Hannibal Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 Does anyone know what Armour the French had in North Africa ?I am talking about Vichy French and Free French . [ April 07, 2003, 08:48 PM: Message edited by: Hannibal ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thin Red Line Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 Hotchkiss, Somua and B1 platoons in Algeria. But not much. Then, they were re-equiped with US armor. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 I'm pretty sure the Free French, attached to the British 8th Army were infantry only. Leclerc's Saharan troops (based in Chad) were partly infantry, who used Chevrolet trucks with mounted MGs, and camel mounted cavalry such as the Méharistes, who were a tough bunch used to living off the land. [ April 08, 2003, 10:30 AM: Message edited by: Firefly ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooz Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 B1s and Somuas in North Africa? Are you certain of this? All I have unearthed are R-35s, Hotchkiss 35 and 39s and Panhard ACs (and not many of the latter at that). Somuas were used to garrison the Italian Mediterranean islands after the surrender. But these were employed by German and Italian troops--not French. :confused: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thin Red Line Posted April 8, 2003 Share Posted April 8, 2003 Sorry, D1 not B1. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooz Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Oh yeah, I forgot about the D1s. I wonder how CMAK will handle Vichy French vs Free French (some of this fighting took place in Syria). So many questions... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted April 13, 2004 Share Posted April 13, 2004 The French Chasseurs d'Afrique used a mix of early armored cars (no Panhard 178s) by White and Laffley in all areas, R-35s in Syria and Morocco, H-39s in Morocco, and Char D-1s and Somuas in Tunisia. One unit used six ex-US M3 75mm SPGs and another traded in its D1s for Valentine IIIs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patboy Posted April 14, 2004 Share Posted April 14, 2004 ROYAL CAMBOUIS 1ère compagnie de chars des FFL(1940-1941) H39's, Narvik,Cameroun,Gabon, Syrie( Operation Exporter) Liban R35's captured from Vichy forces.(1942-1943)Cruiser Mark VI (A15) Crusader II & III Egypte,Libye,Tunisie.(1944-1945)La 1 ère compagnie de chars de la France libre become 1 ère compagnie du 501 ème Régiment de chars de combat 2 éme Division Blindée equiped with Américan Tanks M3's,M4's,M8's,M10's... Maroc,France,Allemagne.Pat 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieseltaylor Posted April 14, 2004 Share Posted April 14, 2004 I would answer this in the CMAK thread but ....as it is here... I have read of the first French American tank battle with Stuarts dooking it out with French tanks - I think Somaus. The US unit was the first independent tank battalion.. whose number I cannot recall. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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