The Division Cuirassee (DCR) had half the number of armored fighting vehicles of the German armored divisions, and only a token battalion of infantry, but the superior armor and gun of its heavy char B tanks could not be matched by the German panzers.

The DCR included two demi-brigades (regiments) of two Bataillons de chars de combat (B.C.C.) each, separated into heavy (B1 bis) and light (H39) tanks. Each B.C.C. consisted of three companies, the B1 bis units of ten tanks each, with a battalion HQ tank and three replacement tanks. The H39 companies had thirteen tanks each, with an additional company HQ tank and three battalion replacement tanks. This gave a total of 34 heavy and 45 light tanks per battalion, or 158 for the division, of which 62 B1 bis and 84 H39 made up the actual fighting strength. De Gaulle's DCR 4 had one extra battalion per demi brigade.

The small infantry component of chasseurs portes comprised three companies in armoured personnel carriers (APCs). An armoured car section of five A.M.D. types, a section of motorcyclists, and a company of 25mm guns and 81mm mortars were also part of the battalion's integral make-up. Divisional artillery included a regiment tractee tous terrains (tractor-drawn) with two groupes of three 4-gun batteries. A battery of twelve 47mm guns was the main antitank component of the division.

A company of sapeurs-mineurs (engineers), a signal company with telephone and radio equipment and administrative supply, and medical units completed the small structure of the division. An escadrille (squadron) of recon airtraft was also supposed to be provided for the DCR, but these aircraft rarely cooperated effectively in battlefield situations.

More French Armored Divisions

French Armored Divisions
French Division Legere Mechanique
French Division Cuirassee
French Tanks and Specs
French Tank Commanders
Large Map of Armor Movements: May 10-17 (slow: 136K)
Jumbo Map of Armor Movements: May 10-17 (very slow: 211K)

Related

1940: Campaign in France -- Armored Forces