The Escaut (Scheldt) River gave the scattered French units some hope of forming a new defense line before they disintegrated. The Moroccans retreating from Gembloux became intertwined with French units pulling back from Maubeuge and the Mormal Forest. The French High Command had planned to form a new line of defense here anyway, but the situation on the ground bore little resemblance to that shown on their maps. Some bridges over the Escaut already had fallen into German hands, and if the river were to become the new line of defense, then someone had to take them back.

The battered Third Battalion of the 2nd Moroccan Tirailleurs had barely escaped from the Gembloux inferno. Over the previous three days the Moroccans had marched 140 kilometers, and now they drew the task of defending the Escaut around Bouchain. At the Boucheneuil hamlet a small bridge had been taken by the Germans, who repulsed a series of French attacks. Under the cover of growing darkness, the Moroccans attacked again, this time with tank and artillery support. Under clear skies the fierce Tirailleurs overcame mortar and machine-gun fire to take the bridge to that their sappers could mine it. But the explosives failed to completely destroy the bridge, and two S35 tanks were lost in the swamps.

Swallows of Death may be played with the 1st edition pieces and maps from 1940: Fall of France.

When a French piece in the order of battle was apparently Moroccan and was in the Division Marocaine set, that piece was used in the order of battle list. Substitute equivalent French Army pieces Moroccan pieces when the Moroccan piece is unavailable.