The 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division () was an infantry division of the Army of Africa () which participated in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Created in Morocco following the liberation of French North Africa, the division fought in Italy, metropolitan France and in Germany. It particularly distinguished itself in Italy in 1944 within the French Expeditionary Corps led by General

Alphonse Juin Alphonse Pierre Juin (16 December 1888 – 27 January 1967) was a senior French Army general who became Marshal of France. A graduate of the École Spéciale Militaire class of 1912, he served in Morocco in 1914 in command of native troops. Upon ...

, and later in the

Liberation of France The liberation of France () in the Second World War was accomplished through diplomacy, politics and the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French Resistance. Nazi Germany in ...

as part of the

French 1st Army The First Army () was a field army of France that fought during World War I and World War II. It was also active during the Cold War. World War I On mobilization in August 1914, General Auguste Dubail was put in the charge of the First Army, ...

under General

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny (2 February 1889 – 11 January 1952) was a French ''général d'armée'' during World War II and the First Indochina War. He was posthumously elevated to the dignity of Marshal of France in 1952. ...

World War II

Italian campaign

Formed in Morocco since May 1943, it embarked in

Bizerte Bizerte (, ) is the capital and largest city of Bizerte Governorate in northern Tunisia. It is the List of northernmost items, northernmost city in Africa, located north of the capital Tunis. It is also known as the last town to remain under Fr ...

in November 1943 and was the first French division which landed in Italy. It was engaged in the Monte-Cassino in the

Apennine Mountains The Apennines or Apennine Mountains ( ; or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; or – a singular with plural meaning; )Latin ''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which would be segmented ''Apenn-inus'', often used with nouns s ...

in the

Scapoli Scapoli is a town and ''comune'' located in province of Isernia, which is part of the region of Molise, southern Italy. As of 2011 it had a population of 758. Geography Located in the western area of the province, near the region of Lazio, it bor ...

-Pantano sector and fought in the Battles of San Michele de Pantano (December 12 to 22, 1943), Mainarde (December 23 to 29, 1943), Costa San Pietro and Monacasale (January 12-15, 1944), and Monte-Croce (January 21, 1944). On May 11, 1944 it took a leading part in the

Battle of Garigliano The Battle of Garigliano was fought in 915 between Christian forces and the Saracens. Pope John X personally led the Christian forces into battle. The aim was to destroy the Arab fortress on the Garigliano River, which had threatened central It ...

by seizing Monte Majo. The Division pursued the enemy in the direction of Rome from May 23 to June 4, 1944 and marched through Rome on June 15. After this, the Division reached

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

and the

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

French & German campaign (1944-1945)

The division didn't participate in the Invasion of Southern France, but landed there at the end of August 1944, and was moved to the front in the Alps. There, it liberated

Briançon Briançon (, ) is the sole Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Hautes-Alpes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is the highest city in France at an a ...

and

Modane Modane (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in southeastern France. The commune is in the Maurienne Valley, and it also belongs to the Vanoise ...

on October 14. Under the orders of General Carpentier, it was positioned opposite the Belfort gap, pierced the German position on November 14, seized

Montbéliard Montbéliard (; traditional ) is a town in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France, about from the border with Switzerland. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department. History Montbéliard is ...

and Héricourt, and entered

Belfort Belfort (; archaic , ) is a city in northeastern France, situated approximately from the Swiss border. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Territoire de Belfort. Belfort is from Paris and from Basel. The residents of the city ...

on November 25. Continuing towards Alsace, it reached the valley of the Doller on the 29th, then that of the Thur on the 7th of December. It participated in the elimination of the

Colmar Pocket The Colmar Pocket (; ) was the area held in central Alsace, France, by the German Nineteenth Army from November 1944 to February 1945, against the U.S. 6th Army Group (6th AG) during World War II. It was formed when 6th AG liberated southern a ...

, and crossed the Rhine on March 31, 1945. It entered

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

on April 3,

Pforzheim Pforzheim () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany. It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the ...

on April 8, and then reached the Neckar, the Danube and penetrated into Austria.

Composition

*4th Regiment of Moroccan Tirailleurs *5th Regiment of Moroccan Tirailleurs *8th Regiment of Moroccan Tirailleurs, replaced by 151st infantry regiment in February 1945 *3rd Regiment of Moroccan Spahis *63rd Artillery Regiment of Africa *DARR *41st Anti-Aircraft Ground Group *87th Engineer Battalion *9th Medical Battalion *Provost

Division Commanders

* April 1943 - September 1944: Général André Dody. * September 1944 - April 1945: Général

Marcel Carpentier Marcel Maurice Carpentier (; 2 March 1895 – 14 September 1977) was a French Army general who served in World War I, World War II, and the First Indochina War. Early life Born on 2 March 1895 in Marseille, he was the eldest son in his family ...

* April 1945 - August 1945: Général François de Linares

Division Combat Casualties

During

, the 2nd DIM was cited twice on the orders of the Army, and lost more than 16,000 men (killed, wounded and missing): *8,181 including 265 officers in Italy, *5,100 including 145 officers in France, *1,700 men including 75 officers in Germany and Austria.

Sources

cavalier blindés
* De Lattre de Tassigny, ''Histoire de la première armée française'', Plon, 1949 *''

Grandes Unités Françaises Grandes Unités Françaises (full title: ''Guerre 1939-1945 Les Grandes Unités Françaises'') is a monumental six-volume (the fifth volume is actually composed of four separate works) World War II order of battle and military unit history referenc ...

'', Volumes IV and V-1, French Army Historical Service, Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1970 and 1972. *''Le Réarmement et la Réorganisation de l'Armée de Terre Française (1943 - 1946)'', J. Vernet, French Army Historical Service, Château de Vincennes, 1980. * Souvenirs de guerre 2e Division d'infanterie marocaine: De Meknès en Autriche avec la 2e D.I.M, Crét, 1946. {{Liberation of France Infantry divisions of France Moroccan Infantry Division, 2nd Military units and formations disestablished in 1945