The Division Daguet 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 formed in September 1990 in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

as part of France's contribution to

Operation Desert Shield , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

. The

French military The French Armed Forces (, ) are the military forces of France. They consist of four military branches – the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force, and the National Gendarmerie. The National Guard serves as the French Armed Forces' military ...

contribution to the allied cause to liberate

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

from Iraqi occupation was named Opération Daguet and its ground part was subsequently named Division Daguet. In French "Daguet" is a young brocket deer. 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-Man ...

guarding the left flank of the allied advance. After

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

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, codenamed Project 17, began on 2 August 1990 and marked the beginning of the Gulf War. After defeating the State of Kuwait on 4 August 1990, Iraq went on to militarily occupy the country for the next seven months ...

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 (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...

refused to remove his forces from Kuwait the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

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 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 Bernard Janvier (born 16 July 1939) is a former general of the French Army who served in the French Foreign Legion, primarily spearheading and putting in place effective resolving forces. Janvier first took part in the Algerian War. He then spearh ...

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 United States Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilit ...

, 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 force, rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is r ...

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

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

: 2nd Brigade,

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

, 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 The Aérospatiale Gazelle (company designations SA 340, SA 341 and SA 342) is a five-seat helicopter developed and initially produced by the French aircraft company Sud Aviation, and later by Aérospatiale. It is the first helicopter to feature ...

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 ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

to southern Iraq.

Division Structure

The division's staff was mostly drawn from the staff of the 6th Light Armoured Division (France) based in

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...

. 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 *** 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 defense (CBRN defense) or Nuclear, biological, and chemical protection (NBC protection) is a class of protective measures taken in situations where chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclea ...

company *** 1×

Military Police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...

squadron from the

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

** 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 ERC 90 Sagaie *** 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 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 or simply tank,Ogorkiewicz 2018 p222 is a tank that fills the role of armour-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more po ...

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 (Airborne) *** 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment (Airborne) *** 4th Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment (Airborne) *** 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment (Airborne) (105 mm 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 of the 6^e Régiment Étranger de Génie were killed in March and April, respectively, near

Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) 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 economic center of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Pal ...

References

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