The French Infantry Division (french: 2e Division d'Infanterie, 2e DI) was one of the oldest divisions 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 ...

Heads of the Infantry Division

* 22 March 1815: Division General Donzelot * . * 1870: General Martineau des Chenez * . * 18 October 1873: General Bellecourt * 18 November 1878 – 10 January 1880: General Blot * . * 28 February 1880 – 14 September 1880: General de Courcy * 11 November 1880: General Vilmette * 11 January 1882: General Bardin * 17 July 1887 – 24 February 1891: General Mathelin * . * 4 April 1891 – 4 November 1891: General Swiney * 11 November 1891 – 9 January 1892: General Peting de Vaulgrenant * . * 24 May 1894 – 26 October 1899: General Strohl * 28 October 1899 – 11 May 1905: General de Germiny * . * 17 June 1905: General Bertrand * 30 September 1905: General de Chomer * 25 March 1906: General Durand * 20 July 1907 – 31 May 1908: General de Chomer * . * 17 June 1908 – 18 July 1911: General Cramezel de Kerhué * 28 July 1911 – 20 March 1914: General Bizart * . * 2 August 1914: General Deligny * 8 September 1914: Colonel Garnier-Duplessix * 21 September 1914: General Brulard * 16 July 1915: General Guignadaudet * 17 June 1917 – 15 July 1920: General Mignot * . * 27 August 1940 – 10 November 1940: General Etcheberrigarray

The Hundred Days

Schmitz

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

, commanded by Brigade General

Nicolas Schmitz Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...

. : Light Infantry Regiment : Line Infantry Regiment Aulard brigade, commanded by Brigade General

Pierre Aulard Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

. : Line Infantry Regiment : Line Infantry Regiment

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

of the Foot Artillery Regiment, with 8 troops.

1870 War

The division was part of the Rhine Army, commanded by Marshall Mac Mahon. Composition : : Line Infantry Regiment : Line Infantry Regiment : Line Infantry Regiment : Algerian Tirailleur Regiment After the dissolution of the Imperial Army, it joined the new

Armée de la Loire The Armée de la Loire was a French army of the Franco-Prussian War. It was formed in October 1870 by Léon Gambetta, interior minister and minister for war in the Government of National Defence, then taking refuge in Tours after the French d ...

, commanded by General

Louis d'Aurelle de Paladines Louis Jean-Baptiste d'Aurelle de Paladines (9 January 1804 – 17 December 1877) was a French general. Life He was born at Le Malzieu-Ville, Lozère, educated at the Prytanée National Militaire and St Cyr, and entered the army as sub-lieu ...

. Infantry Division : General Martineau des Chenez : Brigade : General Dariés :: Marching Battalion: Commandant Chamard :: Line Regiment: Colonel Jouffroy :: Foreign Legion : Lieutenant-Colonel de Curten :: Mobile Regiment (Gironde) : Lieutenant-Colonel d'Artigolles : Brigade : General Rébillard :: Zouave Regiment: Lieutenant-Colonel Logerot :: Marching Regiment: Lieutenant-Colonel Bernard de Seigneurens :: Mobile Regiment (Maine-et-Loire): Lieutenant-Colonel de Paillot :Artillery : :: battery of the Regiment: Captain Pariaud :: battery of the Regiment: Captain Grosclerc :: battery of the Mounted Guard Regiment: Captain Chastang ::Engineers : section of the company of the Regiment

First World War

Composition during the War

The Infantry Division was mobilised in the

Military Region Military districts (also called military regions) are formations of a state's armed forces (often of the Army) which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and ...

in August 1914. Its infantry was originally organized as two brigades. In November 1916, the division was triangularized. The two regiments of the 3rd Brigade were sent to the 51st Infantry Division, while those of the 4th Brigade, and the newly attached 208th (which came from the 51st Division) went directly under divisional command. Infantry :3rd Brigade :: Infantry Regiment from August 1914 to November 1916 :: Infantry Regiment from August 1914 to November 1916 :4th Brigade :: Infantry Regiment from August 1914 to armistice (under direct divisional control from November 1916) :: Infantry Regiment from August 1914 to armistice (under direct divisional control from November 1916) : Infantry Regiment from November 1916 to armistice : A battalion of pioneers from the Territorial Infantry Regiment from August 1918 to armistice Artillery : Field Artillery Regiment from the mobilisation to armistice :: battery from July 1916 to January 1918 :: battery from January 1918 to armistice :: 6th Artillery Group from 15 June 1918 to armistice Cavalry : 1st Squadron/ Chasseur Regiment from mobilisation to armistice Engineers : Engineers Regiment :: 1/2 Company from mobilisation to armistice :: 1/2 ''bis'' Company from January 1915 to January 1916 :: 1/52 Company from January 1916 to armistice :: 1/71 Company from January 1917 to armistice : Sappers from the 21st Regiment from January 1916 to January 1917

History

1914

4–13 August :Transport by railroad to the region of

Auvillers-les-Forges Auvillers-les-Forges is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northern France. Geography Auvillers-les-Forges is located some 27 km west by north-west of Charleville-Mézières and 22 km east by south-east of ...

and crossing the

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 t ...

to reach

Revin Revin () is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region in northern France. Revin is situated on the banks of the Meuse. The Revin Pumped Storage Power Plant is near Revin. Population Personalities Yazid Mansouri, the Al ...

and

Givet Givet () (german: Gibet Walloon: ''Djivet'') is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France surrounded on three sides by the Belgian border. It lies on the river Meuse where Emperor Charles V built the fortress of Charlemont. It ...

. 13–23 August : Movement, via Olloy, to Dinant. : 15 August, combat at Dinant, formed defence in front of the Meuse, via Dinant and Anbée. : 22 August, movement towards

Charleroi Charleroi ( , , ; wa, Tchålerwè ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593.

. 23–29 August : Engaged in the Battle of Charleroi, via Saint-Gérard. : 24 August, return, via

Couvin Couvin (; wa, Couvén) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. On 1 January 2018 the municipality had 13,782 inhabitants. Couvin is the second largest municipality of Belgium by surface area, after Tourna ...

, to the region of

Guise Guise (; nl, Wieze) is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The city was the birthplace of the noble family of Guise, Dukes of Guise, who later became Princes of Joinville. Population Sights The remains ...

: 26 August, combat at Gué-d'Hossus. 29 August – 6 September : Engaged in the Battle of Guise ; combat at Sains-Richaumont. : 30 August, return, via

Crécy-sur-Serre Crécy-sur-Serre (, literally ''Crécy on Serre (river), Serre'') is a Communes of the Aisne department, commune in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.Pontavert Pontavert () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aisne department *List of medieval bridges in France The list of medieval bridges in France comprises all b ...

and Baizil, to the South of

Esternay Esternay () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the ...

. 6–13 September : Engaged in the Battle of the Marne. : 6–10 September, Battle of Deux Morins : Combat in Esternay, Bergères-sous-Montmirail and Fontaine-Chacun. : 10 September, continue, via Verneuil and Ville-Dommange, until

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 ...

. 13 September – 12 December : Engaged in the Battle of Aisne : combat in the region of Bétheny,

la Neuvillette LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on Figure 8 ( ...

. : 16 September, movement along the road heading North-West ; combat at Cholera Farm and towards

la Ville-aux-Bois La Ville-aux-Bois () is a Communes of France, commune in the Aube Departments of France, department in north-central France. Population See also *Communes of the Aube department References

Communes of Aube Aube communes article ...

. Stabilisation and occupation of a sector towards Gernicourt and

Beau marais Forest Beau may refer to: *Beau (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name, nickname or surname *Beau (guitarist) (born 1946), songwriter and 12-string guitar specialist *Beau (grape), another name for the Italian wine grape Tr ...

, heading left, on 15 October, until the moulin Pontoy, and to the right, on 1 November, until cote 108 : 12–14 October, French attack on Cholera Farm and the Ville-aux-Bois Forest. : 4 November, attack and capture of Sapigneul. : 11 November, capture of cote 108. 12 December 1914 – 12 January 1915 : Retreat from the front towards

Fismes Fismes () is a commune in the Marne department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Fismois'' or ''Fismoises'' The commune has been awarded three flowers in the '' Competition of cities ...

. : 16 December, transport by van to Cuperly. : 20 December or thereabouts, movement to

La Cheppe La Cheppe () is a commune in the Marne department in the Grand Est region in north-eastern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas region ...

, heading to Laval, to take part in the Battle of Champagne: Engaged on 9 January 1915, North of Mesnil-lès-Hurlus.

1915

12–20 January : Retreat from the front and back to

Bussy-le-Château Bussy-le-Château () is a commune in the Marne department in the Grand Est region of Northeastern France. In 2018, it had a population of 173. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Bussinais'' (masculine) and ''Bussinaises'' (feminine). ...

. 20 January – 2 March : Occupation of the sector towards Mesnil-lès-Hurlus : 16 March, French attack on

les Mamelles Les Mamelles () is an administrative district of the Seychelles, located in the south of the Greater Victoria (suburban) area on Mahé, the main island of the archipelago. The district is located inward from the adjacent coastal district of Roche ...

, leading to violent combat in the region (Battle of Champagne) 2 March – 5 April : Retrait from the front and back to

Courtisols Courtisols () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France, east of Chalons-sur-Marne. Population See also *Communes of the Marne department The following is a list of the 613 communes in the French department of Marne. ...

(arriving 14 March) : 20 and 21 March, movement to the region of

Avize Avize () is a commune in the Marne department in northeastern France. Champagne The village's vineyards are located in the Côte des Blancs subregion of Champagne, and are classified as Grand Cru (100%) in the Champagne vineyard classificati ...

; rest. : 29 March, transport by van towards

Vavincourt Vavincourt () 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 th ...

, then, at the end of April, movement towards the South-East of

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 ...

. 5–11 April : Engaged in the 1st Battle of la Woëvre, towards Buzy Forest and the East of Braquis. 11–29 April : Retreat from the front (arriving on 18th) ; further movement, via

Souilly Souilly () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The Town Hall, fronting on the Voie Sacrée, served as headquarters for general Pétain and, later, general Nivelle during the Battle of Verdun The Batt ...

and

Les Hauts-de-Chée Les Hauts-de-Chée () is a Communes of France, commune in the Meuse (department), Meuse Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The former towns of Génicourt-sous-Condé, Hargeville-sur-Chée, Louppy-sur-Chée (Lo ...

, to

Commercy Commercy () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The 18th-century Lorraine historian Nicolas Luton Durival (1713–1795) was born in Commercy. History Commercy dates back to the 9th century, and at that tim ...

. 29 April – 11 May : Movement towards the front ; 30 April, attack on Ailly Forest, leading to occupation of a sector towards Ailly Forest : 5 May, German attack, and French counter-attack. 11–15 May : Retreat from the front, and transport by van to the regions of

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. Ép ...

and

. 15 May – 3 September : Movement towards the front and occupation of a sector of

Berry-au-Bac Berry-au-Bac () is a commune in the department of Aisne in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also * Communes of the Aisne department The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne. The ...

and the moulin Pontoy, reduced to the right, on 18 August, to la Miette, then, on 31 August, up to

Communes of Aube Aube communes article ...

. 3 September – 2 October : Retreat from the front, and rest at Guyencourt. 2 October 1915 – 12 February 1916 : Movement to the front, and occupation of a sector of Sapigneul and la Miette. : 12 November, movement along the road, and occupation of a new sector between Berry-au-Bac and Temple Farm, extended to the left, on 20 November, up to the Pontoy windmill: :

Battle of Mines A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

at cote 108.

1916

12–21 February : Retreat from the front and regrouping at

Ville-en-Tardenois Ville-en-Tardenois () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. It is named for the Tardenois region. See also *Communes of the Marne department The following is a list of the 613 communes in the French department of ...

; rest and instruction. 21 February – 8 March : Transport by train, movement to the region of Verdun. : 26 February, engaged by accident in the

Battle of Verdun The Battle of Verdun (french: Bataille de Verdun ; german: Schlacht um Verdun ) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north ...

, at

Douaumont Douaumont () is a former commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Douaumont-Vaux.Bar-le-Duc Bar-le-Duc (), formerly known as Bar, is a Communes of France, commune in the Meuse (department), Meuse Departments of France, département, of which it is the capital. The department is in Grand Est in northeastern France. The lower, more moder ...

. : April, transport by van to the region of

Dormans Dormans () is a commune located in the Marne department and in the Grand Est region of France.Paissy to Chermizy-Ailles and Soupir, reduced to the right on 17 July up to

Troyon Troyon () 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 Lorraine'' ...

. 24 July – 3 September : Retreat from the front and rest at Ville-en-Tardenois. : 7 August, transport by truck to the region of

Conty Conty () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Origin of the name Conty comes from ''cond'' (confluence) (of the rivers and streams in the valley). The Princes of Conti, a minor branch of French royalty, to ...

. : Rest south-west of

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...

until 25 August, towards

Corbie Corbie (; nl, Korbei) is a commune of the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in ...

. 3 September – 5 October : Movement to the front ; engaged in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

, towards le Forest and the Forest of

Maurepas Maurepas may refer to: * Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, Count of Maurepas, French statesman Count of Maurepas (Yvelines) * Fort Maurepas, also known as Old Biloxi, a settlement in Louisiana (New France) * Maurepas, Louisiana, an unincorporated comm ...

: 14 September, capture of Priez farm. : 19–26 September, capture of the line (further battles in the area, and the capture of

Combles Combles () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Combles is situated on the D20 road, some north-east of Amiens. History Combles was the operations centre for the battle of Bapaume during the ...

, on the 26th) : 27 September, again engaged, towards Combles and Morval, leading to Combles and Frégicourt (former municipality reunited with

in 1834). 5–9 October : Retreat from the front and rest at Conty. 9–16 October : Transport by van to the region of Châlons-sur-Marne and rest at

Somme-Vesle Somme-Vesle () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Marne department The following is a list of the 613 communes in the French department of Marne. The communes cooperate in the following ...

. 16 October – 30 November : Movement to the front and occupation of a sector at Maisons de Champagne and the

butte du Mesnil __NOTOC__ In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word meanin ...

. 30 November – 14 December : Retreat from the front, and rest at Possesse. 14 December 1916 – 6 January 1917 : Movement to the camp at

Mailly Mailly () is a picturesque commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France.Mailly is located in the Brionnais's south. Separated by Caille, the town is spread over three hills, Bourg, Chavan ...

, rest and instruction.

1917

6 January – 27 February : Gradual movement to the front, while occupying a sector covering Maisons de Champagne and

la Courtine La Courtine (; Auvergnat dialect, Auvergnat: ''La Cortina'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Creuse Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region in central France. Geography An area of lakes, fore ...

: 15 February, violent German attack. 21 February – 6 March : Retreat from the front, movement through the region of

Sainte-Menehould Sainte-Menehould (; german: Sankt Mathilde) is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. The 18th-century French playwright Charles-Georges Fenouillot de Falbaire de Quingey (1727–1800) died in Sainte-Ménéhould. It was the ...

, via

Dampierre-le-Château Dampierre-le-Château () is a Communes of France, commune of the Marne (department), Marne department in the Grand Est region of France. It is located on the Yèvre (Marne), Yèvre river. History Before the French Revolution, it was called "Dam ...

, l'Épine, Sarry, Athis and Vinay. 6 March – 8 April : Movement via Dormans ; instruction (work at the Aisne) 8–19 April : Movement to the front and occupation of a sector covering

Craonne Craonne () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History It was the site of the Napoleonic Battle of Craonne in 1814. The former town was totally destroyed by artillery during the Nivelle Offensive in W ...

and

le Ployron Le Ployron () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. See also *Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercomm ...

. : 16 April, engaged in the Battle of the Aisne : combat on the Craonne plateau; defence, and organisation of their captured positions. 19 April – 7 July : Retreat from the front and rest at

Ventelay Ventelay () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Marne department The following is a list of the 613 communes in the French department of Marne. The communes cooperate in the following ...

; from 25 April, rest at Viels-Maisons. : 9 May, gradual movement towards the camp at Mailly ; rest and instruction. : 15 June, gradual movement towards

Provins Provins () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and importance throughout the Middle Ages as an economic center and a host of annu ...

; rest and instruction. 7–30 July : Transport by van to Flandres. : 14 July, movement of the infantry to the front and occupation of a sector covering Het-Sas (under the orders of the D.I.) 30 July – 4 August : Retrait from the front ; rest in the region of

Roesbrugge-Haringe Roesbrugge-Haringe is a place in the Belgian province of West Flanders. It is a part of the municipality (a deelgemeente) of Poperinge. Roesbrugge-Haringe consists of two small rural villages, Roesbrugge and Haringe, located in the north western r ...

. 4–22 August : Mouvement towards the front and rest in the region of Bikschote : 16 August, offensive against Martje Vaert and Broenbeck ( Battle of Langemarck – part of the

Battle of Passchendaele The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...

) 22 August – 6 October : Retreat from the front; rest and instruction in the region of West-Cappel. 6–16 October : Occupation of a sector north of Bixschoote and

Langemark Langemark is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders, and a subdivision of the municipality of Langemark-Poelkapelle. The village has about 5,000 inhabitants. Besides the village center, there are also three smaller hamlets on th ...

(together with the British Army) : : 9 October, offensive in the forest of

Houthulst Houthulst (; vls, Oetulst, ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality consists of the sub-municipalities Houthulst, Jonkershove, Klerken and Merkem. On January 1, 2006, Houthulst had a total populatio ...

, attack on Mangelaare (part of the Battle of Poelcappelle). 16 October – 21 November : Retreat from the front, then rest, instruction and work at

Bergues Bergues (; nl, Sint-Winoksbergen; vls, Bergn) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is situated to the south of Dunkirk and from the Belgian border. Locally it is referred to as "the other Bruges in Flanders". Bergues ...

. 21 November – 7 December : Occupation of a sector north of Langemarck and Kloosterschool (together with the British front) 7 December 1917 – 17 January 1918 : Retreat from the front (relieved by the British Army). Rest at

Gravelines Gravelines (, ; ; ) is a commune in the Nord department in Northern France. It lies at the mouth of the river Aa southwest of Dunkirk. It was formed in the 12th century around the mouth of a canal built to connect Saint-Omer with the sea. As ...

. : 11 December, gradual movement to the region of

Senlis Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...

; rest.

1918

17 January – 20 March : Gradual movement to

Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...

: 22 January, work on the position in the region. : 8 February, gradual movement towards

Roucy Roucy () is a small commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Notable features of this town include the wide central plaza on which village fetes occur every summer. Population See also * Communes of the Aisne d ...

; then work on the position in the region. 20–31 March : Movement towards the front and occupation of a sector in the region of Miette, Ployon. 31 March – 20 May: Retreat from the front; movement towards Fismes, and, on 3 April, towards Écuiry ; rest. : 14 April, bridging the Oise towards Choisy-au-Bac. : 2 May, movement towards

Warluis Warluis () is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department in northern France. Population See also * Communes of the Oise department References

Communes of Oise {{Oise-geo-stub ...

; rest. Led to work on the position in the region of Beauvais. 20–31 May : Movement towards

Marseille-en-Beauvaisis Marseille-en-Beauvaisis () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. Marseille-en-Beauvaisis station has rail connections to Beauvais and Le Tréport. See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 67 ...

. : 28 May, transport by train south to

Compiègne Compiègne (; pcd, Compiène) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. It is located on the river Oise. Its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois''. Administration Compiègne is the seat of two cantons: * Compiègne-1 (with 19 ...

. : Soon afterwards, to

Montigny-Lengrain Montigny-Lengrain () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population History On Easter day 1945, the castle of Montigny-Lengrain, guarded by the faithful of King Louis IV of France, was taken by He ...

, to join the

Third Battle of the Aisne The Third Battle of the Aisne (french: 3e Bataille de l'Aisne) was a battle of the German spring offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Forces arrived completely in ...

. 31 May – 18 July : Movement to the front and occupation of a sector covering Dammard and Troësnes: frequent local actions, particularly on 29, 30 June and 1 July, to the east of Mosloy. 18–27 July : Engaged, at Troësnes to the south, in the Battle of soissonnais et l'Ourq (

Second Battle of the Marne The Second Battle of the Marne (french: Seconde Bataille de la Marne) (15 July – 18 July 1918) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The attack failed when an Allied counterattack, supported by s ...

) : Progression towards Épaux-Bézu and through the region of

Rocourt-Saint-Martin Rocourt-Saint-Martin is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Aisne department The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne. ...

northward. 27 July – 19 August : Retreat from the front ; movement towards Mareuil-sur-Ourcq, then to Pierrefonds ; rest. 19–29 August : Movement to Vic-sur-Aisne and occupation of a sector north of Autrêches. : Engaged in the Battle of Noyon, at l'Ailette, via

Pont-Saint-Mard Pont-Saint-Mard () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography The river Ailette forms most of the commune's northern border. Population See also *Communes of the Aisne department *List of medi ...

. 29 August – 11 September : Retreat from the front and rest at

Pont-Sainte-Maxence Pont-Sainte-Maxence () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France, in the region of Hauts-de-France. It is named after Saint Maxentia of Beauvais, whose relics were taken here. Pont-Sainte-Maxence station has rail connections to Sa ...

. 11 September – 28 October : Transport via van to Alsace ; from 15 September, occupation of a sector covering

Burnhaupt-le-Haut Burnhaupt-le-Haut () is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Haut-Rhin department The following is a list of the 366 communes of the French department of Haut-Rhin. The comm ...

and Leimbach. 28 October – 11 November : Retreat from the front and gradual movement to Ceintrey ; preparing offensive.

Hierarchy

The division was part of the 1^ier Corps d'Armée from mobilisation in August 1914 until the

Armistice of 11 November 1918 The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

The Second World War

Under the

order of battle In modern use, the order of battle of an armed force participating in a military operation or campaign shows the hierarchical organization, command structure, strength, disposition of personnel, and equipment of units and formations of the arme ...

of 10 May 1940, the Infantry Division joined the Colonial Army Corps (with the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division and the 56th (London) Infantry Division), under the command of General Condé of the Third French Army. Structure of the division in 1939: * Chief of Staff, 2nd Infantry Division – Major Villate * Components, 2nd Infantry Division ** 33rd Infantry Regiment ** 73rd Infantry Regiment ** 127th Infantry Regiment ** 34th Divisional Artillery Regiment ** 234th Division Heavy Artillery Regiment

Notes and references

External links

The 2nd DI in the Battle of the Aisne (1917)
* {{DEFAULTSORT:2nd Infantry Division (France) Infantry divisions of France Infantry Division, 2nd Military units and formations established in 1914 Infantry Division, 2nd Infantry Division, 2nd 1914 establishments in France