Pierre Billotte | |
|---|---|
| Minister of the Overseas | |
| In office 1966–1967 | |
| President | Charles de Gaulle |
| Prime Minister | Georges Pompidou |
| Mayor ofCréteil | |
| In office 1965–1977 | |
| Succeeded by | Laurent Cathala |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1906-03-08)8 March 1906 Paris, France |
| Died | 29 June 1992(1992-06-29) (aged 86) Boulogne-Billancourt,France |
| Political party | UDR |
| Parent |
|
| Alma mater | École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr |
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Pierre Billotte" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Pierre Armand Gaston Billotte (8 March 1906 – 29 June 1992) was a French Army officer and politician. He was the son of GeneralGaston Billotte, who commanded parts of the French Army at the start ofWorld War II. Pierre Billotte was himself notable for his combat actions during theBattle of France.
Billotte is known for his extraordinary actions as a French Tank Commander on 16 May 1940 during thebattle at the French village ofStonne. Billotte served in the 1st Compagnie of the 41st Tank Battalion, equipped with theChar B1heavy tank. Then-Captain Billotte, commanding a Char B1 Bis tank nicknamed "Eure", was instrumental in retaking the village of Stonne, defended by elements of the German 8th Panzer Regiment. The village had already been the scene of fierce fighting before Billotte's action. It lay on a strategic location on the road toSedan and had changed hands numerous times. On 16 May, while under heavy fire from German tanks, Billotte and his B1 Bis managed to break through the German defences and to destroy two GermanPanzer IV tanks, elevenPanzer III tanks and two enemy guns. Billotte's Char B1-Bis tank received 140 hits from enemy tanks and guns, but none were able to penetrate the tank's heavy armour.[1]
Following the death of his father and the German victory in the Battle of France, Billotte was imprisoned by the German military. He escaped the next year, and was appointed by theFree French government-in-exile as head of the French Military Mission to Moscow. From 1942 to 1943, he served as chief of staff toCharles de Gaulle. After the Allied invasion of France, he was attached to the2nd Armored Division. Later in 1944, he was put in command of the10th Infantry Division, and after the liberation of France he became AssistantChief of Staff of the French Army.
From 1946 to 1950, he headed the French Military Mission to the UN. Following his retirement from active service, he served asMinister of National Defence (1955–1956) underEdgar Faure and as Minister of Overseas Departments and Territories (1966–1968) underGeorges Pompidou.[citation needed]
Themassively multiplayer online game,World of Tanks, includes an award, BILLOTTE'S MEDAL, named for Pierre Billotte.[2] The massively multiplayer online game,War Thunder, has a purchasable skin of Billotte's Char B1 Bis for the game's version of the tank.
 |  |  |
 |  | _des_Blesses_Militaires_ribbon.svg) |
 |  |  |
 | .svg) | .svg) |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| People | |
| Other | |
