The Division Daguet was a

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

division formed in September 1990 in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Ara ...

as part of France's contribution to

Operation Desert Shield The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

. The French military contribution to the allied cause to liberate

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...

from Iraqi occupation was named

Opération Daguet Opération Daguet (, ''Operation Brocket'') was the codename for French operations during the 1991 Gulf War. 18,000 members of the French Armed Forces were deployed during the conflict and they represented the second largest European contingen ...

and its ground part was subsequently named Division Daguet. In French "Daguet" is a young

brocket deer Brockets or brocket deer are the species of deer in the genus ''Mazama''. They are medium to small in size, and are found in the Yucatán Peninsula, Central and South America, and the island of Trinidad. Most species are primarily found in fore ...

. In 1991 the division participated in

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...

guarding the left flank of the allied advance. After

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

surrendered the division's units returned to France and the division itself was disbanded on 30 April 1991.

History

After the

Iraqi invasion of Kuwait The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was an operation conducted by Iraq on 2 August 1990, whereby it invaded the neighboring State of Kuwait, consequently resulting in a seven-month-long Iraqi military occupation of the country. The invasion and Ira ...

in August 1990 the United States and its allies began to deploy forces to

to protect the country from a feared Iraqi invasion. As Iraq's dictator

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...

refused to remove his forces from Kuwait the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

accepted UNSC Resolution 678, which authorized UN member nations in to evict Iraqi forces from Kuwait with force after 15 January 1991. France had already dispatched troops to Saudi Arabia in September 1990 to help deter Iraq from further military adventures, but with war drawing closer, the French contingent was rapidly reinforced all through fall of 1990. Most of the initial units of the Division Daguet were drawn from the

6th Light Armoured Division (France) 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

(6 DLB), but ultimately the division was made up mixed units from 20 regiments with troops and equipment coming from 57 regiments in total. Initially the commander of 6th Light Armoured Division, Major General Jean-Charles Mouscardès, commanded Division Daguet, but after a medical emergency on 7 February 1991 he was replaced by Brigadier General Bernard Janvier the next day. Overall commander of French forces in Saudi Arabia and Opération Daguet was General Michel Roquejeoffre, commanding officer of the French Army's Rapid Action Force. Initially, the French operated independently under national command and control, but coordinated closely with General Schwarzkopf, Commander-in-Chief,

United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Ta ...

, coordinating the non-Arab forces. In January, the Division was placed under the tactical control of the US

XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...

and reinforced for the ground war with the following units from the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

: 2nd Brigade,

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops Magazine'', 25 November 2012. Archived from tho ...

, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, and 27th Engineer Battalion.

Operation Desert Storm

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 inside Iraq at As-Salman. Reinforced by the US

, 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

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 Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

to southern Iraq.

Division Structure

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

based in

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of ...

. After the arrival of most units the division was split into two tactical groups: Group West (Groupement Ouest) and Group East (Groupement Est). At the outset of hostilities the division was composed as follows: Other sources, including Dinackus, name the two command posts as "CP Verte" (Green) and "CP Rouge" (Red). * Division Daguet ** 6^e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured Division *** Divisional HQ company *** 1× reconnaissance squadron from the 1^er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes from the 11th Paratrooper Division with

ERC 90 Sagaie The Panhard ERC (''Engin à Roues, Canon''; "Engine with wheels, cannon") is a French six-wheeled armoured car which is highly mobile and amphibious with an option of being NBC-proof. While various models were tested, only two versions of the E ...

*** 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 Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN defence) are protective measures taken in situations in which chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear warfare (including terrorism) hazards may be present. CBRN defence consi ...

company *** 1×

Military Police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear rec ...

squadron from the

National Gendarmerie The National Gendarmerie (french: Gendarmerie nationale, ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Mini ...

** 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 VAB APCs **** 1× company from the 21^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine with VAB APCs **** 1× squadron from the Régiment d'Infanterie-Chars de Marine from the 9th Marine Infantry Division with AMX-10RC **** 1× reconnaissance squadron from the 1^er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes from the 11th Paratrooper Division with

*** 11^e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine from the 9th Marine Infantry Division reinforced with men from the 68^e Régiment d'Artillerie **** 3× batteries with towed 155mm

TRF1 The TRF1 is a 155mm French towed howitzer produced by Nexter (ex Giat Industries) and used by the French Army. The TRF1 was showcased in 1979 at the Eurosatory arms trade show, as a replacement for Armée de Terre's BF-50. Giat produced it fro ...

howitzers **** 1× air defence battery from the 35^e Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste from the 11th Paratrooper Division with Mistral surface-to-air missiles *** 1st Combat Helicopter Regiment 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 **** 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 tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

s *** 3^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine from the 9th Marine Infantry Division **** 3× companies with VAB APCs **** 1× company from the 21^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine from the 6th Light Armoured Division with VAB APCs **** 1× squadron from the Régiment d'Infanterie-Chars de Marine from the 9th Marine Infantry Division with 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,

*** 1st Battalion,

325th Infantry Regiment The 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment is a light infantry parachute insertion fighting force of the United States Army. The subordinate units of the regiment constitute the bulk of the infantry elements assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade C ...

(Airborne) *** 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment (Airborne) *** 4th Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment (Airborne) *** 2nd Battalion,

319th Field Artillery Regiment The 319th Field Artillery Regiment, more commonly referred to as the 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (319th AFAR), is a parent regiment in the U.S. Army Regimental System. Four battalions of the regiment are currently active. The first ...

(Airborne) (105mm howitzers) French DIV Daguet Gulf War

** 1^er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine Battle Group with troops from the 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 VAB 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

in November 1990. During the conflict, two paratroopers of the 1^er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine were killed while clearing unexploded U.S. submunitions near Al-Salman on 26 February 1991, and after the conflict two

Legionnaires The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army. It ...

of the 6^e Régiment Étranger de Génie were killed in March respectively April near

Kuwait City Kuwait City ( ar, مدينة الكويت) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economical centre of the emirate, ...

References

{{French Army Divisions French Army Gulf War Wars involving France Divisions of France