156th Infantry Division
Active
  • 1915–1919
CountryFrance
BranchFrench Army
Engagements
Commanders
Notable
commanders

156th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the French Army during the First World War. It was deployed overseas, seeing action during the Gallipoli campaign, and thereafter on the Salonika front, fighting alongside British troops in both theatres of war. It was sent to the Crimea in December 1918 as part of the Army of the Danube.

Creation and nomenclature

Commanders

Chronology

1915

21 October: seizure of Rabrovo; local actions 22 and 23 October.[10]
3 - 12 November: offensive towards Strumica; progression to Kosturino, thereafter fortification and the defence of the captured positions.[11]
9th, 10th and 11th December: defence of Boyimia,[12] Fourka and Chernitsa positions.[13] Then retreat movement in two columns, towards Kilindir (Kalindria in the municipal unit of Cherso) and Karasouli (Polykastro).[14]

1916

Zouaves of the 156th Division[18] in the ravine of Hill 420 in the Cugunci sector, July 1916.
From 30 October, pursuit of the enemy to the Kenali (sh:Kremenica (Bitolj)) lines and attacks.[22]
From 15 November, new enemy withdrawal up to 6 kilometres south of Monastir (Bitola), then 19 November to the north of the city. Established and defended positions in a sector, 3 kilometres north of Monastir (Battle of the River Cherna).[23][17]



1917

Two officers posing with a zouave battalion mascot at the entrance to a shell-proof dugout at Hill 420 in the Cugunci sector
17 April: violent enemy attack in the direction of Dihovo.
19 April: French counter-attack.[26]

1918

The colours of the 2nd Regiment photographed in June 1916

1919

In December 1918, the 156th Division was transported to Southern Russia (as part of the Army of the Danube (AD) ). It then left this formation in November 1919 to form the Army of the Levant, during the Cilicia Campaign.

Order of battle

May 1915

Marsouins (in pith helmets) and Senegalese (in fezzes) ready to embark for Dardanelles
Zouave uniform for the early part of WW1
Zouaves ahead of a column of Greek recruits for the French Foreign Legion, training at Lemnos
Zouaves attired in khaki field dress, wearing pith helmets, being vaccinated on 8 July 1916, in a location between Kilkis and Lake Doiran.
Soldiers of the 175th Infantry Regiment at Salonika in 1915
A French 75mm artillery piece firing around Cape Helles during the Third Battle of Krithia

2nd Division which disembarked at Gallipoli from 6–8 May 1915

October 1915

Left the Dardanelles and disembarked on the Salonika front in October 1915 [e][37] to become part of the Armée d'Orient (1915–19). The Division's War Diary lists the following elements of the Division to be embarked locally and from further afield:

July 1916

Notes and citations

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Dispatched in May 1915 to Gallipoli with the second division [32]
  2. ^ a b Change of regimental name and number in August 1915. The regimental war diary records that from 16 August 1915, it was no longer designated the 8th Mixed Colonial Regiment, but was henceforth the 58th Colonial Infantry Regiment. The same nomenclature saw the 4th, 6th and 7th become the 54th, 56th and 57th too.[31]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Dispatched in October 1915 from Gallipoli to Salonika with the second division[38][better source needed][39]
  4. ^ Appendix 3 of the French official history (AFGG 8,1) has a one page table chronologically listing the units that subsequently joined the C.E.O. at Gallipoli.[34]
  5. ^ Général de Brigade Pierre Dauvé's 3rd Metropolitan Brigade now came under the command of the 156th Infantry Division. From this brigade, the 176th Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Regiment (of Armée d'Afrique) embarked on 30 September and 1 October respectively. [35] Regarding the troops of Colonel Emmanuel Bertrand Alexis Bulleux's 1st Metropolitan Brigade, the 175th Infantry Regiment set sail on 1 October.[35] The 1st Regiment (of Armée d'Afrique) were dispersed. The 2nd battalion (of Zouaves, commanded by Louis Marie Joseph Petitpas De La Vasselais) and the 3rd battalion (of Foreign Legion, commanded by Élie Jean) embarked on 1 October. The 1st Battalion (of Zouaves, commanded by Jean Louis Urbain Abadie) embarked on 6 October.[36]
  6. ^ The four companies of the Foreign Legion battalion were augmented by a further two companies[40] composed of ethnic Greek volunteers forming the 13th and 14th companies of the provisional regiment.[41]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f Pompé 1924, p. 859.
  2. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 57–64.
  3. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 84–92.
  4. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 95–97.
  5. ^ Pompé 1924, p. 862.
  6. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, p. 102.
  7. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 102–104.
  8. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, p. 146.
  9. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 180–184.
  10. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 192–194.
  11. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 256–263.
  12. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 351–358.
  13. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 359–369.
  14. ^ a b Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 404–406.
  15. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, p. 430.
  16. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, p. 504.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h Pompé 1924, pp. 862–864.
  18. ^ "156e division d'infanterie: J.M.O. 25 septembre 1915–26 novembre 1916 – 26 N 447/1" (JPG). Mémoire des hommes: Journaux des Unites (1914–1918) (in French). Ministere De la Defense. images 113 to 122 of 235. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  19. ^ Lepetit et al. 1933, pp. 29–33.
  20. ^ Lepetit et al. 1933, pp. 48–51.
  21. ^ Lepetit et al. 1933, pp. 85–90.
  22. ^ Lepetit et al. 1933, pp. 152–167.
  23. ^ Lepetit et al. 1933, pp. 199–213.
  24. ^ Lepetit et al. 1933, pp. 357–358.
  25. ^ Lepetit et al. 1933, pp. 431–435.
  26. ^ Lepetit et al. 1933, p. 451.
  27. ^ Lepetit et al. 1933, p. 505–506.
  28. ^ Lepetit et al. 1933, p. 517–534.
  29. ^ Tournyol du Clos et al. 1934, pp. 129–131, 136.
  30. ^ a b c "Zouaves et Dardanelles". Forum pages14-18 (in French). 12 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  31. ^ "58e régiment d'infanterie coloniale: J.M.O. 16 août 1915-18 septembre 1916 - 26 N 867/14" (JPG). Mémoire des hommes: Journaux des Unites (1914-1918) (in French). Ministere De la Defense. Retrieved 8 September 2020. Also contains the war diary for the 8e régiment mixte colonial from the 2 May to 16 August 1915
  32. ^ a b Pompé 1924, p. 860.
  33. ^ "Corps expéditionnaire d'Orient (C.E.O.): J.M.O. 22 février-5 mai 1915: 26 N 75/10 - Pièces justicatives 3 avril-16 septembre 1915" (JPG). Mémoire des hommes: Journaux des Unites (1914-1918) (in French). Ministere De la Defense. images 132 to 136 of 213. Retrieved 10 July 2020. Ordre de bataille 1 juin 1915 K34
  34. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, p. 547.
  35. ^ a b "156e division d'infanterie: J.M.O. 25 septembre 1915-26 novembre 1916 - 26 N 447/1" (JPG). Mémoire des hommes: Journaux des Unites (1914-1918) (in French). Ministere De la Defense. images 9 to 10 of 235. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  36. ^ "Corps expéditionnaire d'Orient (C.E.O.): Direction des Etapes et des Services [GHQ Administration]: J.M.O. 5 octobre-31 décembre 1915 - 26 N 76/15" (JPG). Mémoire des hommes: Journaux des Unites (1914-1918) (in French). Ministere De la Defense. image 2 of 21. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  37. ^ Lepetit, Tournyol du Clos & Rinieri 1923, pp. 147–148.
  38. ^ "De Gallipoli à Salonique". Forum pages14-18 (in French). Retrieved 8 September 2020. transcriptions of primary source documents, listing which units redeployed to Salonika
  39. ^ "156e division d'infanterie: J.M.O. 25 septembre 1915–26 novembre 1916 – 26 N 447/1" (JPG). Mémoire des hommes: Journaux des Unites (1914–1918) (in French). Ministere De la Defense. images 7 to 8 of 235. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  40. ^ Aspinall-Oglander 1932, pp. 494–5.
  41. ^ "Greek infantry at Gallipoli". Great War Forum. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  42. ^ "Abréviations militaires". www.HoriZon14-18.eu (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  43. ^ "Foreign Legion in the Balkans: 1915-1919". foreignlegion.info. Retrieved 22 June 2021. Here is the detailed history of the French Foreign Legion in the Balkans during the First World War.

References

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