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he French 1st Army Grouop, like the BEF was dug into defensive positions along the Belgian-French border. Upon receiving news of the German attacks, the French ordered their 1st Army Group, the most powerful and mobil French formation north into Belgium. Had they remained in place they wouldhave been in a good position to block the German break through from the Ardennes. The 1st Army Group moved north in accordance with Plan D. This sas the allied Plan. Belgium was neutral. Despite the failure of World war I neutrality, the Belgians decuided on the same course of action against an even more aggrssive Germany. There was no joint plan with either the Belgians or Dutch because of their neutrality. The French thus committed theie their best forces. By the time the French 7th Army reached the Dutch border, the Dutch army was in full retreat and as their had been no pre-War planning, any kind of joint action was impossible. The French withdrew back into Belgium to help defend Brussels. The French First Army did not have time to prepare defenses when they learned of the defeat on the Belgian border defenses. Allied planning had been based on the Belgians delaying the Germans as they had in World War I. The French had expected the Belgians delaying the Germans for several weeks which even at the time seems extremely optimistic. The French planned to build a defensive line around the Gembloux Gap. Here they had some success in part because the Germans did not yet have much Luftwaffe suppot. Meanwhile the Germans struck through the Ardennes where the Luftwaffe was massed in support. French Aerial reconisance had revealed the Germans massing in the Ardennes, but the French Miltary Inteligence and High Command dismissed the reports as inprobable, believing that the Ardennes to be impassible by motorized forces.
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