- Order of battle for the Battle of France
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The Order of Battle for the Battle of France details the hierarchy of the major combatant forces in the Battle of France in May 1940.
Contents
Allies
The bulk of the forces of the Allies were French, although the United Kingdom (British Expeditionary Force), Netherlands, and Belgium had significant forces in the battle opposing Germany. Supreme Command was held by the French Commander-in-Chief General de'armee Maurice Gamelin, his deputy General de'armee Alphonse Joseph Georges was appointed Commander of the North Western Front.
French First Army Group
The 1st Army Group was tasked with guarding the northeast frontier of France, and with moving into Belgium and the Netherlands to oppose any German invasion of those nations. The First controlled four French armies as well as the Belgian Army and the British Expeditionary Force. General de'armee Gaston Bilotte was Commander-in-Chief until his death in a car crash on 23 May 1940, General de'armee Georges Maurice Jean Blanchard was appointed to succeed him.
- French 1st Army
- French Cavalry Corps
- 2nd Light Mechanized Division
- 3rd Light Mechanized Division
- French 3rd Corps
- French 4th Corps
- 32nd Infantry Division
- French 5th Corps
- Belgian VII Corps
- 2nd Chasseurs Ardennais
- 8th Infantry Division
- French Cavalry Corps
- French 2nd Army
- Direct reporting:
- 2nd Light Cavalry Division
- 5th Light Cavalry Division
- 1st Cavalry Brigade
- French 10th Corps
- 3rd North African Infantry Division
- 5th Light Cavalry Division
- 55th Infantry Division
- 71st Infantry Division
- French 18th Corps
- 1st Colonial Infantry Division
- 41st Infantry Division
- Direct reporting:
- French 7th Army
- Direct reporting:
- French 1st Corps
- 1st Light Mechanized Division
- 25th Motorized Division
- French 16th Corps
- French 9th Army
- Direct reporting:
- French 2nd Corps
- 4th Light Cavalry Division
- 5th Motorized Division
- French 11th Corps
- 1st Light Cavalry Division
- 18th Infantry Division
- 22nd Infantry Division
- French 41st Corps
- 61st Infantry Division
- 102nd Fortress Division
- 3rd Spahi Brigade
- British Expeditionary Force - General Lord Gort
- Directly reporting:
- 5th Infantry Division
- 12th Infantry Division
- 23rd Infantry Division
- 46th Infantry Division
- British I Corps - Lieutenant-General Michael Barker succeeded by Major-General Harold Alexander
- 1st Infantry Division
- 2nd Infantry Division
- 48th Infantry Division
- British II Corps - Lieutenant-General Alan Brooke succeeded by Major-General Bernard Montgomery
- 3rd Infantry Division
- 4th Infantry Division
- 50th Infantry Division
- British III Corps - Lieutenant-General Ronald Adam
- Directly reporting:
- Belgian Army - King Leopold III of Belgium took personal command, Lieutenant General Édouard van den Bergen was Chief of the General Staff.
- Belgian I Corps
- 1st Infantry Division
- 4th Infantry Division
- 7th Infantry Division
- Belgian II Corps
- 6th Infantry Division
- 11th Infantry Division
- 14th Infantry Division
- Belgian III Corps
- 1st Chasseurs Ardennais
- 2nd Infantry Division
- 3rd Infantry Division
- Belgian IV Corps
- 9th Infantry Division
- 15th Infantry Division
- 18th Infantry Division
- Belgian V Corps
- 12th Infantry Division
- 13th Infantry Division
- 17th Infantry Division
- Belgian VI Corps
- 5th Infantry Division
- 10th Infantry Division
- 16th Infantry Division
- Belgian Cavalry Corps
- 1st Cavalry Division
- 2nd Cavalry Division
- Belgian I Corps
French Second Army Group
The French 2nd Army Group was responsible for manning the bulk of the Maginot Line from Montmedy to south of Strasbourg, and controlled three armies. General de Armee Andre-Gaston Pretelat was Commander-in-Chief of the army group throughout its existence.
- French 3rd Army
- Directly reporting:
- 3rd Light Cavalry Division
- 6th Infantry Division
- 6th North African Infantry Division
- 6th Colonial Infantry Division
- 7th Infantry Division
- 8th Infantry Division
- French Colonial Corps
- 2nd Infantry Division
- British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division
- 56th Infantry Division
- French 6th Corps
- 26th Infantry Division
- 42nd Infantry Division
- French 24th Corps
- 51st Infantry Division
- French 42nd Corps
- 20th Infantry Division
- 58th Infantry Division
- Directly reporting:
- French 4th Army
- Directly reporting:
- Polish 1st Infantry Division
- 45th Infantry division
- French 9th Corps
- 11th Infantry Division
- 47th Infantry Division
- French 20th Corps
- 52nd Infantry Division
- 82nd African Infantry Division
- Directly reporting:
- French 5th Army
- Directly reporting:
- 44th Infantry Division
- French 8th Corps
- 24th Infantry Division
- 31st Infantry Division
- French 12th Corps
- 16th Infantry Division
- 35th Infantry Division
- 70th Infantry Division
- French 17th Corps
- 62nd Infantry Division
- 103rd Infantry Division
- French 43rd Corps
- 30th Infantry Division
- Directly reporting:
French Third Army Group
The French 3rd Army Group was responsible for manning the southern end of the Maginot Line, along the River Rhine and controlled a single army. The army group's Commander-in-Chief was General de Armee Antoine-Marie-Benoit Besson.
- French 8th Army
- French 7th Corps
- 13th Infantry Division
- 27th Infantry Division
- French 13th Corps
- 19th Infantry Division
- 54th Infantry Division
- 104th Infantry Division
- 105th Infantry Division
- French 44th Corps
- 67th Infantry Division
- French 45th Corps
- 57th Infantry Division
- 63th Infantry Division
- Polish Second Infantry Fusiliers Division
- French 7th Corps
Dutch Army
The Netherlands had four corps, one motorized division and a defense division deployed to begin the battle. General Henri Winkelman was Supreme Commander of the Dutch Army.
- Dutch I Corps
- Dutch 1st Infantry Division
- Dutch 3rd Infantry Division
- Dutch II Corps
- Dutch 2nd Infantry Division
- Dutch 4th Infantry Division
- Dutch III Corps
- Dutch 5th Infantry Division
- Dutch 6th Infantry Division
- Dutch IV Corps
- Dutch 7th Infantry Division
- Dutch 8th Infantry Division
- Dutch Light Division
- Peel Division
- A, B, G Brigades
French army facing Italy
- Army of the Alps (l'Armée des Alpes)
Commanded by General René Olry
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- 3 infantry divisions of type B
- Fortification sectors: Dauphiné, Savoie, Alpes Maritimes
- Defence sectors: Rhône, Nice
Originally the French 6th Army, the Army of the Alps was responsible for manning the southeast frontier with Italy. Overall, French forces in the region numbered about 35 000 soldiers.
French reserves
The French began the battle with three reserve corps positioned behind the army groups. The VII and XXIII Corps were stationed behind the 2nd and 3rd Army Groups.
British Expeditionary Force
Axis
The commander-in-chief of the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) was Field Marshal ("Generalfeldmarschall") Walter von Brauchitsch. Initially the Axis forces consisted of the forces of the German army. They were joined in the conflict by the Italian army on June 10.
OKH Reserve
- German Second Army
- German Ninth Army
- I Corps
- XVII Corps
- XXXVI Corps
- XXXVIII Corps
- XXXIX Corps
- XLII Corps
- XLIII Corps
Army Group A
Commanded by General (Generaloberst)[note 1] Gerd von Rundstedt (Chief of Staff - Major-General ("Generalleutnant")[note 2]Georg von Sodenstern)
- 4th Army - General[note 1] Günther von Kluge (Chief of Staff - Brigadier-general ("Generalmajor")[note 3] Kurt Brennecke)
- II Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Adolf Strauß -> 30.5.1940 General of Infantry[note 4] Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel
- 12th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach
- 32nd Infantry Division - Major-General Franz Böhme
- 62nd Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Walter Keiner
- V Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Richard Ruoff
- 211th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Kurt Renner
- 251st Infantry Division - Major-General Hans Kratzert
- 263rd Infantry Division- Brigadier-general Franz Karl
- VIII Corps - General of Artillery[note 4] Walter Heitz
- 8th Infantry Division - Major-General Rudolf Koch-Erpach
- 28th Infantry Division - Major-General Hans von Obstfelder
- 87th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Bogislav von Studnitz
- 267th Infantry Division - Major-General Ernst Fessman
- XV Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Hermann Hoth
- 5th Panzer Division - Major-General Max von Hartlieb -> 22.5.1940 Major-General Joachim Lemelsen -> 6.6.1940 Brigadier-general Ludwig Cruwell
- 7th Panzer Division - Brigadier-general Erwin Rommel
- II Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Adolf Strauß -> 30.5.1940 General of Infantry[note 4] Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel
- 12th Army - General[note 1] Wilhelm List (Chief of Staff - Major-General Eberhard von Mackensen)
- III Corps - General of Artillery[note 4] Curt Haase
- 3rd Infantry Division - Major-General Walter Lichel
- 23rd Infantry Division - Major-General Walter von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt
- 52nd Infantry Division - Major-General Hans-Jurgen von Arnim
- VI Corps - General of Engineers[note 4] Otto-Wilhelm Förster
- 16th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Heinrich Krampf
- 24th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Justin von Obernitz -> 1.6.1940 Brigadier-general Hans-Valentin Hube
- XVIII Corps - General of Infantry Eugen Beyer -> 1.6. Major-General Hermann Ritter von Speck
- 5th Infantry Division - Major-General Wilhelm Fahrmbacher
- 21st Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Otto Sponheimer
- 25th Infantry Division - Major-General Erich Clößner
- 1st Mountain Division- Major-General Ludwig Kübler
- III Corps - General of Artillery[note 4] Curt Haase
- 16th Army- General of Infantry[note 4] Ernst Busch (Chief of Staff - Brigadier-general Walther Model)
- VII Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Eugen von Schobert
- 36th Infantry Division - Major-General Georg Lindemann
- 68th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Georg Braun
- XIII Corps - Major-General Heinrich von Vietinghoff
- 15th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Friedrich-Wilhelm von Chappuis
- 17th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Hebert Loch
- 10th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Konrad von Cochenhausen
- XXIII Corps - Major-General Albrecht Schubert
- 34th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Hans Behlendorff
- 58th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Iwan Heunert
- 76th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Maximilian de Angelis
- 26th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Sigismund von Förster
- VII Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Eugen von Schobert
- Panzer Group "Kleist" - General of Cavalry[note 4] Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist (Chief of Staff - Brigadier-general Kurt Zeitzler)
- XIV Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Gustav Anton von Wietersheim
- 2nd Infantry Division (mot.) - Major-General Paul Bader
- 13th Infantry Division (mot.) - Brigadier-general Friedrich-Wilhelm von Rothkirch und Panthen
- 29th Infantry Division (mot.) - Brigadier-general Willibald von Langermann und Erlencamp
- XIX Corps - General of Cavalry[note 4] Heinz Guderian
- 1st Panzer Division - Major-General Friedrich Kirchner
- 2nd Panzer Division - Major-General Rudolf Veiel
- 10th Panzer Division - Major-General Ferdinand Schaal
- XXXXI Corps - Major-General Georg-Hans Reinhardt
- 6th Panzer Division - Brigadier-General Werner Kempf
- 8th Panzer Division - Colonel Erich Brandenberger
- XIV Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Gustav Anton von Wietersheim
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- Reserves
- XIV Corps - Major-General Georg Stumme
- 6th Infantry Division - Major-General Arnold Freiherr von Biegeleben
- 9th Infantry Division - Major-General Georg von Apell
- 4th Infantry Division - Major-General Erik Hansen
- 27th Infantry Division - Major-General Friedrich Bergmann
- 71st Infantry Division - Major-General Karl Weisenberger
- 73rd Infantry Division - Major-General Bruno Bieler
German Army Group B
Commanded by General[note 1] Fedor von Bock
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-
-
- (Chief of Staff - Lt.Gen. Hans von Salmuth).
-
-
- German Sixth Army —General[note 1] Walter von Reichenau
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- (Chief of Staff - Brigadier-general Friedrich Paulus).
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-
- XVI Corps - General of Cavalry[note 4] Erich Hoepner
- 4th Infantry Division - Major-General Erick-Oskar Hansen
- 33rd Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Rudolf Sintzenich
- 3rd Panzer Division - Brigadier-general Horst Stumpff
- 4th Panzer Division - Brigadier-general Ludwig Radlmeier -> 8.6.1940 Brigadier-general Johann Joachim Stever
- XVI Corps - General of Cavalry[note 4] Erich Hoepner
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- IV Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Viktor von Schwedler
- 15th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Ernst-Eberhard Hell
- 205th Infantry Division - Major-General Ernst Richter
- IV Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Viktor von Schwedler
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- XI Corps- Major-General Joachim von Kortzfleisch
- 7th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz
- 211th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Kurt Renner
- 253rd Infantry Division - Major-General Fritz Kuhne
- 31st Infantry Division - Major-General Rudolf Kämpfe
- IX Corps - General of Infantry[note 4] Hermann Geyer
- XI Corps- Major-General Joachim von Kortzfleisch
- German Eighteenth Army — Georg von Küchler
- Reserves
- 208th Infantry Division
- 225th Infantry Division
- 526th Infantry Division
- SS "Verfügungstruppe" Division
- 7th Airborne Division
- 22nd Air Landing Infantry Division
- 9th Panzer Division
- 207th Infantry Division
- X Corps
- SS "Adolf Hitler" Reinforced Regiment
- 227th Infantry Division
- 1st Cavalry Division
- XXVI Corps
- 256th Infantry Division
- 254th Infantry Division
- SS "Der Führer" Division
- Reserves
German Army Group C
Commanded by Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb.
- German First Army — Erwin von Witzleben
- XII Corps
- XXIV Corps
- XXX Corps
- XXXVII Corps
- German Seventh Army — Friedrich Dollmann
- Reserves
- XXV Corps
- XXXIII Corps
Italian Army Group "West"
Commanded by Prince General Umberto di Savoia
- 1st Army - General Pietro Pintor
- 2nd Corps - General Francesco Bettini
- 3rd Corps - General Mario Arisio
- 15th Corps - General Gastone Gambara
- 4th Army - General Alfredo Guzzoni
- 1st Corps - General Carlo Vecchiarelli
- 4th Corps - General Camillo Mercalli
- Alpine Corps - General Luigi Negri
Overall, the Italian forces numbered about 312 000 troops. However, they had inadequate artillery and transport and they were not equipped for cold Alpine environment.
- ^ a b c d e In the German army the rank of Colonel general ("Generaloberst") was equivalent to the rank of full general
- ^ The German rank of "Generalleutnant" was the equivalent of major-general.
- ^ The German rank of "Generalmajor" was the equivalent of brigadier-general.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o The German ranks of General of Infantry ("General der infanterie"), General of the Artillery ("General der artillerie"), General of Armour ("General der Panzertruppe") etc. were equivalent to lieutenant-general.
Categories:- Battle of France
- World War II orders of battle
- French 1st Army
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