WI no Phantom offensive in '39

[melanie]

One of the curious features of the opening months of World War II was the French "phantom offensive" along the Franco-German border. France declared war in defence of Poland, and had promised the Poles an offensive to draw German forces away from Poland. But there was no political willingness to risk a major conflict. From 7 September French forces advanced into the Saarland. They occupied a few villages which the Germans had abandoned, and met only light resistance. In a few places they advanced 10km. They never reached the main German defensive line, the Westwall ("Siegfried Line"), and they never came close to taking Saarbrücken, which is only 5km from the French border. On 17 September - two weeks before this article - the offensive was called off and French forces retired behind the Maginot Line, where they stayed until the German assault of May 1940. During this period the British (and Australian) press published front-page articles about the "Western Front" which were almost complete fantasy. At this stage of the war there were few experienced war correspondents in the field and the press seems to have printed whatever they were told by the French high command.



So, WI if there had been the political will for major action in the west?

[575]

Interesting as the story told us down the years is that Armygroup C in the West 1939 consisted of training formations BUT - and really I haven't given the Armygroup this lookthrough before: half its Infantry Divisions was of the first wave - erster Welle. (source Niehorster.Org)
The German Infantry Divisions were outfitted according to a wave programme - first wave the initial 35 Divisions that had been available before the occupation of Czechia.
Second wave of 16 Divisions, third wave of 20 Divisions and fourth wave of 14 Divisions were available at the outbreak of war 1. September 1939.

Present in the West party to Armygroup C the Germans fielded 18 Infantry Divisions of the first wave, 8 of the second, 11 of the third. There was also 1 LandWehr/reserve local defence and one Waffen-SS Motorized Regiment Der Fuhrer. All for a total of 37 Infantry and 1 LW Divisions and 1 SS Infantry Regiment or close to half of the German total infantry formations of 94 Infantry Divisions counting 3 Mountain and 2 Motorized as well as 4 Motorized SS-Regiments.
With of course air cooperation squadrons of LW attached as well as AA-units.

Training formations? The 1. Wave was the old core built upon the Versailles Army. 2, 3 and 4 Wave Divisions apart from those in the West all were engaged in Poland.

Seems its not only the French offensive that was a phantom?

France and Britain declare war on 3. September 1939
Opposing Armygroup C were the French Army of some 11 Infantry Divisions and 2 Mountain with another 16 Infantry and 2 Mountain mobilizing and 13 division equivalents manning Maginot Line. Add 5 light Cavalry Divisions, 2 Armoured Cavalry Divisions 7 Motorized Infantry Divisions and 39 Armour Battalions for Infantry support organized in Brigades. Also 4 Colonial Infantry and 4 North African Infantry Divisions were in France 1. September 1939.
1100 Fighter, 1000 Bomber and 800 Reconnaisance Aircraft.
British troops is only going to be transported to France from 9. September 1939.
Which in essence shows the French to have 19 Infantry Divisions (2 Mountain guarding Italian border) 7 Motorized Infantry and 2 Armoured Divisions for offensive operations by declaration of war with 18 Divisions mobilizing.

Guess the French realized they had overestimated their available capability though the Motorized/Armoured element is a force multiplier as is the French Airforce if it had been employed to suppport an offensive. They would guard the borders with Italy, Spain, Belgium which would detract from their force total in Infantry Divisions until BEF arrive in numbers.

With major German forces tied down in the Battle of Bzura River during 9-19. September 1939 with Luftwaffe fully employed and suffering 285 aircraft losses during the Polish campain the French and British - if BEF isn't in France yet RAF could bomb Germany - could inflict serious losses on the Germans.

France could tap into its second line of reserves 17 Infantry Divisions, 2 Mountain as well as at least 14 North African/Colonial Infantry Division to be transported and industrial output to field another 2 Cavalry Armoured Division, 3-4 Armoured Divisions and a huge Aircraft Industry that was able during 1939-40 to pour out aircraft even with lots of difficulties.

The Germans also had a limited capacity for continued warfare or on two fronts (old German dilemma) to come out victorious. Even if the French and British don't defeat Germany in a mobile battle they have the capacity to wear it down and it would well end that way considering the mentality of Allied commanders in France 1939-40.