The 3rd Armoured Division (French: 3e Division Cuirassée, 3e DCR) is a unit of the French Army formed during World War II that took part in the May–June 1940 Battle of France.
| 3rd Armoured Division | |
|---|---|
| 3e Division Cuirassée | |
| Active | March - May 1940 |
| Country |  France |
| Branch | French Army |
| Type | Armoured Division |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | 200 |
| Motto(s) | Boutez En Avant (Push Forward) |
| Engagements | World War II |
History
editFormed 20 March 1940 at Reims. Campaigns: Battle of the Meuse, Meuse Front, Battle of the Aisne and Retreat of the center. Final command post at Montbard northwest of Dijon. Division captured 17–18 June. Subordination: XXI Corps of 2nd Army until 23 May, then various including 4th Army and XVIII Corps of 2nd Army.[1]
Composition
edit- 41st Tank Battalion (B1 bis tanks)
- 49th Tank Battalion (B1 bis tanks)
- 42nd Tank Battalion (H39 tanks)
- 45th Tank Battalion (H39 tanks)
- 16th Motorized Rifle Battalion (bataillon de chasseurs portés)
- 319th Artillery Regiment
References
edit- ^ GUF, Vol. 3, pp. 497-506.
- ^ Vauvillier, François (October 2007). "La division cuirassée en France en 1940 et ses perspectives : 1 - Les chars et les chasseurs portés". Histoire de Guerre, Blindés et Matériel (in French). No. 79. Histoire & Collections. pp. 38–49.
- ^ Vauvillier, François (January 2008). "La division cuirassée en France en 1940 et ses perspectives : 2 - l'artillerie d'accompagnement, l'artillerie antichars et la défense contre avions". Histoire de Guerre, Blindés et Matériel (in French). No. 80. Histoire & Collections. pp. 40–49.
- ^ Bonal, Capitaine (2 November 2016). "Les divisions cuirassées". defense.gouv.fr (in French).
Bibliography
edit- (GUF) Service Historique de l'Armée de Terre. Guerre 1939–1945 Les Grandes Unités Françaises. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1967.