This is the order of battle for the

Battle of Belgium The invasion of Belgium or Belgian campaign (10–28 May 1940), often referred to within Belgium as the 18 Days' Campaign (french: Campagne des 18 jours, nl, Achttiendaagse Veldtocht), formed part of the greater Battle of France, an Military o ...

, a World War II battle between

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

forces in Belgium on 10–28 May 1940.

Allied armed forces

Belgian air service

The

Belgian Air Service Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

(''Aéronautique Militaire Belge'') comprised three main aerial regiments: * 1er Régiment d'Aéronautique (1st Air Regiment - Observation and Army Cooperation aircraft) **1er Groupe ( Fairey Fox) **2e Groupe (Fairey Fox) **3e Groupe (Fairey Fox) **4e Groupe (Fairey Fox) **5e Groupe ( Renard R.31) **6e Groupe (Renard R.31) * 2e Régiment d'Aéronautique (2nd Air Regiment - Fighter aircraft) **1er Groupe ( Gloster Gladiator & Hawker Hurricane) **2e Groupe (

Fiat CR.42 The Fiat CR.42 ''Falco'' ("Falcon", plural: ''Falchi'') is a single-seat sesquiplane fighter developed and produced by Italian aircraft manufacturer Fiat Aviazione. It served primarily in the Italian in the 1930s and during the Second World ...

) **3e Groupe (Fairey Fox) * 3e Régiment d'Aéronautique (3rd Air Regiment - Reconnaissance and Bomber aircraft) **1er Groupe (Fairey Fox) **3e Groupe ( Fairey Battle & Fairey Fox) The Aéronautique Militaire Belge was reinforced by the Royal Air Force: * RAF Advanced Air Striking Force ( Air Vice-Marshal P H L Playfair) *

No. 14 Group RAF No. 14 Group RAF was the title of several Royal Air Force groups, including a group responsible for anti-submarine activity from 1918 to 1919 after being transferred from the Royal Naval Air Service; a fighter group formed from a wing in the B ...

(

Group Captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...

P.F. Fullard)

Belgian Army

The strength of the Belgian Army extended to seven Corps, a Cavalry Corps and several ad hoc units and fortresses. In the following overview, the position of each division at the start of hostilities on May 10, 1940 is given in parentheses. *

I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...

- Lieutenant-General Alexis Vander Veken ** 4th Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General René de Grave (Albert Canal: sector Diepenbeek-Eigenbilzen) ** 7th Infantry Division - Major General Eugène Van Trooyen (Albert Canal: sector Eigenbilzen-Lixhe) *

II Corps 2nd Corps, Second Corps, or II Corps may refer to: France * 2nd Army Corps (France) * II Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * II Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French ...

- Lieutenant-General Victor Michem **

6th Infantry Division 6th Division may refer to: Infantry divisions * 6th Division (Australia) * 6th Division (Austria) *6th (United Kingdom) Division * Finnish 6th Division (Winter War) *Finnish 6th Division (Continuation War) * 6th Division (Reichswehr) * 6th Divisi ...

- Lieutenant-General Emile Janssens (Albert Canal: sector Eindhout-Beringen) ** 9th Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General Richard Vander Hofstadt (Albert Canal: sector Herentals-Eindhout) *

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

- Lieutenant-General Joseph de Krahe ** 2nd Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General Auguste Colpin (Fortified Position Luik: sector Chaudfontaine-Engis) ** 3rd Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General Gaston Lozet (Fortified Position Luik: sector Chertal-Chaudfontaine) * IV Corps - Lieutenant-General André Bogaerts ** 12th Infantry Division - Major General Constant De Wulf (Fortified Position Antwerp: sector Sint Job-in't-Goor - Massenhoven) ** 15th Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General Baron Raoul de Hennin de Boussu-Walcourt (Albert Canal: sector Massenhoven - Herentals) ** 18th Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General Henri Six (Advance Position: sector Sint-Lenaerts - Dessel) *

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army ...

- Lieutenant-General Edouard Van Den Bergen ** 13th Infantry Division - Major General François Duthoy (Fortified Position Antwerp: sector Kapellen - Turnhout Canal) ** 17th Infantry Division - Major General Raoul Daufresne de la Chevalerie (Fortified Position Antwerp: sector Berendrecht - Kapellen) *

VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army dur ...

- Lieutenant-General Fernand Verstraeten ** 5th Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General Maurice Spinette (Transversal position: sector Halle - Ninove) ** 10th Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General Jules Pire (KW Line: sector Leuven) *

VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to: * VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * VII R ...

- Lieutenant-General Georges Deffontaine ** 8th Infantry Division - Major General André Lesaffre (Fortified Position Namur) ** 2nd Division Chasseurs Ardennais - Major General François Ley (Meuse River: sector Engis - Andenne) * Cavalry Corps - Lieutenant-General Knight Maximilien de Neve de Roden ** 1st Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General Walter Coppens (Albert Canal: sector Hasselt) ** 14th Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General Armand Massart (Albert Canal: sector Beringen - Stokrooie) ** 2nd Cavalry Division - Major General

Joseph Beernaert Joseph-Edouard-Louis Beernaert (21 April 1883 – 1950) was a Belgian soldier who reached the rank of Lieutenant-General. He was governor of the province of Congo-Kasaï in the Belgian Congo from 1925 to 1929. Early career (1883–1929) Joseph Be ...

(Demer/Gete Position) ** Group Ninitte - Major General Robert Ninitte (Advance Position: Dessel - Maasmechelen) *

Group K A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

- Lieutenant-General Maurice Keyaerts ** 1st Cavalry Division - Lieutenant-General Maurice Keyaerts (Advance Position Ardennes: Neufchateau) ** 1st Division Chasseurs Ardennais - Major General Werner Goffinet (Advance Position Ardennes: Sint-Hubert) * General Army Reserve ** 11th Infantry Division - Major General Ivan Lebert (Camp Beverlo) ** 16th Infantry Division - Lieutenant-General Georges Van Egroo (Ghent Bridgehead)

French First Army Group

1st Army First Army may refer to: China * New 1st Army, Republic of China * First Field Army, a Communist Party of China unit in the Chinese Civil War * 1st Group Army, People's Republic of China Germany * 1st Army (German Empire), a World War I field Army ...

* Cavalry Corps **

2nd Light Mechanized Division The 2nd Light Mechanized Division () was a French Army division active during the Second World War. Second World War Battle Of France During the Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also ...

3rd Light Mechanized Division The 3rd Light Mechanized Division () was a French Army division active during World War II. World War 2 Battle Of France During the Battle of France in May 1940 the division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics ...

* 3rd Corps ** 1st Moroccan Infantry Division **

2nd North African Infantry Division The 2nd North African Infantry Division (french: 2e Division d'infanterie nord-africaine, 2e DINA) was a French Army formation during World War II. The Division was created in March 1936 and was dissolved in May 1940 following the invasion of Fran ...

* 4th Corps ** 32nd Infantry Division * 5th Corps **

5th North African Infantry Division The 5th North African Infantry Division was a French Army formation during World War II. History The Division was created in September 1939 and was dissolved in June 1940 following the invasion of France. The Division was commanded by Generals ...

** 101st Infantry Division *

Belgian VII Corps Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

** 2nd Chasseurs Ardennais ** 8th Infantry Division

2nd Army

* ''Direct reporting:'' ** 2nd Light Cavalry Division **

5th Light Cavalry Division The French 5th Light Cavalry Division was a French Army division active during World War II. It was led by Lieut. General Baron Subervie. World War 2 Battle Of France During the Battle of France in May 1940 the division Division or divider may re ...

** 1st Cavalry Brigade * 10th Corps **

3rd North African Infantry Division The 3rd North African Infantry Division was a French Army formation during World War II. History During the Battle of France in May 1940 the division was made up of the following units: *12th Zouaves Regiment *14th Algerian Tirailleurs Regime ...

** 55th Infantry Division ** 71st Infantry Division * 18th Corps ** 1st Colonial Infantry Division ** 41st Infantry Division

7th Army

* ''Direct reporting:'' ** 21st Infantry Division ** 60th Infantry Division ** 68th Infantry Division * 1st Corps **

1st Light Mechanized Division The 1st Light Mechanized Division () was a French Army formation during World War II. It was the first of the armoured divisions of the French Cavalry. Formation Preparations to create such a unit began in 1931. Slowly the 4th Cavalry Division ...

** 25th Motorized Division * 16th Corps ** 9th Motorized Division

9th Army

* ''Direct reporting:'' **

4th North African Infantry Division The 4th North African Infantry Division was a French Army formation established in 1937. During the Battle of France in May 1940 the division was made up of the following units: The Division was created in August 1938 and was dissolved in May 19 ...

** 53rd Infantry Division * 2nd Corps **

4th Light Cavalry Division The 4th Light Cavalry Division () was a French Army division active during World War II. World War 2 Battle Of France During the Battle of France in May 1940 the Division (military), division contained the following units: * 4th Cavalry Brigade * ...

** 5th Motorized Division * 11th Corps ** 1st Light Cavalry Division ** 18th Infantry Division ** 22nd Infantry Division * 41st Corps ** 61st Infantry Division ** 102nd Fortress Division **

3rd Spahi Brigade Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * High ...

British Expeditionary Force

General

Lord Gort Field Marshal John Standish Surtees Prendergast Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort, (10 July 1886 – 31 March 1946) was a senior British Army officer. As a young officer during the First World War, he was decorated with the Victoria Cross for his acti ...

* ''Directly reporting:'' ** 5th Infantry Division **

12th (Eastern) Infantry Division The 12th (Eastern) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army, which fought briefly in the Battle of France during the Second World War. In March 1939, after the re-emergence of Germany as a European power and its occupat ...

23rd (Northumbrian) Division The 23rd (Northumbrian) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, which fought briefly in the Battle of France during the Second World War. In March 1939, after the re-emergence of Germany as a European power and its occupation o ...

** 46th Infantry Division *

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Michael Barker ** 1st Infantry Division ** 2nd Infantry Division **

48th (South Midland) Division The 48th (South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army. Part of the Territorial Force (TF) and raised in 1908, the division was originally called the South Midland Division, and was redesignated as the 48th (South Midland ...

- Lieutenant-General Alan Brooke ** 3rd Infantry Division ** 4th Infantry Division **

50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that saw distinguished service in the Second World War. Pre-war, the division was part of the Territorial Army (TA) and the two ''Ts'' in the divisional ins ...

- Lieutenant-General

Ronald Adam General Sir Ronald Forbes Adam, 2nd Baronet, (30 October 1885 – 26 December 1982) was a senior British Army officer. He had an important influence on the conduct of the British Army during the Second World War as a result of his long tenure ...

42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division The 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division was an infantry Division (military), division of the British Army. The division was raised in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force (TF), originally as the East Lancashire Division, and was redesignat ...

44th (Home Counties) Division The Home Counties Division was an infantry division of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army, that was raised in 1908. As the name suggests, the division recruited in the Home Counties, particularly Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex. ...

German armed forces

Army Group B

Commanded by Colonel General Fedor von Bock *(Chief of Staff - Lt. Gen. Hans von Salmuth). * Sixth Army —Colonel General Walter von Reichenau ** (Chief of Staff - Maj. Gen. Friedrich Paulus). ** IV Corps - Gen.of Infantry Viktor von Schwedler *** 15th Infantry Division - Maj. Gen.

Ernst-Eberhard Hell Ernst-Eberhard Hell (19 September 1887 – 15 September 1973) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He commanded several divisions and later an army corps. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak ...

(reserve)Mitcham 1985, p. 52. *** 205th Infantry Division - Lt. Gen.

Ernst Richter Ernst Friedrich Eduard Richter (24 October 18089 April 1879), was a German musical theorist and composer, born at Großschönau, Saxony. He first studied music at Zittau, and afterwards at Leipzig, where he attained so high a reputation that in ...

XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to: * 11th Army Corps (France) * XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * XI ...

- Lt. Gen.

Joachim von Kortzfleisch Joachim Otto August Achatius von Kortzfleisch (3 January 1890 – 20 April 1945) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. As the commander of the Military District III (Berlin), he played a role in the failure of the attempted ...

*** 7th Infantry Division - Maj. Gen. Eccard von GablenzMitcham 1985, p. 46. *** 211th Infantry Division - Maj. Gen. Kurt Renner *** 253rd Infantry Division - Lt.Gen.

Fritz Kuhne Fritz originated as a German nickname for Friedrich, or Frederick (''Der Alte Fritz'', and ''Stary Fryc'' were common nicknames for King Frederick II of Prussia and Frederick III, German Emperor) as well as for similar names including Fridolin an ...

Mitcham 1985, p. 185. **

IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to: France * 9th Army Corps (France) * IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German ...

Mitcham 1995, p. 505. ** XVI Corps *** 3rd Panzer DivisionMitcham 1985, p. 352. ***

4th Panzer Division The 4th Panzer Division ( en, 4th Tank Division) was an armored division in the Army of Nazi Germany. In World War II, it participated in the 1939 invasion of Poland, the 1940 invasion of France, and the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union. It ...

Mitcham 1985, p. 352. ** XXVII CorpsMitcham 1995, p. 509. * Eighteenth Army — Georg von Küchler ** Reserves *** 208th Infantry DivisionMitcham 1985, p. 163. *** 225th Infantry Division *** 526th Infantry Division ** SS "Verfügungstruppe" Division ** 7th Airborne DivisionMitcham 1985, p. 422. ** 22nd Air Landing Infantry Division **

9th Panzer Division The 9th Panzer Division was a panzer division of the German Army during World War II. It came into existence after 4th Light Division was reorganized in January 1940. The division was headquartered in Vienna, in the German military district Weh ...

Mitcham 1985, p. 360. ** 207th Infantry Division **

X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to: France * 10th Army Corps (France) * X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * X ...

*** SS "Adolf Hitler" Division *** 227th Infantry Division *** 1st Cavalry Division ** XXVI Corps *** 256th Infantry Division *** 254th Infantry DivisionMitcham 1985, p. 185. *** SS "Der Führer" Division

Luftwaffe

The Luftwaffe order of battle for operations over Belgium:Hooton 2007, pp. 45-48. * IV. Fliegerkorps (General der Flieger, Generaloberst Alfred Keller) **''

Lehrgeschwader 1 ''Lehrgeschwader'' 1 (LG 1) (Training Wing 1) formerly ''Lehrgeschwader Greifswald'' was a Luftwaffe multi-purpose unit during World War II, operating fighter, bomber and dive-bomber ''Gruppen''. The unit was formed in July 1936 and operated t ...

'' (Stab. I., II., III., IV. Düsseldorf) **'' Kampfgeschwader 30'' (Stab. I., II., at

Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to: Places *Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica *Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany **Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony *Olde ...

III. at Marx) **'' Kampfgeschwader 27'' (III. at Wunstorf) *'' Jagdfliegerführer 2'' ('' Oberst''

Kurt-Bertram von Döring Generalleutnant Kurt-Bertram von Döring (18 February 1889 in Ribbekardt – 9 July 1960 in Medingen) was a German World War II Generalleutnant of Luftwaffe. He began his career as a flying ace in World War I, became a flying soldier of fortune ...

) **''

Jagdgeschwader 26 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 (JG 26) ''Schlageter'' was a German fighter-wing of World War II. It was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a World War I veteran, Freikorps member, and posthumous Nazi martyr, arrested and executed by the French for ...

'' (Stab., II at

Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...

, III. at Essen-Mühlheim) **''

Jagdgeschwader 3 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 (JG 3) "Udet" was a ''Luftwaffe'' fighter wing of World War II. The ''Geschwader'' operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II. It was named after Ernst Udet, an important figure in the develo ...

'' (III. at

Hopsten Hopsten is a municipality in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approximately 15 km northeast of Rheine and 25 km southeast of Lingen. People * Bernhard Otte (1883-1933), politician and tra ...

) **'' Jagdgeschwader 51'' (Stab. at Bönninghardt, I. at Krefeld) **'' Jagdgeschwader 27'' (II. Bönninghardt) **'' Jagdgeschwader 20'' (I. at Bönninghardt) * VIII. Fliegerkorps (

Generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...

Wolfram von Richthofen) **'' Jagdgeschwader 27'' (Stab.,I.) **''

Jagdgeschwader 21 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 21 was a fighter wing of Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe in World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast major ...

'' **'' Jagdgeschwader 1'' (I.) **'' Sturzkampfgeschwader 76'' (I.) **'' Sturzkampfgeschwader 2'' (Stab., I., III.) **''

Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 ''Sturzkampfgeschwader'' 77 (StG 77) was a Luftwaffe dive bomber wing during World War II. From the outbreak of war StG 77 distinguished itself in every Wehrmacht major operation until the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942. If the claims mad ...

'' (Stab., I, II.) **''

'' (IV(St.)) **'' Lehrgeschwader 2'' II.(Shl) **''

Kampfgeschwader 77 ''Kampfgeschwader 77'' (KG 77) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II. Its units participated on all of the major fronts in the European Theatre until its dissolution in 1944. It operated all three of the major German bomber types; the ...

'' (Stab., I., II., III.)

Citations

References

*Mitcham, Samuel. ''Hitler's Legions: The German Army Order of Battle, World War II''. Dorset Press, New York. 1985. (Formerly ) *Hooton, E.R. (2007). ''Luftwaffe at War; Blitzkrieg in the West''. London: Chevron/Ian Allan. . *Gunsburg, Jeffrey A., 'The Battle of the Belgian Plain, 12–14 May 1940: The First Great Tank Battle', ''The Journal of Military History'', Vol. 56, No. 2. (Apr., 1992), pp. 207–244.
Belgian Cavalry Corps Order of Battle, 10 May 1940

External links

De Achttiendaagse Veldtocht, containing a diary of every single unit participating in the battle of Belgium
British Expeditionary Force As Organised on 10 May 1940
at CARL {{DEFAULTSORT:Belgium order of battle World War II orders of battle Battle of Belgium Battles and operations of World War II involving Belgium Battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom