Yes, the “clever strategic maneuver” by withdrawing from the Warndt Forest completely fooled the Germans. I dug through my archives of materials and found a transcript of Gamelin’s strategy session where this was decided. I think the stenographer used some code names for the French staff:
ARTHUR: Run away! Run away!
ALL KNIGHTS (taking up cry): Run away! Run away!
They run down from the cave and hide, regrouping behind some rocks. TIM, some way away, is pointing at them and laughing derisively.
TIM: Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha.
ARTHUR: Who did we lose?
LAUNCELOT: Sir Gawain.
GALAHAD: Ector.
ARTHUR: And Bors. Five.
+ GALAHAD: Three, sir!
+ ARTHUR: Three. Well, we’ll not risk another frontal assault. That rabbit’s dynamite.
ROBIN: Would it help to confuse him if we ran away more.
Lol!