Insigne de la 5e division d'infanterie nord-africaine

The 5th North African Infantry Division 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 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 ...

History

The Division was created in September 1939 and was dissolved in June 1940 following the invasion of France. The Division was commanded by Generals *Ferdinand Vieillard (until 19 April 1940) * (until 16 May 1940) *

Gustave Mesny Gustave Marie Maurice Mesny (28 March 1886 – 19 January 1945) was a French Army general in command of the 5th North African Infantry Division who was captured during the Second World War. He was victim of a War crimes of the Wehrmacht, war cri ...

(until taken POW on 31 May 1940). 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 was made up of the following units: *6 Moroccan Tirailleurs Regiment *14 Zouaves Regiment *24 Tunsian Tirailleurs Regiment *95 Reconnaissance Battalion *22 Colonial Artillery Regiments *222 Colonial Artillery Regiment. It was an active division which existed during between September 1939 and June 1940. The Tirailleurs Regiments were made up of native troops from

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

. The Zouaves Regiment was made up from

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an settlers in

and some recruited from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

References

North African Infantry Division, 5th Infantry divisions of France {{World-War-II-stub