The 32nd Infantry Division (french: 32e Division d'Infanterie, 32e 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 comprised: *15th Infantry Regiment *53rd Infantry Regiment (to June 1915) *80th Infantry Regiment *143rd Infantry Regiment *342nd Infantry Regiment (from June 1915 to May 1917) *35th Territorial Infantry Regiment (from August 1918) It was part of the French 16th Corps, during which it participated in the Battle of Morhange, Battle of Grand Couronné,

Battle of Flirey The Battle of Flirey (french: 1re Bataille de Flirey) took place in the First World War and was fought from 19 September to 11 October 1914. The German Army defeated the French. The battle cut most of the roads and railways to the Fortified Regi ...

, the First Battle of Ypres, the

First Battle of Champagne The First Battle of Champagne (french: 1ère Bataille de Champagne) was fought from 1915 in World War I in the Champagne region of France and was the second offensive by the Allies against the German Empire since mobile warfare had ended after t ...

, the

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 ...

, the Battle of the Lys and the pursuit to and past the Hindenburg line. At various times, it was part of the French First Army, 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 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 Eighth Army 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: *87th Infantry Regiment *122nd Infantry Regiment *143rd Infantry Regiment *38th Reconnaissance Group *3rd Artillery Regiment *203rd Artillery Regiment It was an active division which existed during peacetime. During the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk, the division held the line towards the end of the battle before being evacuated across the English Channel. In mid-June 1940, the division was recreated as 32nd Light Infantry Division in

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

References

Infantry Division, 32nd Infantry Division, 32nd Infantry divisions of France {{World-War-II-stub