4th Armored Division (France, 1940)

4e division cuirassée
Insignia of the division
Active	1940
Country	France
Engagements	Second World War Battle of Montcornet Battle of Abbeville
Commanders
Notable commanders	Charles De Gaulle

The 4th Armored Division (French: 4e Division cuirassée (4e DCr)) was a short-lived armoured unit of the French Army. Formed on 10 May 1940 on the battlefield, it comprised mainly tank battalions. It fought without interruption for forty days and was initially commanded by Charles de Gaulle.

Battle Of France

Formation

The division was formed under Colonel De Gaulle on 15 May 1940.

Fighting The Blitzkrieg

The 4DCr launched an attack on 17 May at the Battle of Montcornet, where it successfully threw back the German defenses but had to retreat on its starting positions for lack of support and air cover. It then moved south of Abbeville to attack German bridgeheads across the Aisne river, fighting the Battle of Abbeville on 28/29 May with the aim of breaking through to the encircled Allied units trapped in Dunkirk.

On 1 June, the 4e DCr was relieved by the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division and regrouped at Marseille-en-Beauvaisis to attach itself to the armoured group under General Charles Delestraint. On 6 June, De Gaulle was relieved of his command to rejoin his new commission as State under-secretary for War in the government. De Gaulle was replaced by Colonel Chaudesolle for one day. General Pierre Jules de la Font took command of the division on 7 June.

On 10 June, the armoured group was attached to the Paris Army, and on 12 June, the division was assigned to the 10th Army Corps. From then on, it took part in rear-guard fights during the retreat, notably on the Loire river from 12 to 19 June, and until the cease-fire on 26 June.

Composition

The division was composed of the following units:

46^e bataillon de chars de combat
19^e bataillon de chars de combat
4^e bataillon de chasseurs portés
24^e bataillon de chars de combat
303^e régiment d'artillerie tractée
4^e groupe autonome d'artillerie
322^e RATTT / 1^er groupe (from 17 May)
322^e RATTT / 2^e groupe (from 17 May)
10^e régiment de cuirassiers - One squadron equipped with the Panhard 178 (from 18 May)
3^e cuirassiers / 1^er groupe d'escadron - One squadron equipped with SOMUA S35 tanks (from 18 May)
10/80^e BDAC (from 20 May)
11/86^e BDAC (from 20 May)
47^e bataillon de chars de combat (from 21 May)
44^e bataillon de chars de combat (from 21 May)
44^e bataillon de chars de combat (from 21 May)
1020^e batterie,404^e DCA (from 23 May)
305^e RATTT / 1^er groupe (105) (from 23 May)
2^e bataillon du 7^e régiment de dragons portés (from 24 May)
3^e cuirassiers / 2^e groupe d'escadron - One squadron equipped with Hotchkiss H35 tanks (from 25 May)
665^e batterie divisionnaire antichar (from 25 May)
51^e batterie antichar autonome (from 25 May)
661^e batterie divisionnaire antichar (from 28 May)

Equipment

The division was equipped with the following vehicles:

58 Char B1bis heavy tanks
44 Char D2 medium tanks
135 SOMUA S35 medium tanks
40 Hotchkiss H39 light tanks
48 Panhard 178 armoured cars

Bibliography

Lormier, Dominique (2008). Comme des lions - mai juin 1940 - Le sacrifice héroïque de l'armée française (in French). Calmann-Lévy. ISBN 978-2-7021-3445-0.
Vauvillier, François (2007–2008). La division cuirassée en 1940 et ses perspectives. Histoire de guerre, blindés et matériels (in French).

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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