German Orders of Battle – Battle of France

German Orders of Battle for the Battle of France of June 8, 1940.
The offensive started after Dunkirk Evacuation on June 5 with the attack of Army Group B.

View on the Avenue Foch when the Germans enter Paris.
View on the Avenue Foch when the Germans enter Paris.

From 9 April (when German troops invaded Denmark and Norway) to the armistice with France on 25 June, the German Army confirmed the superiority of its organization and tactics. Losses in Norway were 5,636 men; the invasion of France and the Low Countries cost 27,074 killed, 111,034 wounded and 18,348 missing. On some single days in World War One the losses were higher.

German Orders of Battle during the Battle of France

Schematic layout of the German Wehrmacht from June 8th, 1940

Schematic layout:

Army GroupArmyCorpsDivisions
Army Group B located in northern France at the Channel Coast (Reserves: 1, 11, 19, 30, 8, 28, 217 Infantry divisions)4 ArmyII Corps 11 Fast Brigade , 12, 57, 32, 31 Infantry Divisions
XXXVIII Corps 6, 46, 27 Infantry, 1 Cavalry division
XV Corps 5, 7 Panzer, 2 motorized Infantry division
6 ArmyXXXX Corps 87, 44 Infantry division
V Corps 62, 263 Infantry, parts 94 Infantry division
XXXXIV Corps 72 Infantry, 1 Mountain, parts 98., parts 83. Infantry division"
9 Army (Reserves: parts 88, 96 Infantry division)XVIII Corps 25, 290 Infantry, parts 81 Infantry Division
XXXXII Corps 292, 50, 291 Infantry Division
Panzer Group KleistXIV Corps 9, 10 Panzer, 9 Infantry, 13 motorized Infantry division, Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland (motorized)
XVI Corps 3, 4 Panzer division, 4., 33 Infantry, 1., 2 SS-divisions (motorized)
Army Group A located in Northeast France (Reserves: 7, 211, 253, 267, 269 Infantry division)2 ArmyVI Corps 5, 293, 15, 205 Infantry division
XXVI Corps 45, 34 Infantry division
IX Corps 294, 295 Infantry division
12 Army (Reserves: 298 Infantry division) III Corps 3, 23, 52 Infantry division
XIII Corps 17, 21, 260 Infantry division
XXIII Corps 73, 86, 82 Infantry division
XVII Corps 10, 26 Infantry, SS-Police division
Panzer Group Guderian XXXIX Corps 1, 2 Panzer, 29 motorized Infantry division
XXXXI Corps 6, 8 Panzer, 20 motorized Infantry division
16 Army (Reserves: 16, 76, 68, 212 Infantry division)VII Corps 24, 299, 36, 58 Infantry division
XXXVI Corps 71, 169 Infantry division
XXXI Corps 183, 161, 162 Infantry division
Army Group C in the Saar and Rhine front in Southwest Germany 1 Army (Reserves: 79, 168, 197, 198 Infantry division)XXXXV Corps 167 Infantry, parts 96 Infantry division
XXX Corps 258 Infantry, parts 93 Infantry division
XII Corps 75, 268 Infantry division
XXIV Corps 60, 252 Infantry division
XXXVII Corps 257, 262, 215, 246 Infantry division
7 Army (Reserves: 213, 218, 221, 239 Infantry division)XXV Corps 557, 555 Infantry division
XXXIII Corps 554, 556 Infantry division
subordinated to OKW (Headquarter of the Wehrmacht), located in Poland and Norway 18 Army (Poland, Reserves: 216, 227, 251 Infantry division)X Corps 208, 225, 254 Infantry division
AOK Norwegen (HQ Norway) XXI Corps 2, 3 Mountain, 69, 214, 163, 181, 196 Infantry division
OKH ReservesGroup WestXXVIII Corps 14, 18, 56, 61, 223, 255, 256 Infantry division, 3 SS-Infantry division Totenkopf (motorized)
Group EastXXIX Corps 207, 297, 78, 170, 296, 35, 206 Infantry division; in transfer: 22, 164 Infantry division
in Germany 228, 231, 311 Infantry division
Oberost (East Prussia) XXXIV, XXXV Corps 209, 365, 372, 379, 393 Infantry division
Reserve Army and Commander of the army armament XXXII Corps 351, 358, 386, 395, 399 Infantry division


Overview of fully established and operational divisions of the Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS and Luftwaffe on June 8, 1940

Overview:

Panzermot.Inf.Cav.Inf.MountainAirborneTotal
Army Group B651271-40
Army Group A42-39--45
Army Group C---23--23
Norway---52-7
Poland, East Prussia ---11--11
Reserves-1-24-227
TOTAL108112932153


Approximate organization strength of the major types of the German Army divisions in 1939-1940:

Infantry Divisionmotorized Infantry Division (1939)Mountain DivisionPanzer Division (1939-40)Light Division
Units total874354
Officers500=?400400
Officials100=?100100
NCOs2,500=?2,0001,600
Privates13,400=?9,3008,700
Total men 16,500-17,200 (35 divisions of 1st wave 18,00016,50013,05611,80010,800
Infantry Regiments3 with 3,000 men each=2 with 3,000 men each2 with 3,000 men each1 or 2 with 2,000 or 3,000 men each
Machine guns MG34643 (116 heavy)=569220460
Anti-tank rifles90=-
Mortars142 (84 x 5cm, 58 x 8.1cm)=118 (60 x 8.1cm, 58 x 5cm)5060
Infantry guns 24 (6 x 15cm, 18 x 7.5cm) =4 (15cm)1010
Anti-tank guns75 (3.7cm Pak 36)=51 (45 x 3.7 cm, 6 x 4.7cm)5050
Howitzers and guns 48 (8 x 15cm, 36 x 10.5cm leFH, 4 x 10.5cm guns)=36 (8 x 15cm, 12 x 10.5cm, 16 x 7.5cm)28 24 (10.5cm leFH)
Anti-aircraft guns (2cm)11=121212
Armored Cars330-100100
Tanks---32486
Trucks5001,700-1,4001,400
Cars4001,000-560600
Motorcycles4521,300-1,3001,100
Sidecars200600-700600
Horses5,375-?--
Horse-drawn carriages1,133-?--

More about: Germany Army Unit Organization 1939-41.


References and literature

World War II – A Statistical Survey (John Ellis)
Der Grosse Atlas zum II. Weltkrieg (Peter Young)
Kriegstagebuch des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht, Band 1-8 (Percy E. Schramm)
Kraftfahrzeuge und Panzer der Reichswehr, Wehrmacht und Bundeswehr (Werner Oswald)
The Armed Forces of World War II (Andrew Mollo)


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