French 1940 Chasseur TOE and Personnel

[Jim A.]

Hello, I’ve been unable to find a definitive answer for TOE of the battalions of Chasseur a Pied and Alpins. We’re they the same as the standard Infantry Battalion? When these battalions formed into brigades what does that ToE look like? Also, was the any pre qualifiers for recruits of these battalions? Did Chasseur battalions have a special mission? Thanks in advance. -Jim

[Loïc]

hello

I think you will have all that detailed in Lee Sharp's Volume 3
There were Alpine BCA and à pied BCP but 4 of them converted into Portés battalions of the DCr, it existed also Pyrenean battalions but exclusively from reservists

they didn't form really "brigades" despite they still existed in the Alpine Divisions but I assume you wished to mean (regimental-size) half-brigades demi-brigades gathering 3 battalions = 84 officers 3084 men

they are French conscripts like the others but the Chasseurs Battalions were something like the elite of the French Infantry,
in the years 1880 rather to be given to each Army Corps Region all the Battalions were concentrated to both main key-strategic border areas of the Northeast facing Germany and on the southeast Alpine border facing our Alpini cousins, becoming specialized there as mountain Alpine battalions

a BCP is 976 men in
a staff and command company 11 offIcers 19 NCO's 19 corporals 134 chasseurs (183)
the CHR 3 - 17 - 12 - 105 (137)
Engines company 4 - 25 - 18 - 123 (170)
3 fusiliers-voltigeurs companies each 3 - 19 - 24 - 116 (162x3 = 486)

[Kelvin]

Hi, Loic, Lee Sharp volume III did not have authorized TOE of light infantry battalion. His book only had its TOE of 1er and 12e DLI battalion in Tunis, do you have general TOE applied to all French DLI battalion ? Thank

[Loïc]

hello
only to avoid a duplication because Lee precises that the BIL - Bataillons d'Infanterie Légère - were identical in organisation to the demi-brigades and Bataillons de Chasseurs à pied

[Kelvin]

hello
only to avoid a duplication because Lee precises that the BIL - Bataillons d'Infanterie Légère - were identical in organisation to the demi-brigades and Bataillons de Chasseurs à pied

Hi, Loic, thank for your information and your correction.