The forward German scouts stumbled upon the small French force in the first action. While the French surpised them with a vicious volley of direct and anti-tank fire, it was more of a welcoming commitee, as not a single German unit suffered a "scratch" let alone broke morale. The French stunned by the fact that they had not damaged a single German hesitated, and the Germans quickly organized and executed an assault. The French were out of the race, their horse had been "scratched".