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Description
Doctrine, not military technology, provided the Wehrmacht with a decisive advantage. In May 1940, Hitler could use for action in Western Europe 136 of the 157 divisions at his disposal, and about a third of them were superbly trained. The German army was opposed by 94 French divisions. In addition, the Germans had to contend with 22 Belgian, 10 British (of which some were understaffed), and 10 Dutch divisions - a total of 136 divisions.
The German waxes were divided into three army groups (listed in order from north to south):
Army Group B (Col. Gen. Fedor von Bock) consisted of two armies: the 18th and 6th Armies.
The 18th Army consisted of nine infantry, one armored and one cavalry division. The commander was Colonel General von Küchler. The 18th Army was the northern wing of Army Group B.
The 6th Army consisted of fourteen infantry and two armored divisions. It was commanded by Colonel General von Reichenau.
Army Group "B" was located from the North Sea to Aachen.
Army Group "A" (Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedt) consisted of four armies:
Colonel General von Kluge's 4th Army (twelve infantry and two armored divisions)
Colonel General List's 12th Army (eleven infantry divisions)
General Busch's 16th Army (fifteen infantry divisions).
Colonel General von Weichs's 2nd Army.
tank group, which included most of the German tanks (2,488 vehicles, of which the Pz III and Pz IV medium tanks were only 349 and 281 respectively, and the rest were Pz I and Pz II light tanks, as well as the Czech Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t)). This group was located between Aachen and Saarburg.
Army Group C (Colonel General Wilhelm Josef von Leeb) consisted of two armies:
1st Army of Col. Gen. von Witzleben
7th Army of Artillery General Dolmann, stationed in eastern Lorraine and along the Rhine.
Air cover was provided by 2,478 aircraft, mostly modern and superior in tactical and technical characteristics to the Allied air forces. The aircraft were divided into two groups:
3rd Air Fleet under the command of Col. Gen. Sperle
2nd Air Fleet under the command of Colonel General Kesselring.
Hitler was in overall command, with Wilhelm Keitel as Chief of Staff and General Walter von Brauchitsch in direct command.
The main tank unit of the campaign was the "Kleist Tank Group" under the command of Ewald von Kleist, which consisted of two tank and one motorized corps: XIX (commanded by Heinz Guderian), XV (Hermann Gotha) and XXXI (Georg Reinhardt). The group consisted of five of the ten available at that time in Germany tank divisions and five motorized divisions. The group had 1,250 armored vehicles (tanks and armored personnel carriers) in service.
In total on the Western Front Germany had 35 tank battalions in 10 tank divisions, 2,488 tanks.
After the war with Poland, the aircraft fleet of the German Air Force was modernized. The Heinkel-45 and Heinkel-46 reconnaissance aircraft were withdrawn from service. Special attention was paid to the modernization of dive bombers, fighters and long-range reconnaissance aircraft, which had high speed and range. "Junkers-86" were withdrawn from service, although high-altitude examples remained as reconnaissance aircraft. "Junkers-87", "Heinkel-111" bombers received more powerful engines. Much attention was paid to the production of aircraft of new designs: "Junkers-88" began to be produced.
The total number of German tanks and UAS participating in the French campaign amounted to 2909 vehicles.

France and its allies
French forces numbered over 2 million men and 3,101 tanks (including 470 of the most modern medium Somua S35s and B1bis) in 4 armored divisions (division cuirassée), 5 light mechanized divisions (division légère mécanique), and 74 other divisions. On 10 May the French Army had 24 infantry divisions, 7 motorized divisions (division d'infanterie motorisée), 20 first-line reserve divisions, 16 second-line reserve divisions, and 5 light cavalry divisions (division légère de cavalerie) on the northeastern front, 4 separate cavalry brigades, 3 armored divisions, 3 light mechanized divisions, 1 Polish infantry division and fortress (division d'infanterie de forteresse) divisions of the Maginot Line, totaling 13 divisions. Against Italy on the Alpine front there were 4 infantry and 3 fortress divisions. In North Africa were another 7 infantry and one cavalry division. The reserve of the main command was 14 divisions and was behind the central section of the front in the area of Chalon-na-Marne, Saint-Quentin.
In addition, the British forces in France totaled twelve divisions, of which nine were located along the Belgian border, one was operating on the Saar front to gain combat experience, and two more divisions were not fully equipped and trained, were in French training camps, and could not be considered combat-ready.
The French and British forces on the north-eastern front were organized into three groups of armies:
The first (General Gaston Biot) occupied the area from the Channel to Montmedy and consisted of four armies and the British Expeditionary Corps (General John Gort). French armies: 2nd (two cadre infantry divisions, one first-line reserve division, two second-line reserve divisions, two and a half cavalry divisions), 9th (one cadre infantry division, two first-line reserve divisions, two second-line reserve divisions, two and a half cavalry divisions), 1st (three cadre infantry divisions, one first-line reserve division, two light mechanized divisions), 7th (one cadre infantry division, two motorized infantry divisions, two first-line reserve divisions, one light mechanized division, one second-line reserve division). In addition, the British Expeditionary Corps consisted of nine divisions.
The second (General André Gaston Pretela), composed of three armies-the 8th (three infantry divisions and four reserve divisions), the 5th (five infantry divisions, three first-line reserve divisions, and one second-line reserve division), and the 3rd Army (two infantry divisions, one first-line reserve division, one second-line reserve division, and two and a half cavalry brigades)-occupied positions along the Maginot Line from Montmedy to Epinal;
The third (General Besson) occupied the immediate fortifications of the Maginot Line
The Commander-in-Chief was General A. J. Georges, who in turn was subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief of the combined forces, General Maurice Gustave Gamelin.
The French command paid much attention to the condition and combat training of its land army. However, in spite of this, the tactical capabilities of the French armed forces were far inferior to the German troops. Anti-tank and air defense had been only slightly improved since the outbreak of war. The antiaircraft units of infantry formations were still horse-drawn. The medium caliber anti-aircraft artillery was more than half made up of World War I guns.
On the morale of ground troops is stated in a report of the French General Staff, compiled after the defeat of the French army:
Until May 10, the morale of the troops was satisfactory, although not high enough. There was a lack of rousing enthusiasm and determination. The sense of readiness to fulfill their duty at any cost was not manifested even in the best units with the desired clarity and firmness ... This army with great material and spiritual shortcomings confronted the enemy, which was sufficiently equipped with tanks and anti-tank weapons, covered and supported by a powerful air force and had a strong will to victory
Tippelskirch, Kurt, von History of World War II.
The Belgian forces under King Leopold III nominally numbered 600,000 men (18 infantry, 2 cavalry, and 2 Ardennes Jäger divisions of self-propelled cavalry). Twelve of the infantry divisions were reasonably well armed, the remaining six could only be rated as poorly equipped reserve divisions. In general the army was not prepared for maneuver warfare. The Belgian Army had approximately three hundred light tanks. The data on the number of tanks in different sources differ somewhat, which may be due to the accounting of available or only combat-ready vehicles or their actual/staff number.
The Belgians had the advantage of a complex and extensive network of canals, thanks to which they hoped to slow down the advance of the German army.
The Dutch armed forces under the command of General Henry Winkelmann amounted to 400,000 men. It was satisfactorily equipped eight divisions, one light division, three mixed brigades and several border battalions. There were no tanks at all; the troops had only 33 armored cars and 5 tankettes in position: 14 M36s in the first armored car squadron and 12 M38s in the second, and another 7 Paw. M39 and 5 Carden-Loyd Mk VI tankers in the other units. It is true that the Army had a large number of automobiles and a huge number of bicycles.
In total, on May 10, 1940, on the Western Front, the Allies had 3,687 tanks (of which 3,101 were French). Thus, the total number of tanks and SAU Allies who participated in the French campaign - 4,656 vehicles.

Description
Doctrine, not military technology, provided the Wehrmacht with a decisive advantage. In May 1940, Hitler could use for action in Western Europe 136 of the 157 divisions at his disposal, and about a third of them were superbly trained. The German army was opposed by 94 French divisions. In addition, the Germans had to contend with 22 Belgian, 10 British (of which some were understaffed), and 10 Dutch divisions - a total of 136 divisions.
The German waxes were divided into three army groups (listed in order from north to south):
Army Group B (Col. Gen. Fedor von Bock) consisted of two armies: the 18th and 6th Armies.
The 18th Army consisted of nine infantry, one armored and one cavalry division. The commander was Colonel General von Küchler. The 18th Army was the northern wing of Army Group B.
The 6th Army consisted of fourteen infantry and two armored divisions. It was commanded by Colonel General von Reichenau.
Army Group "B" was located from the North Sea to Aachen.
Army Group "A" (Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedt) consisted of four armies:
Colonel General von Kluge's 4th Army (twelve infantry and two armored divisions)
Colonel General List's 12th Army (eleven infantry divisions)
General Busch's 16th Army (fifteen infantry divisions).
Colonel General von Weichs's 2nd Army.
tank group, which included most of the German tanks (2,488 vehicles, of which the Pz III and Pz IV medium tanks were only 349 and 281 respectively, and the rest were Pz I and Pz II light tanks, as well as the Czech Panzer 35(t) and Panzer 38(t)). This group was located between Aachen and Saarburg.
Army Group C (Colonel General Wilhelm Josef von Leeb) consisted of two armies:
1st Army of Col. Gen. von Witzleben
7th Army of Artillery General Dolmann, stationed in eastern Lorraine and along the Rhine.
Air cover was provided by 2,478 aircraft, mostly modern and superior in tactical and technical characteristics to the Allied air forces. The aircraft were divided into two groups:
3rd Air Fleet under the command of Col. Gen. Sperle
2nd Air Fleet under the command of Colonel General Kesselring.
Hitler was in overall command, with Wilhelm Keitel as Chief of Staff and General Walter von Brauchitsch in direct command.
The main tank unit of the campaign was the "Kleist Tank Group" under the command of Ewald von Kleist, which consisted of two tank and one motorized corps: XIX (commanded by Heinz Guderian), XV (Hermann Gotha) and XXXI (Georg Reinhardt). The group consisted of five of the ten available at that time in Germany tank divisions and five motorized divisions. The group had 1,250 armored vehicles (tanks and armored personnel carriers) in service.
In total on the Western Front Germany had 35 tank battalions in 10 tank divisions, 2,488 tanks.
After the war with Poland, the aircraft fleet of the German Air Force was modernized. The Heinkel-45 and Heinkel-46 reconnaissance aircraft were withdrawn from service. Special attention was paid to the modernization of dive bombers, fighters and long-range reconnaissance aircraft, which had high speed and range. "Junkers-86" were withdrawn from service, although high-altitude examples remained as reconnaissance aircraft. "Junkers-87", "Heinkel-111" bombers received more powerful engines. Much attention was paid to the production of aircraft of new designs: "Junkers-88" began to be produced.
The total number of German tanks and UAS participating in the French campaign amounted to 2909 vehicles.

France and its allies
French forces numbered over 2 million men and 3,101 tanks (including 470 of the most modern medium Somua S35s and B1bis) in 4 armored divisions (division cuirassée), 5 light mechanized divisions (division légère mécanique), and 74 other divisions. On 10 May the French Army had 24 infantry divisions, 7 motorized divisions (division d'infanterie motorisée), 20 first-line reserve divisions, 16 second-line reserve divisions, and 5 light cavalry divisions (division légère de cavalerie) on the northeastern front, 4 separate cavalry brigades, 3 armored divisions, 3 light mechanized divisions, 1 Polish infantry division and fortress (division d'infanterie de forteresse) divisions of the Maginot Line, totaling 13 divisions. Against Italy on the Alpine front there were 4 infantry and 3 fortress divisions. In North Africa were another 7 infantry and one cavalry division. The reserve of the main command was 14 divisions and was behind the central section of the front in the area of Chalon-na-Marne, Saint-Quentin.
In addition, the British forces in France totaled twelve divisions, of which nine were located along the Belgian border, one was operating on the Saar front to gain combat experience, and two more divisions were not fully equipped and trained, were in French training camps, and could not be considered combat-ready.
The French and British forces on the north-eastern front were organized into three groups of armies:
The first (General Gaston Biot) occupied the area from the Channel to Montmedy and consisted of four armies and the British Expeditionary Corps (General John Gort). French armies: 2nd (two cadre infantry divisions, one first-line reserve division, two second-line reserve divisions, two and a half cavalry divisions), 9th (one cadre infantry division, two first-line reserve divisions, two second-line reserve divisions, two and a half cavalry divisions), 1st (three cadre infantry divisions, one first-line reserve division, two light mechanized divisions), 7th (one cadre infantry division, two motorized infantry divisions, two first-line reserve divisions, one light mechanized division, one second-line reserve division). In addition, the British Expeditionary Corps consisted of nine divisions.
The second (General André Gaston Pretela), composed of three armies-the 8th (three infantry divisions and four reserve divisions), the 5th (five infantry divisions, three first-line reserve divisions, and one second-line reserve division), and the 3rd Army (two infantry divisions, one first-line reserve division, one second-line reserve division, and two and a half cavalry brigades)-occupied positions along the Maginot Line from Montmedy to Epinal;
The third (General Besson) occupied the immediate fortifications of the Maginot Line
The Commander-in-Chief was General A. J. Georges, who in turn was subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief of the combined forces, General Maurice Gustave Gamelin.
The French command paid much attention to the condition and combat training of its land army. However, in spite of this, the tactical capabilities of the French armed forces were far inferior to the German troops. Anti-tank and air defense had been only slightly improved since the outbreak of war. The antiaircraft units of infantry formations were still horse-drawn. The medium caliber anti-aircraft artillery was more than half made up of World War I guns.
On the morale of ground troops is stated in a report of the French General Staff, compiled after the defeat of the French army:
Until May 10, the morale of the troops was satisfactory, although not high enough. There was a lack of rousing enthusiasm and determination. The sense of readiness to fulfill their duty at any cost was not manifested even in the best units with the desired clarity and firmness ... This army with great material and spiritual shortcomings confronted the enemy, which was sufficiently equipped with tanks and anti-tank weapons, covered and supported by a powerful air force and had a strong will to victory
Tippelskirch, Kurt, von History of World War II.
The Belgian forces under King Leopold III nominally numbered 600,000 men (18 infantry, 2 cavalry, and 2 Ardennes Jäger divisions of self-propelled cavalry). Twelve of the infantry divisions were reasonably well armed, the remaining six could only be rated as poorly equipped reserve divisions. In general the army was not prepared for maneuver warfare. The Belgian Army had approximately three hundred light tanks. The data on the number of tanks in different sources differ somewhat, which may be due to the accounting of available or only combat-ready vehicles or their actual/staff number.
The Belgians had the advantage of a complex and extensive network of canals, thanks to which they hoped to slow down the advance of the German army.
The Dutch armed forces under the command of General Henry Winkelmann amounted to 400,000 men. It was satisfactorily equipped eight divisions, one light division, three mixed brigades and several border battalions. There were no tanks at all; the troops had only 33 armored cars and 5 tankettes in position: 14 M36s in the first armored car squadron and 12 M38s in the second, and another 7 Paw. M39 and 5 Carden-Loyd Mk VI tankers in the other units. It is true that the Army had a large number of automobiles and a huge number of bicycles.
In total, on May 10, 1940, on the Western Front, the Allies had 3,687 tanks (of which 3,101 were French). Thus, the total number of tanks and SAU Allies who participated in the French campaign - 4,656 vehicles.