Indochina Order of Battle
1st February 1942

Order of Battle, 1st February 1942  [ back to top of page ]

I. Divisional units

A. Division du Tonkin

1st Brigade Commander : General BENARD (Haiphong)

• 19e Régiment Mixte d'Infanterie Coloniale (RMIC - Mixed Colonial Infantry Regiment)
• Commander : Lieutenant-Colonel DIGNE (Haiphong)
• Headquarters at Haiphong
• 1 battalion at Haiphong
• 1 battalion at Mon Cay
• 1 battalion at Tien Xien
• 1 battalion at Kien An

• 4e Régiment de Tirailleurs Tonkinois (RTT - Tonkinese Tirailleurs Regiment)
• Commander : Lieutenant-Colonel ROBERT (Nam Dinh)
• Headquarters at Nam Dinh
• 1 battalion at Nam Dinh
• 1 battalion at Phong Sa Ly
• 1 battalion at Vientiane

2nd Brigade Commander : Colonel LEMONIER (Hanoi)

• 5e Régiment Etranger d'Infanterie (REI - Foreign Infantry Regiment)
• Commander : Lieutenant-Colonel ALESSANDRI (Vietri)
• Headquarters at Vietri
• 2 battalions at Tong
• 1 battalion at Tuyen Quang

• 1er Régiment de Tirailleurs Tonkinois (RTT - Tonkinese Tirailleurs Regiment)
• Commander : ?
• Headquarters at Hanoi
• 1 battalion at Hanoi
• 1 battalion at Lao Kay
• 1 battalion at Lao Chai
• 1 battalion at Ha Giang

3rd Brigade Commander : General DELSUC (Phu Lang Tuang)

• 9e Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale (RIC - Colonial Infantry Regiment)
• Commander : Lieutenant-Colonel BLAISOT
• Headquarters at Hanoi
• 1 battalion at Hanoi

• 3e Régiment de Tirailleurs Tonkinois (RTT - Tonkinese Tirailleurs Regiment)
• Commander : Colonel BALEYRAT-RODANNET
• Headquarters at Dap Cau
• 1 battalion at Dap Cau
• 2 battalions at Lang Son
• 1 battalion at Cao Bang
• 1 battalion at Ky Lua

Artillery

• 4e Régiment d'Artillerie Coloniale (RAC - Colonial Artillery Regiment)
• Commander : Colonel MASSIMI
• Headquarters at Hanoi
• 1 battalion at Hanoi
• 1 battalion at Lang Son
• 1 battalion at Tong
• 1 battalion at Yen Bai
• 1 battalion (AA and coastal artillery) at Do Son, Haiphong and Hanoi
• Groupe de Transport Auto (Motorised Transport Group) at Hanoi

B. Brigade d'Annam

• 10e Régiment Mixte d'Infanterie Coloniale (RMIC - Mixed Colonial Infantry Regiment)
• Commander : Lieutenant-Colonel CHARNIER
• Headquarters at Hué
• 1 battalion at Savannakhet
• 1 battalion at Hué
• 1 battalion at Vinh

• 4e Bataillon de Tirailleurs Montagnards du Sud-Annam (BTMSA - South-Annam Montagnard Tirailleurs Battalion)
• Commander : Lieutenant-Colonel ARRIGHI
• Headquarters at Kon Tum

Artillery

• 1 battalion of 4e RAC at Tourane (Da Nang)

C. Division Cochinchine-Cambodge

Cochinchina Group Commander : General SABATIER (Saigon)

• 11e Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale (RIC - Colonial Infantry Regiment)
• Commander : Colonel BOUTEIL (Saigon)
• Headquarters at Saigon
• Groupement Mécanisé (Mechanised Group) at Saigon
• 1 battalion at Saigon
• 1 battalion at Thu Dan Mot

• Régiment de Tirailleurs Annamites (RTA - Annamese Tirailleurs Regiment)
• Commander : Colonel GENET
• Headquarters at Saigon
• 1 battalion at Tay Ninh
• 1 battalion at Can Tho

Cap Saint-Jacques - Sud Annam Group Commander : Colonel JAMES (Cap Saint-Jacques/Vung Tau)

• 16e Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale (RIC - Colonial Infantry Regiment)
• Commander : Lieutenant-Colonel BACHETTA
• Headquarters at Qui Nhon
• 1 battalion at Cam Ranh
• 1 battalion at Nha Trang
• 1 battalion at Ban Me Thuot

Cambodia Group Commander : Colonel NOEL (Pnom Penh)

• Régiment de Tirailleurs Cambodgiens (RTC - Cambodian Tirailleurs Regiment)
• Commander : Lieutenant-Colonel DENIS
• Headquarters at Pnom Penh
• 1 battalion at Pnom Penh
• 1 battalion at Kom Phong Cham
• 1 battalion at Kratie

Artillery

• 5e Régiment d'Artillerie Coloniale (RAC - Colonial Artillery Regiment)
• Commander : Lieutenant-Colonel RAGOT
• Headquarters at Saigon
• 1 battalion at Saigon
• 1 battalion at Pnom Penh
• 1 battalion (coastal) at Cap Saint-Jacques (Vung Tau)
• 1 battalion (coastal) at Cam Ranh
• 1 battalion (AA) at Saigon, Rach cat and Pnom Penh
• Groupement Automobile de Cochinchine (Cochinchina Motorised Group), Major VALERY, at Saigon and Pnom Penh

II. Non-Divisional units

Engineers

• Bataillon du Génie -Engineer Battalion (HQ at Hanoi)
• 1 company at Hanoi
• 1 company at Saigon
• 1 company of Sapeurs de Chemins de Fer (Railroad Engineers) at Vinh

• Bataillon de Transmissions - Signals Battalion (HQ at Hanoi)
• Compagnie de Télégraphistes Coloniaux de l'Indochine (Indochina Colonial Telegraphist Company) at Hanoi
• Compagnie de Télégraphistes Coloniaux du Tonkin (Tonkin Colonial Telegraphist Company) at Hanoi
• Compagnie de Télégraphistes Coloniaux de Cochinchine (Cochinchina Colonial Telegraphist Company) at Saigon

Actual Unit Locations in Tonkin, 1st February 1942  [ back to top of page ]

I. Haiphong Sector

• 19e RMIC Commander : Lieutenant-Colonel DIGNE commanding the 1st Military Territory at Mon Cay
• II/19e RMIC at Mon Cay
• III/19e RMIC at Tien Xien
• IV/19e RMIC Kien An

• 1 battery at Do Son
• 1 battery at Doan Xa

II. Lang Son - Cao Bang Sector

1. Lang Son District [sous-secteur]

• II/3e RTT at Lang Son
• IV/3e RTT at Lang Son
• V/3e RTT at Lang Son
• I/1er RTT at Lang Son

• HQ of the II/4e RAC at Lang Son
• 1 75mm battery of the 5e RAC at Lang Son
• 1 155L battery
• Détachement Motorisé n°2 (2nd Motorised detachment) at Diem He

2. Cao Bang District [sous-secteur]

• III/3e RTT at Cao Bang

• 1 battery of the II/4e RAC at Cao Bang

3. Sector reserves

• II/11e RIC at Ba Can

• 1 battery of the III/4e RAC at Ba Can

III. Ha Giang - Lao Kay - Lai Chau Sector

1. Ha Giang District [sous-secteur]

• 5e REI (HQ), Colonel ALESSANDRI at Vinh Thuy
• IV/1er RTT at Ha Giang
• II/16e RIC at Ngo Khe

• 1 battery of the II/4e RAC at Ngo Khe

2. Lao Khe District [sous-secteur]

• 4e RTT commander (Lieutenant-Colonel ROBERT) and HQ at Pho Lu
• II/1er RTT at Lao Khe
• I/RTA at Pho Lu

• HQ of the IV/4e RAC at Pho Lu
• 1 battery of the III/4e RAC at Pho Lu

3. Lai Chau District [sous-secteur]

• III/1er RTT at Lai Chau

4. Sector reserves

• I/19e RMIC at Bao Ha

IV. Reserves of the Division du Tonkin

• 9e RIC commander (Lieutenant-Colonel BLAISOT) and HQ at Dong Mo
• I/9e RIC at Dong Mo
• HQ of the III/4e RAC at Dong Mo
• 1 battery of the I/4e RAC at Dong Mo
• 1 battery of the 5e RAC at Dong Mo

• 3e RTT commander (Colonel BALEYRAT-RODANNET) and HQ at Dap Cau
• I/3e RTT at Dap Cau
• Détachement Motorisé n°1 (1st Motorised Detachment) at Dap Cau
• Armoured Train at Phulang Tuang

• III/5e REI at Tuyen Quang
• 1 battery of the IV/4e RAC at Tuyen Quang

• Armoured Train at Yen Bay
• 1 battery of the IV/4e RAC at Yen Bay

V. Reserves of the Commander-in-Chief

• 1er RTT commander (Colonel LAPIERRE) and HQ at Hanoi
• I/5e REI at Tong
• II/5e REI at Tong
• I/4e RTT at Nam Dinh

• III/4e RAC at Hanoi
• HQ of I/4e RAC (2 batteries) at Hanoi
• 3 AA batteries of the 4e RAC at Hanoi
• Détachement Motorisé de Cochinchine (Cochinchina Motorised Detachment) at Hanoi

Sources : [ back to top of page ]

• Stationnement des troupes du groupe de l'Indochine au 1er février 1942 (14 mars 1942, Secrétariat d'Etat aux Colonies, Etat-Major des Colonies, 1er bureau). SHAT 1 P 34 Dossiers concernant l'Empire Français (Dossier 7, Dispositif et stationnement des troupes en Indochine)