The 21st Infantry Division (french: 21e Division d'Infanterie, 21e DI) was a

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 ...

formation during

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 ...

World War 1

During World War I, the division was composed of the 64th, 93rd and 137th Infantry Regiments, the 97th Territorial Infantry Regiment, and the 65th Infantry Regiment (until November 1917). It was originally part of the French 11th Corps (CA). The division fought in the Battle of the Ardennes, the Meuse, First Marne, First Aisne,

Second Battle of Champagne The Second Battle of Champagne ( or Autumn Battle) in World War I was a French offensive against the German army at Champagne that coincided with an Anglo-French assault at north-east Artois and ended with French retreat. Battle On 25 Septem ...

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 ...

Second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

and Third Aisne and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. It was involved in some of the worst fighting at Verdun in June 1916, with officers reporting several units had formulated protests at being sent back into the battle. Following the disastrous opening of the Nivelle Offensive in April 1917, on 3 May the division refused orders to advance; two days later, after the ringleaders had been removed, it went into the line and suffered severe casualties, sparking the unrest that led to the

French Army Mutinies The 1917 French Army mutinies took place amongst French Army troops on the Western Front in Northern France during World War I. They started just after the unsuccessful and costly Second Battle of the Aisne, the main action in the Nivelle Offens ...

. At various times, it was part of the French Second Army,

French Third Army The Third Army (french: IIIe Armée) was a Field army of the French Army, which fought during World War I and World War II. Commanders World War I *General Ruffey (Mobilization – 30 August 1914) *General Sarrail (30 August 1914 – 22 July 1915 ...

, French Fourth Army,

French Fifth Army The Fifth Army (french: Ve Armée) was a fighting force that participated in World War I. Under its commander, Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, it led the attacks which resulted in the victory at the First Battle of the Marne in 1914. World War I C ...

French Sixth Army The Sixth Army (french: 6eme Armée) was a field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. World War I The Sixth Army was formed 26 August 1914, composed of troops from various disparate French armies: two active army corps, th ...

, French Seventh Army,

French Ninth Army The Ninth Army (french: IXe Armée) was a field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. The Ninth Army, first named "détachement d'armée Foch", was formed for the first time on 29 August 1914, to fill the gap between the Fo ...

and

French Tenth Army The Tenth Army (french: Xe Armée) was a Field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. World War I The Tenth Army, first called ''détachement d'armée Maud'huy'', was formed on 1 October 1914 during the Race to the Sea. It ...

World War 2

During the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

in May 1940, the division contained the following units: *48th Infantry Regiment *65th Infantry Regiment *137th Infantry Regiment *27th Reconnaissance Battalion * 35th Artillery Regiment *255th Artillery Regiment The division was an active division which had existed during peacetime.

References

Sources

* Infantry Division, 21st Infantry Division, 21st Infantry divisions of France {{World-War-II-stub