GRCA and GRDI

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This is a basic description of the battalion-size Groupes de Reconnaissance (GR - Reconnaissance Groups) in the French Army. These were horse or mechanised Cavalry units attached to Army Corps (GRCA - Groupe de Reconnaissance de Corps d'Armée) and Infantry Division (GRDI - Groupe de Reconnaissance de Division d'Infanterie). In operations, they were often used to reinforce the Divisions Légères de Cavalerie.

Note : I have some doubts about the accuracy of some of the theoretical organisations shown below. They will be replaced by the official Tableaux d'Effectifs de Guerre (TEG - Wartime Establishment Tables) as soon as I have the time.

GRCA  [ Top of Page ]

Theoretical organisation :

One staff unit : One Cavalry Squadrons Group : One Motorised Squadrons Group : Manpower :
      Officers             36
      NCOs               80
      Enlisted men    800

Firepower :
      LMGs               32
      MGs                 12 + 4 AA
      25mm AT guns    4
      60mm mortars     3

Horses and vehicles :
      Horses              497
      Motorcycles      107
      Liaison vehicless     \
      Lorries                     >   78
      Trucks                    /

Motorised GRCA  [ Top of Page ]

Theoretical organisation :

One staff unit : One Motorcycle Squadrons Group : One Motorcycle and Heavy Weapons Squadrons Group : Manpower :
      Officers             33
      NCOs               95
      Enlisted men    689

Firepower :
      LMGs               32
      MGs                   8
      25mm AT guns    4
      60mm mortars     3

Vehicles :
      Motorcycles          274
      Liaison vehicles        29
      Lorries &  Trucks    67

Notes :

(a) The heavy motorcycle and sidecar combination was in theory a 1000 cc René Gillet Type L1 with one sidecar-mounted (rear-firing) Hotchkiss 8mm MG and a crew of three (including one pillion rider). However, only small number of  Type L1 motorcycles were in fact produced leading to most motorcycle MG groups being issued with three requisitioned cars instead, an arrangement that in practice proved superior to the original plans. Also, some US-bought 1200 cc Indian 340 B were used as 3-seat MG carriers (with a front-firing Hotchkiss) by the units rebuilt after Dunkirk. [ back ]

GRDI  [ Top of Page ]

Theoretical organisation :

One staff unit : One Cavalry Squadron : One Motorcycle Squadron : One Motorised Heavy Weapons Squadron : Manpower :
      Officers             28
      NCOs               63
      Enlisted men    594

Firepower :
      LMGs               24
      MGs                 10 + 3 AA
      25mm AT guns    4
      60mm mortars     2

Horses and vehicles :
      Horses              276
      Motorcycles        99
      Liaison vehicles    \
      Lorries                  >   67
      Trucks                 /

Notes :

Motorised GRDI  [ Top of Page ]

These motorised GRDIs, the 3rd and the 5th, were without armoured cars pending the delivery of sufficient numbers of suitable vehicles. In the event, lack of Automitrailleuses de Reconnaissance led to their being issued in early June with Hotchkiss H 35 and H 39 tanks instead while the Automitrailleuses de Découverte was the Panhard 178 or probably in the case of the 5th GRDI old White-Laffly 50 AM. Once issued with these two squadrons, they were organised as the motorised GRDI with armoured car described below.

Theoretical organisation :

One staff unit : Two Motorcycle Squadrons each with : One Heavy Weapons Squadron with : Manpower :
      Officers             26
      NCOs               74
      Enlisted men    547

Firepower :
      LMGs               32
      MGs                   8
      25mm AT guns    4
      60mm mortars     3

Vehicles :
      Motorcycles          192
      Liaison vehicles        25
      Lorries &  Trucks    59

Notes :

(a) The heavy motorcycle and sidecar combination was in theory a 1000 cc René Gillet Type L1 with one sidecar-mounted (rear-firing) Hotchkiss 8mm MG and a crew of three (including one pillion rider). However, only small number of  Type L1 motorcycles were in fact produced leading to most motorcycle MG groups being issued with three requisitioned cars instead, an arrangement that in practice proved superior to the original plans. Also, some US-bought 1200 cc Indian 340 B were used as 3-seat MG carriers (with a front-firing Hotchkiss) by the units rebuilt after Dunkirk. [ back ]

Motorised GRDI with armoured cars  [ Top of Page ]

Theoretical organisation :

One staff unit : One Deep Reconnaissance Squadrons Group : One Reconnaissance Squadrons Group : One Heavy Weapons Squadron with : Manpower :
      Officers             42
      NCOs             126
      Enlisted men    812

Firepower :

      LMGs               32
      MGs                   8 + 32 under armour
      25mm AT guns    4 + 12 under armour
      60mm mortars     3

Vehicles :
      AMD                     12
      AMR                     20 (see note a)
      Motorcycles        253
      Staff cars                 5
      Liaison vehicles      36
      Trucks                   38
      Lorries                   41

Notes :

(a) The GRDI's Automitrailleuse de Reconnaissance (AMR) should have been the Renault AMR 33 or 35. However, the 277 AMR 33s and 35s produced were only sufficient to equip 12 of the 21 required reconnaissance squadrons. The shortfall was made up by using obsolete Panhard-Schneider-Kégresse P 16 halftrack armoured car (formerly used automitrailleuses de combat in the Divisions de Cavalerie) or, in the case of the 2nd and 5th GRDI Hotchkiss H 35 or H 39 tanks. Furthermore, the squadron was reduced to four platoons of three vehicles. See the list of active motorised GRDIs below for a breakdown of the vehicles issued. [ back ]

(b) The heavy motorcycle and sidecar combination was in theory a 1000 cc René Gillet Type L1 with one sidecar-mounted (rear-firing) Hotchkiss 8mm MG and a crew of three (including one pillion rider). However, only a small number of  Type L1 motorcycles was in fact produced leading to most motorcycle MG groups being issued with three requisitioned cars instead, an arrangement that in practice proved superior to the original plans. Also, some US-bought 1200 cc Indian 340 B were used as 3-seat MG carriers (with a front-firing Hotchkiss) by the units rebuilt after Dunkirk. The 11e Chasseurs regiment, disbanded to create the 4e GDRI, is known to have been issued with René Gillet Type L1s pre-war so the 4e GRDI probably had the regulation issue.  [ back ]

(c) The GRDI were supposed to be issued with a platoon of four armoured anti-tank vehicles, either of the Renault AMR ZT 2 (25mm AT gun in turret) or the AMR ZT 3 (25mm AT gun in a casemate mounting). Only ten of each were delivered by May 1940. The 7e GRDI is known to have had an AMR ZT 3 platoon, while it is pobable that the 6e GRDI was also equipped with this vehicle. [ back ]

Overseas GRDI  [ Top of Page ]

Theoretical organisation :

One staff unit : Two Cavalry Squadrons

One machine-gun group (pack horses)

One machine-gun platoon (lorries)

One anti-tank group with two 25mm AT guns (horse-drawn)

List of active GRCA  [ Top of Page ]

GRCA Attached to Type Notes
1er IIe CA Motorised
2e Ier CA Motorised (Heavy Weapons Squadron's motorcycle MG groups issued with Citroën Tractions)
3e Ve CA Motorised
6e IIIe CA Normal
7e IVe CA Normal
8e VIe CA Normal
9e VIIe CA Normal
10e VIIIe CA Normal
11e IXe CA Normal
12e Xe CA Normal
13e XVIIe CA Normal
14e XXIe CA Normal
15e XXe CA Normal
16e XVIIIe CA Normal
17e XIe CA Normal (Heavy Weapons Squadron's motorcycle MG groups issued with Peugeot 202s)
18e XVIe CA Normal
19e XXIIIe CA Normal
20e XIVe CA Normal
21e XVe CA Normal
22e CA Colonial Normal
23e XIIIe CA Normal
24e XIIe CA Normal
25e XXIVe CA Normal

List of active GRDI  [ Top of Page ]

[ Motorised Infantry Divisions ]
[ Série A Infantry Divisions ]
[ Série B Infantry Divisions ]
[ Colonial Infantry Divisions ]
[ African and Moroccan Infantry Divisions ]
[ North African Infantry Divisions ]
 
[ Infantry Divisions created in 1940 ]
 

Motorised Infantry Divisions  [ GRDI list contents ]  [ Top of Page ]

GRDI Attached to Type AMD AMR
1er 5e DIM Motorised with a/c Panhard 178 Panhard-Schneider P 16
2e 9e DIM Motorised Panhard 178 Hotchkiss H 39
3e 12e DIM Motorised with a/c Panhard 178 Panhard-Schneider P 16
4e 15e DIM Motorised with a/c Panhard 178 Panhard-Schneider P 16
5e 25e DIM Motorised Laffly 50 AM (?) Hotchkiss H 35
6e 3e DIM Motorised with a/c Panhard 178 Panhard-Schneider P 16
7e 1ere DIM & 1ere DLI Motorised with a/c Panhard 178 Panhard-Schneider P 16

Notes :
- The 4e GRDI probably had heavy motorcycle and sidecar combinations for its motorcycle MG platoon.
- The 7e GRDI is known to have been issued with AMR ZT 3 armoured anti-tank vehicles.
- The 6e GRDI probably was issued with AMR ZT 3 armoured anti-tank vehicles.

Série A Infantry Divisions  [ GRDI list contents ]  [ Top of Page ]

GRDI Attached to Type
8e 1re DLI or 3e DLI ? Normal (initially planned for 17e DI)
11e 2e DI Normal
12e 4e DI Normal
13e 6e DI Normal
14e 26e DI Normal
15e 10e DI Normal
16e 11e DI Normal
17e 13e DI Normal
18e 23e DI Normal
19e 16e DI Normal
20e 27e DI Alpine Normal
21e 19e DI Normal
22e 28e DI Alpine Normal
23e 31e DI Alpine Normal
24e 22e DI Normal
25e 14e DI Normal
26e 30e DI Alpine Normal
27e 21e DI Normal
28e 24e DI Normal
29e 35e DI Normal
30e 18e DI Normal
31e 20e DI Normal
32e 43e DI & 43e DLI Normal
33e 45e DI Normal
34e 29e DI Normal
35e 47e DI Normal
36e 41e DI Normal
37e 42e DI Normal
38e 32e DI & 32e DLI Normal
39e 36e DI Normal
40e 7e DI & 238e DLI Normal
41e 44e DI Normal
42e 8e DI Normal
44e RF Metz Normal
45e RF Metz Normal
46e RF Lauter Normal
47e 59e DI Normal

Série B Infantry Divisions  [ GRDI list contents ]  [ Top of Page ]

GRDI Attached to Type
51e 70e DI Normal
52e 67e DI Normal
53e 66e DI Normal
54e 65e DI Normal
55e 64e DI Normal
56e 63e DI Normal
57e 62e DI Normal
59e 68e DI Normal
60e 71e DI Normal
61e 58e DI Normal
62e 57e DI Normal
63e 56e DI Normal
64e 55e DI & 59e DLI Normal
65e 54e DI Normal
66e 53e DI & 53e DLI Normal
68e 60e DI Normal
70e 51e DI Normal

Colonial Infantry Divisions  [ GRDI list contents ]  [ Top of Page ]

GRDI Attached to Type
71e 1e DIC Normal
72e 2e DIC & 2e DLIC Normal
73e 3e DIC Normal
74e 4e DIC Normal
75e 5e DIC Normal
76e 6e DIC Normal
77e 7e DIC Normal
78e 8e DIC & 8e DLIC Normal

African and Moroccan Infantry Divisions  [ GRDI list contents ]  [ Top of Page ]

GRDI Attached to Type
80e 1ere DM & 237e DLI North Africa
81e 81e DIA Overseas (North Africa)
82e 82e DIA North Africa
83e 83e DIA Overseas (North Africa)
84e 88e DIA & 84e DIA Overseas (North Africa)
84e 8e DI Normal
85e 85e DIA Normal
86e 86e DIA Overseas (North Africa)
87e 87e DIA North Africa
88e 84e DIA Overseas (North Africa)
89e 3e DM Overseas (North Africa)
Note : the 84e GRDI is mentionned twice, presumably because it was reorganised and reassigned.

North African Infantry Divisions  [ GRDI list contents ]  [ Top of Page ]

GRDI Attached to Type
91e 1ere DINA Normal
92e 2e DINA Normal
93e 3e DINA Normal
94e 4e DINA Normal
95e 5e DINA & 1ere DLINA Normal
96e 6e DINA Normal
97e 7e DINA Normal (organized from the 1st Foreign Legion Cavalry Regiment)
98e ? ?

Infantry Divisions created in 1940  [ GRDI list contents ]  [ Top of Page ]

GRDI Attached to Type
121e 17e DLI Reduced type : two motorcycle platoons, one motorised platoon, one 25mm AT gun group
122e 241e DLI as above
123e 236e DLI as above
124e 237e DLI as above
125e 241e DLI as above
126e Groupement DUFFOUR as above
127e Groupement SAINT-LAUMER as above
128e 2e RDP (3e DLC) as above
129e Groupement BRAUER & 239e DLI as above
131e planned for 1ere DCR not created
132e planned for 2e DCR not created
133e planned for 3e DCR not created
180e 180e DIA Overseas
180e bis (180e DIA ?) Overseas
181e 181e DIA Reduced Overseas type
182e 182e DIA Reduced Overseas type
183e 183e DIA Reduced Overseas type
191e 191e DIA Levant Reduced type : two cavalry platoons, one amoured car platoon, one MG platoon, one 25mm AT gun platoon
192e 192e DIA Levant as above


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