1st Armored Division (France)

1^re division blindée
Active	1943–46 1948–99 Since 2016
Country	France
Allegiance	Free French Forces French Army
Branch	French Army
Type	Armored division
Role	Armoured warfare
Size	Division
Engagements	World War II Operation Dragoon Colmar Pocket
Commanders
Notable commanders	Major General Jean Touzet du Vigier

The 1st Armored Division (French: 1^re division blindée, 1^re DB) is an armored unit of the French Army. The division fought during World War II as a part of the First French Army and was active during the Cold War. It was disbanded in 1999, but its honors and traditions are carried on by the 1st Mechanized Brigade.

The 1st Armored Division is reactivated in 2016.

History

World War II

The 1st Armored Division was created 1 May 1943 in Mascara, French Algeria, under the command of Major General Jean Touzet du Vigier.

The division landed in Provence on 15 August 1944, as part of the "Garbo Force", itself a part of French First Army commanded by General de Lattre de Tassigny's. It took part in the liberation of Toulon and Marseille. It was the first western Allied unit to reach the Rhone (25 August 1944), the Rhine (19 November 1944) and the Danube (21 April 1945). The division was mentioned in dispatches three times, but was disbanded on 31 March in 1946.

Cold War

The division was recreated in 1948 and stationed in Trier, Germany in 1951.

Post-Cold War

Units of the division took part in the Gulf War, and it sent units to Bosnia under the framework of UNPROFOR from 1992, as part of the IFOR from 1995 and provided the HQ in Mostar for the Multi-National Division South between August and November 1997.

When the French Army was reorganized in 1999 the division was dissolved and its honors and traditions are carried on by the 1st Mechanized Brigade (1^re brigade mécanisée) created on 1 July 1999 (HQ in Châlons-en-Champagne).

The 1st Mechanized Brigade was dissolved on 21 July 2015.

Since 2016

The 1st Armored Division is reactivated in 2016 (HQ in Besançon) as part of the Scorpion Force.

Current structure

1st Armored Division consists of the following elements:

• 1^er Régiment d'Artillerie (1^er RA) - Rocket Artillery Regiment in Bourogne with MLRS
• 19^e Régiment du Génie (19^e RG) Engineer Regiment in Besançon
• 132^e Bataillon Cynophile de l'Armée de Terre (132^e BCAT) - Military Working Dog Battalion in Suippes

7^e brigade blindée – 7th Armoured Brigade

Based in Besançon.

• 7^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (7^e CCT) - Command and Signals Company in Besançon with VAB
• 1^er Régiment de Chasseurs (1^er RCh) - Armoured Regiment in Verdun with 60 Leclerc
• 5^e Régiment de Dragons (5^e RD) - Armoured Regiment in Mailly-le-Camp with 60 Leclerc
• 1^er Régiment de Tirailleurs (1^er RTir) - Infantry Regiment in Epinal with VBCI
• 35^e Régiment d'Infanterie (35^e RI) - Infantry Regiment in Belfort with VBCI
• 152^e Régiment d'Infanterie (152^e RI) - Infantry Regiment in Colmar with VBCI
• 68^e Régiment d'Artillerie d'Afrique (68^e RAA) - Artillery Regiment in Valbonne with 12x CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and 16x 120mm RTF1 mortars
• 3^e Régiment du Génie (3^e RG) - Engineer Regiment in Charleville-Mézières

9^e brigade légère blindée de marine - 9th Light Armoured Marine Brigade

Based in Poitiers.

• 9^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (9^e CCT) - Command and Signals Company in Poitiers with VAB
• Régiment d'Infanterie-Chars de Marine (RICM) - Armoured Marine Infantry Regiment (light cavalry) in Poitiers with AMX 10 RC and ERC 90
• 1^er Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (1^er RIMa) - Armoured Marine Infantry Regiment (light cavalry) in Angoulême with AMX 10 RC and ERC 90
• 2^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (2^e RIMa) - Marine Infantry Regiment in Le Mans with VBCI
• 3^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (3^e RIMa) - Marine Infantry Regiment in Vannes with VAB
• 126^e Régiment d'Infanterie (126^e RI) - Infantry Regiment in Brive-la-Gaillarde with VAB
• 11^e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (11^e RAMa) - Marine Artillery Regiment in Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier with TRF1 howitzers, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and RTF1 mortars
• 6^e Régiment du Génie (6^e RG) - Engineer Regiment in Angers

27^e brigade d’infanterie de montagne – 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade

Based in Varces.

• 27^e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions de Montagne (27^e CCTM) - Command and Signals Company in Varces
• 4^e Régiment de Chasseurs (4^e RCh) - Wheeled Armoured Regiment in Gap with 36 ERC 90, 16 VBL and 6 Gazelle helicopters
• 7^e Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins (7^e BCA) - Mountain Infantry Battalion in Bourg-Saint-Maurice with VAB and VHM
• 13^e Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins (11^e BCA) - Mountain Infantry Battalion in Chambéry with VAB and VHM
• 27^e Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins (27^e BCA) - Mountain Infantry Battalion in Annecy with VAB and VHM
• 93^e Régiment d'Artillerie de Montagne (93^e RAM) - Mountain Artillery Regiment in Varces with CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and RTF1 mortars
• 2^e Régiment Etranger de Génie (2^e REG) in Saint-Christol

Brigade franco-allemande – Franco-German Brigade

Based in Müllheim, Germany

French contribution:

• 3^e Régiment de Hussards (3^e RH) - Wheeled Armoured Regiment in Metz (France) with AMX 10 RC and VBL
• 1^er Régiment d'Infanterie (1^er RI) - Infantry Regiment in Sarrebourg (France) with VAB