Order of battle for the Battle of France

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.

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 French 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 Billotte 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 - General Georges Maurice Jean Blanchard
 * French Cavalry Corps - General René Prioux
 * 2nd Light Mechanized Division - General Bougrain
 * 3rd Light Mechanized Division - General Langlois
 * French 3rd Corps - General de Fornel de la Laurencie
 * 1st Moroccan Infantry Division
 * 2nd North African Infantry Division
 * French 4th Corps - General Aymes
 * 32nd Infantry Division
 * French 5th Corps - General Altmeyer
 * 5th North African Infantry Division
 * 101st Infantry Division
 * Belgian VII Corps
 * 2nd Chasseurs Ardennais
 * 8th Infantry Division
 * French 2nd Army - General Charles Huntziger
 * Direct reporting:
 * 2nd Light Cavalry Division
 * 5th Light Cavalry Division
 * 1st Cavalry Brigade
 * French 10th Corps - General Grandsard
 * 3rd North African Infantry Division - Colonel Mast
 * 5th Light Cavalry Division
 * 55th Infantry Division
 * 71st Infantry Division
 * French 18th Corps
 * 1st Colonial Infantry Division
 * 41st Infantry Division
 * French 7th Army - General Henri Giraud
 * Direct reporting:
 * 21st Infantry Division
 * 60th Infantry Division
 * 68th Infantry Division
 * French 1st Corps
 * 1st Light Mechanized Division
 * 25th Motorized Division - General Molinié
 * French 16th Corps
 * 9th Motorized Division
 * French 9th Army - General André Corap
 * Direct reporting:
 * 4th North African Infantry Division
 * 53rd Infantry Division
 * 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
 * 42nd Infantry Division
 * 44th Infantry Division


 * 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

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 - General Condé
 * Directly reporting:
 * 3rd Light Cavalry Division - General Petiet
 * 6th Infantry Division - General Lucien
 * 6th North African Infantry Division - General de Verdilhac
 * 6th Colonial Infantry Division - General Carles
 * 7th Infantry Division
 * 8th Infantry Division
 * French Colonial Corps
 * 2nd Infantry Division - General Klopfenstein
 * British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division
 * 56th Infantry Division
 * French 6th Corps
 * 26th Infantry Division
 * 42nd Infantry Division
 * French 24th Corps - General Fougère
 * 51st Infantry Division - General Boell
 * French 42nd Corps - General Sivot
 * 20th Infantry Division - General Corbe
 * 58th Infantry Division - General Perraud


 * French 4th Army - General Edouard Réquin
 * Directly reporting:
 * Polish 1st Infantry Division - General Bronisław Duch
 * 45th Infantry division - General Roux
 * French 9th Corps - General Laure
 * 11th Infantry Division - General Arlabosse
 * 47th Infantry Division - General Mendras
 * French 20th Corps - General Hubert
 * 52nd Infantry Division
 * 82nd African Infantry Division


 * 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

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
 * 63rd Infantry Division
 * Polish Second Infantry Fusiliers Division - Brigadier-General Bronisław Prugar-Ketling

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
14th Army Corps 15th Army Corps
 * Armee des Alps Commanded by Général d'Armée René Olry
 * 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.

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
 * 5th Infantry Division
 * German Ninth Army


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

German Army Group A
Commanded by Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt
 * (Chief of Staff - GenLt Georg von Sodenstern)


 * 4th Army - Generaloberst Günther von Kluge
 * (Chief of Staff - GenMaj Kurt Brennecke)


 * II Corps - General of Infantry Adolf Strauß  -> 30.5.1940 General of Infantry Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel
 * 12th Infantry Division - GenMaj Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach
 * 32nd Infantry Division - GenLt  Franz Böhme


 *  V Corps - General of Infantry Richard Ruoff
 * 211th Infantry Division - GenMaj Kurt Renner
 * 251st Infantry Division - GenMaj Hans Kratzert
 * 263rd Infantry Division- GenMaj Franz Karl


 *  VIII Corps - General of Infantry Ernst Busch
 * 8th Infantry Division - GenMaj Rudolf Koch-Erpach
 * 28th Infantry Division - GenLt Hans von Obstfelder -> 20.5.1940 GenMaj Johann Sinnhuber
 * 87th Infantry Division - GenMaj Bogislav von Studnitz
 * 267th Infantry Division - GenMaj Ernst Fessmann


 *  XV Corps - General of Infantry 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
 * 62nd Infantry Division - GenMaj Walter Keiner


 * 12th Army - General Wilhelm List (Chief of Staff - Major-General Eberhard von Mackensen)
 * III Corps - General of Artillery 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 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


 * 16th Army- General of Infantry Ernst Busch (Chief of Staff - Brigadier-general Walther Model)
 * VII Corps - General of Infantry 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


 * Panzer Group "Kleist" - General of Cavalry Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist (Chief of Staff - Brigadier-general Kurt Zeitzler)
 * XIV Corps - General of Infantry 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 Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp
 * XIX Corps - General of Cavalry 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


 * Reserves
 * XXXX 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 Erick-Oskar 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 Generaloberst Fedor von Bock
 * (Chief of Staff - Generalleutnant Hans von Salmuth).


 * German Sixth Army Generaloberst  Walter von Reichenau
 * (Chief of Staff - Generalmajor Friedrich Paulus).


 * XVI Corps - General of Cavalry Erich Hoepner
 * 4th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Erick-Oskar Hansen
 * 33rd Infantry Division - Generalmajor Rudolf Sintzenich
 * 3rd Panzer Division - Brigadier-general Horst Stumpff
 * 4th Panzer Division - Brigadier-general Ludwig Radlmeier -> 8.6.1940 Brigadier-general Johann Joachim Stever


 * IV Corps - General of Infantry Viktor von Schwedler
 * 15th Infantry Division - Brigadier-general Ernst-Eberhard Hell
 * 205th Infantry Division - Major-General Ernst Richter


 * 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 Hermann Geyer


 * XXVII Corps - General of Infantry Alfred Wäger
 * 253th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Fritz Kuhne
 * 269th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Ernst-Eberhard Hell


 * German Eighteenth Army &mdash; 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

German Army Group C
Commanded by Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb.


 * German First Army &mdash; Erwin von Witzleben
 * XII Corps
 * XXIV Corps
 * XXX Corps
 * XXXVII Corps


 * German Seventh Army &mdash; Friedrich Dollmann
 * Reserves
 * XXV Corps
 * XXXIII Corps

Italian Army Group "West"
Commanded by Prince General Umberto di Savoia Overall, the Italian forces numbered about 312,000 troops. However, they had inadequate artillery and transport and they were not equipped for the cold Alpine environment.
 * 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

=Notes=