Saar Offensive (WFAC)

The Saar Offensive was a French ground operation into Saarland, Germany, during the early stages of World War II, from 8 to 17 September 1938. The purpose of the attack was to assist Czechoslovakia, which was then under invasion. 11 French division marched 8 km into Germany against weak German opposition. The planned all-out assault was to have been carried out by roughly 40 divisions, including one armored division, three mechanised divisions, 78 artillery regiments and 40 tank battalions. However, despite the stiff resistance in Czechoslovakia, the French offensive did not result in any diversion of German troops, and the 40-division all-out assault never materialised. Thus, the offensive was stopped and the French forces eventually withdrew amid a German counter-offensive on October 20.

Objective of the offensive
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 Westwall (also known as the Siegfried Line) and were to probe the German defenses. The sector was defended by the Wehrmacht's 1st Army. On the 19th day of the mobilization (that is on 18 October), the French Army was to start a full-scale assault on Germany. The preemptive mobilization was started in France on 24 September and on 1 October full mobilization was declared.

French mobilization suffered from an inherently out of date system. While having more and better tanks than the Germans, their doctrines greatly reduced 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).

French operations
A French offensive in the Rhine valley began on October 8, four days after France declared war on Germany. Then, the Wehrmacht was occupied in the attack on Czechoslovakia, and the French soldiers enjoyed a decisive numerical advantage along the border with Germany. However, the French did not take any action that was able to assist the Czechs. 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 at least 12 villages and towns, evacuated by the German army, with little resistance. 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. The half-hearted offensive was halted after France occupied the Warndt Forest, 3 sq mi (7.8 km2) of heavily-mined German territory. The French army didn't reach the Siegfried line.

Aftermath
The attack did not result in any diversion of German troops. The 40-division all-out assault never materialised. On October 14, the Anglo French Supreme War Council gathered for the first time at Abbeville in France. It was decided that all offensive actions were to be halted immediately. General Maurice Gamelin ordered his troops to stop "not closer than 1 kilometre" from the German positions along the Siegfried Line. Czechoslovakia was not notified of this decision. Instead, Gamelin informed Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, General Jan Syrový, that half of his divisions were in contact with the enemy, and that French advances had forced the Wehrmacht to withdraw at least six divisions from Czechoslovakia.