Casualties of 18e and 22e DI and 5e DIM 1940

[Kelvin]

During the German breakthrough at Dinant in May 1940, 18e and 22e infantry divisions and 5th Motorized divisions suffred heavy casulaties, any French docmemt or data on their casualties from any member ? Thank.

[Kelvin]

Some books said 18e DI was totally annhilated and some sources on website say she had 6 battlaions captured with one artillery regiment and other units was rebuilt into new unit, which one is true ?

[Loïc]

hello

few datas, no figures
remnants of the 5e DIM, nucleus of the newly-raised 236e RI of the new 237e DLI
remnants of the 18e DI, around 3000 men, sent to their own arm branch depots, infantry as nucleus of the newly-raised 90e RI of the 17e DLI
remnants of the 22e DI as nucleus of the newly-raised 118e RI/new 236e DLI and one squadron 24th Recce Group into the 123rd Recce Group

Regards
Loïc L.

[Kelvin]

Hi, Loic, thank a lot.

BTW, the encirclement battle around Gondreville on June 18 1940, sources said 41st Infantry divison includng their commander ,was captured except 1,300 men escaped, Did France disband this division ? or still kept until the end of war ?

[Kelvin]

hello

few datas, no figures
remnants of the 5e DIM, nucleus of the newly-raised 236e RI of the new 237e DLI
remnants of the 18e DI, around 3000 men, sent to their own arm branch depots, infantry as nucleus of the newly-raised 90e RI of the 17e DLI
remnants of the 22e DI as nucleus of the newly-raised 118e RI/new 236e DLI and one squadron 24th Recce Group into the 123rd Recce Group

Regards
Loïc L.

Hi, Loic, I see 9e DIM provided manpower to one of regiment of 236e DLI and also its 131e RI provided two battalions to 32e DLI. but Lee Sharp book mentions 9e DIM was almost captured. Exactly how many 9e DIM left in renmant ? Thank.

[Loïc]

hello

few datas
a)Staff, Regtal units, I & II/131e RI, elements of the 13e 95e III/131e RI, CID 9, elements of the 30e 230e RA, Engineers:
Dunkirk, Southampton, Brest (Brittany), Cherbourg Evreux (Normandy) between the 5th and 9th june
a batallion (Batallion Benesis) reformed with the 131e under IIIrd Army Corps command
131e RI reformed with 5e (staff and regtal units) and 9e DIM
Artillery and Engineer sent to their respectives Organisation Centers in the Interior
others elements (Battalion Hugon) remained under general commanding the grouping zone "D"

b)1200 men of the 13e and 95e RI, 800 of the 2e GRDI 1200 of the 30e and 230e RAD, 300 of the Train, the Divisional Quartermaster Sanitary Groups and services:
elements dispersed,
remnants Recce elements sent to Monthléry Organisation Center, services to their respectives Directions, Train for the aborted 9e DIC, elements of the 30e RAD for the newly-raised 125e RALT

c)VIe Groupe 230e RALD without guns
Dunkirk England Normandy, sent to Lower Pyrénées

Regards
Loïc

[Kelvin]

hello

few datas
a)Staff, Regtal units, I & II/131e RI, elements of the 13e 95e III/131e RI, CID 9, elements of the 30e 230e RA, Engineers:
Dunkirk, Southampton, Brest (Brittany), Cherbourg Evreux (Normandy) between the 5th and 9th june
a batallion (Batallion Benesis) reformed with the 131e under IIIrd Army Corps command
131e RI reformed with 5e (staff and regtal units) and 9e DIM
Artillery and Engineer sent to their respectives Organisation Centers in the Interior
others elements (Battalion Hugon) remained under general commanding the grouping zone "D"

b)1200 men of the 13e and 95e RI, 800 of the 2e GRDI 1200 of the 30e and 230e RAD, 300 of the Train, the Divisional Quartermaster Sanitary Groups and services:
elements dispersed,
remnants Recce elements sent to Monthléry Organisation Center, services to their respectives Directions, Train for the aborted 9e DIC, elements of the 30e RAD for the newly-raised 125e RALT

c)VIe Groupe 230e RALD without guns
Dunkirk England Normandy, sent to Lower Pyrénées

Regards
Loïc

Hi, Loic , thank a lot, very detailed and helpful.

And I am curious about new 1e DLINA. My database shows 1e DINA almost lost all her battalions except II./RTM, but Lee Sharp book vol II shows new order of battle of 1eDLINA had 27e RTA with two battalions, is it mistake ? Thank

[Loïc]

no mistake because as others newly-raised in the emergency DLI the 1ère DLINA and its reformed 27e RTA didn't come exclusively from 1ère DINA but needed to be completed by merging escaped elements from various destroyed North African Divisions (1st Moroccan 1st 2nd 4th 5th North African 3e RTM of the 43e DI...)

Regards
Loïc L.

[Kelvin]

no mistake because as others newly-raised in the emergency DLI the 1ère DLINA and its reformed 27e RTA didn't come exclusively from 1ère DINA but needed to be completed by merging escaped elements from various destroyed North African Divisions (1st Moroccan 1st 2nd 4th 5th North African 3e RTM of the 43e DI...)

Regards
Loïc L.

Hi, Lioc, Thank for your answer. But I guess 1eDINA was seemed to be annhilated almost as only Divisional staff and its commander Tarrit escaped from the Flanders. Other units seemed to be recruited from other DINA.

If look around the divisions in Flanders, 1e DIM was quite lucky as she still had four battalions. ( but I don't know which regiment belongs perhap 43e and 110e RI) and other units were also available like sapper, signal, artillery and it seemed to build as 1e DLI on her own resouces without getting other divisional units.

[Kelvin]

HI, Loic, do you know that 7e G.R.D.I. survivied in the Flanders ? thank

[Loïc]

hello, the story of this Recce Group ended in the Dunkirk pocket early june...

Regards
Loïc

[Kelvin]

Hi, Lioc, thank a lot, so.... 1e DIM only had four infantry battalions left, and nothing left after Dunkirk ?

[Kelvin]

Hi,Loic, apart from units mentioned, 18th DI also provided artillery units to 235e DLI and 22e DI also provided its own radio company to 238e DLI.

And see the sources that 5e DIM surviving infantry and sapper was attached to 68e DI but at the end, 68e DI was annhilated so renmant of 5e DIM wae also destroyed in Flanders or other elements towards South help build 118e RI of 236e DLI ?

[Loïc]

these few elements probably ended in the Dunkirk pocket with the 68e DI because there is no further datas about them after the 4th june as very few troops of this Division itself escaped...

after Dunkirk the 1ère DIM was rebuilt as 1ère DLI with reduced two-battalions 43e and 110e RI renforced respectively by Divisional Instruction Center 1 and escaped detachment of the 1er RI

Regards
Loïc L.

[Kelvin]

Hi, Loic, thank for your help.