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 Général d'armée Maurice Gamelin, his deputy Général d'armée Alphonse Joseph Georges was appointed Commander of the North Western Front.
The 1st Army Group guarded the north-east frontier of France, ready to move 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. Général d'armée Gaston Billotte was Commander-in-Chief until his death in a car crash on 23 May 1940, Général d'armée Georges Maurice Jean Blanchard was appointed to succeed him.
French 1st Army - General Georges Maurice Jean Blanchard [1]French Cavalry Corps - General René Prioux [2] (vs. Hoeppner's XVI Pz Corps @ Hannut)2nd Light Mechanized Division - Major General Gabriel-Marie-Joseph Bougrain [3] (vs.Hoeppner Corps)3rd Light Mechanized Division - Lt General Jean-Léon-Albert Langlois [4]French 3rd Corps - General de Fornel de la Laurencie1st Motorized Infantry Division1st Moroccan Infantry Division2nd North African Infantry DivisionFrench 4th Corps - General Aymes32nd Infantry Division15th Motorized Infantry Division - General Alphonse JuinFrench 5th Corps - General René Altmayer5th North African Infantry Division101st Infantry DivisionBelgian VII Corps2nd Chasseurs Ardennais - Lt General Maurice-Colombe-Louis Kayaerts [5] (at Chabrehez and Houx vs. 7th Pz Div)8th Infantry DivisionFrench 2nd Army - General Charles Huntziger [6]Directly reporting: (dispositions north to south)5th Light Cavalry Division - Brigadier General Marie-Jacques-Henri Chanoine [7] (to Neufchateau-Bastogne, vs Guderian 1st and 2nd Pz, evacuated Sedan)2nd Light Cavalry Division (to Habay La Neuve, Arlon Gap, vs 10th Pz Div)1st Cavalry BrigadeDirectly reporting: (Reserves)4th Tank Battalion7th Tank Battalion205th Inf Regt213th Inf Regt - Lt Colonel LabarthéFrench 10th Corps - Lt General Pierre-Paul-Jacques Grandsard [8]55th Infantry Division - Brigadier General Henri-Jean LaFontaine [9] (Donchery and La Marfee on the Meuse, vs Guderian, 1st, 2nd Pz Divs.)71st Infantry Division - Brigadier General Joseph-Antoine-Jacques-Louis Baudet [10] (Wadelincourt on the Meuse and Raucourt, vs Guderian's 10th Pz Div)3rd North African Infantry Division (South of 71st Div)French 18th Corps - Lt General Paul-André Doyen1st Colonial Infantry Division41st Infantry DivisionFrench 7th Army - General Henri Giraud [11]Directly reporting:21st Infantry Division60th Infantry Division68th Infantry DivisionFrench 1st Corps1st Light Mechanized Division25th Motorized Division - General MoliniéFrench 16th Corps9th Motorized DivisionFrench 9th Army - General André Corap [12]Directly reporting:4th North African Infantry Division - Lt General Charles-Èugene Sancelme [13] (at Onhaye, vs 7th Pz Div)53rd Infantry Division - Lt General Jean-Marie-Léon Etchberrigaray (vs 2nd Pz)French 2nd Corps Lt General Jean-Gabriel Bouffet [14]4th Light Cavalry Division - Major General Paul-Louis-Arthur Barbe [15] (deployed into the Ardennes, across the Meuse to the Ourthe, then Marche, vs 7th Pz Div)5th Motorized Division - Brigadier General Jean-Noël-Louis Boucher [16] (Haut-le-Wastia, vs 7th Pz)French 11th Corps - Lt General Julien-Françoise-René Martin1st Light Cavalry Division18th Infantry Division - Lt General Camille-Léon Duffet [17] (on the Meuse at Houx, vs 7th Pz Div)66th Regt77th Regt125th Regt22nd Infantry Division - Major General Joseph-Louis-Françoise Hassler [18] (Givet on the Meuse, vs 7th Pz Div)French 41st Corps - Lt General Emmanuel-Urbain Libaud [19]61st Infantry Division - Major General Arsène-Marie Paul Vauthier [20], N of Monthermé vs 8 Pz Div102nd Fortress Division - Major General Françoise-Arthur Portzert [21] (Monthermé, vs 6th Pz Div)3rd Spahi Brigade - Colonel Marc (La Horgue v 1st Pz)French Armored Reserves (near Rheims to SW of breakthrough area)1st Armored Division - Brigadier General Marie-Germain-Christian Bruneau [22] (deployed to Charleroi then to Flavion, arrived low on fuel or out of fuel, vs 7 Pz Div and then 5th Pz Div)2nd Armored Division - Brigadier General Albert-Charles-Émile Bruché [23] (to Signy, deployed piecemeal, destroyed by Reinhardt's XLI Pz Corps)3rd Armored Division - Major General Georges-Louis Brocard [24] (to west of Stonne, versus Grossdeutschland Regt, 10th Pz Div, dispersed, small detachment attacked Stonne but driven off)3rd Motorized Division - Major General Paul-Jean-Léon Bertin-Bossu [25] (to west of Stonne, dispersed, attacked Stonne but driven off)4th Armored Division - Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle [26]British Expeditionary Force - General Lord GortDirectly reporting:5th Infantry Division12th Infantry Division23rd Infantry Division46th Infantry DivisionBritish I Corps - Lieutenant-General Michael Barker succeeded by Major-General Harold Alexander1st Infantry Division2nd Infantry Division48th Infantry DivisionBritish II Corps - Lieutenant-General Alan Brooke succeeded by Major-General Bernard Montgomery3rd Infantry Division4th Infantry Division50th Infantry DivisionBritish III Corps - Lieutenant-General Ronald Adam42nd Infantry Division44th Infantry DivisionBelgian Army - King Leopold III of Belgium took personal command, Lieutenant General Édouard van den Bergen was Chief of the General Staff.Belgian I Corps1st Infantry Division4th Infantry Division7th Infantry DivisionBelgian II Corps6th Infantry Division11th Infantry Division14th Infantry DivisionBelgian III Corps1st Chasseurs Ardennais2nd Infantry Division3rd Infantry DivisionBelgian IV Corps9th Infantry Division15th Infantry Division18th Infantry DivisionBelgian V Corps12th Infantry Division13th Infantry Division17th Infantry DivisionBelgian VI Corps5th Infantry Division10th Infantry Division16th Infantry DivisionBelgian Cavalry Corps1st Cavalry Division2nd Cavalry DivisionThe 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 Charles-Marie CondéDirectly reporting:3rd Light Cavalry Division - General Petiet6th Infantry Division - General Lucien6th North African Infantry Division - General de Verdilhac6th Colonial Infantry Division - General Carles7th Infantry Division8th Infantry DivisionFrench Colonial Corps2nd Infantry Division - General KlopfensteinBritish 51st (Highland) Infantry Division56th Infantry DivisionFrench 6th Corps26th Infantry Division42nd Infantry DivisionFrench 24th Corps - General Fougère51st Infantry Division - General BoellFrench 42nd Corps - General Sivot20th Infantry Division - General Corbe58th Infantry Division - General PerraudFrench 4th Army - General Edouard RéquinDirectly reporting:Polish 1st Infantry Division - General Bronisław Duch45th Infantry division - General RouxFrench 9th Corps - General Laure11th Infantry Division - General Arlabosse47th Infantry Division - General MendrasFrench 20th Corps - General Hubert52nd Infantry Division82nd African Infantry DivisionFrench 5th Army - General Victor BourretDirectly reporting:44th Infantry DivisionFrench 8th Corps24th Infantry Division31st Infantry DivisionFrench 12th Corps16th Infantry Division35th Infantry Division70th Infantry DivisionFrench 17th Corps62nd Infantry Division103rd Infantry DivisionFrench 43rd Corps30th Infantry DivisionThe French 3rd Army Group was responsible for manning the southern end of the Maginot Line, along the River Rhine and controlled one army. The army group's Commander-in-Chief was Général d'Armée Antoine-Marie-Benoit Besson.
French 8th Army - General Marcel GarcheryFrench 7th Corps13th Infantry Division27th Infantry DivisionFrench 13th Corps19th Infantry Division54th Infantry Division104th Infantry Division105th Infantry DivisionFrench 44th Corps67th Infantry DivisionFrench 45th Corps57th Infantry Division63rd Infantry DivisionPolish Second Infantry Fusiliers Division - Brigadier-General Bronisław Prugar-KetlingThe 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 CorpsDutch 1st Infantry DivisionDutch 3rd Infantry DivisionDutch II CorpsDutch 2nd Infantry DivisionDutch 4th Infantry DivisionDutch III CorpsDutch 5th Infantry DivisionDutch 6th Infantry DivisionDutch IV CorpsDutch 7th Infantry DivisionDutch 8th Infantry DivisionDutch Light DivisionPeel DivisionA, B, G BrigadesArmee des Alps Commanded by Général d'Armée René Olry3 infantry divisions of type B14th Army Corps 15th Army Corps
Fortification sectors: Dauphiné, Savoie, Alpes MaritimesDefence sectors: Rhône, NiceOriginally 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.
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.
The commander-in-chief of the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) was Generaloberst 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.
2nd Army - General of Cavalry Maximilian von WeichsDirectly reporting:267th Infantry Division294th Infantry DivisionIX Corps15th Infantry Division205th Infantry DivisionXXVI Corps34th Infantry Division45th Infantry Division295th Infantry DivisionVI Corps5th Infantry Division293rd Infantry Division9th Army - Generaloberst Johannes BlaskowitzDirectly reporting:211th Infantry DivisionXXXXII Corps50th Infantry Division291st Infantry DivisionXXXXIII Corps88th Infantry Division96th Infantry Division292nd Infantry DivisionXVIII Corps25th Infantry Division81st Infantry Division290th Infantry DivisionCommanded by Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt (Chief of Staff: Generalleutnant Georg von Sodenstern)
4th Army - Generaloberst Günther von Kluge (Chief of Staff: Generalmajor Kurt Brennecke)II Corps - General of Infantry Adolf Strauß -> 30.5.1940 General of Infantry Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel12th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach32nd Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Franz BöhmeV Corps - General of Infantry Richard Ruoff211th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Kurt Renner251st Infantry Division - Generalmajor Hans Kratzert263rd Infantry Division - Generalmajor Franz KarlVIII Corps - General of Infantry Walter Heitz8th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Rudolf Koch-Erpach28th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Hans von Obstfelder -> 20.5.1940 Generalmajor Johann Sinnhuber87th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Bogislav von Studnitz267th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Ernst FessmannXV Corps - General of Infantry Hermann Hoth (dispositions north to south: Yvoir-Houx-Dinant)5th Panzer Division - Generalleutnant Max von Hartlieb -> 22.5.1940 Generalleutnant Joachim Lemelsen -> 6.6.1940 Generalmajor Ludwig Cruwell7th Panzer Division - Generalmajor Erwin Rommel [27]62nd Infantry Division - Generalmajor Walter Keiner12th Army - Generaloberst Wilhelm List (Chief of Staff: Generalleutnant Eberhard von Mackensen)III Corps - General of Artillery Curt Haase3rd Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Walter Lichel23rd Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Walter von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt52nd Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Hans-Jurgen von ArnimVI Corps - General of Engineers Otto-Wilhelm Förster16th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Heinrich Krampf24th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Justin von Obernitz -> 1.6.1940 Generalmajor Hans-Valentin HubeXVIII Corps - General of Infantry Eugen Beyer -> 1.6. Generalleutnant Hermann Ritter von Speck5th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Wilhelm Fahrmbacher21st Infantry Division - Generalmajor Otto Sponheimer25th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Erich Clößner1st Mountain Division - Generalleutnant Ludwig Kübler16th Army - General of Infantry Ernst Busch (Chief of Staff: Generalmajor Walter Model)VII Corps - General of Infantry Eugen von Schobert36th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Georg Lindemann68th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Georg BraunXIII Corps - Generalleutnant Heinrich von Vietinghoff15th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Friedrich-Wilhelm von Chappuis17th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Hebert Loch10th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Konrad von CochenhausenXXIII Corps - Generalleutnant Albrecht Schubert34th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Hans Behlendorff58th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Iwan Heunert76th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Maximilian de Angelis26th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Sigismund von FörsterPanzer Group "Kleist" - General of Cavalry Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist (Chief of Staff: Generalmajor Kurt Zeitzler)XIV Corps - General of Infantry Gustav Anton von Wietersheim2nd Infantry Division (mot.) - Generalleutnant Paul Bader13th Infantry Division (mot.) - Generalmajor Friedrich-Wilhelm von Rothkirch und Panthen29th Infantry Division (mot.) - Generalmajor Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und ErlencampXXXXI Corps - Generalleutnant Georg-Hans Reinhardt (disposition of Panzer Corps north to south, Montherme)6th Panzer Division - Generalmajor Werner Kempf8th Panzer Division - Oberst Erich BrandenbergerXIX Corps - General of Cavalry Heinz Guderian [28] (dispositions east to west: Donchery to Sedan)2nd Panzer Division - Generalleutnant Rudolf Veiel1st Panzer Division - Generalleutnant Friedrich Kirchner10th Panzer Division - Generalleutnant Ferdinand SchaalInfantry Regiment GroßdeutschlandReservesXXXX Corps - Generalleutnant Georg Stumme6th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Arnold Freiherr von Biegeleben9th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Georg von Apell4th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Erick-Oskar Hansen27th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Friedrich Bergmann71st Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Karl Weisenberger73rd Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Bruno BielerCommanded by Generaloberst Fedor von Bock (Chief of Staff: Generalleutnant Hans von Salmuth)
6th Army - Generaloberst Walter von Reichenau (Chief of Staff: Generalmajor Friedrich Paulus)XVI Corps - General of Cavalry Erich Hoepner4th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Erick-Oskar Hansen33rd Infantry Division - Generalmajor Rudolf Sintzenich3rd Panzer Division - Generalmajor Horst Stumpff4th Panzer Division - Generalmajor Ludwig Radlmeier -> 8.6.1940 Generalmajor Johann Joachim SteverIV Corps - General of Infantry Viktor von Schwedler15th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Ernst-Eberhard Hell205th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Ernst RichterXI Corps - Generalleutnant Joachim von Kortzfleisch7th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz211th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Kurt Renner253rd Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Fritz Kühne31st Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Rudolf KaempfeIX Corps - General of Infantry Hermann GeyerXXVII Corps - General of Infantry Alfred Wäger253th Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Fritz Kuhne269th Infantry Division - Generalmajor Ernst-Eberhard Hell18th Army - General of Artillery Georg von KüchlerX CorpsSS "Adolf Hitler" Reinforced Regiment227th Infantry Division1st Cavalry DivisionXXVI Corps256th Infantry Division254th Infantry DivisionSS "Der Führer" DivisionReserves208th Infantry Division225th Infantry Division526th Infantry DivisionSS "Verfügungstruppe" Division7th Air Division22nd Air Landing Infantry Division9th Panzer Division207th Infantry DivisionCommanded by Generaloberst Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb
1st Army - Generaloberst Erwin von WitzlebenDirectly reporting:197th Infantry DivisionHöh. Kom. z.b.V. XXXVII246th Infantry Division215th Infantry Division262nd Infantry Division257th Infantry DivisionXXIV Corps60th Infantry Division252nd Infantry Division168th Infantry DivisionXII Corps75th Infantry Division268th Infantry Division198th Infantry DivisionXXX Corps258th Infantry Division93rd Infantry Division79th Infantry DivisionHöh. Kom. z.b.V. XXXXV95th Infantry Division167th Infantry Division7th Army - Generaloberst Friedrich DollmannHöh. Kom. z.b.V. XXXIII213th Infantry Division554th Infantry Division556th Infantry Division239th Infantry DivisionXXV Corps557th Infantry Division555th Infantry Division6th Mountain DivisionXXVII Corps218th Infantry Division221st Infantry DivisionCommanded by Prince General Umberto di Savoia
1st Army - General Pietro Pintor2nd Corps - General Francesco Bettini3rd Corps - General Mario Arisio15th Corps - General Gastone Gambara4th Army - General Alfredo Guzzoni1st Corps - General Carlo Vecchiarelli4th Corps - General Camillo MercalliAlpine Corps - General Luigi NegriOverall, the Italian forces numbered about 312,000 troops. However they had inadequate artillery and transport and most were not equipped for the cold Alpine environment.