18th Corps (France)

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18th Army Corps
10e Corps d'Armée
Active1870–1940
CountryFrance France
BranchFrench Army
TypeArmy Corps
Part ofSecond Army
EngagementsFranco-Prussian War
World War I
Battle of France
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Charles-Denis Bourbaki
Louis de Maud'huy
Auguste Hirschauer
Jean César Graziani
Paul-André Doyen

The French 18th Army Corps (18e Corps d'Armée) was a French military unit created in November 1870 by vice admiral Fourichon.

History

The 18th Army Corps was formally organised by the decrees of 28 September 1873 and 2 August 1874, issued under the presidency of the French Third Republic to complete the post-war reorganisation of the army into eighteen metropolitan corps and one in Algeria.[1]

Commanders

1870s

World War I

  • General de Maud’huy (4 September 1914 – 29 September 1914)
  • General Marjoulet (30 September 1914 – 19 June 1916)
  • General Hirschauer (20 June 1916 – 21 August 1917)
  • General d'Armau de Pouydraguin (22 August 1917 – 25 November 1920)
  • General Graziani (1 December 1920 – 26 November 1921)

World War II

During the Battle of France in 1940, the 18th Army Corps was commanded by Général de corps d'armée Eugene Jules Rochard (succeeded by Paul-André Doyen). The corps headquarters was located at Dun-sur-Meuse.

18th Army Corps Assets (Corps Troops) (May 1940) (Click "show" to expand)
  • Cavalry: 16th Army Corps Reconnaissance Group (16e Groupe de Reconnaissance de Corps d'Armée)[2]
  • Infantry: 618th Pioneer Regiment (618e Régiment de Pionniers)[2]
  • Artillery: 118th Heavy Horse-Drawn Artillery Regiment (118e Régiment d'Artillerie Lourde Hippomobile)
    • 1st & 2nd Groups: 105mm L 1913[2]
    • 3rd & 4th Groups: 155mm L 1917[2]
  • Artillery Park: 18th Artillery Park (18e Parc d'Artillerie)
    • 118th Artisan Repair Company[2]
    • 118th & 148th Motorised Ammunition Sections[2]
  • Engineers:
    • 118/1 & 118/2 Sapper-Miner Companies (Compagnies de Sapeurs-Mineurs)[2]
    • 118/16 Bridging Train Company (Compagnie d'Équipages de Ponts)[2]
    • 118/21 Engineer Park Company (Compagnie de Parc du Génie)[2]
  • Signals:
    • 118/81 Field Telegraph Company (Compagnie Télégraphique)[2]
    • 118/82 Radio Company (Compagnie Radio)[2]
    • 118/83 Messenger Pigeon Detachment (Détachement Colombophile)[2]
  • Transport & Supply:
    • Horse Transport Company 268/18[2]
    • Motorised Transport Company 368/18[2]
    • Quartermaster and Finance Group 118/18[2]
    • Meat Supply Company 218/18[2]
  • Medical:
    • 18th Light Horse Ambulance (Ambulance Médicale Hippomobile 18)[2]
    • 218th Light Surgical Ambulance (Ambulance Chirurgicale Légère 218)[2]
    • 18th Medical Supply Group and Hygiene Section[2]
  • Air Force:
    • Air Force Headquarters 18[2]
    • 518th Army Cooperation Squadron (518e Groupe Aérien d'Observation)[2]
    • Liaison Flights 68/101 and 151/127[2]
    • Static Balloon Companies 276th and 287th[2]
  • Other Units Attached:
    • 1st, 3rd & 4th Groups of 183rd Heavy Artillery Regiment (T) (155mm GPF)[2]
    • 1st & 2nd Groups of 145th Artillery Regiment (105mm horse drawn)[2]
    • 606th Anti-Tank Battery (47mm horse drawn)[2]
1st Colonial Infantry Division (1re DIC) (Click "show" to expand)
  • Infantry:
    • 1st Colonial Infantry Regiment (1er Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale)[2]
    • 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment (2e Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale)[2]
    • 3rd Colonial Infantry Regiment (3e Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale)[2]
    • 13th Pioneer Company, 1st Colonial Infantry Regiment[2]
  • Artillery:
    • 1st Colonial Artillery Regiment (1er Régiment d'Artillerie Coloniale)[2]
    • 201st Heavy Colonial Artillery Regiment (201e Régiment d'Artillerie Lourde Coloniale)[2]
  • Reconnaissance: 71st Divisional Reconnaissance Group (71e Groupe de Reconnaissance de Division d'Infanterie)[2]
  • Engineers: 71/1 & 71/2 Sapper-Miner Companies[2]
3rd Colonial Infantry Division (3e DIC) (Click "show" to expand)
  • Infantry:
    • 21st Colonial Infantry Regiment (21e Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale)[2]
    • 23rd Colonial Infantry Regiment (23e Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale)[2]
    • 13th Pioneer Company, 1st Colonial Infantry Regiment[2]
  • Artillery:
    • 3rd Colonial Artillery Regiment (3e Régiment d'Artillerie Coloniale)[2]
    • 203rd Heavy Colonial Artillery Regiment (203e Régiment d'Artillerie Lourde Coloniale)[2]
    • 10th Anti-Tank Battery (47mm), 3rd Colonial Artillery Regiment[2]
  • Reconnaissance: 73rd Divisional Reconnaissance Group (73e Groupe de Reconnaissance de Division d'Infanterie)[2]
  • Engineers: 73/1 & 73/2 Sapper-Miner Companies[2]
41st Infantry Division (41e DI) (Click "show" to expand)
  • Infantry:
    • 101st Infantry Regiment (101e Régiment d'Infanterie)[2]
    • 103rd Infantry Regiment (103e Régiment d'Infanterie)[2]
    • 104th Infantry Regiment (104e Régiment d'Infanterie)[2]
    • 13th Pioneer Company, 103rd Infantry Regiment[2]
  • Artillery:
    • 13th Artillery Regiment (13e Régiment d'Artillerie) – Groups 1, 2, 3[2]
    • 213th Divisional Heavy Artillery Regiment (213e Régiment d'Artillerie Lourde Divisionnaire) – Groups 4, 5[2]
    • 10th Divisional Anti-Tank Battery (tractor drawn), 13th Artillery Regiment[2]
  • Reconnaissance: 41st Divisional Reconnaissance Group (41e Groupe de Reconnaissance de Division d'Infanterie)[2]
  • Attached Units:
    • 132nd Fortress Infantry Regiment (132e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse)[2]
    • 4th Machine Gun Battalion (4e Bataillon de Mitrailleurs)[2]
    • 14th Senegalese Tirailleur Regiment (14e Régiment de Tirailleurs Sénégalais)[2]

References

  1. J. Dumaine 1874, p. 93.
  2. Les Grandes Unités Françaises de la Guerre 1939-1945, Vol. 1, Service Historique de l'Armée de Terre (SHAT), Vincennes, 1967.

Sources

  • Journal militaire officiel (in French). J. Dumaine. 1874. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  • Les Grandes Unités Françaises (SHAT), Vol. 1, Vincennes, 1967.