Hi.
This is a kitbash upon a Fusilier-Marin of the 1er Regiment de Fusilers-Marins, the Armor Recon unit of the 1ere DFL (1st Free French Division - General Brosset).
This unit fought during all WWII.
Most of them where regular sailors when the war start. Part of the sailors that joined de Gaulle in the Free French where used as Fusiliers-Marins (riflemen for the navy) and send to the 1st DFL as an AA-gun unit for the Division.
After the desert campaign the DFL was sent to the Italian Front, where the Fusiliers-Marins change of work and was transformed into an armor recon unit on Scout Car for the 1st DFL.
The 1st DFL was then part of the "Groupe d'Arme B" under the command of the General de Lattre de Tassigny for the Operation Dragoon, the landing on Provence shore's (south of France) the 15th august 1944.
The Groupe d'Arme B was the French part of this operation. The US part was under the Command of the General Patch (7th US Army).
The Groupe d'Arme B was at the beginning of the operation under Patch's command.
Here is the Groupe d'Arme B Order of Battle (260 000 men):
D-Day:
Commandos d'Afrique (Colonel Bouvet)
A Combat Command (brigade size) from the 1st Armour Division for the 3 US Infantry Division.
D-Day +1 (16th of August 1944):
- 1ere DFL (General Brosset)
- 1ere DB (1st Armour Division - Gnral du Viguier)
- 3me DIA (3rd Algerian Infantry Division - Gnral de Montsabert)
D-Day +5
- Groupes de tabors Marocains (All the Moroco's Goum units - Gnral Guillaume)
- 9me DIC (9th Colonial Infantry Division - Gnral Magnan)
- 5me DB ( Gnral de Vernejoul)
- 2eme DIM (2nd Moroccos Infantry Division - General Dody)
- 4eme DMM (4th Moroccos Mountain Division - General Sevez)
- 1er Bataillon de Choc (1st Choc batailon - French Special Forces - Colonel Gambiez)
The Groupes d'Arme B had at the beginning a huge and terrible fight in the "Massif des Maures" and in the Esterel. This lead to the liberation of the Cites of Toulon and Marseilles where a terrible fight occurred too.
The Groupe d'Arme B was then rename in 1ere Arme Franaise (1st French Army).
The operation went to Lyon and to the horrible campaign for Belfort and the Vosges Line.
The 1ere Arme enter then in Germany and Austria.
A big Thanks you to Froggy Felix for the "Bachis" (French sailor hat) how-to and the Fusiliers Marins patch on it.
This is a kitbash upon a Fusilier-Marin of the 1er Regiment de Fusilers-Marins, the Armor Recon unit of the 1ere DFL (1st Free French Division - General Brosset).
This unit fought during all WWII.
Most of them where regular sailors when the war start. Part of the sailors that joined de Gaulle in the Free French where used as Fusiliers-Marins (riflemen for the navy) and send to the 1st DFL as an AA-gun unit for the Division.
After the desert campaign the DFL was sent to the Italian Front, where the Fusiliers-Marins change of work and was transformed into an armor recon unit on Scout Car for the 1st DFL.
The 1st DFL was then part of the "Groupe d'Arme B" under the command of the General de Lattre de Tassigny for the Operation Dragoon, the landing on Provence shore's (south of France) the 15th august 1944.
The Groupe d'Arme B was the French part of this operation. The US part was under the Command of the General Patch (7th US Army).
The Groupe d'Arme B was at the beginning of the operation under Patch's command.
Here is the Groupe d'Arme B Order of Battle (260 000 men):
D-Day:
Commandos d'Afrique (Colonel Bouvet)
A Combat Command (brigade size) from the 1st Armour Division for the 3 US Infantry Division.
D-Day +1 (16th of August 1944):
- 1ere DFL (General Brosset)
- 1ere DB (1st Armour Division - Gnral du Viguier)
- 3me DIA (3rd Algerian Infantry Division - Gnral de Montsabert)
D-Day +5
- Groupes de tabors Marocains (All the Moroco's Goum units - Gnral Guillaume)
- 9me DIC (9th Colonial Infantry Division - Gnral Magnan)
- 5me DB ( Gnral de Vernejoul)
- 2eme DIM (2nd Moroccos Infantry Division - General Dody)
- 4eme DMM (4th Moroccos Mountain Division - General Sevez)
- 1er Bataillon de Choc (1st Choc batailon - French Special Forces - Colonel Gambiez)
The Groupes d'Arme B had at the beginning a huge and terrible fight in the "Massif des Maures" and in the Esterel. This lead to the liberation of the Cites of Toulon and Marseilles where a terrible fight occurred too.
The Groupe d'Arme B was then rename in 1ere Arme Franaise (1st French Army).
The operation went to Lyon and to the horrible campaign for Belfort and the Vosges Line.
The 1ere Arme enter then in Germany and Austria.
A big Thanks you to Froggy Felix for the "Bachis" (French sailor hat) how-to and the Fusiliers Marins patch on it.
Love the naval identity always wanted to do something like that.
