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| 4th Moroccan Mountain Division | |
|---|---|
| 4e Division Marocaine de montagne, | |
 Soldiers from 4th DMM handing candy to American soldiers in Rouffach, France on 5 February 1945. | |
| Active | 1 May 1943 - 15 January 1946 |
| Country |  France |
| Allegiance | French Army |
| Type | Infantry Division |
| Size | 20,450 personnel (february 1944) |
| Mottos | Par le djebel, à la victoire (Through the mountains, towards victory) |
| Engagements | Liberation of Corsica Italian Campaign Operation Diadem Battle of Alsace Colmar Pocket Germany and Austria |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Henry Martin François Sevez |
The4th Moroccan Mountain Division (French:4e Division marocaine de montagne, 4e DMM) was an infantry division of theArmy of Africa (French:Armée d'Afrique) which participated inWorld War II.
Created in Morocco following theliberation of French North Africa, the division fought in Corsica, Italy, metropolitan France, and Germany. It particularly distinguished itself in Italy in 1944 as part of theFrench Expeditionary Corps led by GeneralAlphonse Juin, and later in theliberation of France as part of theFrench 1st Army under GeneralJean de Lattre de Tassigny.
Formed atMarrakech, Morocco as the3rd Moroccan Division in March 1943, it was renamed4th Moroccan Mountain Division on 1 June 1943.[1][better source needed]
In Spring 1943 the 4th DMM went to Algeria and trained in the mountainous area near Tlemcen and Oran. On 15 September 1943, it formed a combat group, theLouchet group, which participated alongside the shock battalion and theMoroccan Goumiers inreconquering the island of Corsica from 22 September to 4 October 1943.
On 18 February 1944, the 4th DMM landed in Naples, where it joined the2nd Moroccan Infantry Division and3rd Algerian Infantry Division as part of theFrench Expeditionary Corps, fighting in theItalian Campaign.
It was engaged in theMonte-Cassino in theApennine Mountains, and crossed theAurunci Mountains in May, opening up the road to Rome. Pursuing the Germans, it capturedSan Gimignano on 13 July,Certaldo on 19 July andCastelfiorentino on 22 July, before regrouping aroundSessa Aurunca.
The division had lost 74 officers and 1,538 soldiers killed during this campaign.
The division didn't participate in theInvasion of Southern France, but landed there at on 8 September 1944. One part of the Division headed towards the Thann valley in Alsace, while the rest of the Division relieved the 2nd DIM in the Alps against theGebirgsjäger.
By the end of November, the 4th DMM had moved toMulhouse in Alsace, where it was engaged in fierce combat to liberate the city. At the height of winter, it then participated in the reduction of theColmar Pocket by advancing on the Thann-Cernay-Soultz-Rouffach axis from 20 January to 5 February 1945. Once Alsace was completely liberated, the division was entrusted with the defense of the Rhine between Basel and Sélestat.
After some weeks of rest, the Division was directed towards Strasbourg, and crossed the Rhine, entering Germany on 16 April 1945. Its mission was to bypass theBlack Forest by its eastern edge, and reach the northern border of Switzerland as quickly as possible. Jostling the last resistances of the Wehrmacht, it reachedLake Constance after passing throughFreudenstadt,Schwenningen andDonaueschingen. 4 DMM then entered Austria on 2 May 1945 and ended the war inVorarlberg. Since the landing in Provence, its losses amounted to 28 officers and 565 soldiers.
After a few months of occupation of Austria, the division returned to France, where it was dissolved on 15 January 1946 in the Lyon region.
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