Division Daguet

The Division Daguet was a

On 24 February 1991, the ground phase began. Reconnaissance units of Division Daguet advanced into Iraq. Three hours later, the French main body attacked. The initial objective of the division was an airfield 90 miles (140 km) inside Iraq at As-Salman. Reinforced by the US 82nd Airborne Division, the French crossed the border unopposed and attacked north. The French then came across elements of the Iraqi 45th Infantry Division. After a brief battle, supported by French Army missile-armed Aérospatiale Gazelle attack helicopters, they controlled the objective and captured 2,500 prisoners. By the end of the first day Division Daguet had secured its objectives and continued the attack north, securing the highways from Baghdad to southern Iraq.

Division Structure

The division's staff was mostly drawn from the staff of the

• Division Daguet[3]
  • 6^e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured Division
    • Divisional HQ company
    • 1× reconnaissance squadron from the
      ERC 90 Sagaie
    • 1× signal company, organic to the 6^e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured Division
    • 1× signal company from the 54^e Régiment de Transmission
    • Logistic Support Group
      • 2× transport companies, organic to the 6^e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured Division
      • 2× transport companies from the 511^e Régiment du Train respectively the 602^e Régiment de Circulation Routière
      • 2× supply companies, from the 511^e Régiment du Train respectively the 516^e Régiment du Train
    • Medical Support Group
      • 4th Air-transportable Surgical Hospital
      • 9th Air-transportable Surgical Hospital
      • 2× medical transport companies and 1× medical supply company from medical units
      • 1× medical company organic to the 6^e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured Division
    • 1× CBRN defence company
    • 1×
      Military Police squadron from the National Gendarmerie
  • General and HQ Protection Company
  • 6× Long Range Reconnaissance/Special Forces teams from the 13^e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes
  • Groupement Ouest, with units from the
    6th Light Armoured Division
    • 1^er Régiment de Spahis
      • 3× squadrons with
        AMX-10RC
      • 1× anti-tank squadron with VAB/HOT
    • 1^er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie
      • 3× squadrons with
        AMX-10RC
      • 1× anti-tank squadron with VAB/HOT
    • 2^e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie
      • 3× companies with
        APCs
      • 1× company from the
        APCs
      • 1× squadron from the
        AMX-10RC
      • 1× reconnaissance squadron from the
        ERC 90 Sagaie
    • 9th Marine Infantry Division
      reinforced with men from the 68^e Régiment d'Artillerie
      • 3× batteries with towed 155mm TRF1 howitzers
      • 1× air defence battery from the
        11th Paratrooper Division with Mistral
        surface-to-air missiles
    • 4th Airmobile Division
      (including all attached units)
      • 1st Reconnaissance and Support-protection Helicopter Squadron (EHRAP1) with Gazelle/20mm helicopters
      • 2nd Reconnaissance and Support-protection Helicopter Squadron (EHRAP2) with Gazelle/20mm helicopters
      • 3rd Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA3) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters
      • 4th Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA4) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters from the 2^e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat
      • 5th Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA5) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters
      • 6th Maneuver Helicopter Squadron (EHM6) with Puma helicopters
      • 1× airmobile infantry company from the 1^er Régiment d'Infanterie
    • 1× artillery battalion from the 18th Field Artillery Brigade with towed 155mm M198 howitzers
  • Groupement Est
    • 4^e Régiment de Dragons
      from the 10th Armoured Division
      • 3× squadrons with AMX-30 B2 main battle tanks
    • 9th Marine Infantry Division
      • 3× companies with
        APCs
      • 1× company from the
        APCs
      • 1× squadron from the
        AMX-10RC
    • 3^e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat from the 4th Airmobile Division (including all attached units)
      • 1st Reconnaissance and Support-protection Helicopter Squadron (EHRAP1) with Gazelle/20mm helicopters
      • 2nd Reconnaissance and Support-protection Helicopter Squadron (EHRAP2) with Gazelle/20mm helicopters from the 5^e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat
      • 3rd Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA3) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters from the 6^e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat
      • 4th Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA4) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters
      • 5th Maneuver Helicopter Squadron (EHM5) with Puma helicopters from the 6^e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat
      • 6th Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA6) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters from the 5^e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat
      • 7th Maneuver Helicopter Squadron (EHM7) with Puma helicopters from the 5^e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat
      • 8th Maneuver Helicopter Squadron (EHM8) with Puma helicopters from the 4^e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat
      • 1× airmobile infantry company from the 1^er Régiment d'Infanterie
    • 2× artillery battalions from the 18th Field Artillery Brigade with towed 155mm M198 howitzers
  • 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division
    • 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment (Airborne)
    • 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment (Airborne)
    • 4th Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment (Airborne)
    • 2nd Battalion,
      319th Field Artillery Regiment
      (Airborne) (105mm howitzers)

• • 11th Paratrooper Division
    • 1× headquarters company with men from the 7^e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien and 14^e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien
    • 1× airborne company with men from the 3^e Régiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine and 6^e Régiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine
    • 1× mixed reconnaissance/artillery company with men from the 1^er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes and 35^e Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste
    • Reconnaissance and Covered Action Commando from the 2^e Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes
  • 2^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine from the 9th Marine Infantry Division
    • 3× companies with
      APCs
  • 6^e Régiment Étranger de Génie from the 6th Light Armoured Division
    • 3× engineer companies
    • 1× detachment from the 3^e Régiment du Génie from the 10th Armoured Division
    • 1× detachment from the 5^e Régiment du Génie from the 1st Military Region
  • 6^e Bataillon du Matériel from the 6th Light Armoured Division
    • 3× maintenance companies
    • 1× maintenance company, organic to the 6^e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured Division
    • 1× maintenance company from the 9^e Régiment de Soutien Aéromobile
    • 1× maintenance company from the 9^e Bataillon du Matériel from the 9th Marine Infantry Division
    • 1× maintenance company from the 10^e Bataillon du Matériel from the 10th Armoured Division

Casualties

Five members of Division Daguet were killed, including one before the beginning of the conflict and two afterwards: a soldier was killed in a car accident in