15th Military Division (Vichy France) explained

Unit Name:	15th Military Division
Dates:	December 1940 - November 1942
Disbanded:	27 November 1942
Branch:	Vichy French Army
Type:	Infantry
Role:	Military Garrison and Infantry
Size:	Division
Garrison:	Marseille
Battles:	World War II

The 15th Military Division also known as the 15th Military Region was an infantry formation of division-size of the Armistice Army that was active during World War II. The division's headquarters was in Marseille. This division was subordinated to the 1st Group of Military Divisions.

History

The 15th Military Division was formed on 12 September 1940. On 8 November 1942 at 15:00, just before Case Anton, the 15th Military Division positioned themselves for battle. Like the rest of the Army of Vichy France, this division, except for the Garde, was demobilized on 27 November 1942.

Commanders

1. General de corps d'armée (equivalent to Lieutenant-General) Henri-Fernand Dentz (27 June to 28 December 1940)
2. MG
3. MG or MG

Composition

See also: Vichy French Military Division order of battle.

The 15th Military Division's Order of Battle was such:

• 43rd Alpine Infantry Regiment :
  • HQ (at Fréjus)
  • 1st Bn. (at Fréjus)
  • 2nd Bn. (at Fréjus)
  • 3rd Bn. (at Arles)
• :
  • HQ (at Marseille)
  • 1st Bn. (at Marseille)
  • 2nd Bn. (at Marseille)
  • 3rd Bn. (at Tarascon)
• (in Bastia, Corsica)
• 2nd Chasseurs Alpins Demi-brigade (HQ at Hyères)
  • (at Digne)
  • (at Hyères)
  • (at Hyères)
• 12th Cuirassier Regiment (in Orange):
  • 1 cavalry bn - 2 sqns
  • 1 bicycle bn - 2 cos
  • 1 mixed bn - 1 bicycle co & 1 armored car co.
• :
  • HQ (at Nîmes)
  • 1st Bn. (each battalion had 3 75mm btrys) (at Nîmes)
  • 2nd Bn. (each battalion had 3 75mm btrys) (at Marseille)
  • 3rd Bn. (1 mot 75mm btry & 2 Mountain 75mm btrys) (at Draguignan)
• 7th Engineer Battalion (at Avignon)
• 8/15th Signals Group^[1] (at Avignon)
• 15th Transportation Group (at Marseille)
• 2nd Garde Regiment - HQ at Marseille
  • 1^er Bataillon
    • HQ - Marseille
    • 1^er Escadron - Cavalry/Reconnaissance
    • 2^e Escadron - Cavalry/Reconnaissance
    • 3^e Escadron - Infantry
    • 4^e Escadron - Motorcycle
  • 2^e Bataillon
    • HQ - Nice
    • 5^e Escadron - Motorcycle
    • 6^e Escadron - Infantry
    • 7^e Escadron - Infantry
    • 8^e Escadron - Infantry

Military Commands

The following Departemental Military Commands were under the 15th Military Division:

• Bouches-du-Rhône (at Marseille)
• Gard (at Nîmes)
• Ardèche (at Privas)
• Vaucluse (at Avignon)
• Var (at Toulon)
• Basses Alpes (at Digne)
• Alpes Maritimes (at Nice)
• (at Bastia)

Numerous Military District Commands of these places were subordinated to the 15th Military Division:

• Aix
• Draguignan
• Grasse
• Ajaccio
• Corte
• Sartène

Training grounds

The 15th Military Division had two training grounds, namely those at and Garrigues.

References

Notes

1. The term 'group' is used for support units, though equivalent to that of a company.

Footnotes

Sources

• Book: [[BnF]]. 1 July 1997. Dentz, Henri-Fernand (1881-1945). live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305234155/https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb11276042g. 5 March 2016. catalogue.bnf.fr. fr.
• Web site: Nafziger. George. George Nafziger. 1992. Vichy French Forces in France – 1 March 1941. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170127012817/http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/CGSC/CARL/nafziger/941FCAA.pdf. 27 January 2017.
• Web site: Niehorster. Leo. Sharp. Lee. 31 October 2014. 2014a. Vichy France – Order of Battle 15th Military Division – 15 April 1941. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190126164237/http://www.niehorster.org/020_france/41-04-15_vichy/div_15.html. 26 January 2019.
• Web site: Niehorster. Leo. Sharp. Lee. 31 October 2014. 2014b. Vichy France – Army in Metropolitan France – 15 April 1941. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150320222948/http://niehorster.org/020_france/41-04-15_vichy/_metro.html. 20 March 2015.
• Book: Paxton, Robert O.. L'Armée de Vichy. Le corps des officiers français. Tallandier. 2004. 9791021016774. fr. Robert Paxton.
• Book: Pettibone, Charles D.. The Organization and Order of Battles of Militaries in World War II. Trafford Publishing. 2010. 978-1426946332. VI: Italy and France. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
• Book: Vauvillier. François. The French Army 1939-45. Sumner. Ian. Osprey Publishing. 1998. 9781855326668. Men-at-Arms. I. United Kingdom.