Hans Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 May 1940 TOE for a French Infantry Division's Head Quarters - any ideas? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junk2drive Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 For future reference I found this at the Axis History Forum OOB Indochina 45 to 54 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted December 24, 2004 Author Share Posted December 24, 2004 Hey there J2D good answer - wrong question....where are those HQ Grogs! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted December 24, 2004 Share Posted December 24, 2004 What do you mean HQ? Forward command post? The whole headquarter battallion? Combat deployed? The answer could be anything from three men to more than 400 you know. Let us in on your thoughts here. Happy Holidays Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted December 24, 2004 Author Share Posted December 24, 2004 Hmmmm, the 1st Panzer Division 'dispersed a French Divisional Headquarters' ....I'd say the command post and if you have the info for the HQ unit I'd love to have that info too! Thanks Dandelion for your help 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paco QNS Posted December 24, 2004 Share Posted December 24, 2004 I would say it must be similar to a Etat-Major de Brigade Légère Mécanique (Light Mechanised Brigade Staff) probably bigger, with more batmen and signals. Add a couple infantry platoons for escort, AA guns, several armored cars,... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted December 25, 2004 Share Posted December 25, 2004 Hans, As you know I don't have the real French TEGs but am looking at the German report on the French army made after the surrender of France. There might be errors. But here goes on the leadership of French infantry divisions (hoping it is a such you are interested in). Paco is right, the lists I have strongly resemble the TEG he links to. Although not exactly the same of course. A forward command post would be very small, consisting of the General, a staff officer (captain) and the CAD (Commandant de l'Artillerie Divisionnaire) in a car, escorted by a radiocar and several runners (ordonnances) on horse or motorcycle. The Quartier Generale (QG or in English HQ) is as flexible a term as it is in English. In a narrow sense, it included only seven people. - The General - The commander of the HQ battallion (chef d'état-Major), - The CID (Commandant de l'Infanterie Divisionnaire - would be a colonel and effectively the second in command) - The 4th Bureau officer (intelligence officer, would be a captain) - The (head)interpreter (interprète - would also be a captain) - Two staff officers (Officier d'état-Major de complément), one assisting the CID and the other assisting the 4th Bureau officer, both by rank of captains. In addition to these, four more were normally to be found on site; - The commander of the divisional engineer battallion was also "capitaine du Génie" (in this case not meaning captain - he was a major - but "head of engineering"). - The artillery regiment commander, also serving as CAD (Commandant de l'Artillerie Divisionnaire) and practically always found at HQ. - The commander of the medical "group" would sometimes also be found there (a major). - The commander of the signal battallion. Assisting them was a force of 29 men (administrative personnell) with 18 motor vehicles (cars, trucks and two buses - the French had special luggage trucks for their officers still) and 14 motorcycles (replaced by horses in some infantry divisions). I'll not list them all but they were the usual HQ group people. The unit would deploy in pockets along a decent road (they had to have a road), trying to spread (protection against air attack). They had to be deployed near the divisional signal battallion, or at least one of its companies, as it had no signal equipment of its own. Protecting them would be a squad of military police. In addition, an infantry platoon, or even company, could be deployed. Antiaircraft guns could also be present. The supply columns were part of the HQ battallion actually, but not deployed with the rest. In your situation, I would perhaps use some 12 officers (you can buy a coy or bat then strip it of men, keeping the officer) and some 20 men (rifles, not lmg, if possible) to represent the staff people. Plus maybe four trucks representing signallers (they'd often deploy close to eachother) but no personnell for them. Deployed in scattered trees or such, along a road, in groups of 5 vehicles perhaps, at least 50 meters apart. For balance, you can add he MP squad (they'd have lmg) plus the number of infantry needed for balance. Deployed principally on both ends of the road along which the HQ is deployed, but not really on the sides. Add two or four AA guns, also deployed along the road and you have a not very combat ready but rather interesting force. Happy Holidays Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted December 25, 2004 Author Share Posted December 25, 2004 Now that is a great answer..with advice too. Thanks a lot for all the info! Thanks to Paco also 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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