183rd Infantry Division of Africa

The 183rd Infantry Division of Africa (183e division d'infanterie d'Afrique) was a unit of the French Army formed in Algeria during the French colonial period at the beginning of World War II.

183rd Infantry Division of Africa
183e division d'infanterie d'Afrique
ActiveSeptember 1939
DisbandedJuillet 1940
CountryFrance
BranchFrench Army
TypeInfantry Division of Africa
Garrison/HQConstantine Department
EngagementsWorld War II

History

The division was created in September 1939 (1939-09) in the Constantine Department.[1] It was a division designated for protection and was not well-suited for offensive operations.[2] The division remained in the Constantine Department and was disbanded in July 1940 (1940-07) without having seen combat.

Composition

Infantry
  • 23rd Zouaves Regiment, mobilized in late 8 in Constantine[3]
  • 15th Senegalese Tirailleurs Regiment|, which was part of the Constantine Division before the war[4]
  • Some sources indicate a Marching battalion of Senegalese Tirailleurs[4]
  • Motorized company of the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment of the Foreign Legion Infantry.[5][6]
  • Artillery: 387th of African Artillery, with a single group,[7] also referred to as the 183rd autonomous artillery group[5][6]

Cavalry
    • 183rd Reconnaissance Group of Infantry Division, formed on 1 of the reduced overseas type, which was the former autonomous horse-drawn group of the 3rd Regiment of African Chasers[8]
    • One cavalry squadron (unknown origin)

References
  1. Éric de Fleurian (March 8, 2016). "Deuxième guerre mondiale, campagne de France 1939-1940 : participation des régiments de tirailleurs". les-tirailleurs.fr (in French). Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  2. Michelet, Louis-Christian (1994). "Pouvait-on Réellement, En Juin 1940, Continuer La Guerre En Afrique Du Nord?". Guerres Mondiales et Conflits Contemporains (174): 143–160. ISSN 0984-2292. JSTOR 25732154. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  3. Éric de Fleurian. "22nd Zouaves Regiment". les-tirailleurs.fr (in French). Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  4. "Les troupes d'Afrique dans la guerre 39-40". Historama (HS 10). 1970.
  5. André Truchet (1955). L'armistice de 1940 et l'Afrique du Nord (in French). Presses universitaires de France. p. 370.
  6. Ian Summer; François Vauvillier (1998). The French Army, 1939-45 (1). Men-at-arms. Osprey Military. ISBN 1-85532-666-3. OCLC 49674512.
  7. Michelet, Louis-Christian (1994). "Pouvait-on Réellement, En Juin 1940, Continuer La Guerre En Afrique Du Nord?". Guerres Mondiales et Conflits Contemporains (174): 143–160. ISSN 0984-2292. JSTOR 25732154. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  8. "Historique du 183rd GRDI". grca.free.fr. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.