12th Infantry Division (''12e division d'infanterie'' or ''12e DI'') was an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
of the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
which took part in the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
,
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It fought at the
Battle of the Nations
The Battle of Leipzig (french: Bataille de Leipsick; german: Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig, ); sv, Slaget vid Leipzig), also known as the Battle of the Nations (french: Bataille des Nations; russian: Битва народов, translit=Bitva ...
in 1813. It was converted to a motorised infantry role at
Mourmelon-le-Grand
Mourmelon-le-Grand () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.
Population
Camp de Châlons
The ''camp de Châlons'', also known as ''camp de Mourmelon'', is a military camp of circa 10,000 hectares near Mourmelon-le-Grand ...
in 1939 a few days before the French declaration of war on Germany and renamed 12th Motorised Infantry Division (''12e division d'infanterie motorisée'' or ''12e DIM'')
History
World War I
It belonged to
6th Army Corps
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
and had its headquarters at the
Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded by ...
garrison as of 1 August 1914 and was mobilised in the 6th Region. Between 1 and 14 August it was taken by train to
Vigneulles-lès-Hattonchâtel
Vigneulles-lès-Hattonchâtel (, literally ''Vigneulles near Hattonchâtel'') is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
The former towns of Billy-sous-les-Côtes, Creuë, Hattonchâtel, Hattonville, Saint-Benoît ...
and ordered to defend the region around
Heudicourt and
Thillot. From 14 August it began to move a position near
Fresnes-en-Woëvre, then near
Etain
Etain (also Étain, Étáin) can refer to:
* Étaín, a character from Irish mythology
* the fairy princess in Rutland Boughton's opera ''The Immortal Hour''
* the fairy princess in the play The Immortal Hour (play)
* Étain, France, a commune in ...
. It went on the offensive towards
Chiers
The Chiers (; lb, Kuer, german: Korn) is a river in Luxembourg, Belgium and France. It is a right tributary of the Meuse. The total length of the Chiers is aproxamately , of which in France.
The source of the Chiers is near Differdange, in Lux ...
on 21 August as part of the
Battle of the Ardennes
The Battle of the Ardennes took place during the First World War fought on the frontiers of France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg from 21 to 23 August 1914. The German armies defeated the French and forced their retreat. The battle was part o ...
and the following day fought its way towards
Ugny and
Doncourt-lès-Longuyon, followed by fighting on the
Crusnes and near the farm at
Puiseaux and near
Rèvemont on 23rd and near
Arrancy
Arrancy () is a commune in the department of Aisne in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France.
Geography
Arrancy is located some 15 km southeast of Laon and 40 km northwest of Reims. It can be accessed by the D1044 road from Fes ...
on the 24th. On 25 August it withdrew to the west towards the
River Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a ...
and new positions near
Damvillers
Damvillers is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
See also
* Communes of the Meuse department
The following is a list of the 499 communes of the Meuse department of France.
The communes cooperate in the f ...
and
Consenvoye
Consenvoye () is a Communes of France, commune in the Meuse (department), Meuse Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
See also
*Communes of the Meuse department
References
Communes of Meuse (departme ...
. From 27 August it defended the river crossings around
Gercourt and
Brieulles-sur-Meuse
Brieulles-sur-Meuse (, literally ''Brieulles on Meuse'') is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in northeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Meuse department
The following is a list of the 499 communes of the Me ...
and from 2 September resumed its withdrawal, this time south towards
Montfaucon,
Jubécourt and finally
Rembercourt-aux-Pots. There it took part in the
First Battle of the Marne
The First Battle of the Marne was a battle of the First World War fought from 5 to 12 September 1914. It was fought in a collection of skirmishes around the Marne River Valley. It resulted in an Entente victory against the German armies in the ...
from 6 to 20 September, including around
Sommaisne and
Rembercourt-aux-Pots during the
battle of Revigny - one of the German officers attacking it was
Erwin Rommel
Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...
. On 14 September it began to be pursued towards
Nixéville and
Charny before it was able to hold its position around
Ville-devant-Chaumont in bois d'Haumont. On 20 September it was taken out of the front-line and moved to
Mouilly
Mouilly () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
See also
* Communes of the Meuse department
*Parc naturel régional de Lorraine
Lorraine Regional Natural Park ( French: ''Parc naturel régional de Lorra ...
and
Rupt-en-Woëvre
Rupt-en-Woëvre (, literally ''Rupt in Woëvre'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Meuse (department), Meuse Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
See also
*Communes of the Meuse department
*Parc naturel ...
. From 21 September it manned the front in the
Braquis region opposite
Étain until being urgently ordered to the trenches at Calonne to stop the German offensive. It marched towards
Saint-Mihiel
Saint-Mihiel () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
Geography
Saint-Mihiel lies on the banks of the river Meuse.
History
A Benedictine abbey was established here in 708 or 709 by Count Wulfoalde and his wif ...
and the Hauts de Meuse and on 22 September arrived at Rupt in Woêvre and fought at
Mouilly
Mouilly () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
See also
* Communes of the Meuse department
*Parc naturel régional de Lorraine
Lorraine Regional Natural Park ( French: ''Parc naturel régional de Lorra ...
, the Calonne trench,
Saint-Remy, positions in
Les Éparges
Les Éparges () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
A ridge to the east of the village was the site of a fierce battle during World War I, and there are many memorials and monuments in the area.
See also
...
and in front of the Calonne trench-line. The front then stabilised and it was placed in a sector around the bois Loclont and
Trésauvaux
Trésauvaux () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
See also
*Communes of the Meuse department
*Parc naturel régional de Lorraine
Lorraine Regional Natural Park ( French: ''Parc naturel régional de Lorra ...
. It made an attack on the Calonne trench on 26 December.
From 17 to 21 February 1915 it was involved in fierce fighting during the
battle of Les Éparges, where it was also engaged resumed on 18th, 19 and 27 March. On 18–20 March
[ Cdt De Feriet, « Les première attaques aux Eparges », Documents, Études et mémoires, Cellule Culture d'Arme, École Supérieure et d'Application du Génie, ANGERS, vol. Dossier A 1082] it carried out a joint attack on
Verdun
Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...
with the Marche Infantry Division, originally planned for 10–11 March. 12th Division was ordered to capture two bastions to its west and east, joined by a trench - the trench and eastern bastion formed two intersecting lines of fire, whilst the western bastion formed three, all reinforced with underground bunkers. The French would attack from part of a spur taken in previous attacks, 50 metres away from the German positions. The explosion of mines made little effect, as did a 45-minute bombardment from 15:15 hours on 18 March.
132nd Line Infantry Regiment led the attack at 16:05, taking spur C fifteen minutes later but the German response meant the attack was bogged down by 17:00. By 19:00 132nd Regiment had reached a mid-point between points O and X and the attack resumed at 4:45 the following morning, but was held off by German machine-gunners at point X. French artillery opened fire on the eastern point of bois des Sapins from point N at 8:30 and the attack resumed again at 9:25, but was again held off. A German counter-attack was unsuccessful at 10:00 and an hour later the line stabilised. A fresh French artillery bombardment led to new attacks at midday and 16:00, but these both proved unsuccessful. The attack resumed again on 20 March at 4:00 and by 10:00 21st Division asked 24th Brigade to organise its positions.
Second World War
On the declaration of war on 3 September 1939 the division at
Thionville
Thionville (; ; german: Diedenhofen ) is a city in the northeastern French department of Moselle. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.
History
Thionville was settled as early as the time of th ...
in northern France and was placed on the border opposite the German troops advancing towards
Kœnigsmacker near the end of the
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line (french: Ligne Maginot, ), named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany and force the ...
. After a month of fighting it was relieved and went into reserve near
Hirson
Hirson ( pcd, Urchon) is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography Location
Hirson is adjacent to Belgium. It is located in the northeastern department of Aisne, near the departments of Nord and ...
.
On 10 May 1940 the division was attached to
5th Army Corps, which formed part of
1st Army. Most of the division was sent to the
Saint-Quentin area on that date, although 3e GRDI were stationed to the south of
Maubeuge
Maubeuge (; historical nl, Mabuse or nl, Malbode; pcd, Maubeuche) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
It is situated on both banks of the Sambre (here canalized), east of Valenciennes and about from the Belgian border ...
in accordance with the
Dyle Plan Dyle may refer to:
*Dyle (river), is a river in central Belgium, a tributary of the Rupel
*Dyle, Poland
*Dyle Plan
*Dyle (department)
*ATSC-M/H mobile TV
Mobile television is television watched on a small handheld or mobile device. It includes ...
,
Plan Yellow and the order to occupy the
Gembloux
Gembloux (; wa, Djiblou; nl, Gembloers, ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 21,964 inhabitants. The total area is 95.86 km², yielding a population dens ...
sector near
Namur
Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration.
Namu ...
. 3e GRDI and the engineers of 2nd Engineer Regiment were soon moved to fight delaying actions in advance of the defensive positions between
Rhisnes and
Temploux
Temploux ( wa, Timplou) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the city of Namur, located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
It lies in the Condroz
The Condroz () is a natural region in Wallonia (the French-speaking part of Belgium), l ...
. On the night of 10–11 May reconnaissance parties from these detachments advanced into Belgium and from 18:00 took up positions to the rear of the Cavalry Corps, which was holding the
Tirlemont
Tienen (; french: Tirlemont ) is a city and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises Tienen itself and the towns of Bost, Goetsenhoven, Hakendover, Kumtich, Oorbeek, Oplinter, Sint-Marg ...
-
Huy
Huy ( or ; nl, Hoei, ; wa, Hu) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. Huy lies along the river Meuse, at the mouth of the small river Hoyoux. It is in the ''sillon industriel'', the former industrial ...
line. Meanwhile, the other elements of 12th Division set off at 17:00 to avoid the
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
, which had already gained air superiority.
On the morning of 12 May the first elements of the division arrived and its units deployed immediately into their positions, despite continued air attack in the
Dyle region, particularly at
Rhisnes and
Temploux
Temploux ( wa, Timplou) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the city of Namur, located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
It lies in the Condroz
The Condroz () is a natural region in Wallonia (the French-speaking part of Belgium), l ...
. Ahead of the positions the engineers prepared a line of twenty demolition charges, but on 13 May air attacks became more targeted and more frequent. Rhisnes and Temploux were attacked again, as was the divisional command post at
Spy, Belgium
Spy ( wa, Spî) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Jemeppe-sur-Sambre, located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
Here in 1886, in Betche aux Roches cavern, Maximin Lohest and Marcel de Puydt found two nearly perfect N ...
, forcing it to move elsewhere. The infantry dug in and placed a line of anti-tank mines all along its front line, with artillery in camouflaged positions. By evening the division was the only French unit in the area which had arrived and was ready to fight. To the east the Germans had crossed the
Albert Canal
The Albert Canal (, ) is a canal located in northeastern Belgium, which was named for King Albert I of Belgium. The Albert Canal connects Antwerp with Liège, and also the Meuse river with the Scheldt river. It also connects with the Dessel ...
, refugees were flooding west, several cut-off Belgian units were falling back and 2nd French Cavalry Corps (made up of 2nd and 3rd Light Mechanised Divisions) was preparing to fall back after fighting all day at
Hannut
Hannut (; wa, Haneu; nl, Hannuit, ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Hannut had a total population of 14,291. The total area is 86.53 km² which gives a population dens ...
and
Merdorp against German tanks and
Stuka
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from ''Sturzkampfflugzeug'', "dive bomber") was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Cond ...
s - 3e GRDI took over the liaison between these two light mechanised divisions. To the south the
9th French Army had lost several bridges over the Meuse and would have to counter-attack on 14 May alongside the powerful, armoured, ''1re division cuirassée'' (1st Division of Cuirassers).
On 14 May
Perwez
Perwez (; wa, Perwé; nl, Perwijs, ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 7,487 inhabitants. The total area is 50.81 km², giving a population density of 147 ...
was abandoned by the Belgian
Chasseurs Ardennais
The ''Bataillon de Chasseurs Ardennais'' (, or more figuratively, 'Ardennes Light Infantry') is an infantry formation in the Land Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. Originally formed in 1933 to ensure the defense of Belgium's Luxembourg Prov ...
, who fell back behind the positions held by 12th Division. The French cavalry corps under general Prioux also withdrew, using its last tanks to protect 12th Division's engineers, enabling them to blow the demolition charges between
Hanret and
Saint-Germain and regroup at
Onoz. 3e GRDI covered the final part of the cavalry corps' withdrawal and suffered heavy losses. In the afternoon German light tanks attacked
150th Infantry Regiment's positions but rapidly withdrew under fire from
225th Artillery Regiment. At the end of the afternoon 150th Regiment's 1st Battalion and the 3e GRDI were given the order to turn south and hold the crossings of the
Sambre
The Sambre (; nl, Samber, ) is a river in northern France and in Wallonia, Belgium. It is a left-bank tributary of the Meuse, which it joins in the Wallonian capital Namur.
The source of the Sambre is near Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache, in the Aisne ...
Sambre
The Sambre (; nl, Samber, ) is a river in northern France and in Wallonia, Belgium. It is a left-bank tributary of the Meuse, which it joins in the Wallonian capital Namur.
The source of the Sambre is near Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache, in the Aisne ...
à
Floriffoux between
Namur
Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration.
Namu ...
and
Auvelais
Auvelais ( wa, Åvlè) is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Sambreville, located in the province of Namur, Belgium. The town lies in a meander of the River Sambre.
The town of Auvelais was formed in 1809 from the merger o ...
.
From dawn on 15 May the Luftwaffe resumed its attack on the crossroads, forests and marshalling points. That morning the
8th Zouave Regiment was attacked by German tanks, who were initially sent into retreat thanks to artillery fire. However, at the end of the morning the division received the order to withdraw towards the French border. To avoid air attack it abandoned its positions at night and the division fortified a line along the Charleroi canal running through Spy,
Velaine and
Fleurus
Fleurus (; wa, Fleuru) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It has been the site of four major battles.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Brye, Heppignies, Fleurus, Lambusart, ...
. At the end of the night 3e GRDI covered the withdrawal of 5e DINA before destroying eleven bridges between
Floreffe
Floreffe (; wa, Florefe) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
On 1 January 2012 the municipality had 7,883 inhabitants. The total area is 38.89 km2, giving a population density of 203 inhabitants per km2 ...
and
Ham-sur-Sambre and rendering one more impassible to road traffic. At dawn on 16 May the division gathered at
Orneau
The Orneau ( wa, Ôrnô) is a river in Belgium. It is a tributary of the Sambre and therefore sub-tributary of the Meuse.
The Orneau flows from north to south, through the province of Namur
Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and m ...
, where it received orders to rush to the area between
Godarville and
Motte-Courcelles on the canal to meet a German push across the Sambre to the south. At midday the division continued to withdraw, but the routes were clogged by refugees and other troops and still under constant air attack. At the end of the day the forward parties had only just reached
Gosselies
Gosselies ( wa, Gochliye) is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Charleroi, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
Located in the north of Charleroi, it was a city and a municipality of its own before the merger of the ...
and
Jumet
Jumet ( wa, Djumet) is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Charleroi, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
It was a municipality of its own before the merger of the municipalities in 1977. Church of Saint-Sulpice ...
. A detachment made up of elements of
106th Line Infantry Regiment and 3e GRDI under colonel Parent fought rearguard actions against advanced German units before retiring under cover of night.
During the night of 16–17 May most of the division's infantry regiments crossed the canal via the bridges at
Roux
Roux () is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to the melted fat or oil on the stove top, blended until smooth, and cooke ...
and
Courcelles Courcelles may refer to:
Places Belgium
* Courcelles, Belgium, a municipality located in the province of Hainaut
Canada
* Courcelles-Saint-Évariste, a municipality
France
* Courcelles, Charente-Maritime
* Courcelles, Doubs
* Courcelles, Meur ...
and immediately deployed. The enemy penetrated the front in force across the
Luttre
Luttre (; wa, Lute) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Pont-à-Celles, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium, about 15 km north of Charleroi and 50 km south of Brussels along the Charleroi-Brussels Ca ...
bridge, which Belgian engineer units had failed to destroy, attacking and pressing 150th Regiment and 8th Zouaves, who formed the vanguard. 38e Combat Tanks Battalion and a group of reconnaissance squadrons from 3e GRDI under captain de Lannoy were given artillery support and managed to push the enemy back to the east bank of the canal. The front was re-established at 19:00, but a new order to withdraw came in and during the night of 17–18 May 12 Division took up new positions on high ground at
Bavai
Bavay () is a commune in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The town was the seat of the former canton of Bavay.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Bavaisiens'' or ''Bavaisiennes''
Geography
Bavay ...
. After German tanks attacked at
Ciply
Ciply ( wa, Cipli) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Mons, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwes ...
on 19 May, the division's infantry was ordered to withdrew to Hainaut. The divisional commander had lost contact with his superior
René Altmayer
Félix-René Altmayer (1882–1976) was a French general. His father Victor Joseph Altmayer and elder brother Robert Altmayer Marie-Robert Altmayer (1875–1959) was a French army corps general. He was the eldest son of the divisional general Vict ...
and decided to withdraw again towards
Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a s ...
by a night march, with 153 DIM taking up the rearguard position. On the evening of 20 May 12e DIM was switched to
3rd Army Corps and on 21 May 12 Division regrouped and headed for
Bruay-en-Artois under cover of darkness. 106th Line Infantry Regiment was detached from the division on 22 May and taken north by truck to hold a fortified position between
Cysoing
Cysoing () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France, southeast of Lille. It is twinned with the English town of Much Wenlock. An obsolete spelling is ''Cisoin''.
Heraldry
Population
Bordering municipalities
Cysoing is bor ...
and
Mouchin, while the rest of 12th Division marched on foot from
Bruay-en-Artois to
Avelin
Avelin () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is south of the centre of Lille.
The village's name is of Germanic origin.
Population
Heraldry
See also
*Communes of the Nord department
The following is a list of th ...
. Fighting by day and marching by night, they managed to pass through encircling German troops to finally reach
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.[Operation Dynamo
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...]
evacuation, holding off an overwhelmingly larger German force. The division's survivors were captured on the morning of 4 June on the beach at
Malo-les-Bains.
Postwar
In 1960 during the
Algerian War
The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
the division was part of the
Oran Corps Area, responsible for the West Oran Zone, with its headquarters in
Tlemcen
Tlemcen (; ar, تلمسان, translit=Tilimsān) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran, and capital of the Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the por ...
.
[ (Appendix A, "Major French Combat Forces in Algeria in 1960")]
Commanders
Pre-1914
* 18 October 1873 : general
Verge
* 25 November 1874 - 27 July 1875 : general
Borel Borel may refer to:
People
* Borel (author), 18th-century French playwright
* Jacques Brunius, Borel (1906–1967), pseudonym of the French actor Jacques Henri Cottance
* Émile Borel (1871 – 1956), a French mathematician known for his founding ...
* 21 May 1880 - 21 February 1884 : general
* 26 April 1884 : general
* 17 February 1890 : general
Voisin Voisin (French for "neighbour") may refer to:
Companies
*Avions Voisin, the French automobile company
:*Voisin Laboratoire, a car manufactured by Avions Voisin
*Voisin (aircraft), the French aircraft manufacturer
* Voisin, a Lyon-based chocolat ...
* 18 June 1892 : général
Brugère
* 26 December 1893 - 30 November 1897 : general
Kessler Kessler or Keßler (in German) may refer to:
* Kessler (automobile), an American automobile made 1921–1922
* Kessler (name), people named Kessler
* ''Kessler'' (TV series), a British television series from 1981
* Kessler, Ohio, an unincorporat ...
* 28 December 1897 : general
Gallimard
* 25 June 1899 - 30 July 1904 : colonel
Hartschmidt
* 23 September 1904 - 18 August 1906 : general
Besson
* 27 September 1906 : general
Ferré
* 17 October 1908 - 14 March 1911 : general
Général Valabrègue.
* 27 March 1911 : general
* 1 October 1913 : general
Besset
* 16 October 1913 : general
World War I
* 17 September 1914 : general
* 15 November 1914 : general
Paulinier
* 24 July 1915 : general
* 23 May 1916 : general , killed on reconnaissance in the Somme Bouchavesnes - Bois L'Abbé area 23 September 1916
* 23 September 1916 : general
* 19 April 1917 : general
* 10 June 1918 - 23 décembre 1918 : general
Inter-war
* 12 January 1919 - 10 April 1923 : general
Boichut
* 1 October 1931 - 16 November 1933 : general
Colson
* 1 January 1936 : general
Loizeau
World War II
* 1 April 1939 - 2 June 1940 : general
Janssen
Structure
World War I
* Infantry :
::
106th Line Infantry Regiment - August 1914 to January 1917
::
132nd Line Infantry Regiment - August 1914 to January 1917
::
350th Infantry Regiment - January 1917 to November 1918
::
54th Line Infantry Regiment - August 1914 to November 1918
::
67th Line Infantry Regiment - August 1914 to November 1918
::
26th Foot Chasseurs Regiment - January 1915 to June 1915
::
142nd Territorial Infantry Regiment - August 1918 to November 1918
::
173rd Infantry Regiment - 23 November 1914 to May 1915
* Cavalry:
:: One squadron of
12th Mounted Chasseurs Regiment - January 1917 to November 1918
* Artillery :
:: Three groups of
75 mm guns from
25th Artillery Regiment - August 1914 to November 1918
:: 102nd Battery of
58 mm mortars from
46th Artillery Regiment - July 1916 to July 1917
:: 102nd Battery of 58 mm mortars from 25th Artillery Regiment - July 1917 to January 1918
:: 101st Battery of 58 mm mortars from 25th Artillery Regiment - January 1918 to November 1918
:: 5th Group of
155c guns from
106th Artillery Regiment - July 1918 to November 1918
* Engineers:
:: One company from
9th Engineer Regiment
1940
It totalled around 26,000 men at full strength, consisting of:
*
150th Line Infantry Regiment from
Verdun
Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...
*
106th Line Infantry Regiment from
Châlons-sur-Marne and
Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded by ...
*
8th Zouave Regiment from
Mourmelon
*
25th Artillery Regiment, equipped with
75 mm guns
*
225th Artillery Regiment, equipped with
155 mm court
* 3rd Infantry Divisional Reconnaissance Group (GRDI) from
Épernay
Épernay () is a commune in the Marne department of northern France, 130 km north-east of Paris on the mainline railway to Strasbourg. The town sits on the left bank of the Marne at the extremity of the Cubry valley which crosses it.
Éperna ...
, with forty tanks
* all the divisional service troops (telegraphers, engineers, sappers, motor transport, sanitary troops and others)
Battle honours
*
[Service Historique de la Défense, Décision N° 12350/SGA/DPMA/SHD/DAT du 14 septembre 2007]
Bibliography (in French)
*Maurice Genevoix, ''Ceux de 14 (Sous Verdun, Nuits de Guerre, La Boue, Les Eparges)'', Paris, Éditions Flammarion, 1949
*Commandant R. de Fériet, ''La Crête des Éparges, 1914-1918'', Paris, Payot, 1939, 210 p.
*AFGG, vol. 2, t. 10 : ''Ordres de bataille des grandes unités : divisions d'infanterie, divisions de cavalerie'', 1924, 1092 p. (lire en ligne
rchive.
La 12e DI dans la bataille de l'Aisne (1917)
References
{{French Army Divisions
12
French World War I divisions
French World War II divisions