24th Airborne Division (France)

24th Airborne Division 24^e Division Aéroportée

Active	1945 - 1945
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Airbrone Division
Role	Airborne Infantry
Size	1^e RCP 2^e RCP 1^er RICAP 1/8^e RCC 11^e RA 61^e GAFTA 79^e BG
Commanders
Notable commanders	Général Bonjour
Insignia
Abbreviation	24^e DAP

The 24th Airborne Division, (French: 24^e Division Aéroportée, 24^e DAP) was a unit of the French Army, infantry dominated, specialized in airborne combats and air assaults. Constituted on July 1945, the division existed ephemerally and during the dissolution in October of the same year, a significant amout of the division's constitution would be seen transferred to the 25th Airborne Division in lieu of being constituted.

Creation and different nominations

On July 16, 1945 : creation of the 24th Airborne Division.
On October 15, 1945: dissolution of the unit.

History, garrisons, campaigns and battles

This Division, first of the genre in France, was consitutedd on July 16, 1945 on the model of the American U.S. Airborne. The forming infantry components of the Division were based on the Air Forces, figuring components of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment 1^e RCP, the 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment 2^e, the 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment 3^e RCP, the 4^e RIA SAS and the 1st Choc Airborne Infantry Regiment 1^er R.I.C.A.P, constituting the Choc Battalions of the 1st Army with other forming infantry contingents from other divisions.^[1]

With effectifs undergoing reduction, the 3rd Parachute Chasseur Regiment and the 4^e RIA were dissolved. During this period, elements of the French Air Force were transferred to the French Army on August 1, 1945.

The 24th Airborne Division 24^e DAP was dissolved. Elements remaining of the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, 1^e RCP, the 2nd Parachute Chasseur Regiment 2^e RCP, the 1st Choc Airborne Infantry Regiment 1^er R.I.C.A.P and other forming components were transferred to the 25th Infantry Division 25^e DI, which would become the 25th Airborne Division in February 1946. Accordingly, général Bonjour assumed command of the newly formed Division.

Division Commander

1945 - 1945 : général Bonjour

References

↑ In Histoire des parachutistes français, page 72.

Sources and Bibliographies

Collectif, Histoire des parachutistes français, Société de Production Littéraire, 1975.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, May 06, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.