French Army of 1939-40 (2): Army Groups

 

From left to right: C-in-C of the French Army (until 17 May 1940) – Maurice Gamelin and C-in-C of the Main Front – Alphonse Georges

General Gamelin was the commander-in-chief, whilst the main front, the north-east, was under the command of General Georges. The French had mobilised three Groupe d’Armées (in English, Army Groups, abbreviated GA) there, numbered from 1 to 3:

• GA1, under General Billotte, contained five armies, including the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), and formed the Allied left wing, with the objective of helping Belgium and the Netherlands.
• General Prételat’s GA2 (three armies) was strung out along the Maginot Line,
• while General Besson’s GA3 (two armies) was intended to deter any German attack through Switzerland.

General Billotte, commander of the Groupe d’Armées No.1