Has anyone got access to vol5 of Lee Sharpe's work "The French Army 1939-1940? I understand there's some information of use in that. Thanks John
John, According to my notes I own five volumes, apparently also volume 5. Unfortunately I don't have them at hand at the moment. Please tell me what I should look up for you. It may take some days.
John, To my knowledge there are no threads here on the subject, there are several threads on the situation in French Indo-China around Saigon, which cover the British-Indian operation and the eventual handover to the French. Possibly just background for 1945: French Indochina was run by a Vichy French government, after France’s defeat in June 1940, with a Japanese military presence from September 1940 until the Japanese moved to dispense with the Vichy French regime in March 1945[2]. Gracey faced the prospect of a bloodbath in southern Vietnam, especially in Saigon, which had a large French civilian population[1] and very few French police were present. There were several Allied PoW camps in the south – which included some French soldiers who survived the violent Japanese move to dispense with the Vichy French regime in March 1945.[2] On 22-23/9/1945 Gracey ordered his troops to remove the Viet Minh from the seized public buildings and then handed them over to French forces – Prendergast refers to them being three hundred strong (Prendergast pg.19) and Marston refers to them as liberated French PoW. The French Wikipedia entry for a French Expeditionary Corps for the Orient refers to twelve hundred ex-Colonial Infantry being released PoW and a single infantry company had arrived on 12/9/1945[1]. A second French regiment left Algiers on 13/5/1945 on a British vessel[1] and arrived on 3/10/1945[2] or 31/10/1945[3], with a French High Commissioner as the civilian head of government and the famous French General Leclerc to take military command. In France a larger Expeditionary Corps was formed for conventional warfare, against Japan or to re-take Indochina, with two infantry divisions, an armoured division and supporting units – all equipped by the USA – and had twenty-six infantry battalions. Nearly all the personnel were French[1]. Some elements arrived as early as 19/10/1945; a Group Marche from the armoured division, led by Lt. Col. Massu and within days they took offensive action outside Saigon[2]. Note: This post is based on my own research into General Gracey and the 20th Indian Division, that undertook a mission in French Indo-China, after the Japanese surrender; which became an article for 'Durbar', Summer 2020 edition, the journal of the now-closed Indian Military History Society. See: 20th Division 1945 The footnotes are not in sequence, they are in reverse order. Drop me a note and I can send the paper they are taken from. Updated 10/1/22 after a copy of the article written was requested and suggested I clarify the research was my own. [1] Ditto [2] See Neville [1] See Dunn’s thesis [2] The 5th Colonial Infantry Regiment had two parachute companies, two commando companies and a naval infantry battalion. See: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.205.3795&rep=rep1&type=pdf [3] See Neville’s book that a thousand 5th Colonial Infantry arrived on a French cruiser. [1] See: Corps expéditionnaire français en Extrême-Orient — Wikipédia [1] This article refers to a 12,000 European (French) population in 1940, in a city of 400,000, so 2.6%. Describing the European population had the feeling of being a minority in a position of superiority, because it occupied the top of the social pyramid. See: https://ehne.fr/en/article/europe-e...pansion-and-imperialisms/saigon-european-city [2] See: Japanese coup d'état in French Indochina - Wikipedia [2] See: Japanese coup d'état in French Indochina - Wikipedia
Discovered this yesterday. A 2005 US Army masters thesis on the French Army and counter-revolutionary warfare 1945-1962, it includes a chapter on their presence in Indo-China / Vietnam (pgs. 39-67). The Summary: Link: https://nllp.jallc.nato.int/IKS/Sharing Public/Counterrevolutionnary Warfare 1945-62.pdf
To keep info going as I understand it 1er SASB had an unusual OB which I have somewhere. But the two para coy where organised on US Para lines and the Commando Coys where like British Commando Troops. There were a number of other parachute elements belonging to Force 136 operating like Jedburgh teams in Laos and Annam.
Hey Serge that's a good read. The photos (in a link) are excellent. Showing small unit organisation (via parades) particularly FT Pl. Thanks
Hey Aixman, many apologies for the delay. I've been sifting through other responses for any nuggets contained and there are some great ones. So what I'm looking for is information on Colonial Infantry Regiments (RIC/RMIC) particularly detail on those deployed in Indochina and China. 9th, 10th, 11th, 16th and 19th specifically. Also any organisation info on the locally raised Tirailleurs Tonkinois or Annamite When you have time, let's face it no rush for me - locked down again.... Many thanks and stay safe John
Try this website in English and look for Indo-China, it appears to have more - even if not examined: France, 194... something
Thanks to all here for help. I have now info I was looking for - to draw up approx TOE for native forces. However if anybody has information on supplies received by Vichy governor I would love to see. It is obvious that some new weapons and equipment arrived since French forces used 20mm AAA against Thai forces, there's photo evidence of 25mm ATG and mobile groups based around motorcycle (solo and combination) were formed. Cheers all. John.
You can see: Batailles HS n°3 - Batailles HS N°3 L'Indochine en guerre 1940-1945 | eBay GBM ( Guerre Blindés et Matériel) magazine n°116 & 117 Champs de bataille n°19- Revue CHAMPS DE BATAILLE N° 19 -Les portugais dans la grande guerre - Italie1800 | eBay
