French Military History
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THE FRENCH ARMY 1939 - 1940: ORGANISATION : ORDER
OF BATTLE : OPERATIONAL
HISTORY
by Lee Sharp
The French Army in 1939 was considered to be the most powerful military organisation in Europe. This is a multi volume series in which for the first time accurately details the organisation, formations and units of the French Army of 1939 - 1940.
Volume
1 - The High Command, Military Districts (Régions Militaire) - including maps. Also
Military Governors & Fortress Cities, the Gendarmeries & Garde
Republicane Legions. The Army Staff (Étate-Major de l’Armée),
Army Council (Conseil Supérieur de la Guerre), Superior Council
of National Defence (Conseil Supérieur de la Défense National),
General Headquarters (Grand Quartier Général - GQG) and
its organisation. North-East Theatre Command (Théâtre d’Operations
du Nord-Est). Army Group (Groupe d’Armées), 1, 2, 3 Groupe
d’Armées. Army (Armée) Includes Engineer, Signals,
Transportation, Quartermaster, Medical, Veterinary organisations.
Army Staff, Army Services, Army HQ Troops, Army Rear Staff, Army
Rear Directorate
Organisation. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th,5th, 6th,7th, 8th, 9th, 10th,
Armies, troops compositions, as well as Army of the Alps (Armee
des Alpes).
Army
Detachment (Detachment D’Armée) troops, also Ardennes
Army Detachment (Detachment d’Armée des Ardennes) (DAA)
and Pyrenees Army Detachment (Detachment d’Armée des
Pyrenees.
Army
Corps (Corps D’Armée) Troops, III, IV, VI, VII, VIII,
IX, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XX, XXI, XXIII, XXIV, XXV. Colonial
Army Corps (Corps d’Armée Colonial), Fortress Army Corps
(Corps d’Armée de Fortresses). Additional Corps
sized units - Groupement Dubuisson, Groupment Duffor, Groupement
Molinie.
Cavalry
Corps & Motorised Corps (Corps de Cavalerie et Corps d’Armée
Motorisé) Organisation and Corps Troops. 1, 2, 5 Motorised Corps
(Corps d’Armée Motorise). Cavalry Corps (Corps de Cavalerie)
Troops. Armoured Group (Groupment Cuirassé) Organisation.
French
North Africa (L’Afrigue Française du Nord). Military
Organisation Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, including map. Commander-in-Chief
of the North African Theatre of Operations (Commandent en Chef du Théâtre
d’Operations de l’Afrique du Nord) units. Tunisian Fronts
(Fronts Tunisiens) Troops, East Saharian Front (Front East Saharien)
Troops. Eastern Mediterranean Theatre of Operations (Theatre d’Operations
de la Mediterranée Oriental) (T.O.M.O.) Troops and map. Garrison,
Occupation Troops, Expeditionary Force. Army Corps “L” /The
Levant Mobile Force (Corps d’Armée “L” /
Groupement des Forces Mobiles du Levant) Troops.
French
Scandinavian Expeditionary Force (Corps Expeditionaire Français
en Scandinave) Troops, Divisions & units.
Colonial
Troops - China, Indo-China, Togo, Cameroons, Gabon, Madagascar,
Reunion, French Somalia, Martinique, etc. Also Indo-China (inc map)
Troops & Formations. French West Africa (inc map) Troops and units Air
Reconnaissance & Observation units
210
x 295mm, vi + 148 pages, 22 maps
ISBN 978-0-85420-316-1 Hardback
Edition £32.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-321-5 Softback
Edition £19.99
Volume
2 - The Organisation of the Division. Includes alterations, Commanding
Generals, Chiefs
of Staff, numbers of men, type and allocation of equipment. Motorised
Infantry Division (Division d’Infanterie Motorisée )(DIM). Division
Organisation. Order of Battle of Division Numbers 1, 3, 5, 9, 12, 15,
25. Infantry Division type “North-East” (Division d’Infanterie
type NE). Division Organisation. Order of Battle of Division Numbers
2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17(1), 17(2), 18, 21, 22, 23, 24,26,
27, 30, 32, 35, 36, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56,
57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71.
Infantry
Division type Mountain (Division d’Infanterie type Mountagne)
Division Organisation. Order of Battle of Division Numbers 27, 28,
29, 30, 31, 64, 65.
Light
Mountain Division (Division Légère de Chasseurs).
Division Organisation. Order of Battle of Division Numbers 1, 2, 3, 40. North
African Infantry Division (Division d’Infanterie Nord Africain)
(DINA). Division Organisation. Order of Battle of Division Numbers 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Colonial Infantry Division (Division d’Infanterie
Coloniale) (DIC). Division Organisation. Order of Battle of Division
Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Infantry Division type Overseas (Division
d’Infanterie type Outre-Mer) (Three Categories). Division Organisation.
Order of Battle of Division Numbers 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, Infanterie
d’Afrique. 1, 2, 3, Division Marocaine. 87/180, 181, 182, 183,
d’Afrique. 191, 192 Infanterie. Light Infantry Division (Division
Légère d’Infanterie) (DLI). Division Organisation.
Orders of Battle Division Numbers 1, 17, 59, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239,
240, 241. Foreign Infantry Divisions : Polish.(Polonaise) Division
Organisations. Orders of Battle Division Numbers 1, 2 : Czech(Tchecoslavaque).
Division Organisation. Order of Battle of Division Numbers 1 Cavalry
Division (Division de Cavalerie)(DC). Division Organisation. Order of
Battle Division Numbers 1, 2, 3. Light Cavalry Division (Division
Légère de Cavalerie) (DLC). Division Organisation. Order
of Battle Divisions Number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Light Mechanised Division
(Division Légère Mecanique) (DLM) Division Organisation.
Order of Battle Division Number 1, 2, 3, 4, 7. Reserve Armoured
Division (Division Cuiraseé de Reserve) (DCR). Division Organisation.
Order of Battle Division Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4. Tables of symbols, Glossary/Abbreviations,
Comparative Rank Table &c
210x295mm,
vi + 156 pages
ISBN 978-0-85420-141-9 £32.99
Hardback Edition
ISBN 978-0-85420-190-7 Softback
Edition £19.99
Volume 3 - Commands
and Formations of the Maginot Line Available
from Autumn 2009
Fortified Region, Fortress
Army Corps, Fortified Sector and Defensive Sector, Fortress Infantry
Division, Southern Tunisian Fortified Region
Infantry
Infantry Brigade. Metropolitan Infantry Regiment type “North-East”,
Metropolitan Infantry Regiment type “Overseas” 58, Half-Brigade
and Battalions of Chasseurs, Zouave Infantry Regiment. North African
Tirailleur Regiments (all types), Infantry Regiment type “Mountain”,
Half-Brigade and Battalions of Alpine Chasseurs, Pyrenean Half-Brigade
and Battalions, Motorised Infantry Regiment, Mechanised Infantry Battalion,
Foreign Legion, Half-Brigade and Battalions of Light Infantry, Half-Brigade
and Battalions of Light Infantry in Sourn Tunisia, Fortress Infantry
Regiments 106
Alpine Fortress Half-Brigades and Battalions, Machine-Gun Battalion,
Coastal Defence Formations. Moroccan Goum. Territorial Formations in
Levant Infantry Training Formations, Pioneer Regiment and Independent
Pioneer units, Divisional Pioneer Company, Divisional Anti-Tank Company,
Independent Anti-Tank Company, Headquarters Guard Company, Infantry Weapons
Repair Park, Regulating Station Transit Depot, Wounded Transit Station
and Auxiliary Camp Companies, Camp and Billets Company.
Tanks
Tank Command Staffs, Armoured Brigade, Half-Brigade of Tanks, Group
of Tank Battalions, Tank Battalion, Type FT 17 Tank Battalion, Type 1935
Tank Battalion, Type D Tank Battalion and type D Independent Company,
Type B Tank Battalion, Type 2C Tank Battalion, Independent Tank Companies
and FT Tank Platoons, Tank Park, Tank Training Battalion, Tank Transporter
Company.
Introduction, Abbreviations/Glossary, Numbering of French Military units,
Comparative Table of Ranks, Military Symbols
210 x 295mm,vi + 187 pages
ISBN 978-0-85420-824-1 Hardback Edition £32.99 Available
from Autumn 2009
ISBN 978-0-85420-825-8
Softback Edition £19.99 Available
from Autumn 2009
Volume 4 - Artillery
: General Reserve Artillery, Heavy Railway Artillery, The Heavy Railway
Artillery
Regiment, The Heavy Railway Artillery Park,
Motorised Artillery, Motorised Artillery, Regiments, The Caterpillar
Platoons, The Artillery Parks, Horse-Drawn, Static & Trench Artillery
and Anti-Tank Batteries. Horse-Drawn Artillery Training Units, Artillery
Parks, Artillery Survey Units, Army Corps Artillery, Fortress Artillery,
Divisional Artillery, Independent Artillery Regiments, Independent Artillery
Groupes, Independent Artillery Batteries, Sections and Detachments. Anti-Tank
Formations, Artillery Parks (Army Corps and Divisions) . Appendix 1-
Artillery Establishment, Appendix 2 - Worker Companies. Tables
of symbols, Glossary/Abbreviations, Comparative Rank Table &c
210
x 295mm vi + 180 pages
ISBN 978-0-85420-326-0 Hardback
Edition £32.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-331-4 Softback
Edition £19.99
Volume 5 - Anti-Aircraft: District Anti-Aircraft Commands, Anti-Aircraft
Groupings, Vulnerable Points, Air Observer and Alert Companies, Alert
Centres, Intelligence Centres & Signal Relay Centres. General
Reserve Anti-Aircraft Groupings Anti-Aircraft Groupes and Batteries
(75mm & 105mm Platform and 75mm Towed), Railway Anti-Aircraft units 90mm
anti-aircraft units, Light Anti-Aircraft Batteries (25mm/40mm), Army
Anti-Aircraft units Anti-Aircraft units in French North Africa and
the Levant, Machine-Gun Companies Searchlight Batteries Naval
Anti-Aircraft Batteries
Cavalry: The Cavalry Brigade, The Divisional Cavalry Regiment,
The Spahis Brigade and Regiments, African Cavalry Brigades and Regiments
(Chasseurs d'Afrique), Foreign Legion Cavalry, Light Mechanised, Light
Motorised and Reserve Motorised Cavalry Brigades, The Reserve Motorised
Cavalry Regiment. The Mechanised Cavalry Regiment of the Light Mechanised
Division, The Mechanised Cavalry Battalion of the Cavalry Division, The
Mechanised Cavalry Regiment of the Light Cavalry Division, The Armoured
Car Regiment of the Cavalry Division, The Armoured Car Regiment
of the Light Cavalry Division The Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, The
Armoured Cavalry Regiment, Army Corps and Divisional Reconnaissance
Battalions, Independent Groups of African Cavalry, Independent Groups
and Squadrons of Cavalry, Cavalry Groupe Francs, Cavalry in French North
Africa and the Levant, Cavalry Anti-Tank units. Divisional Recovery Squadrons,
Veterinary and Remount units
Colonial
units : Colonial Regiments and Battalions in Metropolitan France, Colonial
Regiments and Battalions in French North Africa and the Levant. Colonial
Regiments and Battalions in Africa, Colonial Regiments and Battalions
in French Indo China. Other Colonial units.
295x210mm
vi +168 pages, 190 tables
ISBN 978-0-85420-342-0 Hardback
Edition £32.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-347-5 Softback
Edition £19.99
NEW! Volume 6 : Part
1 - Engineer Units : Army Engineers incl staffs, engineer battalions,
engineer parks,
road repair battalions, auxiliary engineer
companies & electro-mechanical companies. Army Corps Engineers incl
engineer battalions and companies, engineer parks and bridging companies.
Divisional
Engineers incl engineer battalions and companies, engineer parks and
bridging
companies Fortress Engineers incl engineer battalions
and companies, electro-mechanical companies and engineer parks The
Engineer General Reserve and other staffs Engineer Battalions, Coastal
Defence Companies, Regulating Station Auxiliary Engineer Companies
and Engineer Reserve Supply Companies, Pontoon Bridge Battalions,
Waterway Engineer Companies, Cable Car Companies, Heavy Bridging Companies,
Bridging Crews, Barracks Erection Companies, Water Service Companies,
Camps and Billets Companies, Field Electrical Sections, Forestry
units, Engineer Training units, Road Repair Battalions, Overseas Engineer
units Railway Engineer units
Signal
Units. GQG signals units and Army Group signals units, Army
signals units incl army telegraph battalions, army radio, companies,
army radio-direction finding companies and army signals parks Army Corps
signal units incl telegraph companies, radio companies and carrier-pigeon
detachments. Divisional signal units incl telegraph companies, radio
companies and carrier-pigeon detachments Fortress signals units, Overseas
signals units, General Reserve units incl Groups of Telegraph Sections,
Groups of Auxiliary Telegraph Sections, Groups of Radio Sections,
Groups of Radio-Direction Finding Sections, Reinforcement Groups (radio & telegraph),
Regulating Station Signal units, Signals Training units & The Special
Corps of Military Telegraph units. Errata to volumes 2, 3, 4 & 5.
295x210mm
iv + 162 pages, 258 tables
ISBN 978-085420-819-7 Hardback
Edition £32.99
ISBN 978-0-85420-820-3 Softback
Edition £19.99
NEW! Volume 6 Part
2 - Type Overseas Engineer Units : Engineer battalions, engineer companies,
road repair companies, water service companies, barracks
erection Companies, bridging Units, forestry units, engineer park companies,
railway engineers, electro-mechanical companies, divisional engineers,
engineers in the Levant
Type Overseas Signals units
Telegraph battalions, telegraph companies, radio companies and detachments,
signal parks, mixed signals companies, divisional radio and telegrapg
companies, divisional carrier-pigeon detachments.
Quartermaster Service
Quartermaster companies, auxiliary companies, field bakery units, meat
supply companies, army, corps and divisional quartermaster units, inspectorates
and establishments in the military districts.
Medical Service
Medical ambulances, light surgical ambulances, heavy surgical ambulances,
decontamination sections, primary evacuation hospitals, secondary evacuation
hospitals, mobile surgical groups, mobile surgical teams, the Special
Army Centre for the Research in the Treatment of Chemical Weapon injuries,
hospitalisation sections, general reserve nursing companies, shared shelters,
traffic control station medical units, hospital trains, motor ambulance
units
Medical units In French North Africa and the Levant. Army, Corps and
Divisional medical units.
Inspectorates and establishments in the military districts. Republican
Guard units. Frontier Guard units. Customs Battalions. Foreign troops
ISBN 978-0-85420-806-7
Hardback Edition
ISBN 978-0-85420-807-4
Softback Edition planned for late Autumn 2008
in preparation
Volume 6 Part 3
- General
Reserve Transport: Troop transport groups, light stores transport groups,
heavy stores transport groups, coach,
truck and lorry companies, motorised ambulance companies, fuel transport
companies, tractor companies, machine-gun battalion transport companies,
meat transport sections, aviation munitions transports sections, the
motorised anti-aircraft company, motor repair centres, motor training
and organisation centres, horse-transport companies, mule companies,
transport on Corsica, transport units in French North Africa.
The Road Traffic Control Commission : The Railway Communications Regulating
Commission. General headquarters, army group, army, army detachment,
corps and divisional motorised and horse-drawn transport companies, fortress
transport companies and detachments, transport groups and companies in
the military districts.
Coastal Artillery
Bibliography and Sources
Volume
7 : Mobilisation
of the Army. The Sarre Offensive. Offensive and Defensive Plans.
Volume 8 : Manpower, Horses, Weapons, Vehicles and Equipment
Volume 9 : Changes in Deployment to May 1940. The Campaign in Norway.
Detailed Order of Battle May 9th 1940
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