In 1940, during the
Battle of France, the Ninth Army was part of the
First Army Group. It was tasked with defending the central sector of the
Ardennes, holding the Meuse river line between Namur and Sedan. This sector became the focal point of the German breakthrough (
Schwerpunkt) by
Panzer Group Kleist.
Order of Battle (May 1940) At the start of the German invasion on 10 May 1940, the Ninth Army was commanded by ''Général d'armée''
André Corap. Its composition was as follows:
Order of Battle (May 1940) At the start of the German invasion on 10 May 1940, the Ninth Army was commanded by ''Général d'armée''
André Corap. Headquarters was located at Vervins. In addition to the major corps, the army controlled several organic assets and attached units: •
Army Assets (attached) •
518th Tank Brigade (
Groupe de Bataillons de Chars 518) However, in October of 1944, the High Command initiated what they referred to as a
blanchiment (whitening) of the ninth division (by then restructured), relocating the African soldiers to other areas. They typically moved them to areas with more temperate climate, giving the reasoning that cold temperatures were unfamiliar to them. Some soldiers criticized them for this decision, believing they did it to reserve the honor of crossing the Rhine into Germany for white Frenchmen. == Commanders ==