The 4th Armored Division () was a short-lived armoured unit 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 ...
. Formed on 10 May 1940 on the battlefield, it comprised mainly tank battalions. It fought without interruption for forty days and was initially commanded by
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
.
Battle Of France
Formation
The division was formed under Colonel
De Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...
on 15 May 1940.
Fighting The Blitzkrieg
The 4DCr launched an attack on 17 May at the
Battle of Montcornet
The Battle of Montcornet, on 17 May 1940 took place during the Battle of France. The French 4e Division cuirassée (Colonel Charles de Gaulle), attacked the German-held village of Montcornet with over 200 tanks. The French drove off the Germans ...
, where it successfully threw back the German defenses but had to retreat on its starting positions for lack of support and air cover. It then moved south of
Abbeville
Abbeville (, vls, Abbekerke, pcd, Advile) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France.
It is the chef-lieu of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital of ...
to attack German bridgeheads across the Aisne river, fighting the
Battle of Abbeville
The Battle of Abbeville took place from 27 May to 4 June 1940, near Abbeville during the Battle of France in the Second World War. On 20 May, the 2nd Panzer Division advanced to Abbeville on the English Channel, overran the 25th Infantry Briga ...
on 28/29 May with the aim of breaking through to the encircled Allied units trapped in
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.[51st (Highland) Infantry Division
The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...]
and regrouped at
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 ...
to attach itself to the armoured group under General
Charles Delestraint
Charles Delestraint (12 March 1879 – 19 April 1945) was a French Army lieutenant general and member of the French Resistance during World War II. He also befriended Charles de Gaulle. Delestraint was killed by the Gestapo in 1945.
Early life
H ...
. On 6 June, De Gaulle was relieved of his command to rejoin his new commission as State under-secretary for War in the government. De Gaulle was replaced by Colonel Chaudesolle for one day. General
Pierre Jules de la Font
Pierre Jules André Marie de La Font (9 July 1885 – 7 July 1963) was a French general of cavalry.
Biography
Graduating from Saint-Cyr in 1906, he took courses at the Cavalry School at Saumur 1907. In 1915, at his request, he left the caval ...
took command of the division on 7 June.
On 10 June, the armoured group was attached to the Paris Army, and on 12 June, the division was assigned to the
10th Army Corps. From then on, it took part in rear-guard fights during the retreat, notably on the Loire river from 12 to 19 June, and until the cease-fire on 26 June.
Composition
The division was composed of the following units:
* 46
e bataillon de chars de combat
*
19e bataillon de chars de combat
*
4e bataillon de chasseurs portés
*
24e bataillon de chars de combat
* 303
e régiment d'artillerie tractée
*
4e groupe autonome d'artillerie
* 322
e RATTT /
1er groupe (from 17 May)
* 322
e RATTT /
2e groupe (from 17 May)
*
10e régiment de cuirassiers - One squadron equipped with the
Panhard 178
The Panhard 178 (officially designated as ''Automitrailleuse de Découverte Panhard modèle 1935'', 178 being the internal project number at Panhard) or "Pan-Pan" was an advanced French reconnaissance 4x4 armoured car that was designed for the ...
(from 18 May)
*
3e cuirassiers /
1er groupe d'escadron - One squadron equipped with
SOMUA S35
The SOMUA S35 was a French cavalry tank of the Second World War. Built from 1936 until 1940 to equip the armoured divisions of the Cavalry, it was for its time a relatively agile medium-weight tank, superior in armour and armament to its Frenc ...
tanks (from 18 May)
* 10/80
e BDAC (from 20 May)
* 11/86
e BDAC (from 20 May)
*
47e bataillon de chars de combat (from 21 May)
*
44e bataillon de chars de combat (from 21 May)
*
44e bataillon de chars de combat (from 21 May)
* 1020
e batterie, 404
e DCA (from 23 May)
* 305
e RATTT /
1er groupe (105) (from 23 May)
*
2e bataillon du
7e régiment de dragons portés (from 24 May)
*
3e cuirassiers /
2e groupe d'escadron - One squadron equipped with
Hotchkiss H35 tanks (from 25 May)
* 665
e batterie divisionnaire antichar (from 25 May)
*
51e batterie antichar autonome (from 25 May)
* 661
e batterie divisionnaire antichar (from 28 May)
Equipment
The division was equipped with the following vehicles:
* 58
Char B1
The Char B1 was a French heavy tank manufactured before World War II.
The Char B1 was a specialised break-through vehicle, originally conceived as a self-propelled gun with a 75 mm howitzer in the hull; later a 47 mm gun in a turre ...
bis heavy tanks
* 44
Char D2
The Char D2 was a French medium tank of the interwar period.
In 1930, at a time the Char D1 had not even entered production, the Renault company agreed to build a better armoured version called the Char D2. By not using old-fashioned rivets, it ...
medium tanks
* 135
SOMUA S35
The SOMUA S35 was a French cavalry tank of the Second World War. Built from 1936 until 1940 to equip the armoured divisions of the Cavalry, it was for its time a relatively agile medium-weight tank, superior in armour and armament to its Frenc ...
medium tanks
* 40
Hotchkiss H39
The Hotchkiss H35 or was a French cavalry tank developed prior to World War II. Despite having been designed from 1933 as a rather slow but well-armoured light infantry support tank, the type was initially rejected by the French Infantry becaus ...
light tanks
* 48
Panhard 178
The Panhard 178 (officially designated as ''Automitrailleuse de Découverte Panhard modèle 1935'', 178 being the internal project number at Panhard) or "Pan-Pan" was an advanced French reconnaissance 4x4 armoured car that was designed for the ...
armoured cars
Bibliography
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:4e Division cuirassee
French World War II divisions
Armored divisions of France
Military units and formations established in 1940
Military units and formations disestablished in 1940