Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

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Kelvin
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Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#1

Post by Kelvin » 23 Mar 2016, 23:12

Hi, every one has data on French order of battle of Cherbourg Garrison on June 19 1940 when Rommel took it ? Thank

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Loïc
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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#2

Post by Loïc » 24 Mar 2016, 03:37

hello

identified
remaining elements of the Command Organe "C" consisting in the VIth Battalion of the 208e RI (reservists) with 205th and 206th machine-gun companies

companies from the 36e Régiment Régional (older reservists) and Infantry Depot 33 (youngs recruits)

part of a mixed colonial battalion of the 27e RICMS

many sailors as Cherbourg was a major military naval base

others maybe...

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Loïc L.


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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#3

Post by Kelvin » 24 Mar 2016, 19:41

Hi, Loic, thank a lot.

Do you know if 32rd and 43rd infantry divisions and Tenth Army HQ also taken by 7.Panzer division ?

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#4

Post by Loïc » 27 Mar 2016, 06:30

I don't think, the 18th-19th June last elements of both Light Divisions were not in this Cotentin peninsula but encircled in others parts of Normandy, more towards the department of Orne
the 10e Armée HQ was captured in Rennes in Brittany the same day

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Loïc

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#5

Post by Kelvin » 28 Mar 2016, 19:47

Hi, Loic, thank for your data.

Book Why France collapsed mentions Falgade 's XVI Corps surrendered at Fougeres on June 18 1940. I know that corp survived in Dunkirk and comprised mostly remant of French troop from Dunkirk, like 32e and 43e and newly built 1e DIL and 1eDILNA. I am not sure whether those divisions captured with XVI Corps on the same day.

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#6

Post by Loïc » 29 Mar 2016, 02:42

the 32e DLI was captured near Saint-Vigor-des-Mézerets Thury-Harcourt Condé-sur-Noireau, a line between Caen and Flers

the 43e DLI near Passais mainly the 18th june but the general with 3000 soldiers and 150 officers retreated in the forest around Mortain didn't surrender before the 26th june and even the 29th for the last elements, I don't know the german troops concerned in these sectors

indeed the XVIe Corps d'Armée was in Fougères the 17th june but reached Rennes before midnight where it was captured the following day by the XV Korps

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Loïc

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#7

Post by Kelvin » 29 Mar 2016, 10:06

Hi, Loic, thank a lot.

That mean Fagalde only surrendered his XVI headquarter without any combat unit or divisional unit at Rennes ?

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#8

Post by Loïc » 30 Mar 2016, 16:48

the 18th june the QG in Rennes had lost contact with the 4 Divisions it had under its command, even the Army Corps own elementary organic units were lost or rattached to others units like the 616th Pioneer Regiment converted into 616e RI to restructure the 32e DI into 32e DLI

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Loïc L.

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#9

Post by Kelvin » 30 Mar 2016, 19:47

Hi, Lioc, thank so much for your help.

French 43e infantry divison looked like a very good unit. They fought at the very end. Before Dunkirk, French High Command sent both 43e infantry division and 1st North African infantry division to counter the situation in Dinant. I am suprised the loss of 1st DINA : 1./5e Moroccan Tiralleur regiment was captured on May 19 and the whole of 27th Algerian Tiralleur regiment and 28th Tunisian regiment and III./ 5th Morocan regiment were all captured on May 21 1940. On the other hand, even after Dunkirk, 43e infantry division still had eight battalions altogeter, three of which were unarmed and no needed to be downgraded like other three divisions in XVI Corps. But I don't know why 43e and 1st DINA performance were so different as both were active units in French Army ? Thank

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#10

Post by Loïc » 31 Mar 2016, 23:27

hello

actually the 43e DI didn't escape to the disaster of Dunkirk and Flanders, only one Morrocan Battalion and the 1er BCP were really saved, as all the 3 others Divisions of the XVIth Army Corps in Normandy even the 43e DI was reorganized as reduced type DLI (Division Légère d'Infanterie, instead of the traditional divisional "ternary" system with 3 infantry regiments with 3 battalions each, only 2 infantry regiments with 2 battalions each)
the reorganized 158e RI coming from remnants of its former divisional infantry and others elements
joined in the DLI by the 54e RI also reorganized coming from remnants of the 54e 84e 87e RIF and others elements
http://atf40.forumculture.net/t9594-43e ... n-sommaire

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Loïc L.

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#11

Post by Kelvin » 01 Apr 2016, 07:38

Hi, Loic, thank a lot. " Why France collapsed " mentions optismistic status of 43e DI, right now I know it is not true.

And 32e DI had five battalions (1,II, III/70th RI, III./122.RI and III/143 RI ), four artillery batteries and some divisional staff including infantry commander Alaurent were captured on June 4 1940 at Dunkirk, apart from this, she still had four battalions or had lost some before Dunkirk ?

And actually 5th Motorized infantry division was only defeated, not destroyed at Avesves, but why French high command disbanded it in late May ? and what units absorbed its renmant ? Thank

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#12

Post by Kelvin » 03 Apr 2016, 20:53

Hi, I see a website about 32e ID which said 131st infantry regiment of 9th Motorized division plus element from 38th inf regiment from 25th Motorized division became one of her regiment : 38e RI and 616e Pioneer regiment became her second regiment with two battalions.

But where the orgnic units of 32e DI, I find only five battalions captured in Dunkirk, where other four battalions ?

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#13

Post by Loïc » 03 Apr 2016, 21:38

hello

instead of the 70e RIF it was the 7e RI

only 3940 men of the Division were still presents the 14th june
the 32e DLI new version the 15th june was only rebuilt with the former XVIth Army Corps Pioneer Regiment 616e RI, and two-battalions 131e RI

about the disbanded 5e DIM who was dislocated, infantry elements were sent to the newly-raised 237e DLI (with 236e 274e RI)

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Loïc

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#14

Post by Kelvin » 03 Apr 2016, 22:01

Hi, Loic, thank again for your help on those questions raised by me in this period, very much appeciated. :D

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Re: Cherbourg Garrison June 19 1940

#15

Post by Kelvin » 25 Apr 2016, 04:30

Loïc wrote:hello

instead of the 70e RIF it was the 7e RI

only 3940 men of the Division were still presents the 14th june
the 32e DLI new version the 15th june was only rebuilt with the former XVIth Army Corps Pioneer Regiment 616e RI, and two-battalions 131e RI

about the disbanded 5e DIM who was dislocated, infantry elements were sent to the newly-raised 237e DLI (with 236e 274e RI)

Regards
Loïc
Hi, Loic, I see some sources that apart from 5e DIM, 237 DLI only absorbed 22e DI, but I cannot find the compositon of 118e RI of 236e DLI, what are their troop come from ?

Hi, Loic, some sources said three DLM after evaucation of Dunkirk, was reduced to brigade size, only had twenty tanks (H39 and S-35), less than ten Armoured cars, and one battalion of dragoon, no artillery and engineer any more, is this correct and are correct in all three DLM in this period ?

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