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DIM - Division d'Infanterie Motorisée
Motorised Infantry Division

DIM - Division d'Infanterie Motorisée

The division d’infanterie (DI) was the standard component used by the high command to build armies. It contained approximately 500 officers and 17,000 men in three infantry regiments. Seven infantry divisions were motorised (DIM -division d’infanterie motorisée) containing the 20 regular motorised infantry regiments and one Zouave motorised infantry regiment.

The DIM was organised along the same lines as the DI except that its supporting arms were motorised. The infantry themselves did not, unlike the British and German armies, possess their own trucks instead these were provided by independent transport battalions.

The DIM contained the following combat units:

RIm - Régiment d’Infanterie Motorisé

The DI contained 3 motorised infantry regiments (RIm - Régiment d'Infanterie Motorisé or RZm - Régiment de Zouaves Motorisé). The motorised infantry regiment had basically the same format as the "leg" infantry except that its supporting arms were motorised and it had a whole motorcycle company instead of just a platoon. The motorised infantry regiments had no intrinsic transport for the infantry; they used the GTPs attached to the division when available.

A motorised infantry regiment consisted of:

  • 1 HQ Company (supply, medical, signals and engineer platoons),
  • 1 Motorcycle Company
  • 1 Supply Company with 12 Renault UE tracked carriers
  • 1 Regimental Heavy Weapons Company.
  • 3 Infantry Battalions

Companie Motocycliste

The motorcycle squadrons (Escadron Motocycliste) consisted of:

  • 1 command platoon & 1 60mm mortar section
  • 4 motorcycle platoons each
    • 1 command section, 6 men, 1 VB grenade launcher, 3 motorcycles with side-cars.
    • 2 combat sections each with 10 men, 2 Chatellerault Fusil-Mitrailleur FM 24/29 7.5mm LMGs, 1 VB grenade launcher, 5 motorcycles with side-cars.

Companie de Engins

The regimental heavy weapons company contained:

  • 2 AT gun platoons each with 3 25 mm AT guns and 3 Renault U.E tracked vehicles
  • 2 Mortar platoons with 4 81 mm mortars
  • 3 AA platoons each with 4 20 mm AA 39 Oerlikon HMGs

Not all infantry regiments had 25mm guns in their anti-tank platoons, some had to make do with the World War One vintage 37mm Mle 16 TRP.

Batallion d’Infanterie

The motorised infantry battalion had basically the same format as the "leg" infantry except that its heavy weapons company was motorised.

An infantry battalion contained :

  • A Headquarters and command platoon including a signals section
  • 3 Rifle Companies
  • 1 Battalion Heavy Weapons Company.

Compagnie de Fusiliers-Voltigeurs

The rifle company (compagnie de Fusiliers-Voltigeurs) contained: 

  • 1 Command platoon 
    • 1 Command Section
    • 1 Supply Section
    • 1 Mortar Section with 1 60mm Mortar
  • 4 Rifle platoons

Companie de Mitrailleuses et Engins

The battalion heavy weapons company contained:

  • 1 Mortar and Gun platoon
    • 1 Mortar section with 2 81mm mortar and trucks
    • 1 Anti-Tank Gun section with 2 25mm SA mle 34 anti-tank guns towed by Renault U.E tracked vehicles
  • 3 Machinegun platoons each with
    • 2 Machinegun sections each with 2 8mm 1914 Hotchkiss machineguns and trucks

GRDIm - Groupe de Reconnaissance de Division d'Infanterie Motorisée

The Motorised Reconnaissance Battalion (GRDIm - Groupe de Reconnaissance de Division d'Infanterie Motorisée) was the only cavalry unit in the infantry division and provided it with a reconnaissance capability.

It consisted of:

  • 1 AMD Armoured-car Reconnaissance Squadron
  • 1 AMR Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron
  • 2 Motorcycle Squadron
  • 1 heavy weapons Squadron

The 2nd and 5th GRDIm were initially without their AMD and AMR squadrons which they only recieved after the German invasion.

AMD Armoured-car Reconnaissance Squadron

The AMD Armoured-car Reconnaissance Squadron contained:

  • 4 platoons each of 3 armoured-cars

The armoured-cars were normally Panhard 178, but one squadron had older White-Laffly 50 AM armoured-cars.

AMR Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron

The AMR Armoured Reconnaissance Squadron contained:

  • 4 platoons each of 3 armoured reconnaissance vehicles

It was intened to equipp this squadron with 4 platoons each of 5 AMR 33 or AMR 35. However insuficent AMR 33/35 were available. Instead they were mostly equipped with the obsolete Panhard-Schneider-Kégresse P16 halftrack armoured car; only 3 to a platoon instead of 5. The 2nd GRDIm with the 9th DIM had Hotchkiss H 39 light tanks and the 5th GRDIm with the 25th DIM had Hotchkiss H 35 light tanks.

Motorcycle Squadron

The Motorcycle Squadrons consisted of:

  • 1 command troop including 1 60mm mortar section in motorcycles with side-cars.
  • 4 motorcycle troops each with
    • 1 command section, 6 men, 1 VB grenade launcher, 3 motorcycles with side-cars.
    • 2 combat sections each with 10 men, 2 Chatellerault Fusil-Mitrailleur FM 24/29 7.5mm LMGs, 1 VB grenade launcher, 5 motorcycles with side-cars.

Heavy Weapons Squadron

The Heavy Weapons Squadron contained:

  • 2 motorcycle machinegun platoons each with 4 8mm 1914 Hotchkiss machineguns and  heavy motorcycle and sidecar combinations.
  • 2 anti-tank sections with 2 25mm SA38 anti-tank guns transported by light trucks. In the 6th and 7th GRDIm these four guns were replaced by four AMR 35 ZT3 tank destroyers.

CDAC - Compagnie Divisionnaire Antichar

The divisional anti-tank company (CDAC – Compagnie Divisionnaire Anti Char) contained 12 infantry-crewed 25mm SA mle 34 anti-tank guns. The battery was split into 3 platoons each of four guns. The guns were usually towed by Renault U.E tracked vehicles although the 12th DIm used the Latil M7 T1 instead.

RADm - Régiment d'Artillerie Divisionnaire Motorisé

The motorised light field artillery regiment (RADm Régiment d'Artillerie Divisionnaire Motorisé) contained three battalions of 12 mle 1897 75mm guns divided into 3 batteries each of 4 guns. This regiment had the same basic organisation as its horse-drawn equivalent except that the guns were now towed by Unic P107 BU or Laffly S15T artillery tractors.

Also attached to this regiment, was the divisional anti-tank battery (BDAC) and an anti-aircraft battery (BCA).

BDAC - Batterie Divisionnaire Antichar

The divisional anti-tank battery (BDAC – Batterie Divisionnaire Anti Char) was attached to the RADm and contained 8 artillery-crewed 47mm SA37 APX anti-tank guns. The battery was split into 4 sections each of two guns. It was intended to tow the guns using Laffly W15T trucks, but insuficient were available so the older Citroen P17 were still in use.

BCA - Batterie Contre-Avions

The anti-aircraft battery was attached to the RADm and contained 6 artillery-crewed Hotchkiss 25mm mle 1939 anti-aircraft guns. It was intended to tow the guns using Laffly W15T trucks, but insuficient were available so the older Citroen P17 were still in use in many units.

RALDm - Régiment d'Artillerie Lourde Divisionnaire Motorisé

The motorised heavy field artillery regiment (RALDm - Régiment d'Artillerie Lourde Divisionnaire Motorisé) contained one battalion of 12 mle 1917 155mm howitzers and one battalion of 12 mle 1935 105mm howitzers. The battalions were both divided into 3 batteries each of 4 guns. This regiment had the same basic organisation as its horse-drawn equivalent except that the guns vehicle towed. The 105mm battalion was towed by Unic P107 BU or Laffly S15T artillery tractors and the 155mm battalion by SOMUA MCG artillery tractors.

Compagnie de Sapeurs-Mineurs Motorisé

The motorised engineer company (compagnie de sapeurs-mineurs motorisé) consisted of 4 platoons each with 3 squads. The company had 28 motor vehicles to carry its stores and equipment; the engineers themselves marched on foot.

The compagnie de sapeurs-mineurs portés in the DLM/DCR/DLM differed from the compagnie de sapeurs-mineurs motorisé in the DIM in that the porté company was fully motorised carrying both equipment and engineers in motor vehicles. The motorisé company carried its equipment in motor vehicles but the engineers marched on foot.

The engineers were not intended to be used as combat troops. They were mainly armed with small arms (revolvers/pistols for the officers and rifles/carbines for the men). There were no LMGs. There were 2 Hotchkiss mle 1914 MGs or Saint-Etienne mle 1907 MGs in each company, mounted on tripods and used as AAMGs for convoy protection when moving.

In 1939 the Enginner regiments and battalions were disbanded and the companies were then officially independent. However these remained under the command of the engineer HQ at the division level.

GTP - Groupe de Transport de Personnel

Three infantry transport battalions (GTP - Groupes de Transport de Personnel) could be attached to the DIM for strategic movement. Each GTP consisted of:

  • 1 company of trucks (80 to 100 trucks)
  • 1 company of TTN trucks (Transport Toute Nature: these were trucks that could carry horses) (80 to 100 trucks)
  • 2 company of buses (160 to 200 buses each)