Vichy French Military Division order of battle

The Military Division (French: Division Militaire, abbreviated to DM) was a Vichy French infantry formation in 1940-1942, during World War II. The divisions were numbered according to the military regions.^[1] The Vichy French Military Division had a near-identical organisation as the French Infantry Divisions of 1939-1940, but with the restrictions of the Armistice of 22 June 1940 imposed them.^[1] The whole Army of Vichy France, except for the Garde, was demobilized on 27 November 1942 after Case Anton.^[1]

Military Division
Division Militaire DM
Active	1940-42
Country	Vichy France
Branch	Armistice Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	World War II

Organisation

The table below shows the order of battle that a Military Division aspired to.^[1] In addition, each Military Division had a Bureau of Anti-National Activities [fr], which had the purpose of countering politically subversive actions, especially those by Communists, but also those of the supporters of Charles de Gaulle.^[2]

Unit
Division headquarters[3]
3x Infantry regiments (each of an identical composition) (or 3x Demi-brigades of Chasseurs à Pied, each with 3 battalions)[3]
I battalion	4 mixed rifle and MG companies:[Note 1] 26x FM 24/29 light machine gun 16x Hotchkiss Mle 1914 machine gun 36x Lance Grenades de 50 mm modèle 37/VB rifle grenade 3x 60mm mortars 3x 81mm mortars
II battalion	4 mixed rifle and MG companies (as above)
III battalion	4 mixed rifle and MG companies (as above)
Cavalry regiment[3] (either Cuirassier/Dragoon or Chasseur/Hussar)
A single Cuirassier or Dragoon regiment (divided into reconnaissance groups) 2 mounted squadrons 3 cyclist squadrons (15x Hotchkiss MGs, 10x 81mm mortars) 1 armoured car squadron (8x Panhard AMD)[Note 2]	A single Chasseurs à cheval or Hussar regiment 4 mounted sabre squadrons 1 heavy weapons squadron (12x Hotchkiss MGs, 4x 81mm mortars)
Artillery regiment[3]
I group	3 batteries[Note 3][Note 4]
II group	3 batteries
III group	4 batteries
Engineer battalion[1]
2 companies a half-company bridging train
Signals group,[1][Note 5] also known as a battalion[3]
Transport group,[1][Note 5] also known as company[3]
Guard regiment[1][3]

Moreover, there existed four cavalry regiments of the general reserve.^[3]

Equipment

This Armistice banned anti-tank and gas protection equipment, while minimizing mechanization.^[1] However, the reduction of the French army meant that its remains could be entirely equipped with the newest and best equipment available, e.g. MAS-36 rifle, MAS-38 and Thompson submachine guns.^[1] The previously used VB rifle grenade was over time replaced with the Lance Grenades de 50 mm modèle 37.^[1] Artillery was only allowed to have 75mm calibre guns.^[1]

Military Divisions

Table of Military Divisions within the Vichy Army and their main component units^[4]

Military divisions	Location of divisional headquarters	Infantry units	Cavalry regiment	Artillery regiment
7th Military Division[4]	Bourg-en-Bresse[4][5]	65th Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 151st Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 4e Chasseurs à Pied Demi-brigade:[4] 1st Chasseurs à Pied Battalion [fr][4] 2nd Chasseurs à Pied Battalion [fr][4] 10th Chasseurs à Pied Battalion [fr][4]	5th Dragoon Regiment[4]	61st Artillery Regiment [fr][4]
9th Military Division[4]	Châteauroux[4]	1st Infantry Regiment[4] 27th Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 32th Infantry Regiment [fr][4]	8th Cuirassier Regiment [fr][4]	72nd Artillery Regiment [fr][4]
12th Military Division[4]	Limoges[4][6]	26th Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 41st Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 1st Chasseurs à Pied Demi-brigade:[4] 8th Chasseurs à Pied Battalion [fr] 16th Chasseurs à Pied Battalion [fr] 30th Chasseurs à Pied Battalion [fr]	6th Cuirassier Regiment[4]	35th Artillery Regiment [fr][4]
13th Military Division[4]	Clermont-Ferrand[4][7]	5th Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 92nd Infantry Regiment[4] 152nd Infantry Regiment [fr][4]	8th Dragoon Regiment[4]	4th Artillery Regiment [fr][4]
14th Military Division[4]	Lyon[4]	153rd Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 159th Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 3rd Chasseurs Alpins Demi-brigade:[4] 6th Chasseurs Alpins Battalion [fr][4] 13th Chasseurs Alpins Battalion [fr][4] 27th Chasseurs Alpins Battalion [fr][4]	11th Cuirassier Regiment [fr][4]	2nd Artillery Regiment [fr][4]
15th Military Division[4]	Marseille[4][8]	43rd Alpine Infantry Regiment[4] 21st Colonial Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 173rd Autonomous Battalion [fr][4] 2nd Chasseurs Alpins Demi-brigade:[4] 20th Chasseurs Alpins Battalion [fr][4] 24th Chasseurs Alpins Battalion [fr][4] 25th Chasseurs Alpins Battalion [fr][4]	12th Cuirassier Regiment[4]	10th Colonial Artillery Regiment [fr][4]
16th Military Division[4]	Montpellier[4][9]	8th Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 51st Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment [fr][4]	3rd Dragoon Regiment[4]	15th Artillery Regiment [fr][4]
17th Military Division[4]	Toulouse[4]	18th Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 23rd Infantry Regiment [fr][4] 150th Infantry Regiment[4]	2nd Dragoon Regiment[4]	24th Artillery Regiment [fr][4]

References

Notes

1. Theoretically, there would be 3x 50mm 1937-pattern grenade launcher and 6x MAS-38 and Thompson submachine guns per platoon.
2. The Panhard's anti-tank gun was replaced with a second 7.5mm machine gun.
3. Each battery had four Canon de 75 modèle 1897.
4. One battery was tractor-drawn, the other two were horse-drawn.
5. The term 'group' is used for support units, though equivalent to that of a company.

Footnotes

1. Vauvillier & Sumner 1998, p. 38-39.
2. Peschanski, Laurent; Douzou, Denis (1996). "La Résistance française face à l'hypothèque Vichy". Annali della Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli (in French). 1995 (31): 27–28. OCLC 695234273.
3. Sereau 1961, p. 41.
4. Vauvillier & Sumner 1998, p. 38.
5. Convert, Pascal (2020-05-22). Daniel Cordier, son secrétariat, ses radios: Essai critique sur Alias Caracalla (in French). Librinova. ISBN 979-10-262-5532-1. ...la 7ème Division Militaire de Bourg-en-Bresse...
6. Bail, Sylvain Le (2003). Le G.M.R. du Périgord (in French). Le Chene Vert. p. 128. ISBN 978-2-914805-01-8. Le préfet régional de Limoges consultera le général Jeannel, commandant la 12ème division militaire.
7. Carlier, Marc (2006). Les ralliements à la France libre: Niger-Est, 1940-1942 (in French). Mémoires d'hommes. ISBN 978-2-84367-033-6. ... la 13ème division militaire, siégeant à Clermont-Ferrand...
8. Waksman, Pierre (1981). Etat des fonds privés: dépots, donations, successions, achats (in French). Ministère de la défense, Etat major de l'Armée de terre, Service historique. p. 52. ISBN 978-2-86323-046-6.
9. Rappolt, Axel (2007). Leclerc et l'Indochine 1945-1947 (in French). Atelier national de reproduction des thèses. p. 133. ISBN 978-2-7295-6350-9. ...la 16ème division militaire de Montpellier...

Sources

• Sereau, Raymond (1961). L'armée de l'armistice (1940-1942) (in French). Nouvelles Editions Latines.
• Vauvillier, François; Sumner, Ian (1998). The French Army 1939-45. Men-at-Arms. Vol. I. United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781855326668.