‘Division Daguet’ French 6th Light Armoured Division – 6e Division Légère Blindée Français During The Gulf War of 1990-91 – Operation ‘Daguet’ (‘Dagger’)
BATTLEGROUP DD-01 6e Division Légère Blindée (6e DLB) (+) Général de Brigade Mouscardes
Command HQ x1 Commander CWFR-25 Transport x1 VAB PC Command Vehicle use CWFR-12
INITIAL DEPLOYMENT FORCES BG DD-05 1er Régiment de Spahis (1erRS) (from 6e DLB) BG DD-05 1er Régiment Etranger de Cavallerie (1erREC) (from 6e DLB) BG DD-07 2e Régiment Etranger d’Infanterie (2eREI) (from 6e DLB) BG DD-07 2e Régiment d’Infanterie de Marine (2eRIMa) (from 9e Division de Marine (9e DM)) BG DD-07 3e Régiment d’Infanterie de Marine (3eRIMa) (from 9e DM) FSE DD-01 11e Régiment d’Artillerie de Marine (11eRAMa) (from 9e DM) ME DD-07 Air Defence Battery, 35e Régiment d’Artillerie Parachutiste (35eRAP) (from 11e Division de Parachutiste (11e DP))
6e Régiment Etranger du Génie (6eREG)) (from 6e DLB) BG DD-09 1er Régiment d’Hélicopteres de Combat (1erRHC) (from 4e Division Aeromobile (4e DAM)) BG DD-09 3e Régiment d’Hélicopteres de Combat (3eRHC) (from 4e Division Aeromobile (4e DAM))
Squadron, 13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes (13eRDP) (Army Special Forces – SAS equivalent)
1e Régiment Parachutiste d’Infanterie de Marine (1erRPIMa) (special ops regiment from 11e DP)
REINFORCEMENTS RECEIVED DECEMBER 1990 (ON NEXT PAGE) REINFORCEMENTS RECEIVED DECEMBER 1990 ME DD-02 x2 Squadrons, 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes (1eRHP) (from 11e DP) ME DD-03 x2 Squadrons, Régiment de Infanterie-Chars de Marine (RICM) (from 9e DM) ME DD-06 x2 Companies, 1er Régiment d’Infanterie (1erRI) (from 4e DAM) ME DD-04 x2 Companies, 21e Régiment d’Infanterie de Marine (21eRIMa) (a) (from 6e DLB) ME DD-04 x2 Companies, 1er Régiment Etranger d’Infanterie (1erREI) (a) (from 6e DLB) BG DD-08 4e Régiment de Dragons (-) (from 10e Division Blindée (10e DB)) ME DD-01 x1 Squadron, 503e Régiment Chars de Combat (503eRCC) (from 10e DB)
17e Régiment de Génie Parachutiste (17eRGP)
Commandos de Recherche et d’Action dans le Profondeur (CRAP) (Special Forces – SAS equivalent) 6e DLB Reorganised For Operation ‘Desert Sabre’ 1991 BATTLEGROUP DD-02 6e Division Légère Blindée (6e DLB) (+) Général de Brigade Mouscardes
Command HQ x1 Commander CWFR-25 Transport x1 VAB PC Command Vehicle use CWFR-12
BATTLEGROUPS BATTLEGROUP DD-03 PC Vert (Command Post Green – Eastern Task Force) (ab)
BATTLEGROUP DD-04 PC Rouge (Command Post Red – Western Task Force) (ab)
DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS SUPPORT
6e Régiment Etranger du Génie (6eREG)) (from 6e DLB) ME DD-07 Air Defence Battery, 35e Régiment d’Artillerie Parachutiste (35eRAP) (from 11e DP)
DIVISION RESERVE BG DD-07 2e Régiment d’Infanterie de Marine (2eRIMa) (from 9e DM)
(a) There was no formal Brigade or multi-battalion Regiment organisation in the French Army following the 1976 reforms (though the French changed again in 2002 to using Brigades as the basic formation, while abolishing Divisions and Corps). These Task Forces were therefore ad hoc command structures, made necessary by the rapid expansion of 6e DLB from a six-regiment formation to the equivalent of sixteen regiments! I don’t have any information on who commanded these Task Forces, nor how the HQs were formed and organised. My best guess is that additional HQ & Staff elements were sent to 6e DLB from other formations in Force d’Action Rapide – France’s rapid-reaction corps, of which 6e DLB was a part.
(b) 6e DLB was placed under the command of US XVIII (Airborne) Corps for Operation Desert Sabre, and operated alongside US 82nd Airborne Division on the extreme left flank of the operation. The division penetrated 100 miles into Iraq and secured Al-Salman airbase. Various units from 82nd Airborne Division and XVIII (Airborne) Corps were placed under the division’s command at various times – the first time that US units had been under French command for over half a century. BATTLEGROUP DD-03 PC Vert (Command Post Green – Eastern Task Force) (a)
BG DD-08 BG DD-06 4e Régiment de Dragons (+) 3e Régiment d’Infanterie de Marine (3eRIMa) (+)
Command Command HQ x1 Commander CWFR-25 x1 AMX-30 B2 105mm MBT CWFR-04 Transport x1 AMX-30 B2 105mm MBT CWFR-04 x1 VAB PC Command Vehicle use CWFR-12
x1 AMX-13 AVLB CWFR-18 MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS ME DD-04 MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS x3 Infantry Company ME DD-01 ME DD-04 x3 Armoured Squadrons x1 Company, 21e Régiment d’Infanterie ME DD-01 De Marine (21eRIMa) x1 Squadron, 503e Régiment ME DD-03 Chars de Combat (503eRCC) x1 Squadron, Régiment de Infanterie-Chars de Marine (RICM) ME DD-02 1er Escadron, 1er Régiment de ATTACHMENTS Hussards Parachutistes (1eRHP) Recon x4 Infantry (b) CWFR-26 BG DD-09 Transport/Recon 1er Régiment d’Hélicopteres x4 Peugeot P4 Jeep (with MG) CWFR-23 de Combat (1erRHC) Organic Fire Support x6 MO-120-RT-61 120mm Mortar CWFR-31 x7 Gazelle 20 OH/AH CWFR-35 Transport x6 VAB VTM Mortar Tractor CWFR-13 x15 Gazelle/HOT AH CWFR-34 x8 Milan ATGM Team CWFR-29 x8 Super Puma UH CWFR-36 Transport/Recon x8 Peugeot P4 Jeep (no MG) CWFR-23 Composite Infantry Company Group
ME DD-04 x1 Company, 1er Régiment Etranger d’Infanterie (1erREI) (a) ME DD-06 x1 Company, 1er Régiment d’Infanterie (1erRI)
(a) PC Vert was supported by 1st Brigade, US 82nd Airborne Division and two battalions of the US 18th Field Artillery Brigade (Airborne) to its initial objectives. The US artillery battalions each had three batteries, each with x3 M198 Towed 155mm Guns. BATTLEGROUP DD-04 PC Rouge (Command Post Red – Western Task Force)
BG DD-06 BG DD-05 2e Régiment Etranger d’Infanterie (2eREI) (+) 1er Régiment de Spahis (1erRS) Command Command HQ x1 Commander CWFR-25 HQ x1 Commander CWFR-25 Transport Transport x1 VAB PC Command Vehicle use CWFR-12 x1 VAB PC Command Vehicle use CWFR-12 MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS
ME DD-04 ME DD-03 x3 Infantry Company x3 Reconnaissance Squadron
ME DD-05 ME DD-04 x1 Antitank Squadron x1 Company, 21e Régiment d’Infanterie De Marine (21eRIMa) BG DD-05 ME DD-03 1er Régiment Etranger de Cavallerie (1erREC) x1 Squadron, Régiment de (organised as 1erRS above) Infanterie-Chars de Marine (RICM) ME DD-02 ATTACHMENTS 3e Escadron, 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes (1eRHP) Recon x4 Infantry (b) CWFR-26 BG DD-09 Transport/Recon 3e Régiment d’Hélicopteres x4 Peugeot P4 Jeep (with MG) CWFR-23 de Combat (3eRHC) Organic Fire Support x6 MO-120-RT-61 120mm Mortar CWFR-31 x7 Gazelle 20 OH/AH CWFR-35 Transport x6 VAB VTM Mortar Tractor CWFR-13 x15 Gazelle/HOT AH CWFR-34 x8 Milan ATGM Team CWFR-29
x8 Super Puma UH CWFR-36 Transport/Recon x8 Peugeot P4 Jeep (no MG) CWFR-23
Composite Infantry Company Group (a) PC Rouge was supported by one battalion of the US 18th Field ME DD-04 Artillery Brigade (Airborne), with three batteries, each with x3 M198 Towed 155mm Guns. x1 Company, 1er Régiment Etranger d’Infanterie (1erREI) (a) (b) It seems that 11e RAMa mothballed its third battery in order to ME DD-06 provide the 1st & 2nd Batteries with sufficient personnel during Operation Desert Sabre. x1 Company, 1er Régiment d’Infanterie (1erRI)
FSE DD-01 11e Régiment d’Artillerie de Marine (11eRAMa) (from 9e DM) FSE DD-02 x2 Batteries (b) On-Table Attachment x1 Forward Observer CWFR-32 Transport/Recon x1 VAB OBS Artillery OP Vehicle use CWFR-12
x3 Towed 155mm Gun Division Reserve During Operation Desert Sabre
BG DD-07 2e Régiment d’Infanterie de Marine (2eRIMa)
Command HQ x1 Commander CWFR-25 Transport x1 VAB PC Command Vehicle use CWFR-12
MANOEUVRE ELEMENTS
ME DD-04 x3 Infantry Company
ATTACHMENTS Recon x4 Infantry (b) CWFR-26 Transport/Recon x4 Peugeot P4 Jeep (with MG) CWFR-23 Organic Fire Support x6 MO-120-RT-61 120mm Mortar CWFR-31 Transport x6 VAB VTM Mortar Tractor CWFR-13
x8 Milan ATGM Team CWFR-29
Transport/Recon x8 Peugeot P4 Jeep (no MG) CWFR-23 Division ‘Daguet’ Manoeuvre Elements
MANOEUVRE ELEMENT DD-01 MANOEUVRE ELEMENT DD-05 Armoured Squadron Antitank Squadron
Command Command x1 AMX-30 B2 105mm MBT CWFR-04 x1 VAB Armoured Personnel Carrier CWFR-12
x4 AMX-30 B2 105mm MBT CWFR-04 x4 VAB VCAC/HOT ATGM Vehicle CWFR-14
MANOEUVRE ELEMENT DD-02 MANOEUVRE ELEMENT DD-07 Reconnaissance Squadron Airmobile Recce/Antitank Company (1erRHP) Command/Recon Command/Recon HQ x1 Commander CWFR-25 HQ x1 Commander CWFR-25 Transport/Recon Transport/Recon x1 Peugeot P4 Jeep (no MG) CWFR-23 x1 VAB Armoured Personnel Carrier CWFR-12 Recon Recon x8 Milan ATGM Team CWFR-29 x4 ERC-90 Sagaie 90mm Armoured Car CWFR-07 Transport/Recon x2 Milan ATGM Team CWFR-29 x8 Peugeot P4 Jeep (with MG) CWFR-23
Transport/Recon x2 Peugeot P4 Jeep (no MG) CWFR-23 MANOEUVRE ELEMENT DD-08 Airmobile Air Defence Battery MANOEUVRE ELEMENT DD-03 Reconnaissance Squadron Command HQ (1erRS, 1erREC & RICM) x1 Commander CWFR-25 Transport Command/Recon x1 Peugeot P4 Jeep (no MG) CWFR-23 x1 VAB Armoured Personnel Carrier CWFR-12 Recon Recon x8 Mistral SAM Team CWFR-40 x4 AMX-10 RC 105mm Armoured Car CWFR-09 Transport/Recon x8 VLRA Light Truck use CWFR-23 MANOEUVRE ELEMENT DD-04 Infantry Company Command HQ x1 Commander CWFR-25
x1 89mm LARC F1 MAW Team CWFR-28
Transport x1 VAB Armoured Personnel Carrier CWFR-12
x9 Infantry (3 with 89mm LARC F1) CWFR-26
Transport x3 VAB Armoured Personnel Carrier CWFR-12
x1 Milan ATGM Team CWFR-29
Transport x1 VAB VCAC/Milan CWFR-15
x1 53T2 20mm Antiaircraft Gun CWFR-22
Transport x1 VAB Armoured Personnel Carrier CWFR-12 Organic Fire Support x1 MO-81-61C 81mm Mortar CWFR-30 Transport x1 VAB VTM Mortar Carrier CWFR-13