Operationsbefehl Nr. 11 12.7.40 "Advance Order"

For a timeline of the Swiss operational planning see "Swiss Operational Planning 1939 to 1941".
To match the planning against the German attack planning see "German unit timeline"

The Operationsbefehl Nr. 11 was issued on the 12.July 1940 as a reaction to the fall of France and the almost complete encirclement of Switzerland by German forces. The order actually was an advance order for the Operationsbefehl No 12. The main idea was to form a central area of defense (Zentralraumstellung) in the Alps or the réduit national.

"Die Entwicklung der allgemeinen Lage und deren Auswirkungen an unseren Grenzen erfordern eine tiefgreifende Aenderung der gegenwärtigen Aufstellung der Armee.

Im Operationsbefehl Nr. 12 wird die neue Gruppierung der Armee festgelegt werden.

Zur Erleichterung der Ueberganges aus der jetzigen Lage in die ..."

"The development of the general situation and its consequences on our borders require a deep change of the current position of the army.

Operational order No 12 will define a new grouping of the army.

To facilitate the transformation of the current situation ..."

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The main change toward the Operationsbefehl No 10 were:

• Three divisions (1. Div, 3. Div, 8. Div) were moved to the Central Area in addition to the forces already present there (7. Div, 9. Div, 10. Geb Br, 11. Geb Br, 12. Geb Br, 9. Gz Br).
• A new defensive line was formed as part of the Advanced Position in the West consisting of the 2. Div and the ad hoc Light Division (consisting of the 1. L Br, 2. L Br, 3. L Br).
• The existing Limmatstellung was held only by the 6. Div and the ad hoc groups Stadtkommando Zürich and Gruppe Dietikon.
• The 5. Div and the 4. Div held an extended line following the Southern end of the Jura mountains.

The order took into consideration,

• that the Western Mentue-Paudèze line of defense was too exposed. It would have been difficult for the troops to reach this position after mobilization before the Germans could get there. The line was taken back to the Neuchatel-Morat-Bulle line.
• that the 7. Div, 8. Div, 3. Div and 1. Div were needed to cover the Northern approaches to the Alps. The Central Redoubt was formed.

[Last Update 30.08.2010]