12 e régiment de chasseurs d'Afrique
|
12 e régiment de chasseurs d'Afrique |
|
|---|---|
 Internal association badge |
|
| active | 1941 to 1963 |
| Country |
 France
|
| Armed forces |
 French armed forces
|
| Armed forces |
Armée française de terre
|
| Branch of service | Cavalry (armored force) |
| Type | Regiment de chasseurs á cheval |
| Insinuation | 2 e division blindée |
| Location | last: Camp de Sissonne |
| motto | Audace n'est pas déraison |
| equipment | Tank destroyer AMX 13 - EBR-75 |
| Awards | Croix de guerre 1939–45 , two palm branches |
| commander | |
| Current commander |
Last: Lieutenant-Colonel Marsauche |
The 12 e régiment de chasseurs d'Afrique ( 12 e RCA ) was an association of French cavalry . It was set up in Algeria in February 1941 and dissolved in 1963.
history
On February 22, 1941, "was one he Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique " in Casablanca command to set up a "Groupe d'squadrons Chars-motos" (armored car Escadronsgruppe), which was intended for use in the French regions of West Africa. It would be named "Groupe Autonome du 1er Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique" (Independent Group of the 1st Regiment of African Hunters). The formation was completed on March 16, 1941, the unit was stationed at Camp de la Jonquière in Casablanca. It was under the command of Chef d'escadrons Paul Girot de Langlade. There was a staff and supply squadron and two combat squadrons. The 1st was equipped with motorcycles, for the 2nd Escadron as (heavy Escadron) battle tanks were provided. For this purpose, 23 Somua S-35 tanks were kept ready in a depot in the Dordogne department , which the German Wehrmacht had returned to the Vichy regime after the armistice . They were only intended for use in Africa and until then they remained under German guard. The vehicles, which were already in a very bad condition, were more or less cannibalized by the Germans for spare parts before they were shipped to Marseille .
- July 1941: Renaming to 12 e groupe autonome de chasseurs d'Afrique (12 e GACA).
- February 1943: Renaming to 12 e régiment de chasseurs d'Afrique (12 e RCA).
After a year and a half deployment in Senegal , the now free French regiment was embarked in Thiès on January 12, 1943 , to go ashore in Casablanca on January 21, 1943. From here it was sent on to Algiers , where it arrived on February 7, 1943. In the following battles against the German Africa Corps it lost four of the 23 Somua tanks by May 20. Between September and December 1943, staff to re-establish the cadre 12 e régiment de cuirassiers was released . There was then a longer phase of training, since the regiment was now equipped with equipment and armored vehicles from the stocks of the US Army. The remaining 13 Somua tanks were handed over to the Guard Mobile in Oran.
A short time later, the French associations were relocated to Great Britain, where the hunters arrived in Swansea on April 22, 1944 .
After the invasion of northern France, the unit was set ashore on August 1, 1944, now equipped with M3 Stuart , M4 Sherman , jeeps and half- tracks in the Utah Beach section . On August 8, there was first enemy contact in the village of Sablé-sur-Sarthe:
- August 12: la forêt d'Ecouves
- August 13: Chahains ( Orne )
- September 13-20 : Dompaire - Damas - Ville-sur-Illon
- September 21: Charmes - Baccarat
- October 31: Baccarat-Montigny-Domèvre
- November 12th: Sarrebourg
- November 19-20: Niderhoff
- November 22nd: Saverne - Phalsbourg
- November 24th: Strasbourg
- January 2, 1945: Sarreguemines - Bitche
- February 16: Châteauroux
- June 18: The regiment marched on the victory parade in Paris, in the association of the "2 e division blindée" with all tanks from the Pont de Neuilly to the Place de la Concorde
- October 30th: The “12 e RCA” moved into its garrison in the “Quartier Estienne” in Rambouillet and was converted into a tank reconnaissance regiment .
After 1945
After the regiment had fought in the Algerian War, it was transported back to France after the peace treaty and disbanded there in 1963.
Commanders
- 1941–1944: Colonel (German: Colonel ) Girot de Langlade
- 1944–1945: Lieutenant-colonel (German: Lieutenant Colonel ) Minjonnet
- 1945–1946: Chef d'escadrons Gribius
- 1946–1946: Lieutenant-colonel Minjonnet
- 1946–1946: Lieutenant-Colonel Marrion
- 1946-1951: Colonel Barrou
- 1951–1953: Colonel de Fürst
- 1953–1955: Lieutenant-Colonel Beaumont
- 1955-1958: Colonel Huot
- 1958–1960: Lieutenant-Colonel Pourcher de Ruelle du Chéné
- 1960–1961: Lieutenant-Colonel Blacas
- 1961–1962: Lieutenant-Colonel Barras
- 1963: Lieutenant-Colonel Marsauche
Standard
It bears the following inscriptions in gold letters::
- Paris 1944 - for the liberation of Paris
- Strasbourg 1944 for the liberation of Strasbourg
- AFN 1952–1962 - for participating in the Algerian War
Motto
Audace n'est pas déraison (boldness is not unreasonable)
Awards
The regiment's flag ribbon is decorated with the Croix de guerre 1939–1945 with two palm branches.
"" Régiment d'élite qui n'a pas cessé, depuis le début de la campagne, de thunder des preuves de son allant et de sa magnifique tenue au feu ""
(An elite regiment, constantly on the move since the beginning of the campaign, which has consistently demonstrated its excellent behavior in fire.)
Web links
swell
- Anonymous - 12e Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique, historique 1941–1962 , Paris, Chotel, sd
Individual evidence
- ↑ German: 12th regiment of African hunters
- ↑ Panzer Battalion
- ↑ So the major in the French cavalry as leader of a unit - otherwise he is called Commandant
- ↑ Regulation No. 12350 / SGA / DPMA / SHD / DAT of September 14, 2007 regulates the inscriptions on the standards of the troops of the army, the medical service and the fuel supply service (Service des essences des armées). The basis is the “Bulletin officiel des armées”, number 27, 9 November 2007
- ^ Decree on the assignment of the inscription AFN 1952–1962 on the flags and standards of the army units and services of November 19, 2004 (A) NORDEF0452926A Michèle Alliot-Marie