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| Cavalry Corps | |
|---|---|
| Corps de Cavalerie | |
 Insignia of the Cavalry Corps | |
| Active | 27 August 1939 - 11 July 1940 |
| Country |  France |
| Branch | French Army |
| Type | Army Corps |
| Role | Mechanized warfare |
| Size | Two Light Mechanized Divisions |
| Part of | First Army (1940) |
| Mottos | Premier et dernier au feu (First and last under fire) |
| Engagements | World War II Battle of Hannut Battle of Gembloux |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | René Prioux Léon Langlois |
TheCavalry Corps (French:Corps de Cavalerie) was a Frenchmechanizedarmy corps established in 1939 and inactivated in 1940 after thedefeat of France byGermany. Commanded by GeneralRené Prioux, the Cavalry Corps advanced intoBelgium in May 1940 and imposed significant delay on the advance of the GermanXVI (motorized) Corps. Cut off by German forces from the bulk of theFrench Army, the corps was evacuated toEngland and then shipped back to France in late May and early June 1940. Further combat resulted in significant losses of armored vehicles and a steady deterioration of the corps' combat power. The Cavalry Corps ceased fighting as theSecond Armistice at Compiègne took effect, and the corps was demobilized on July 11, 1940.
Formed on August 27, 1939 inSaint-Quentin, the Cavalry Corps did not see action until May 11, 1940 in the vicinity ofTongres.[1] The corps had various units assigned during the period of thePhony War, but by the time of the German invasion in May 1940, the corps commanded the2nd and3rd Light Mechanized Divisions (French:Division Légère Mécanique) (DLM).
The Cavalry Corps saw action in three distinct phases of the fighting in 1940. These were the Battle of the Dyle (10 to 18 May), the Battle of the North (19 May to 9 June), and the Retreat of the Left Wing (10 to 25 June). In general, these phases respectively refer to the fighting in Belgium in May, the fighting in northern France in early June, and the long retreat of theFrench Army into the south of France during mid to late June. The Cavalry Corps in particular was noted for its solid performance during the Battles ofHannut andGembloux during the fighting in Belgium. At the same time that poorly trained French reservists were being defeated atSedan, the Cavalry Corps met the German XVI (motorized) Corps of twoPanzer divisions on equal terms at Hannut and in the Gembloux Gap.
From May 31 until June 10, 1940, the men of the corps were evacuated toEngland and then returned to France via the ports ofBrest andCherbourg.
At the end of the retreat of the French forces, the Cavalry Corps was made up of the1st DLM and 3rd DLM. The 1st DLM regrouped atRibérac and the 3rd DLM assembled atSaint-Aquilin, both in the region of the riverDordogne. The Cavalry Corps was demobilized on July 11, 1940.
Under the command of Lieutenant-General René Prioux (HQ location: Mellet), the corps controlled the following units:[1][2]
| Cavalry Corps Assets (May 1940) (Click "show" to expand) | |
|---|---|
| |
| 2nd Light Mechanized Division (2e DLM) (Click "show" to expand) | |
|---|---|
| |
| 3rd Light Mechanized Division (3e DLM) (Click "show" to expand) | |
|---|---|
| |
| High Command of theFrench Army (May 1940) | |
|---|---|
| Commander-in-Chief | Maurice Gamelin (until 19 May) •Maxime Weygand |
| Army Groups | Army Group 1 •Army Group 2 •Army Group 3 •Army of the Alps |
| Army Corps of theFrench Army (1939–1940) | |
|---|---|
| Regular Army Corps | 1st •2nd •3rd •4th •5th • ... •Cavalry Corps |
| First Army – Structure by Corps (May 1940) | |
|---|---|
| Cavalry Corps | 2nd Light Mechanized Division •3rd Light Mechanized Division |
| Other Corps | 3rd •4th •5th Army Corps |
| Cavalry Corps – Order of Battle (May 1940) | |
|---|---|
| Subordinate Divisions | 2nd Light Mechanized Division •3rd Light Mechanized Division |
| Corps Assets | 329th Motorised Artillery Regiment • 29th Artillery Park • 129th Engineer/Signals Groups |