Vichy French Military Division order of battle
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| Military Division | |
|---|---|
| Division Militaire DM | |
| Active | 1940-42 |
| Country |  Vichy France |
| Branch | Armistice Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | World War II |
The Military Division (French: Division Militaire, abbreviated to DM) was a Vichy French infantry formation in 1940-1942, during World War II. The divisions were numbered according to the military regions.[1] The Vichy French Military Division had a near-identical organisation as the French Infantry Divisions of 1939-1940, but with the restrictions of the Armistice of 22 June 1940 imposed them.[1] The whole Army of Vichy France, except for the Garde, was demobilized on 27 November 1942 after Case Anton.[1]
The table below shows the order of battle that a Military Division aspired to.[1] In addition, each Military Division had a Bureau of Anti-National Activities, which had the purpose of countering politically subversive actions, especially those by Communists, but also those of the supporters of Charles de Gaulle.[2]
| Unit | |
| Division headquarters[3] | |
|---|---|
| 3x Infantry regiments (each of an identical composition)
(or 3x Demi-brigades of Chasseurs à Pied, each with 3 battalions)[3] | |
| I battalion | 4 mixed rifle and MG companies, collectively including:[Note 1] |
| II battalion | 4 mixed rifle and MG companies (as above) |
| III battalion | 4 mixed rifle and MG companies (as above) |
| Cavalry regiment[3]
(either Cuirassier/Dragoon or Chasseur/Hussar) | |
| A single Cuirassier or Dragoon regiment
(divided into reconnaissance groups)
|
A single Chasseurs à cheval or Hussar regiment
|
| Artillery regiment[3] | |
| I group | |
| II group |
|
| III group |
|
| Engineer battalion[1] | |
| |
| Signals group,[1][Note 5] also known as a battalion[3] | |
| Transport group,[1][Note 5] also known as company[3] | |
| Guard regiment[1][3] | |
Moreover, there existed four cavalry regiments of the general reserve.[3]
Equipment
This Armistice banned anti-tank and gas protection equipment, while minimizing mechanization.[1] However, the reduction of the French army meant that its remains could be entirely equipped with the newest and best equipment available, e.g. MAS-36 rifle, MAS-38 and Thompson submachine guns.[1] The previously used VB rifle grenade was over time replaced with the Lance Grenades de 50 mm modèle 37.[1] Artillery was only allowed to have 75mm calibre guns.[1]