Armed Anger (France, Second world war)

The First French Army is the name given to the military units placed under the orders of the Général of Lattre de Tassigny in order to release France in 1944. It is initially known under the name of Armée B . It is the main component of the French Army with the Release.

Formation of the First Army

Before bearing its final name, the First Army is made up in North Africa of fusion:

of elements come from the Free French Army, engaged at the side of the General de Gaulle since 1940,
and of the units of the Army of Africa, faithful to the Mode of Vichy until the Unloading combined in North Africa (admiral Darlan, General June) in November 1942.

The 2 {{E}} dB of the General Leclerc, fruit of an amalgam between a third of FFL and two thirds of soldiers of the Army of Africa, and unloaded in Normandy, will remain most of the time apart from the chain of command of the First French Army, unloaded in Provence. In the same way the 1 {{Re}} DFL, though combatant with the Army of Africa from Italy, will keep its specificities and will be isolated campaign of Germany. Of this fact the respective fidelities towards the Leclerc generals and of Lattre (then towards their widows) will form structuring cultural lines of the French Army in second half of the XXe century.

The First Army, will be then reinforced by fusion with the French Forces of the interior.

De facto, the First Army recovers the whole of the French armed forces then (except the 2nd dB).

Composition of the First Army

The French army account with the autumn 1944:

6 divisions of infantry:

1 {{E}} division of walk of infantry (1e DMI, ex-1e DFL),
the 2nd division of Moroccan infantry (2nd DIM),
the 3rd division of Algerian infantry (3rd DIA),
the 4th Moroccan division of mountain (4th DM),
the 9th division of colonial infantry (9th DIC),
the 10th division of infantry (10th DI) (created on October 1st, 1944).

3 armor-plated divisions (DB):

1st dB,
2 {{E}} dB (ex-2nd DFL) (episodically),
5th dB. (ex 2nd dB before August 1943)

This without counting:

in the the Alps: the 27e alpine division (created September 1944).
against the Pockets of the Atlantic: the 19th division of infantry (19th DI), made up in the Morbihan.

Random links: