What were French actions against Germany during September 1939?

Upvote:0

A lot of actions took place during the Phoney War. They did not involve the bulk of the forces but should not actually be considered as peripheric.

First, in the air, I did not go deep but there wasno heavy air action as far as I know.

On the sea, French ships contributed to chasing down the Graf Von Spee "small battleship", a German boat that was attacking Allied trade. However, they did not manage to meet her, it was British boats that fought her in the end and forced him to sink herself.

And on land, during what is usually called the "Phoney War" in France, there was a military action. But it happened after the fall of Poland: Germany attacked Norway as a second offensive, and half a French brigade, British and Polish troops landed in Narvik and other coastal cities to try to... well it was not really clear but they tried to help the Norwegians. Despite initial success in Narvik, they ultimately had to fall back.

Upvote:5

It was mainly a "Phoney War." But early in September, the French advanced a few miles into the industrialized Saar region (as they did in 1923). They stopped as soon as they encountered their first real resistance in the form of German soldiers protected by mine fields, even though the 40 available French divisions outnumbered the German defenders by about 2 to 1.

A few days later, the French high command decided to withdraw, and fight a World War I-style defensive war. This decision was buttressed by the rapid fall of Poland, and the fact that it would have been too late for the French army to make its weight felt before the Germans were returned from the Polish front.

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