| AMC |
Auto-Mitrailleuse de Combat. An auto-mitrailleuse
in
the French army of this period meant an AFV belonging to the cavalry
and classed as AMC, AMD or AMR depending on function. The AMC was a
tracked (or half-tracked) vehicle with good armament and
armor,
capable of combat
as well as reconnaissance. Roughly translated: a Tank. |
| AMD |
Auto-Mitrailleuse de
Découverte. Distant reconnaissance wheeled
vehicle. Roughly translated: an Armoured car. |
| AMR |
Auto-Mitrailleuse de Reconnaissance -
Cross-country reconnaissance tracked (or half-tracked) vehicle. Roughly
translated: a Tankette. |
| BACA |
Batterie d'Anti-Chars Automoteurs - Mobile
Anti-Tank Battery equipped with W15TCC tank hunters. |
| BCC |
Bataillon de Chars de Combat - Tank battalion. A
unit of approx 30 heavy or 40 light tanks. |
| BCL |
Bataillon de Chars Légèrs -
Light tank
battalion. Used to descriibe the two BCC equipped with FCM 36 light
tanks but not by BCCs equipped with other light tanks such as
H 35
or R 35. |
| BDP |
Bataillon de Dragons Portés -
Motorised Dragoon Battalion.
Note that the composition
of the battalion differed depending on whether it was part of a DLM or
a DLC. |
| CA |
Contre-Aéroplanes - anti-aircraft. |
| CACC |
Compagnie Autonome de Chars de Combat -
Independant Tank Company. Three
were formed
for the expedition to Norway. After the invasion they were formed with
newly produced
of salvaged tanks. |
| DCR |
Division Cuirassée de
Réserve - Reserve Armoured
Division. There were four of these
these which with 148 tanks each can be though of as
the neraest the French
Infantry came to a Panzer Division. |
| DI |
Division d'Infanterie - Infantry Division. |
DIM
DIm |
Division d'Infanterie Motorisée -
Motorised Infantry
Division. |
| DLC |
Division Légère de
Cavalerie - Light Cavalry
Division. There were five of these divisions
combining mounted (horsed) cavalry with motorised and armoured units.
These were intended
for strategic recconaisance. |
| DLM |
Division Légère
Mécanique - Light
Mechanised Division. There were four of these which
with 182 tanks each can be though of as the neraest the French Cavalry
came to a
Panzer Division. |
| ER |
Emetteur-Récepteur -
Transmitter-Receiver, designation of a wireless (radio) set. |
| GRDI |
Groupe de Reconnaissance de Division d'Infanterie
- Infantry Division
Reconaissance
Group. A battalion-sized cavalry unit attached to every infantry
division for reconnaissance.
It was partly mounted (horsed) and partly motorised. |
| GRDIm |
Groupe de Reconnaissance de Division d'Infanterie
Motorisée
- Motorised Infantry Division
Reconaissance Group. A battalion-sized mechanised cavalry unit attached
to every motorised
infantry division for reconnaissance. |
| RA |
Régiment d'Artillerie - Artillery
Regiment |
| RAM |
Régiment d'Autos-Mitrailleuses
- Armoured car regiment. The Reconnaissance regiment in the
Light Cavalry Division (DLC) |
| RCA |
Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique |
| RCC |
Régiment de Chars de
Combat - Tank Regiment. A unit equivalent to two BCC
. |
| RD |
Régiment de Découverte -
Deep Reconnaissance
Regiment. The armoured car regiment in the
Light Mechanized Divisions (DLM) |
| RDP |
Régiment de Dragons Portés
- Motorised Dragoon
Regiment. Note that the composition
of the regiment differed depending on whether it was part of a DLM
or a DLC
. |
| SOMUA |
Société d'Outillage
Mécanique et
d'Usinage d'Artillerie |
| VDP |
Voiture de Dragons Portés - Motorised
Dragoon Vehicle. These
could be Laffly S20TL
6x6 or Lorraine 28 4x6 trucks or Citroën-Kegresse P19
halftracks. |
