General Jacques Leclerc

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Marcus
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General Jacques Leclerc

#1

Post by Marcus » 09 Mar 2003, 16:15

I'm looking for info on the life and career of General Jacques Leclerc, commander of the French 2nd Armoured Division.
Thanks.

/Marcus

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Steen Ammentorp
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#2

Post by Steen Ammentorp » 10 Mar 2003, 08:12

Hi Marcus,

Not sure what kind of information you’re looking for. May I suggest that you get hold of one of these two books:

“Out of the Sand : The epic story of General Leclerc and the Fighting Free French” by Henry Maule
“Three Marshals of France : Leadership after trauma” by Anthony Clayton

Which to my knowledge is the only two larger works that have been published in English. Of the two I think that Clayton is best, since Maule (as a journalist) has written his as epic story. However it includes many details and the Fezzan campaign is interesting.

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II


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Diggar
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#3

Post by Diggar » 17 Jun 2003, 12:41

Hey Marcus !!

U can find some interesting info here about General Leclerc and Leclerc division !!
Hope u ll find what u looking for :)

Gen Leclerc biography : http://perso.wanadoo.fr/stephane.delogu ... gines.html

Regards

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David Lehmann
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#4

Post by David Lehmann » 17 Jun 2003, 14:26

Hi Marcus,

His name is not Jacques in fact :) I tried quickly to make some "crude" translations ... I think the main is here, you will probably be able to transform this in better English :)

---------------------

Général Philippe "LECLERC" DE HAUTECLOCQUE (1902-1947) (Maréchal de France)

Philippe de Hauteclocque was born in Picardie in 1902 in an aristocratic family. He studies in the Saint Cyr military school from 1922 to 1924. He is the 5th best student out of 344 and has the rank of 2nd lieutenant. After a training period in the cavalry school of Saumur he is appointed to the 5th Cuirassiers Regiment in Trêves (Moselle). He is then appointed to the 8th Spahis and sent to Morocco. There he is instructor in the officer school and participates to the creation of the 28th Goum in Mzizel. After that he joins the 1st Chasseurs d'Afrique. He returns in metropolitan France and passes its brevet in the War School the 15th September 1939 (he comes first in one's year). At the beginning of WW2 is is captain in the 4th DI. He is wounded and captured two times by the Germans but escaped each time and joined General De Gaulle in London, taking the war name of "Leclerc". In 1945, the name "Leclerc" is definitively added to its name so that his family keeps the name "Leclerc de Hauteclocque".
In August 1940, Colonel Leclerc joins the Free French Army and the French African colonies, giving a military force and a territory to the FFL. In december he is in command in Chad and fight against the Italian forces in Lybia.
After a first raid on Morzouck with the British LRDG in January 1941 he planes to attack the Italian fort at Koufra defended by 1200 Italian soldiers. The 1st March 1941, with 400 men, 60 vehicles and 1 single 75 mm gun (French equipments), after a 1500 km ride through the desert, Leclerc takes the strategical Koufra oasis to the Italians. The day after all these men take the solemn oath of Koufra : not stopping to fight before the French flag flyes again over Metz and Strasbourg (which in 1941 is really a fighter's dream). De Gaulle makes him "Compagnon de la libération" and general.
In 1942, Leclerc conquers Fezzan, the occidental part of Lybia. After the allied landing in Morocco and Algeria, Leclerc makes junction in January 1943 in Tripoli with the British 8th Army (Montgomery). He participates to the battles in Tunisia. The "Leclerc column" becomes the "L Force". He arrives in Tunis the 8 May 1943.
During all these campains Leclerc lives very close to its men. His skills as well as his human qualities makes him an admired and liked officier.
During summer 1943, he transforms in Tamara (Morocco) the "L Force" into the 2nd French armored division (16000 men, 4000 vehicles with 160 M4A2 and M4A3 Sherman). The division is sent to Glasgow and Hull (UK) in April 1944.
The 2nd armored divison lands in Normandy in 1944 with lieutenant general George Patton's 3rd US Army : the 2nd French armored division liberates Alençon (12th August), Paris (25th August). Heading east they liberate Vittel, destroy a Panzer Brigade in Dompaire (12th and 13th September), liberate Baccarat (31st October), fight heavily through the Vosges and then in Alsace (with the 1st French Army) where Strasbourg is liberated the 23rd November 1944 ... They had respected the Koufra oath.
After heavy struggle in South Alsace during 2 winter monthes, the 1st French Army (with the 2nd French armored division) destroys the Colmar pocket and liberates Colmar the 6th February 1945. Elements of the 2nd French armored division still fighting against pockets in Brittany liberates Royan in April 1945. There are no more German forces on French soil.
Leclerc enters South Germany and Austria and takes Berchtesgaden and Hitler's eagle nest 3 days before German capitulation.
In 1945, Leclerc becomes Army Corps general and receives the Grand Croix de la Légion d'Honneur. He is in command of the CEFEO (Corps Expéditionnaire Français en Extrême Orient) and general Massu becomes commander of the 2nd armored division. Leclerc is directed to Indochina where 40000 French soldiers are suffering from japanese exactions and murders since France entered war along with allied forces. The CEFEO restores the French authority. The 2nd September 1945, general Leclerc signed in the name of France the japanese capiyulation act in the Tokyo bay, with general Mac Arthur.
From October 1945 to July 1946, Leclerc advises for a political and pacifical solution in the Franco-vietnamese war but he is again sent to the metropolitan territory. *
In North Africa he is inspector of the armed forces. The 28th November 1947 his plane travelling from Oran to Colomb Béchar is taken in a sandstorm and crashes. There are no survivors. 5 years after his disparition the French Parlament gives him the honorific rank of Maréchal. Leclerc was a convinced patriot, a christian, a charismatic unifier, a reckless soldier, a fantastic tactician and a fine politician.

* NB : The japanese helped to the creation of a nationalist Vietnamese army and several communist maquis were supported by the US OSS. The Vietnamese Viet-Minh is widely equiped with japanese armament but also US armament provided to the communist China. Roosevelt didn't want the French to control again these territories and many US "consultants" and OSS members helped Hô Chi Minh against the French Army.

David

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tyskaorden
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#5

Post by tyskaorden » 18 Jun 2003, 01:22

In recent years the French army has named its new Main Battle Tank Leclerc in honour of the marshal.

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Aufklarung
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#6

Post by Aufklarung » 18 Jun 2003, 04:24

Attachments
leclerc.jpeg
leclerc.jpeg (57.21 KiB) Viewed 1862 times

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David Lehmann
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#7

Post by David Lehmann » 18 Jun 2003, 17:59

Yes its our nice 3rd generation MBT :)

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/row/leclerc.htm

http://www.giat-industries.fr/asp/us/pd ... eclerc.pdf

http://www.giat-industries.fr/asp/us/pd ... erc_01.pdf

A 2010 version is planned carrying new gadgets and features.
In addition to the digital revolution of communications and military internet other revolutions are expected:
- The active and passive protections will again be improved. Electronic protection (active protection which attacks aggressive projectiles and countermeasures which decoy or deceive the enemy) will gradually take over from conventional armour (without however replacing it),
- Firing onto masked or far targets (up to 10 km) thanks to the use of onboard minidrones which will be in charge of detection for the tank which will fire guided munitions. It will be able to fire new smart and long range shells (roof attack) called POLY-NG CGN3D.
- Lastly, stealth technologies will make the tank a target increasingly difficult to acquire in the radar and infrared fields.


David
Last edited by David Lehmann on 19 Jun 2003, 02:40, edited 1 time in total.

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Aufklarung
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#8

Post by Aufklarung » 18 Jun 2003, 23:58

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David Lehmann
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#9

Post by David Lehmann » 19 Jun 2003, 00:14

nice collection of medals :)

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