Foreign Legion in Italy 1944

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keith A
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Foreign Legion in Italy 1944

#1

Post by keith A » 31 Mar 2014, 19:36

Can anyone give me information on the 13 DBLE in Tunisia and Italy in 1943-44? How where they uniformed? I assume they had British uniforms in Tunisia but...Did they receive American uniforms by the time they landed in Provence?

takata_1940
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Re: Foreign Legion in Italy 1944

#2

Post by takata_1940 » 01 Apr 2014, 15:49

When the 13e DBLE was assigned to the French Expedionary Corps in Italy (CEFI), it was re-equiped with US clothes (paquetage) on 1st April 1944, hence just before boarding from Bizerte on 18-19 April 1944. It landed at Napoli on 20th. However, dotation was incomplete at this point, but it mostly concerned heavy weapons and radiosets. Beside, all its vehicules were US.


keith A
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Re: Foreign Legion in Italy 1944

#3

Post by keith A » 03 Apr 2014, 20:26

Cheers,

I looked up my old reference works on the Legion and they confirmed the uniforms worn on parade in June 1944 were American but wasn't sure when the changeover occurred since all the works I have seen indicate modified British uniforms worn in North Africa. Weapons seem to be varied too, with Lee-Enfields and MAS 36 giving way to P17s by 1944. assume at the same time Bren Guns were replaced but by what? I haven't seen a picture of Legionnaires using the BAR so perhaps they used the American M1919?

regards

Keith

takata_1940
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Re: Foreign Legion in Italy 1944

#4

Post by takata_1940 » 05 Apr 2014, 03:36

keith A wrote: I looked up my old reference works on the Legion and they confirmed the uniforms worn on parade in June 1944 were American but wasn't sure when the changeover occurred since all the works I have seen indicate modified British uniforms worn in North Africa. Weapons seem to be varied too, with Lee-Enfields and MAS 36 giving way to P17s by 1944. assume at the same time Bren Guns were replaced but by what? I haven't seen a picture of Legionnaires using the BAR so perhaps they used the American M1919?
Hi Keith,
I've checked those infos from André-Paul Comor's "L'épopée de la 13e Demi-brigade de Légion étrangère, 1940-1945", Nouvelles Editions Latines, 1988 - 463 pages.
I don't own it (Googlebook), but it seems quite well sourced.

Previous post correction: US paquetages were distributed 10th April 1944 (about one week before the first boarding for Italy).

Concerning US armament, from the same book:
during the first quarter of 1944, US armament was distributed in replacement AND complement of the previous British armament. (It seems that there is no trace of a complete inventory).

At the Rifles Cos
Individual weapons:
- US Rifles M1917 cal.30
- US Carbine M1 cal.30 (1 or 2 for 10 men - and not enough of them)
- US Thompson M1928 A1 cal.45 (some)
- British Stens PM (a few kept)
- US Pistol Colt M1911 cal.45 (for officers and some NCOs)
Collective weapons:
- British Bren-Guns (they kept them)
- US LMGs M1919 A4 cal.30 (both air and water cooled).
- Grenade Launchers

At the weapons Compagnies:
- US HMGs M2 cal.50
- US 'Bazookas'
- US 57mm M1 AT Guns
- US 60mm M2 Mortars
- US 81mm Mortars
- US 105mm M2 Howitzer (Compagnie de Canons d'Infanterie - 13e CCI part of the Command Battalion BC13

Further details
At the Compagnie de Commandement:
- 30 * M1917 Rifles
- 15 * M1 Carbines
- 6 * Thompson SMGs
- 8 * M1911 Pistols
- 4 * Bren-guns
- 1 * M1919 LMG

At the Compagnie Lourde N°2 (2nd Heavy Co)
- 62 * M1917 Rifles
- 11 * M1 Carbines
- 14 * Thompson SMGs
- 3 * Grenade-launchers
- 8 * Bazookas
- 4 * M2 cal.50 HMGs
- 3 * 57mm ATGs

At the Compagnie de Mitrailleuse N°2 (2nd MG Co)
- 21 * cal.30 LMGs (19 air-cooled)
- 5 * cal.50 HMGs
- 3 * Grenade-Launchers M1
- 6 * 81mm Mortars
- 5 * Bazookas

Regards,
Olivier

keith A
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Re: Foreign Legion in Italy 1944

#5

Post by keith A » 07 Apr 2014, 17:00

Superb, Olivier many thanks. I have bought both "L'Epopee..." and Douglas Porch's history of the Legion. Both are great works and have increased my fragmentary knowledge of the Legion in WW2. Well worth the money ;-) The level of detail in Comor's work is exceptional.

keith A
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Joined: 19 Jan 2012, 17:51

Re: Foreign Legion in Italy 1944

#6

Post by keith A » 20 Apr 2014, 16:13

I know I am being a pedant but has anyone seen images of the 13 DBLE in combat in Italy? I have seen lots of excellent photos of them on parade wearing the Alpine beret but did they wear this in the front line? I assume their re-equipment would include American M1 helmets but am intrigued by the possibility they may have worn retained either the kepi, British MkII or American M1917 helmets?

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