git diff --name-only --diff-filter=D -z | xargs -0 git rm --cached
----------------
-Submodules
-~~~~~~~~~~
+SUBMODULES
+----------
Only submodules using a gitfile (which means they were cloned
with a Git version 1.7.8 or newer) will be removed from the work
tree, as their repository lives inside the .git directory of the
superproject. If a submodule (or one of those nested inside it)
still uses a .git directory, `git rm` will fail - no matter if forced
-or not - to protect the submodule's history.
+or not - to protect the submodule's history. If it exists the
+submodule.<name> section in the linkgit:gitmodules[5] file will also
+be removed and that file will be staged (unless --cached or -n are used).
A submodule is considered up-to-date when the HEAD is the same as
recorded in the index, no tracked files are modified and no untracked