Planned Dates for the attack on the Western Front 1940

[mjölnir]

I search the planned dates for the attack on the western frontier 1939-1940. I know that 29 dates were planned but they were dissolved. Only the attack on May 10th, 1940, started.
Who can tell me the other 28 dates between October 1939 till May 1940?
mjölnir

[Carl Schwamberger]

Took a quick look thru my books and only specifically identified four or five. Nominally one in October, others in November, December, & January, ans of course the last in May. The whole thing was on hold from Febuary thru April. My guess is the other dates were also mostly in the autum. Sorry this is all I have. What is behind your question?

[takata_1940]

Who can tell me the other 28 dates between October 1939 till May 1940?

Hi mjölnir,

I wondered also about those '29 posponements' dates of Fall Gelb and I noted those following dates found in Wilhelm Speidel (General der Flieger), "The Campaign in Western Europe 1939-1940" (1956)- Actually, I can't count 29 or even 19-20 as Speidel is claiming:

Nineteen postponements, or rather new deadlines, can be fully substantiated. The sources detailed below, also indicate that at least one other occasion --at the beginning of May 1940-- there was still another postponement, one which is mentioned but not documented. This would mean that the date of the attack was set at least twenty times. Sections of the summary are partly based on a copy of the War Diary of the Wehrmacht High Command, and partly based on the original notes of General Keitel, Chief of the Wehrmacht High Command, who issued separate instructions to the High Command of each branch of the Wehrmacht upon reciept of each Führer Directive changing the date of the offensive.

• 27 September 1939: Hitler's oral instructions and orientations given for 'Fall Gelb'.
• 9 October 1939: Hitler's written directive Nr.6, offensive in the West at the earliest considering meteo & redeployment.
• 16 October 1939: Hitler to OKH "the offensive will start probably between 15-20 November."
• 22 October 1939: 'Fall Gelb', the date is fixed 12 November.
• 27 October 1939: 'Fall Gelb', the date of 12 November is to be confirmed by Hitler on 5 November.
• 5 November 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is confirmed for 12 November.
• 7 November 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed three days until 15 November; to be confirmed 9 November at 1800 hrs.
• 9 November 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed four days until 19 November; to be confirmed 13 November at 1800 hrs.
• 13 November 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed three days until 22 November; to be confirmed 16 November at 1800 hrs.
• 16 November 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed four days until 26 November; to be confirmed 20 November at 1800 hrs.
• 20 November 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed one week until 3 December; to be confirmed 27 November at 1800 hrs.
• 27 November 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed six days until 9 December; to be confirmed 4 December at 1800 hrs.
• 4 December 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed two days until 11 December; to be confirmed 6 December at 1800 hrs.
• 6 December 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed six days until 17 December; to be confirmed 12 December at 1800 hrs.
• 12 December 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed two weeks until 1 January; to be confirmed 27 December at 1800 hrs.
• 27 December 1939: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed at least two weeks (15 January); New decision to be taken on 9 January at 1800 hrs, at the later.
• 9 January 1940: Decision for 'Fall Gelb' date is delayed one day to 10 January.
• 10 January 1940: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed two days until 17 January.
• 15 January 1940: 'Fall Gelb' is delayed three days until 20 January.
• 29 January 1940: Conference and new directives for 'Fall Gelb'.
• 24 February 1940: New plan and deployment for 'Fall Gelb' are released.
• 7 May 1940: Decision to be announced on 8 May 1940.
• 9 May 1940: Deadline set at 0535 hrs, 10 May 1940.

To sum it up, the date was set on:
• 12 November (1)
• 15 November (2)
• 19 November (3)
• 22 November (4)
• 26 November (5)
• 3 December (6)
• 9 December (7)
• 11 December (8)
• 17 December (9)
• 1 January (10)
• 15 January (11)
• 17 January (12)
• 20 January (13)
• 10 May (14)

At least, 14 times overall.

S~
Olivier

[mjölnir]

Hello Carl,
I read about the attack on May 10th, 1940, and there was mentioned that 29 dates before this main attack Hitler tried to attack France, but he refused these dates. But I found no exact dates.

Hello takata,
thanks for your help. I have never seen such a detailed list about the planned attack dates.
Thanks!
mjölnir

[takata_1940]

thanks for your help. I have never seen such a detailed list about the planned attack dates.

Hello,
I spent quite some time figuring out what could be the missing dates but this list seems complete excepted one in May. My best guess for it is that the offensive was to be started on 9 May but was postponed until 10 May. As you can read it in my summary, a "decision" was announced (7 May) to be taken on 8 May. But the statement of this decision is lacking, and the next one from 9 May will set the final offensive date at 0535, 10 May.

Consequently, once this lacking date is added, it would make 15 dates actually fixed + 14 postponements = 29 decisions concerning the date, but not "29 postponement"s as it is mentioned in many sources. This is my own conclusion.

S~
Olivier

[Paul_Atreides]

I search the planned dates for the attack on the western frontier 1939-1940. I know that 29 dates were planned but they were dissolved. Only the attack on May 10th, 1940, started.
Who can tell me the other 28 dates between October 1939 till May 1940?
mjölnir

May be a little late but anyway

Hans-Adolf Jacobsen "Fall Gelb. Der Kampf um den deutschen Operationsplan zur Westoffensive 1940" (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1957).

[1jasonoz]

So can anyone explain why the delays; weather, forces not in position to attack, rebuilding after Poland or some other reason; political?