The 2nd Armoured Brigade (french: 2 Brigade Blindée, 2 BB) is an armoured

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. ...

of the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

. It is heir to the honours and traditions of the 2nd Armoured Division famously commanded by

Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque Philippe François Marie Leclerc de Hauteclocque (22 November 1902 – 28 November 1947) was a Free-French general during the Second World War. He became Marshal of France posthumously in 1952, and is known in France simply as le maréchal ...

. In 1970 the 2nd Armoured Brigade at

Saint-Germain-en-Laye Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint- ...

was part of the 8th Armoured Division, headquartered at

Compiègne Compiègne (; pcd, Compiène) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. It is located on the river Oise. Its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois''. Administration Compiègne is the seat of two cantons: * Compiègne-1 (with 19 ...

, alongside two mechanised brigades. In 1977 the 2nd Armoured Brigade appears to have been disbanded, and the 2nd Armoured Division reformed. The reorganisation of the French Army in 1999 transformed and downsized the 2nd Armoured Division to the 2nd Armoured Brigade. From 1999 to 2010 the brigade headquarters was located in the ''quartier Bellecombe'' in

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and Illkirch-Graffenstaden Illkirch-Graffenstaden () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is the second-largest suburb of the city of Strasbourg, and is adjacent to it on the south-southwest. Illkirch-Graffenstaden is one of t ...

, neighbouring Strasbourg, at the ''quartier Leclerc'' (near the 2e Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions and the 291st Jäger Bataillon). The general commanding the brigade is at the same time the Military Governor of Strasbourg.https://www.defense.gouv.fr/salle-de-presse/nominations/mesures-diverses-d-ordre-individuel-du-mercredi-14-mai-2014l He loges in the :fr:Palais du Gouverneur militaire de Strasbourg situated in the

place Broglie Place Broglie (''Bröjel'' in Alsatian German) is one of the main squares of the city of Strasbourg in the French departement of Bas-Rhin. The square is located on the Grande Île, the ancient city center, and has an elongated rectangular sh ...

in Strasbourg.

Structure 2016

The brigade consists of seven regiments. * 2 Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (2 CCT) – Command and Signals Company in

Illkirch-Graffenstaden Illkirch-Graffenstaden () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is the second-largest suburb of the city of Strasbourg, and is adjacent to it on the south-southwest. Illkirch-Graffenstaden is one of t ...

with

Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or VAB (literally meaning "Armoured Forward Vehicle"; but more appropriately translated: "Armoured Vanguard Vehicle") is a French armoured personnel carrier and support vehicle designed and manufactured by Renault ...

(VAB) * 12 Régiment de Cuirassiers (12 RC) – Armoured Regiment in Olivet with 60

AMX-56 Leclerc The Leclerc is a third generation French main battle tank developed and manufactured by Nexter Systems. It was named in honor of Marshal Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, a commander of the Free French Forces, who led the 2nd Armoured Division ...

main battle tanks *

501e Régiment de chars de combat 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on each ...

(501 RCC) – Armoured Regiment in

Mourmelon-le-Grand Mourmelon-le-Grand () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. Population Camp de Châlons The ''camp de Châlons'', also known as ''camp de Mourmelon'', is a military camp of circa 10,000 hectares near Mourmelon-le-Gr ...

with 60 Leclerc * Régiment de Marche du Tchad (RMT) – Marine Infantry Regiment in Meyenheim with

VBCI The Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (English language, English: ''Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle'') or VBCI is a French Infantry fighting vehicle designed and manufactured by GIAT Industries (now Nexter Systems) and Renault Trucks De ...

* 16 Bataillon de Chasseurs (16 BC) – Infantry Battalion in

Bitche Bitche ( , ; German and Lorraine Franconian: ) is a commune in the Moselle department, administrative region of Grand Est, northeastern France. It is the Pays de Bitche's capital city and the seat of the Canton of Bitche and the communauté ...

with VBCI * 92 Régiment d'Infanterie (92 RI) – Infantry Regiment in

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label= Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a population of 146,734 (2018). Its metropolitan area (''aire d'attra ...

with VBCI * 40 Régiment d'Artillerie (40 RA) Self-propelled Howitzer Regiment in

Suippes Suippes () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. It was part of the so-called ''la Champagne pouilleuse'', a region battered by conflict during World War I. In the early months of the war, British soldiers were deployed ...

with 32

GCT 155mm The AMX-30 AuF1 is a French self-propelled gun vehicle currently in use by the armies of France and Saudi Arabia. It replaced the former Mk F3 155mm in French Army service. The AuF1 primary advance is that it incorporates full armor and nuclear-b ...

and 12 120mm mortars * 13 Régiment du Génie (13 RG) – Engineer Regiment in

Valdahon Valdahon () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Doubs department The following is a list of the 571 communes of the Doubs department of Franc ...

Other units include: * Batterie de renseignement brigade de Suippes *"Centre de formation initial des militaires du rang, le Bataillon de renfort de la 2e Brigade blindée" (CFIM, BR 2BB), dépositaire des traditions of the 12th Régiment of the

Chasseurs d'Afrique The ''Chasseurs d'Afrique'' were a light cavalry corps of chasseurs in the French Armée d'Afrique (Army of Africa). First raised in 1831 from regular French cavalry posted to Algeria, they numbered five regiments by World War II. For most of t ...

Notes

References

*www.defense.gouv.fr

External links

*Official site �
2 BB
{{DEFAULTSORT:2nd Armoured Brigade (France) Armoured Brigade, 2nd Military units and formations established in 1999 1999 establishments in France