Saar Offensive

Saar Offensive
Part of the Phoney War of World War II

Disposition of French forces
Date7 September – 16 October 1939 (1939-09-07 – 1939-10-16) (1 month and 9 days)
Location49°10′N 7°15′E / 49.167°N 7.250°E / 49.167; 7.250
Result

German victory

  • French tactical withdrawal
Belligerents

 France


Diplomatic support:
 United Kingdom
 Germany
Commanders and leaders
French Third Republic Maurice Gamelin
French Third Republic A.G. Prétalat
Nazi Germany Erwin von Witzleben
Strength
40-85 divisions
400 tanks
4,700 artillery pieces
22 divisions
100 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses
2,000 casualties
4 tanks destroyed
552 casualties
114 missing[1]
11 aircraft destroyed[2]

The Saar Offensive was the French invasion of Saarland, Germany, in the first stages of World War II, from September 7 to October 16, 1939, in response to the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. The original plans called for 40 divisions, one armored division, three mechanised divisions, 78 artillery regiments and 40 tank battalions to assist Poland, which was then under invasion, by attacking Germany's neglected western front. Despite 30 divisions advancing to the border (and in some cases across it), the attack did not have the expected result. When the swift victory in Poland allowed Germany to reinforce its lines with homecoming troops, the offensive was halted. French forces then withdrew amid a German counter-offensive on 17 October.

  1. ^ "Berlin Diary" by William Shirer, 20 October 1939
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference AP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).