David Lehmann
Posts: 72
Joined: 10/10/2000
From: France
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One good English language source for French 1939-1940 OB I know is :
http://www.militarypress.co.uk/
- Sharp, Lee. The French Army, 1939-1940, volume 1. Milton Keynes, UK: The Military Press, 2002.
The first volume covered the top-level organizations of the French Army: the military districts, the High Command, army groups, armies, and corps.
- Sharp, Lee. The French Army, 1939-1940, volume 2. Milton Keynes, UK: Military Press, 2002.
The second volume moves to the next level, with the entire book devoted to French divisions.
Motorised infantry
Infantry
Mountain infantry
Light mountain
North African infantry
Colonial infantry
Light infantry
Light infantry, type Overseas
Foreign infantry
Cavalry
Light cavalry
Light mechanised
Reserve armoured
Unlike many books of this nature, however, Sharp does not simply limit himself to describing the various types of divisions with a single representative example of each. Instead, he devotes an entire page of data to each individual division. That means, for example, that each of three cavalry divisions gets its own page, each of seven motorized infantry divisions gets its own page, each of forty-six "ordinary" infantry divisions gets its own page, and so on.
For each type of division, introductory pages explain the purpose and general organization, provide tables with dates of mobilization, numbers of men (officers, NCOs, and non-coms), horses, wagons, motor vehicles, bicycles, etc, and offer any pertinent notes. Following the introductory material, each unit of that type is presented on its own page.
The layout for each divisional page is the same. The top of a page is occupied by an organigram showing the unit's structure down to regiment, battalion, company, and sometimes platoon level. For each division, the component formations reflect their actual numeric designations, so that 2nd Infantry's organigram shows the 33rd, 73rd, and 127th Infantry Regiments, the 11th Cavalry battalion, 10/34th Antitank battery, etc. In addition, all the components are reiterated in a text listing with the complete name in French, such as 33rd Regiment d'Infantrie, 11th Groupe de Reconnaissance, and 10/34th Batterie Divisionnaire Antichars. The next item, "Changes in Composition," details all the comings, goings, reorganizations, and redesignations of subordinate units. The fourth part of each divisional page is a listing of the names and ranks of "Principal Officers" for the divisions with dates served. Finally, Sharp gives a complete listing of higher headquarters to which the division was assigned from September 1939 through the end of hostilities.
As with the first volume, most of this material seems to come from the Les Grandes Unites Francaises series published by the French Army. (A complete bibliographic essay is promised for the final volume.) In volume two of LGUF, for example, the entry for 2nd Division D'Infanterie amounts to about twelve pages and includes everything shown above plus the kind of day-by-day history that Sharp seems to be saving for later volumes in his series: "A description of military operations from May 10th 1940 to June 25th 1940 will...be down to regimental/battalion level with in some cases a day-by-day commentary."
The author rounds out this book with a short introduction to French divisions, a key to the organigram symbols, notes on unit numbering and nomenclature, a combination glossary and list of abbreviations, a one-page Introduction, and a list of errata for volume one. That's it. Nothing too fancy, nothing too sexy. Just a hundred and fifty pages of pure OB/TOE material for the French Army (and its Polish and Czech units) for 1939 and 1940.
For those with no interest in these matters, this might not be an incredibly fascinating book. For anyone looking for detailed information about French unit organizations up to the armistice, this is far and away the best source ever produced in the English language. Like the first volume, the second volume of The French Army should be in the hands of every serious World War II historian and enthusiast.
- Sharp, Lee. The French Army, 1939-1940, volume 3. Milton Keynes, UK: Military Press, 2002.
The third volume deals with organization and Order of Battle of Fortress Troops, Maginot Line formations, Region/Corps, Section/Fortress Divisions. Also the Infantry formations and units, their organisation and details of equipment.
- volumes 4, 5, 6 and 7 in preparation.
Regards,
David
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"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing in the tempting place."
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