Saar Offensive

Saar Offensive
Part of the Phoney War of World War II
Map showing the disposition of French forces and territory occupied during the offensive
Date 7–16 September 1939 Location Saarland, Germany 49°10′N 7°15′E / 49.167°N 7.250°E / 49.167; 7.250Coordinates: 49°10′N 7°15′E / 49.167°N 7.250°E / 49.167; 7.250 Result Unforced French withdrawal
Belligerents
France	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Maurice Gamelin André-Gaston Prételat	Erwin von Witzleben
Strength
40 Divisions 400 tanks 4,700 artillery	22 Divisions less than 100 artillery
Casualties and losses
22 dead 105 wounded 58 missing	196 dead 114 missing 356 wounded 11 aircraft

The Saar Offensive was a French ground operation into Saarland, Germany, during the early stages of World War II, from 7 to 16 September 1939. The plans called for roughly 40 divisions, including 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 understrength western front. Although 30 divisions advanced to the border (and in some cases across it), the assault never happened. When the quick victory in Poland allowed Germany to reinforce their lines with homecoming troops, the offensive was stopped. The French forces eventually withdrew amid a German counter-offensive on 17 October.

According to the Franco-Polish military convention, the French Army was to start preparations for the major offensive three days after Mobilisation started. The French forces were to effectively gain control over the area between the French border and the Siegfried Line and were to probe the German defenses. The sector was defended by the German 1st Army. On the 15th day of the mobilization (that is on 16 September), the French Army was to start a full-scale assault on Germany. The pre-emptive mobilization was started in France on 26 August and on 1 September, full mobilization was declared.

French mobilization suffered from an inherently out of date system, which greatly affected their ability to swiftly deploy their forces on the field. The French command still believed in the tactics of World War I, which relied heavily on stationary artillery, even though this took time to transport and deploy (many pieces also had to be retrieved from storage before any advance could be made).

A French offensive in the Rhine valley began on 7 September, four days after France declared war on Germany. The Wehrmacht was engaged in the attack on Poland and the French enjoyed a decisive numerical advantage along the border with Germany but the French did not take any action that was able to assist the Poles. Eleven French divisions, part of the Second Army Group, advanced along a 32 km (20 mi) line near Saarbrücken, against weak German opposition. The French army advanced to a depth of 8 km (5.0 mi) and captured about twelve villages and towns unopposed. Four Renault R35 tanks were destroyed by mines north of Bliesbrück. On 10 September there was a small German counter-attack on the village of Apach, which was retaken by French forces some hours later. On 12 September, the 32nd Infantry Regiment seized the German town of Brenschelbach with the loss of one captain, one sergeant and seven privates. At the French-German-Luxembourgeois border, the Schengen bridge was destroyed. The half-hearted offensive was halted after France occupied the Warndt Forest, 3 sq mi (7.8 km²) of extensively-mined German territory. The French army failed to reach the Siegfried line.

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