The 3rd Armoured Division (french: 3^e Division Blindée, 3^e DB) is a unit of the

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

. The Division is the heir of the

3rd Algerian Infantry Division The 3rd Algerian Infantry Division (french: 3e Division d'Infanterie Algérienne, 3e DIA) was an infantry division of the Army of Africa (french: Armée d'Afrique) which participated in World War II. Following the liberation of French North Afr ...

(3^e DIA) formed in 1943 and dissolved in 1946, which contributed in the liberation of Marseille during the Second World War. The 3rd Armoured Division was created in 1951 then dissolved in 1991. The 3rd Mechanised Brigade (3^e BM), created in 1999 inherited the traditions of the division. The 3rd Division (3^e DIV) was recreated on June 20, 2016 within the scope of the reorganisation of the French Army.

Creation and different nominations

* The

(3^e DIA) was created on April 15, 1943; * Dissolution on April 15, 1946; * The 3rd Armored Division (3^e DB), heir of the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division, was created in 1951; * The 3rd Armored Division was dissolved on July 1991; * The 3rd Mechanised Brigade (3^e BM), created on July 1999 inherited traditions of the division. The brigade became designated as 3rd Light Armored Brigade (3^e BLB) in 2014; * The 3rd Division was recreated on June 20, 2016 part of the Scorpion Force alongside the 1st Division. File:Insigne de la 3° DIA.JPG, 3^e DIA File:Insigne de la 3e division blindée.jpg, 3^e DB File:3e Brigade Mécanisée.jpg, 3^e BM

Heraldry

It was under the signs of

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

traditions that général de Monsabert wanted to place the

3^e DIA during creation on May 1, 1943. The insignia of "Victory" (french: La Victoire) of

Cirta Cirta, also known by various other names in antiquity, was the ancient Berber and Roman settlement which later became Constantine, Algeria. Cirta was the capital city of the Berber kingdom of Numidia; its strategically important port city ...

(province of

Numidia Numidia ( Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up modern-day Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunis ...

, today Constantine (provence in Algeria)) is supported by three

crescents A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...

representing the Muslims, which composed the majority of the

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 ...

, Allied to the metropolitans (blue white red
Origin of the insignia, La Victoire de Cirta
The "Victory" (french: La Victoire) was a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes ...

protector of the

Emperors An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

that the

Legio III Augusta ("Third Augustan Legion") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army. Its origin may have been the Republican 3rd Legion which served the general Pompey during his civil war against Gaius Julius Caesar (49–45 BC). It supported the general Oct ...

de Cirta particularly venerated. The winged statuette was found during a search of an old garrison in Constantine in the 19th century. The motto of the 3rd Light Armoured Brigade was : « Plus d'honneur que d'honneurs » in French which translates literally to « More honor than the honors ». The motto of the 3rd Division currently is : « Un seul but : La victoire », which translates to «One goal, Victory».

History

1943 to 1946

The

(3^e DIA), formed on April 15, 1943, fought in the Italy and France during

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

under general Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert and

Augustin Guillaume Augustin Léon Guillaume (30 July 1895 – 9 March 1983) was a French general. He served in the French Army beginning in 1913, during World War I and World War II. From August 1951 to May 1954, he served as the Resident-General in French Morocco, ...

. The division was dissolved on April 15, 1946.

1951 to 1991

The 3rd Division was reconstituted in 1951 at the corps of the

French Forces in Germany French military forces were stationed in Germany after the surrender of Germany at the conclusion of the Second World War. France was one of four powers allocated an occupation zone. The French zone of occupation (, occupation forces in Germany) e ...

(french: Forces françaises en Allemagne, FFA). This was a grand unit of almost 15000 men covering the Western part of Germany and comprising three brigades: * The 5th Mechanised Brigade at

Tübingen Tübingen (, , Swabian: ''Dibenga'') is a traditional university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer rivers. about one in three ...

; * The 12th Mechanised Brigade at

Offenbourg Offenburg ("open borough" - coat of arms showing open gates; Low Alemmanic: ''Offäburg'') is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With nearly 60,000 inhabitants (2019), it is the largest city and the administrative capital ...

; * The 13th Motoryzed Brigade at

Konstanz Konstanz (, , locally: ; also written as Constance in English) is a university city with approximately 83,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south of Germany. The city houses the University of Konstanz and was t ...

the division became the 3rd Armoured Division in 1978. Three

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 mar ...

regiments, two tank regiments, two

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...

regiments, one engineer regiment, and one command and support regiment. During the transformation of the FFA into FFECSA (french: forces françaises et élément civil stationnés en Allemagne) (French Forces and Civilian Element), the division was redimensioned and dissolved in 1991.

Organigram in 1991

Two tank regiments, three

regiments, two

regiments, one engineer regiment, one command and support regiment: Based in

Fribourg-en-Brisgau Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

. * 3rd Dragoon Regiment (french: 3^e Régiment de dragons, 3^e RD) * 12th Cuirassiers Regiment (french: 12^e Régiment de cuirassiers, 12^e RC) * 19th Group Mounted Chasseurs (french: 19^e Groupe de chasseurs portés, 19^eGCP) * 42nd Infantry Regiment (french: 42^e Régiment d'infanterie, 42^e RI) * 152nd Infantry Regiment (french: 152^e Régiment d'infanterie, 152^e RI) Support: * 11th Artillery Regiment (french: 11^e Régiment d'artillerie, 11^e RA) * 34th Artillery Regiment (french: 34^e Régiment d'artillerie, 34^e RA) * 11th Engineer Regiment (french: 11^e Régiment du génie, 11^e RG) Other support : * 3rd Command and Support Regiment (french: 3^e Régiment de commandement et de soutien, 3^e RCS)

1999 to 2015

The 3rd Mechanised Brigade (3^e BM) created in 1999 retook traditions. The headquarter staff was based in Limoges. In 2011, the headquarter staff of the 3^e BM garrisoned at Clermont-Ferrand. On March 18, 2014, the 3rd Mechanised Brigade became designated as the 3rd Light Armoured Brigade (3^e BLB).

Since 2016

The 3rd Division (3^e DIV) was recreated during a ceremony on June 20, 2016. Interarm, the division is formed of three brigades part of the Scorpion Force alongside the 1st Division, units stationed in outre-mer and overseas. Headquarter staff is garrisoned in Marseille.

Composition

Organizational chart of the 3e division (Armée de Terre)

The 3rd Division is based in

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

and is subordinated to the Commandement des Forces Terrestres (CFT). Effectifs form 25000 men and 4000 reservists in: ** 2 Régiment de Dragons (2 RD) - 2nd Dragoon Regiment ( CBRN-defense Regiment), in

Fontevraud-l'Abbaye Fontevraud-l'Abbaye () is a commune in the western French department of Maine-et-Loire. It is situated both in the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site between Chalonnes-sur-Loire and Sully-sur-Loire, and the Loire Anjou Touraine French r ...

** 31 Régiment du Génie (31 RG) - 31st Engineer Regiment, in

Castelsarrasin Castelsarrasin (; oc, Los Sarrasins) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in Occitanie region of France. The inhabitants are called ''Castelsarrasinois''. It is the second most populous commune in Tarn-et-Garonne after Montauban. I ...

** 54 Régiment d'Artillerie (54 RA) - 54th Artillery Regiment (

Mistral Mistral may refer to: * Mistral (wind) in southern France and Sardinia Automobiles * Maserati Mistral, a Maserati grand tourer produced from 1963 until 1970 * Nissan Mistral, or Terrano II, a Nissan 4×4 produced from 1993 until 2006 * Microp ...

missiles In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket i ...

), in

Hyères Hyères (), Provençal Occitan: ''Ieras'' in classical norm, or ''Iero'' in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The old town lies from the sea clustered arou ...

* 2 Brigade Blindée (2 BB) – 2nd Armored Brigade, in

Illkirch-Graffenstaden Illkirch-Graffenstaden () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is the second-largest suburb of the city of Strasbourg, and is adjacent to it on the south-southwest. Illkirch-Graffenstaden is one of the ...

** 2 Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (2 CCT) - 2nd Command and Signals Company ( VAB), in Illkirch-Graffenstaden ** 12 Régiment de Cuirassiers (12 RC) - 12th Cuirassier Regiment ( Leclerc MBTs, VBL vehicles), in Olivet ** 501^e Régiment de Chars de Combat (501 RCC) - 501st Tank Regiment ( Leclerc MBTs, VAB, VBL vehicles), in

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-Gr ...

** Régiment de Marche du Tchad (RMT) -

Régiment de marche du Tchad The ''Régiment de marche du Tchad'' (RMT, " ''Ad hoc'' Regiment of Chad") is a mechanised unit of the French Army, belonging to the ''Troupes de Marine''. It is part of the 2nd Armoured Brigade. Formerly garrisoned north of Noyon it was moved ...

(VBCI IFVs), in

Meyenheim Meyenheim () is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies on the Ill river, 12km east of Soultz-Haut-Rhin. See also * Communes of the Haut-Rhin département The following is a list of the 366 commun ...

** 16 Bataillon de Chasseurs à pied (16 BCP) - 16th Chasseurs on Foot Battalion (VBCI IFVs), in

Bitche Bitche ( , ; German and Lorraine Franconian: ) is a commune in the Moselle department, administrative region of Grand Est, northeastern France. It is the Pays de Bitche's capital city and the seat of the Canton of Bitche and the communauté ...

** 92 Régiment d'Infanterie (92 RI) - 92nd Infantry Regiment (VBCI IFVs), in

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label= Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a population of 146,734 (2018). Its metropolitan area (''aire d'attrac ...

** 40 Régiment d'Artillerie (40 RA) - 40th Artillery Regiment ( AMX AuF1 howitzers (to be replaced by Caesar 8x8),

CAESAR Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

howitzers, RTF1 mortars,

), in Suippes ** 13 Régiment du Génie (13 RG) - 13th Engineer Regiment ( VAB Génie), in

Valdahon Valdahon () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Doubs department The following is a list of the 571 communes of the Doubs department of Fran ...

** Centre de Formation Initiale des Militaires du rang de la 2^e Brigade Blindée / 12^e Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique (CFIM 2^e BB - 12^e RCA) - 2nd Armored Brigade Troops Initial Formation Centre / 12th African Chasseurs Regiment, in Bitche * 6 Brigade Légère Blindée (6^e BLB) – 6th Light Armored Brigade, in

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of ...

** 6 Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (6 CCT) - 6th Command and Signals Company ( VAB), in Nîmes ** 1 Régiment de Spahis (1^er RS) –

1st Spahi Regiment The 1st Spahi Regiment (french: 1er Régiment de Spahis) is an armored regiment of the modern French Army, previously called the 1st Moroccan Spahi Regiment (french: 1er Régiment de Spahis Marocains). It was established in 1914 as a mounted cava ...

(

AMX-10 RC The AMX-10 RC is a French armoured fighting vehicle manufactured by GIAT for armoured reconnaissance purposes. Equipping French cavalry units since 1981, over 240 are still in service with the French Army as of 2021. In addition, 108 units were s ...

, VAB, VBL vehicles), in Valence with

AMX 10 RC The AMX-10 RC is a French armoured fighting vehicle manufactured by GIAT for armoured reconnaissance purposes. Equipping French cavalry units since 1981, over 240 are still in service with the French Army as of 2021. In addition, 108 units were ...

** 1 Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie (1 REC) -

1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment () is the only cavalry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of two armoured cavalry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. The regiment recently moved camp after being stationed a ...

(

, VAB, VBL vehicles), in

** 2 Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie (2 REI) -

2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment The 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (french: 2e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie, 2e REI) is an infantry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment is one of two mechanized infantry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. ...

(

VBCI The Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (English: ''Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle'') or VBCI is a French Infantry fighting vehicle designed and manufactured by GIAT Industries (now Nexter Systems) and Renault Trucks Defense to replace ...

IFVs), in

** 13 Demi Brigade de Légion Etrangère (13 DBLE) -

13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion ) and veteran foreign regiments (french: Anciens régiment étranger, link=no) of the Legion, in case of the CEPs, BEPs & REPs, the context reference is referring to the paratrooper veterans (french: Anciens legionnaires parachutistes, link=no) ...

( VAB vehicles, to be replaced by

VBMR Griffon The Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle Griffon (English: ''Multirole Armoured Vehicle Griffon'') or VBMR Griffon is a French multi-purpose armoured personnel carrier developed and manufactured by Nexter in cooperation with Arquus and Thales. Entering ...

), in La Cavalerie ** 21 Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (21 RIMa) - 21st Marine Infantry Regiment ( VAB vehicles, to be replaced by

), in

Fréjus Fréjus (; ) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 54,458. It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one urban agglomeration. The north ...

** 3 Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (3 RAMa) -

3rd Marine Artillery Regiment The 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment (french: 3e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine, 3e RAMa) is the heir to the 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment created in Rochefort by Napoleon Bonaparte's consular decree of May 13, 1803, the 3rd Colonial Artillery R ...

(

and

TRF1 The TRF1 is a 155mm French towed howitzer produced by Nexter (ex Giat Industries) and used by the French Army. The TRF1 was showcased in 1979 at the Eurosatory arms trade show, as a replacement for Armée de Terre's BF-50. Giat produced it fro ...

howitzers, RTF1 mortars,

), in

Canjuers Canjuers is a calcareous plateau and a military camp in Provence located in southeastern France. It’s the largest military camp in Continental Europe. Geography Situated in the ''département'' of the Var in the Prealps of Castellane, on the so ...

** 1 Régiment Étranger de Génie (1 REG) - 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment, in

Laudun Laudun-l'Ardoise (; oc, Laudun) is a commune in the Gard department in Occitanie (southern France). The commune name was ''Laudun'' until February 1, 2001. Population Wine Laudun is one of the communes producing Côtes du Rhône Villages ...

** Centre de Formation Initiale des Militaires du rang 6 Brigade Légère Blindée / 4^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (CFIM 6^e BLB - 4^e RIMa) - 6th Light Armored Brigade Troops Initial Formation Centre / 4th Marine Infantry Regiment, in

* 11 Brigade Parachutiste (11^e BP) –

11th Parachute Brigade The 11th Parachute Brigade (french: 11e Brigade Parachutiste, 11e BP) is a unit of the French Army, predominantly infantry, part of the French Airborne Units and specialized in air combat and air assault. The brigade's primary vocation is to pr ...

, in

Balma Balma (; oc, Balmar) is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France. It is east of Toulouse. The name of the town comes from the old Provençal word meaning "cave" or "grotto". History Balma was established in 1279 as a ...

** 11 Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions Parachutiste (11 CCTP) - 11th Parachute Command and Signals Company, in Balma ** 1 Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes (1 RHP) -

1st Parachute Hussar Regiment The 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment (french: 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes, 1er RHP) is an airborne cavalry unit in the French Army, founded in 1720 by Hungarian noble Ladislas Ignace de Bercheny. It is stationed in Tarbes and is a p ...

(

, ERC 90, VAB, VBL vehicles), in

Tarbes Tarbes (; Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France. It is the capital of Bigorre and of the Hautes-Pyrénées. It has been a commune since 1790. It was known as ''Turba'' ...

** 1 Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes (1 RCP) -

1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment The 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment (french: 1er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes, 1er R.C.P) is the oldest and among the most decorated airborne regiments of the French Army. Established in the French Army in 1943 and formerly part of the Fr ...

( VAB), in

Pamiers Pamiers (; oc, Pàmias ) is a commune and largest city in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the most populous commune in the Ariège department, although it ...

** 2 Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes (2 REP) -

2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (french: 2e Régiment étranger de parachutistes, 2e REP) is the only airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of the four infantry regiments of the 11th Parachute Brigade and part o ...

(VAB), in Calvi ** 3 Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (3 RPIMa) -

3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment The 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (french: 3e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, 3e RPIMa) is an airborne infantry regiment of the French Army. It is heir to the 3rd Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion created in 1948 a ...

(VAB), in

Carcassonne Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the Aud ...

** 8 Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (8 RPIMa) -

8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment The 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (french: 8e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, (8e RPIMa) is an airborne regiment of the French Army. The 8e RPIMa was created on 28 February 1951 and the men wear the red beret. It is par ...

(VAB), in

Castres Castres (; ''Castras'' in the Languedocian dialect of Occitan) is the sole subprefecture of the Tarn department in the Occitanie region in Southern France. It lies in the former province of Languedoc, although not in the former region of Lan ...

** 35 Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste (35 RAP) -

35th Parachute Artillery Regiment The 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment (french: 35e Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste, 35e RAP) is the only airborne artillery unit of the French Army forming the air artillery component of the 11th Parachute Brigade. It is based in Tarbes ...

(

howitzers, RTF1 mortars,

), in

** 17 Régiment du Génie Parachutiste (17 RGP) -

17th Parachute Engineer Regiment The 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment (french: 17e Régiment de Génie Parachutiste, 17e RGP) is heir to the traditions of the 17th Colonial Engineer Regiment (french: 17e Régiment Colonial du Génie, 17eRGC) which illustrated itself during Wor ...

, in

Montauban Montauban (, ; oc, Montalban ) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, region of Occitania, Southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, ...

** 1 Régiment du Train Parachutiste (1 RTP) - 1st Parachute Supply Regiment, in

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and fr ...

** École des Troupes Aéroportées (ETAP) - Airborne Troops School, in Pau ** Centre de Formation Initiale des Militaires du rang 11 Brigade Parachutiste / 6^e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (CFIM 11^e BP - 6^e RPIMa) - 11th Parachute Brigade Troops Initial Formation Centre /

6th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment The 6th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (french: 6e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, 6e RPIMa ) is an airborne infantry unit of the French Army. Creation and different nominations since 1951 * May 16, 1948: creation at ...

, in Caylus

Notes

References

*David Isby and Charles Kamps Jr., ''Armies of NATO's Central Front'', Jane's Publishing Company, 1985. *Ian Sumner and Charles Vauvillier, ''The French Army 1939-45 (2)'', Osprey, 1998. {{DEFAULTSORT:3rd Armored Division (France) Armored Division, 3rd Armored divisions of France Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1991 Military units and formations established in 2016