The French 5th Motorized Division was a

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

division active during

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 ...

World War 2

Battle Of France

During the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

in May 1940 the division contained the following units: *88 Infantry Regiment *39 Infantry Regiment *129 Infantry Regiment *1 Reconnaissance Battalion *11 Artillery Regiment *211 Artillery Regiment The division was set to defend the Western side of the

Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...

, however with the rapid advancement of German units, the French Army could only form a thin defense line. While the 5th Motorized Division were able to get into their positions, to the South the

18th Infantry Division (France) The 18th Infantry Division () was a French Army formation during World War I and World War II. World War I It commanded the 32nd, 66th and 77th Infantry Regiments for the entirety of the war, as well as the 135th Infantry regiment (until early 19 ...

had only got six of its battalions into positions, and so on 13 May the 5th Motorized was sent to reinforce the 18th Division. The division was an active division which had existed during peacetime. It was a fully motorized Infantry Division.

References

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