Transcript French Army & allies

France
May 10-June 25, 1940
Strategic Context
Germany crushes Poland in September 1939 and signs a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union; this allows Adolf
Hitler to prepare for an offensive in the West. France and Britain resolve to rely on defensive fortifications such as the
vaunted Maginot Line until an economic blockade defeats Germany as it did in World War I. They expect Germany to
place its main attack through the Low Countries, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg; this belief is reinforced by
the Mechelen Incident in which German plans fall into Belgian hands. Although Belgium and the Netherlands are
neutral, they secretly agree to the Dyle Plan, in which French forces race forward while allied forces fall back to a
defensive line roughly along the Dyle River. The actual German plan anticipates these maneuvers and places its main
attack through the Ardennes Forest, considered impassable for a large force. Italy is not officially at war with France
but three armies are deployed in the Alps and Italy is expected to declare war at the most opportune moment.
Stakes
+ A French victory would halt German
expansion and allow France and its allies to
take advantage of their superior economies.
+ A German victory would result in the total
defeat and occupation of France, leaving Britain
to face Germany alone.
By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©
France, 1940
Strength
French Army & allies
German Army & allies
Maurice Gamelin
Maxime Weygand
Adolf Hitler
Walther von Brauchitsch
109 French divisions
40 allied divisions
3,000,000 men
2,700 tanks
2,000 aircraft
135 German divisions
32 allied divisions
3,300,000 men
2,600 tanks
3,700 aircraft
Well
Well
By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©
The
French
armies
deployed
in
army
Group
1cutting
comprises
1., 2.,
7.,Army
9.
Armies
and
the
British
Expeditionary
Force;
its
objective
isdestroy
tobut
reinforce
the
retreating
German
The
Germans
bombers
18.
seek
viciously
relentlessly
tothe
reduce
terror-bomb
the
attacks
the
major
Dutch
ofArmy
Army
cities
Army,
Group
inGerman
the
1:
Low
German
it
Countries.
off
from
6.
the
Army
French
splits
Group
armies.
ABEF
easily
from
French
pushes
theannihilates
7.
Belgian
the
Army
Dutch
advances
Army,
and
forcing
Belgian
a
the
Belgian
Armies
Netherlands
back,
surrender
aided
by
Advanced
Army
The
evacuation
Group
elements
BArmy
attacks
ofare
Dunkirk
of
French
remains
begins.
7.three
Army
Hitler
ofremnants
Army
areisgroups.
shoved
persuaded
Group
1back
and
byby
succeeds
Luftwaffe
in
18.
commander,
pushing
Army
to
them
reinforce
Goerring,
back.
the
Panzer
tothe
allow
Dutch
Group
his
Army’s
aircraft
Kleist
isolation.
to
complete
German
French
the
bombers
BEF’s
9.into
Army
destruction.
isan
ordered
entire
British
to
section
aircraft
halt by
of
Dutch and Belgian Armies along the Dyle Line. Army Group 2 comprises 3., 4. and 5. Armies; its objective is to hold the Maginot Line. Army Group 3 comprises 8. Army; its objective
German
anyways
while
Panzer
airborne
totocover
Group
troops
Antwerp.
which
and
The
4.
seize
rest
Army
of
key
Army
push
fortresses
Group
north,
encircling
1and
reaches
the
rear
services.
1.
Line
Army.
and
Army
The
consolidates;
Group
BEF
launches
1
rushes
German
ato
to
counterattack
the
6. Dyle
Army
Line
at
toPanzer
Arras
reinforce
thisthe
but
defensive
itthe
is
repelled.
retreating
line
with
French
Rotterdam
Hitler
take
off
to
from
allow
the
make
the
home
infantry
anKleist
example,
islands
to
catch
toforcing
defend
up.
This
the
the
allows
Dutch
evacuation
Gamelin
to surrender.
armada
topanic
deploy
Gamelin
in French
costly
6. Dyle
and
begins
dogfights
10.
Armies.
shifting
although
The
French
halt
Goering
7.
order
Army
fails
issouth.
eventually
destroy
German
lifted
the
6.probes
BEF.
and
Army
German
pins
Group
4.BEF
and
Kleist
and
18.
French
Armies
resumes
1.little
its
Army
is to defend against any outflanking of the Maginot Line through Switzerland. The German armies are deployed in three army groups. Army Group B comprises 6. and 18. Armies;
while
advance,
belatedly
brushing
advance
Group
on
aside
Kleist
Dunkirk
French
breaks
while
7.Army
through
encircled
and
thereaching
hinge
French
ofFrench
1.
the
French
Army
Channel.
heroically
2.
and
German
9.
Armies
fights
4.meet
on
Army
at
to
Sedan,
tie
follows
down
opening
closely
German
acomprises
behind,
50-mile
forces.
12.
gap
French
and
between
16.
1.Armies
Army
Armies
them.
surrenders
establish
Gamelin
only
activates
aArmy
front
after
running
French
the
vast
eastArmy
Belgian
result.
7.
andPanzer
10.
Meanwhile,
Army
Armies
also
Army
the
launch
Dutch
Group
counterattacks
AArmy
continues
retreats
to
into
to
advance;
cut
its
own
off
Panzer
the
prepared
German
Group
lines.
Unrealized
armies
by
but
from
the
French,
the
attacks
Ardennes
Army
are
weak
and
drives
and
A makes
German
towards
its way
9.
Sedan
through
where
arrives
only
to6.fill
theis
its objective
is
towhile
advance
into
the Low
Countries,
enticing
armies
to rush
inadvance
toKleist
it.emerges
Army Group
Athe
4.,
12.,Group
16.
and
Panzer
Group
Kleist;
itsthe
objective
with
west
majority
reserves
and
of
2.
the
and
and
BEF
9.
divisions
Armies
is
evacuated
approach
from
Army
to
Britain.
the
Groups
front
French
lines.
2
and
armies
French
3
while
in
6.
German
the
Army
south
attacks
4.,
however
12.
and
north
16.
are
at
Armies
in
Laon
little
but
advance
position
is
beaten
to
affect
guard
back
by
Kleist’s
fighting
German
flanks
in
air
the
attacks.
against
north.
counterattack.
Ardennes
weakest
the
gaps
elements
anyways.
with
Panzer
The
of
French
Group
Royal
Kleist
9.
Navy
and
arrives
in
2.
the
Armies
lead.
on
the
defend.
coast
German
to
begin
2.
an
and
evacuation
9.
Armies’
of
headquarters
remaining
troops
are
activated
in
the
north.
from
the
reserve.
to attack through the Ardennes, cutting off French armies in the north. Army Group C comprises 1. and 7. Armies; its objective is to tie French armies down on the Maginot Line.
German Army & allies
(Hitler/Brauchitsch)
Subordinates
DUT
Nations
18
Army Group B
(Bock)
Army Group B
(Bock)
6
RES
9
BELG
7
2
4
Army Group 1 BEF
(Billotte)
12
1
Army Group 1
(Billotte)
KL
Army Group A
(Rundstedt)
Army Group A
(Rundstedt)
16
9
2
1
6
Army Group C
(Leeb)
3
10
RES
Army Group 2
(Pretelat)
4
5
N
Landmarks
Subordinates
French Army & allies
(Gamelin)
Army Group 3
(Besson)
8
Opposing forces deployed south in Alps
7
Both
sides
regroup
for
the
battleFrench
for France
itself.
The
are deployed
three
armywhich
groups.
Army through
Group
B comprises
4., 6.,
9.,
18.
and
Group
Kleist;
Panzer
German
Group
4.
Army
Kleist
destroys
opens
the
German
Army
offensive
while
Panzer
by armies
attacking
Groups
French
and
Army
Guderian
break
offers
tough
French
defences
ItItalian
is eventually
onArmies
their
respective
defeated,
forcing
fronts.
The
7.its
The
French
armies
continue
to 10.
conduct
aGerman
fighting
retreat
asKleist
thein10.
German
armies
advance
onresistance.
all fronts.
1.
and
4.Panzer
Armies
finally
objective is to smash the French left wing. Army Group A comprises 2., 12., 16. Armies and the new Panzer Group Guderian; its objective is to break through the French center after
Army
French
toarmies
retreat
must
to avoid
continue
envelopment.
to retreat
Panzer
to avoid
Group
encirclement.
attacks
Parisrough
isshortly
declared
after,
a free
splitting
city toFrench
avoid
destruction;
4. Group
and 2. Armies.
Hitler The
hastily
German
occupies
infantry
it. Panzer
armies
launch
an
but
it quickly
grinds
haltGuderian
in objective
the frigid,
terrain.
Army
France
solemnly
Army Group
B offensive
attacks. Army
Group
C comprises
1. andto
7. a
Armies;
its
is to break the
MaginotMeanwhile,
Line. Three Italian
armies
– not 2
yetsurrenders.
at war with France
– threaten
the tiny
make
Group
slow
Guderian,
but
steady
followed
progress
by
12.
against
and
16.
French
Armies,
armies
advances
which
as
stage
far
as
local
the
Swiss
counterattacks
border
while
in
an
Army
effective
Group
C
fighting
pierces
retreat.
the
Maginot
Panzer
Line
Group
in
two
Kleist
places.
is
French
Armyan
of the
Alps. The rest
the French
armiesKleist
are deployed
in threeafter
army groups.
All of their is
objectives
to hold
the Weygand
Lineof
which
from thecoast.
Channel
requests
armistice
butofPanzer
Group
advances
the armistice
signedare
tomerely
ensure
German
control
theruns
western
transferred
Army
Group
east.
2
is
now
Seeing
completely
that
France
surrounded.
has
absolutely
no
chance
of
winning,
Italy
declares
war.
to the Maginot Line. Army Group 3 comprises 7. and 10. Armies; Army Group 4 comprises 2., 4. and 6. Armies; Army Group 2 comprises 3., 5. and 8. Armies.
German Army & allies
(Hitler/Brauchitsch)
Army Group B
(Bock)
Subordinates
Army Group A
(Rundstedt)
4
Nations
18
KL
10
7
6
9
2
12
GU
6
KL
16
1
4
2
PARIS
Army Group C
(Leeb)
3
5
Army Group 3
(Besson)
Army Group 4
(Huntzinger)
7
8
Army Group 2
(Pretelat)
KL
ITAL 4
N
ITAL 7
ALPS
ITAL 1
Landmarks
Subordinates
French Army & allies
(Weygand)
Army Group West
(Savoia)
France 1940
Casualties & Aftermath
French Army & allies:
German Army & allies:
2,300,000
163,000
or
or
77%
5%
Germany’s conquests did not end with France. After flirting with the idea of invading
Britain until losing the air battle in late 1940, Germany invaded the Soviet Union in
June 1941. Germany made initially rapid progress but was clearly defeated by
1943. In June 1944, Britain and the United States returned to France with an
amphibious invasion of Normandy. In August 1944, they liberated Paris to cheering
crowds.
By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©
The Art of Battle:
Animated Battle Maps
http://www.theartofbattle.com
By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©