Order of battle for the Battle of France

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

  • Belgian Army
    • 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

[edit] 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.

  • 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 Corp
    • French 6th Corp
      • 26th Infantry Division
      • 42nd Infantry Division
    • French 24th Corp
      • 51st Infantry Division
    • French 42nd Corp
      • 20th Infantry Division
      • 58th Infantry Division
  • French 4th Army
    • Directly reporting:
    • French 9th Corp
      • 11th Infantry Division
      • 47th Infantry Division
    • French 20th Corp
      • 52nd Infantry Division
      • 82nd African Infantry Division
  • French 5th Army
    • Directly reporting:
      • 44th Infantry Division
    • French 8th Corp
      • 24th Infantry Division
      • 31st Infantry Division
    • French 12th Corp
      • 16th Infantry Division
      • 35th Infantry Division
      • 70th Infantry Division
    • French 17th Corp
      • 62nd Infantry Division
      • 103rd Infantry Division
    • French 43rd Corp
      • 30th Infantry Division

[edit] 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.

  • French 8th Army
    • French 7th Corps
      • 13 Infantry Division
      • 27 Infantry Division
    • French 13th Corps
      • 19 Infantry Division
      • 54 Infantry Division
      • 104 Infantry Division
      • 105 Infantry Division
    • French 44th Corps
      • 67 Infantry Division
    • French 45th Corps
      • 57 Infantry Division
      • 63 Infantry Division

[edit] Dutch Army

The Netherlands had four corps, one motorised division and a defense division deployed to begin the battle.

  • 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

[edit] Army of the Alps

Originally the French 6th Army, the Army of the Alps was responsible for manning the southeast frontier with Italy.

[edit] 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.

[edit] British Expeditionary Force

Main article: British Expeditionary Force order of battle (1940)

[edit] Axis

The commander-in-chief of the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) was Field Marshall 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.

[edit] OKH Reserve

  • I Corps
  • XVII Corps
  • XXXVI Corps
  • XXXVIII Corps
  • XXXIX Corps
  • XLII Corps
  • XLIII Corps

[edit] German Army Group A

Commanded by Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedt

        • (Chief of Staff - Lt.Gen. Georg von Sodenstern)


    • V Corps - General of Infantry Richard Ruoff
      • 62nd Infantry Division - Maj.Gen. Walter Keiner
      • 94th Infantry Division - Gen. of Infantry Hellmuth Volkmann
      • 263rd Infantry Division - Maj.Gen. Franz Karl
    • VIII Corps - Gen. of Artillery Walter Heitz
      • 8th Infantry Division - Lt.Gen. Rudolf Koch-Erpach
      • 28th Infantry Division - Maj.Gen. Johann Sinnhuber
    • Reserves
      • 87th Infantry Division - Maj.Gen. Bogislav von Studnitz
      • 211th Infantry Division - Maj.Gen. Kurt Renner
      • 267th Infantry Division - Lt.Gen. Ernst Fessman


    • XVIII Corps - Gen.of Infantry Eugen Beyer -> 1.6. Lt.Gen. Hermann von Speck
      • 25th Infantry Division - Lt.Gen. Erich Heinrich Clössner
      • 81st Infantry Division - Maj.Gen. Friedrich-Wilhelm von Löper
      • 290th Infantry Division - Lt.Gen. Max Dennerlein -> 8.6.1940 Maj.Gen. Theodor Wrede


    • XXIII Corps - Lt.Gen. Albrecht Schubert
      • 73rd Infantry Division - Lt.Gen. Bruno Bieler
      • 82nd Infantry Division - Maj.Gen. Josef Lehmann
      • 86th Infantry Division - Maj.Gen. Joachim Witthöff


    • XVI Mot. Corps - Gen. of Cavalry Erich Hoepner
      • 4th Infantry Division - Lt.Gen. Erich Hansen
      • 33rd Infantry Division - Maj.Gen. Rudolf Sintzenich
      • 3rd Panzer Division - Maj.Gen. Horst Stumpff
      • 4th Panzer Division - Maj.Gen. Ludwig Radlmeier -> 8.6.1940 Maj.Gen. Johann Joachim Stever
    • XXXXI Army Corps
    • Reserve
      • 27th Infantry Division - Lt.Gen Friedrich Bergmann

[edit] German Army Group B

Commanded by Fedor von Bock.

  • Army Group Reserves
  • German Eighteenth Army — Georg von Küchler
    • Reserves
    • SS "Verfugungstruppe" Division
    • 7th Airborne Division
    • 22nd Airborne Division
    • 9th Panzer Division
    • 207th Infantry Division
    • X Corps
      • SS "Adolf Hitler" Division
      • 227th Infantry Division
      • 1st Cavalry Division
    • XXVI Corps
      • 256th Infantry Division
      • 254th Infantry Division
      • SS "Der Fuhrer" Division

[edit] German Army Group C

Commanded by Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb.

 This article does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.