taking hundreds more French and Dutch prisoners.
The occupants of the casement did not join the almost general retreat of the infantry. They stayed in their concrete and steel posts and it was due to their efforts that the Bathline did not fall immediately. When German patrols probed the line, they were met by fierce machine gun fire from the Dutch strongholds and this was enough to deny the SS men any further access to the line. During the evening, the German artillery fire gradually decreased in intensity and it eventually stopped. With the exception of a few sections in the central sector and the casement-crews, the Bathline had been deserted.
The Dutch army laid down their arms at 19:00, except for the armed forces on Zeeland. The formal capitulation agreement was signed the next day.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Zeeland