3rd Armored Division (France)

3^e Division
Insignia of the 3^e DIV.
Active	April 15, 1943 - April 15, 1946 1951 - July 1991 June 20, 2016 - present
Country	France
Allegiance	French Army
Size	~ 24,700 as of 2016
Garrison/HQ	Marseille
Motto(s)	« Plus d'honneur que d'honneurs »
Engagements	World War II

The 3rd Armoured Division (French: 3^e Division Blindée, 3^e DB) is a unit of the French Army.

The Division is the heir 3rd Algerian Infantry Division (3^e DIA) formed in 1943 and dissolved in 1946.

The 3rd Armoured Division was created in 1951 then dissolved in 1991. The 3rd Mechanised Brigade (3^e BM), created in 1999 inherited the traditions of the division.

The 3rd Division (3^e DIV) was recreated on June 20, 2016 within the cadre of the reorganization of the French Army.

Creation and different nominations

The 3rd Algerian Infantry Division (3^e DIA) was created on April 15, 1943;
Dissolution on April 15, 1946;
The 3rd Armored Division (3^e DB), heir of the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division, was created in 1951;
The 3rd Armored Division was dissolved on July 1991;
The 3rd Mechanised Brigade (3^e BM), created on July 1999 inherited traditions of the division. The brigade became designated as 3rd Light Armored Brigade (3^e BLB) in 2014;
The 3rd Division was recreated on June 20, 2016 part of the Scorpion Force alongside the 1st Division.

3^e DIA
3^e DB
3^e BM

Heraldy

It was under the signs of latin traditions that général de Monsabert wanted to place the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division 3^e DIA during creation on May 1, 1943.

The insignia of "Victory" (French: La Victoire) of Cirta (province of Numidia, today Constantine (provence in Algeria)) is supported by three crescents representing the Muslims, which composed the majority of the division, Allied to the "métros" (blue white red).Origin of the insignia, La Victoire de Cirta

The "Victory" (French: La Victoire) was a Roman goddess protector of the Emperors that the Legio III Augusta de Cirta particularly venerated. She was found within a search at Constantine in the 19th century.

The motto of the 3rd Armoured Division is : « Plus d'honneur que d'honneurs » in French which translates literally to « More honor than the honors ». The motto of the 3rd Light Armoured Brigade was : « Un seul but : La victoire ».

History

1943 to 1946

The 3rd Algerian Infantry Division (3^e DIA), formed on April 15, 1943, illustrated capability during World War II under the orders général de Monsabert puis du général Guillaume. The division was dissolved on April 15, 1946.

1951 to 1991

The 3rd Division was reconstituted in 1951 at the corps of the French Forces in Germany (French: Forces françaises en Allemagne, FFA). This was a grand unit of almost 15000 men covering the Western part of Germany and comprising three brigades:

The 5th Mechanised Brigade at Tübingen;
The 12th Mechanised Brigade at Offenbourg;
The 13th Motoryzed Brigade at Konstanz

the division became the 3rd Armoured Division in 1978. Three infantry regiments, two tank reigments, two artillery regiments, one engineer regiment, and one command and support regiment. During the transformation of the FFA into FFECSA (French: forces françaises et élément civil stationnés en Allemagne) (French Forces and Civilian Element), the division was redimensioned and dissolved in 1991.

Organigram in 1991

Two tank regiments, three infantry regiments, two artillery regiments, one engineer regiment, one command and support regiment:

Based in Fribourg-en-Brisgau.

3rd Dragoon Regiment (French: 3^e Régiment de dragons, 3^e RD)
12th Cuirassiers Regiment (French: 12^e Régiment de cuirassiers, 12^e RC)
19th Group Mounted Chasseurs (French: 19^e Groupe de chasseurs portés, 19^eGCP)
42nd Infantry Regiment (French: 42^e Régiment d'infanterie, 42^e RI)
152nd Infantry Regiment (French: 152^e Régiment d'infanterie, 152^e RI)

Support:

11th Artillery Regiment (French: 11^e Régiment d'artillerie, 11^e RA)
34th Artillery Regiment (French: 34^e Régiment d'artillerie, 34^e RA)
11th Engineer Regiment (French: 11^e Régiment du génie, 11^e RG)

Other support :

3rd Command and Support Regiment (French: 3^e Régiment de commandement et de soutien, 3^e RCS)

1999 to 2015

The 3rd Mechanised Brigade (3^e BM) created in 1999 retook traditions. The headquarter staff was based in Limoges. In 2011, the headquarter staff of the 3^e BM garrisoned at Clermont-Ferrand.

On March 18, 2014, the 3rd Mechanised Brigade became designated as the 3rd Light Armoured Brigade (3^e BLB).

Since 2016

The 3rd Division (3^e DIV) was recreated during a ceremony on June 20, 2016. Interarm, the division is formed of three brigades part of the Scorpion Force alongside the 1st Division, units stationed in outre-mer and overseas. Headquarter staff is garrisoned in Marseille.

Composition in 2016

The 3rd Division is subordinated to the Commandement des Forces Terrestres CFT. At creation, the division managed 25 regiments, 4 headquarter staffs and one instruction school. Effectifs form 25000 men and 4000 reservists in:

2^e Régiment de Dragons (2^e RD-NBC) - Défense Nucléaire Biologique et chimique NBC-defense Regiment in Fontevraud-l'Abbaye
54^e Régiment d'Artillerie (54^e RA) - Air-defense Regiment in Hyères with Mistral
31^e Régiment du Génie (31^e RG) - Engineer Regiment in Castelsarrasin

2^e brigade blindée – 2nd Armored Brigade

Insignia of the 2^e BB.

Based in Illkirch-Graffenstaden.

2^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (2^e CCT) - Command and Signals Company in Illkirch-Graffenstaden with VAB
12^e Régiment de Cuirassiers (12^e RC) - Armoured Regiment in Olivet with 60 Leclerc
501^e Régiment de chars de combat (501^e RCC) - Armoured Regiment in Mourmelon-le-Grand with 60 Leclerc
Régiment de Marche du Tchad (RMT) - Marine Infantry Regiment in Meyenheim with VBCI
16^e Bataillon de Chasseurs (16^e BC) - Infantry Battalion in Bitche with VBCI
92^e Régiment d'Infanterie (92^e RI) - Infantry Regiment in Clermont-Ferrand with VBCI
40^e Régiment d'Artillerie (40^e RA) Self-propelled Howitzer Regiment in Suippes with 32 GCT 155mm and 12 120mm mortars
13^e Régiment du Génie (13^e RG) - Engineer Regiment in Valdahon

6^e brigade légère blindée – 6th Light Armoured Brigade

Insignia of the 6^eBLB.

Based in Nîmes.

6^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (6^e CCT) - Command and Signals Company in Nîmes with VAB
1^er Régiment de Spahis – Cavalry Regiment in Valence with AMX 10 RC and ERC 90
1^er Régiment Etranger de Cavalerie (1^er REC) Foreign Legion - Cavalry Regiment in Orange with AMX 10 RC and ERC 90
2^e Régiment Etranger d'Infanterie (2^e REI) - Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment in Nîmes with VBCI
13^e Demi Brigade de Légion Etrangère (13^e DBLE) - Foreign Legion regiment in with VAB
21^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (21^e RIMa) - Marine Infantry Regiment in Fréjus with VAB
3^e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (3^e RAMa) - Marine Artillery Regiment in Canjuers with TRF1 howitzers, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and RTF1 mortars
1^er Régiment Étranger de Génie (1^er REG) - Foreign Legion Engineer Regiment in Laudun

11^e brigade parachutiste – 11th Parachute Brigade

Insignia of the 11^e BP.

Based in Balma.

11^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions Parachutiste (11^e CCTP) - Command and Signals Company in Balma
1^er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes (1^er RHP) - Parachute Hussar Regiment in Tarbes with ERC 90
1^er Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes (1^er RCP) Parachute Chasseur Regiment in Pamiers
2^e Régiment Etranger de Parachutistes (2^e REP) French Foreign Legion - Parachute Regiment in Calvi
3^e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (3^e RPIMa) - Marine Parachute Regiment in Carcassonne
8^e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (8^e RPIMa) - Marine Parachute Regiment in Castres
35^e Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste (35^e RAP) - Parachute Artillery Regiment in Tarbes with TRF1 howitzers, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and RTF1 mortars
17^e Régiment du Génie Parachutiste (17^e RGP) - Parachute Engineer Regiment in Montauban
1^er Régiment du Train Parachutiste (1^er RTP) - Parachute Supply Regiment in Toulouse

Notes

References

David Isby and Charles Kamps Jr., Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, 1985. ISBN 0-7106-0341-X
Ian Sumner and Charles Vauvillier, The French Army 1939-45 (2), Osprey, 1998. ISBN 1-85532-707-4

Divisions of the French Army

Active
1st 3rd

Cold War period (incomplete)

Infantry	8th 15th 27th Alpine 109th 152nd
Armored	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th 10th
Light Armored	6th 9th 12th 14th
Airborne	4th Airmobile 10th 11th Light Intervention 24th 25th
Other	Division Daguet

Second World War (list)

1939-1940

Armour	1st Armored 1st Light 2nd Armored 2nd Light 3rd Armored 3rd Light 4th Armored 4th Light 7th Light
Cavalry	1st Light 2nd Light 3rd Light 4th Light 5th Light 6th Light
Colonial	1st Moroccan 1st Colonial 1st North African Light 2nd Colonial 2nd Colonial Light 2nd Moroccan 2nd North African 3rd Colonial 3rd Moroccan 3rd North African 4th Colonial 4th North African 5th Colonial 5th North African 6th North African 6th Colonial 7th Colonial 7th North African 8th Colonial 8th Colonial Light 81st African 82nd African 83rd African 84th African 85th African 86th African 87th African 88th African 180th African 181st African 182nd African 183rd African Cochinchina and Cambodia Tonkin
Infantry	1st Motorized 2nd 3rd Motorized 4th 5th Motorized 6th 7th 8th 9th Motorized 10th 11th 12th Motorized 13th 14th 15th Motorized 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th Motorized 26th 32nd 35th 36th 40th 41st 42nd 43rd 44th 45th 47th 51st 52nd 53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 67th 68th 70th 71st 101st Fortress 102nd Fortress 103rd Fortress 104th Fortress 105th Fortress 191st 192nd
Mountain	1st Light Chasseurs 2nd Light Chasseurs 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 64th 65th 66th
Light	1st 3rd 17th 59th 235th 236th 237th 238th 239th 240th 241st Burtaire
Provisional	Besse March Chastanet March Poisot March Regard March Senselme March
Other	1st Polish 2nd Polish

Vichy France

Metropolitan	7th Military 9th Military 12th Military 13th Military 14th Military 15th Military 16th Military 17th Military
Africa and Asia	Algiers Territorial Casablanca Cochinchina and Cambodia Constantine Territorial Fez Marrakech Meknes Oran Territorial Tunisian Forces Command Tonkin
Related	33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French)

Free France/
Army of Liberation

Infantry	1st Algerian 1st Alpine 1st Colonial 1st Free French Division 1st Moroccan 1st 1st Far East Colonial 2nd Algerian 2nd Colonial 2nd Far East Colonial 2nd Moroccan 3rd Moroccan 3rd Algerian 3rd Colonial 4th Moroccan Mountain 6th Moroccan Mountain 7th Algerian 8th Algerian 9th Colonial 10th Colonial 10th Infantry 14th Infantry 19th Infantry 23rd Infantry 25th Infantry 27th Alpine 36th Infantry
Armour	1st Armored 2nd Armored 3rd Armored 5th Armored
Temporary	Constantine March Algerian March Oran March Southeast Algerian Front

First World War (list)

Infantry	1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 38th 39th 41st 42nd 43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th 48th 51st Reserve 52nd Reserve 53rd 55th Reserve 56th Reserve 57th Reserve 58th Reserve 60th Reserve 61st Reserve 62nd Reserve 63rd Reserve 66th Reserve 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 74th 76th 77th 81st Territorial 82nd Territorial 84th Territorial 87th Territorial 88th Territorial 89th Territorial 92nd Territorial 101st Territorial 102nd 120th 121st 122nd 123rd 125th 126th 127th 128th 129th 132nd 133rd 152nd 153rd 156th 157th 158th 164th 165th 166th 169th 170th
Cavalry	1st 1st Foot 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
Colonial	Moroccan 2nd Colonial 3rd Colonial 10th Colonial 11th Colonial 15th Colonial 16th Colonial 17th Colonial

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