Cavalry Corps (France)
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| Corps de Cavalerie | |
|---|---|
| Active | 27 August 1939 - 11 July 1940 |
| Country | Army Corps |
| Role | Mechanized warfare |
| Motto(s) | Premier et dernier au feu (First and last under fire) |
| Engagements | World War II - Battle of Hannut - Battle of Gembloux |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | René Prioux |
The Cavalry Corps (
Second Armistice at Compiègne
took effect, and the corps was demobilized on July 11, 1940.
Formation and Phony War
Formed on August 27, 1939 in
Phony War, but by the time of the German invasion in May 1940, the corps commanded the 2nd and 3rd Light Mechanized Divisions (French
: Division Légère Mécanique) (DLM), as well as some small reconnaissance and artillery units.
Combat
The Cavalry Corps saw action in three distinct phasesPanzer divisions on equal terms at Hannut and in the Gembloux Gap.
From May 31 until June 10, 1940, the men of the corps were evacuated to England and then returned to France via the ports of Brest and Cherbourg.
At the end of the retreat of the French forces, the Cavalry Corps was made up of the 1st DLM and 3rd DLM. The 1st DLM regrouped at Ribérac and the 3rd DLM assembled at Saint-Aquilin, both in the region of the river Dordogne. The Cavalry Corps was demobilized on July 11, 1940.
Commanders
- 09/02/1939 – 05/25/1940 Lieutenant-General René Prioux
- 05/25/1940 – 07/11/1940 Major-General Langlois
Notes and sources
- (GUF) Guerre 1939 - 1945. Les Grandes Unités Françaises. Volume 1. Armée de Terre, Service Historique. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1967.
- www.axishistory.com - the Cavalry Corps in 1940