WesWorld

April 1st, 1936:

General de Brigade Charles de Gaulle, has been unexpectedly promoted to General de Division, and his role in the development of French Armoured Forces expanded with his appointment to the newly created Army Inspectorate of Armoured Troops, previously all armoured troops were placed under the Army Artillery Inspectorate.

Both the promotion and the new appointment has generated a great deal of heat within French Army circles, as not all of General de Gaulle's ideas are widely accepted within either the Army or the Ministry of War. De Gaulle is expected to dive into the new assignment with his customry militant euthusiasm and talent for generating controversy, how this is likely to effect the future of the Armoured units within the French Army remains to be seen.

De Gaulle's supporters hope that the general will ginger up a generally sluggish and lackluster interest within the nation about its armoured developments, and push for greater technical and tactical expertise within the French military.

April 7th, 1936:

The Le Dirigeable française Tranportation Entreprise (French Airship Transportation Company) Director Alexandre Bethelot, has declared the corporation's air ship fleet operational and ready to begin regular service.

Director Bethelot, announced that the regular Paris to Cleito service would be handled for the present by the airships Méditerranée and Henri Giffard, while the Paris to Moscow service would be handled by the Joseph Montgolfier and Etienne Montgolfier . This represented something of a change from the corporation's original intentions of establishing a series of single airship services to several locales.

Informed speculation concerning this is, that the DFTE is under severe financial strain due to the hurried development and construction of its current building sheds, hangers, and training establishments and six airships. Director Bethelot of course dismisses these rumours as baseless.

The Dixmunde has been returned to the main DFTE hanger outside Paris, to undergo some necessary operational repairs and general maintance. It is expected the airship will emerge from its hanger in several weeks to begin full time air crew training duties.

Meanwhile the airships Albert Santos-Dumont and Jacques Charles have emerged from their construction sheds, and begun full airworthiness, speed and manovering trials. It is expected they will be used to establish a third French airship route once they complete their trials.

There is some speculation that the third route will be either to Africa, Asia or the Balkans. DFTE officals however refuse to comment however.

April 12th, 1936:

The French Army has announced that the primary metropolitian forces of the Republic of France will be organized and deployed in the following manner until further notice.

L'Armée des Alpes:
10 x mountain divisions, organized in 3 mountain corps (I - III Alpin)
2 x light infantry divisions, organized in a single corps (I Legere)

L'Armée du Nord:
20 x infantry divisions, organized in 10 infantry corps (I - X)
4 x light infantry divisions, organized in 2 corps (II, III Legere)
3 x cavalry divisions, organized as a single cavalry corps (I Cav)

L'Armée de la Rhin:
20 x infantry divisions, organized in 10 infantry corps (XI - XX)
4 x light infantry divisions, organized in 2 corps (IV, V Legere)
3 x cavalry divisions, organized as a single cavalry corps (II Cav)

Army Reserve:
4 x infantry divisions
4 x heavy armoured divisions
2 x cavalry divisions
4 x light infantry divisions

April 20th, 1936:

Director Alexandre Bethelot has announced that the DFTE is entering into negiotations with the Canadian government to consider the establishment of a French - Canadian airship route i.e a true transatlantic service via an extension of the Paris - Cleito service recently established with the Méditerranée and Henri Giffard. Canada already has well established airship support facilities at Saint-Hubert airport (near Montreal), and at Halifax, while similar facilities are being worked up at Vancouver.

It is deemed likely that extablishing this service extention will be the first task of the refurbished Dixmunde when it emerges from it's hanger sometime in mid to late March. Whether this service extention - providing the negiotations proceeed satisfactorialy - will constitue the DFTE's third airship service however remains to be seen, as corporate officals remain surprisingly tight-lipped on the matter.

April 21st, 1936:

The French Admiralty has ordered a "test" overseas deployment of it's Coast Defense Battleship Force from home waters to distant foreign waters.
The French Naval Ministry announced its plans to test its ability to form and deploy rapid response groups to any point of French maritime interest at short notice.

The three CDBs - Petain, Weygand and Joffre - normally deployed in the Mediterranian, at Tunis, Beirut and Tangiers respectively, are scheduled to form as a squadron in Tangiers by April 28th, and then make the best of their way to eastern Africa waters, rendevouzing with the Sarrail in Djibuti, French Somalialand. The three Coastal Defense Battleships will each be accompanied by their usual escort of Adventurieur-class destroyers.

Contre-Amiral Felix De Vassoigne, has been assigned as squadron commander, and will have at his disposal not only the three coastal defense battleships, but nine destroyers and at two specially equiped oil tankers to act as "fleet" oilers as may be required for the trip from Tangiers to Dijbuti. De Vassoigne is expected to hoist his flag in the Petain, although this has not yet been confirmed by an offical source.

April 22nd, 1936:

General de Division Charles de Gaulle, has been abruptly and summarily dismissed from his post as Inspector-General of Armoured Troops, following a series of incendiary confrontations with the French War Ministry over the future, training and strategic direction of the French Army armoured units.

General de Gaulle, is thus without employment or outlet for his fercious energies and ideas. His supporters within the armed services have decried his removal, and are lobbying strongly for his return to duty with the Armoured troops. His detractors are equally determined to deny him any active command or administrative position in which he can have a say on army policy.

General de Gaulle has remarked that if military service is no longer an option for him, that he will seriously consider running for elected office at the first practical moment, to continue his fight for the improvement of France's military.

probably the best opportunity i'll likely get to use this one...

Ug, OOC I've never liked the man and I don't think there is any possition he could take that he wouldn't manage to ruffle feathers with.

The Abwehr is investigating just what it is that De Gaulle was proposing to do with armored troops and why it was that he was sacked because of his proposals.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson
...and why it was that he was sacked because of his proposals.

This just in, French publishers have received the title of de Gaulle's new book, "Go East Young Man".

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson
...and why it was that he was sacked because of his proposals.

This just in, French publishers have received the title of de Gaulle's new book, "Go East Young Man".

<chuckle> Then the Abwehr would be checking on whether he was paid by Belgium or not.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson
<chuckle> Then the Abwehr would be checking on whether he was paid by Belgium or not.

Don't be silly, just because it's published in Antwerp is no reason to cast aspersions....Heck if this was current time, they might offer him a position in the Military Academy... though their TD-based armor doctrine would appall him.

Quoted

Originally posted by Kaiser Kirk

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson
<chuckle> Then the Abwehr would be checking on whether he was paid by Belgium or not.

Don't be silly, just because it's published in Antwerp is no reason to cast aspersions....Heck if this was current time, they might offer him a position in the Military Academy... though their TD-based armor doctrine would appall him.

Cast aspersions? Me? Heck no, be suspicious, yes.

Without De Gaulle's war record of "saving" France (depending on who tells the story of course) I can't see him having any political influence at all. Most Frenchmen probably haven't even heard of him and the older generation of Great War generals probably would still hold public acknowledgement.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
Without De Gaulle's war record of "saving" France (depending on who tells the story of course) I can't see him having any political influence at all. Most Frenchmen probably haven't even heard of him and the older generation of Great War generals probably would still hold public acknowledgement.

<nod> I wouldn't think he'd be able to shoot to the top of French politics, but he certainly could get involved in them. Whether he'd be able to sink or swim without the events of WWII, well, that's not my story to tell.

April 23rd, 1936:

The French steam schooner SS Irene DuRussy , (built 1918, 3,500 tons, speed 10 knots), a sister ship of the Commandant de Rose, has been reported missing and overdue by her owners, best estimates of the Irene DuRussy's intended course and speed place her last known position to the north of the Paracels Islands. A telegram message from her captain indicated that the ship was leaving Manila on schedule and making for Saigon to drop off her cargo.

A ship transiting the area - which at the present remains unidentified - retrieved a up turned lifeboat bearing the Irene DuRussy's name and immediatedly radioed the French authorities in Indochina. Vessels were dispatched and a search conducted, no sign of the ship has yet been discovered, save for an widely scattered debris field, composed of ships articles, sail canvas and ship's timbers.

The wooden sail and steam driven schooner was carrying a general cargo of foodstuffs and dry goods, however according to the ship's loading manifest, the Irene DuRussy, took on a consignment of guncotton. Experts note that the quantity of guncotton, was not sufficient to destroy the ship, if it had detonated, but concided that depending on where it had been stored could have inflicted considerable damage on the Irene DuRussy.

French Military and Civil authorities are tight lipped about this development, but have assured the public that investigations are ongoing. No members of the ship's crew have yet been found, nor have any bodies of the same been recovered from the waters around the Paracels.

April 28th, 1936:

In a bid to quash any political pretentions of General de Division Charles de Gaulle, the French War Ministry with the agreement of the French Foreign Office have dispatched, the former Inspector-General of Armoured Troops, to Canada as the new senior military attache.

De Gaulle, had been unexpectedly courted for political office, following his removal from the Inspectorate, by certain French right wing parties. These parties have been critical of French military developments, and see in General de Gaulle, a useful tool with which they can assail the current Socialist government of France.

General de Gaulle, awaiting orders following his dismissal from the Armoured Troops, expected to be left without further assignment and thus free to pursue his own ends. The French War Ministry obviously has decided to frustrate that expectation.

April 30th, 1936:

In response to developments (and continued investigations) with the unexpected shipping losses in or near the Paracal Islands, the Viceroy of French Indochina has requested, the formation of a air and sea rescue station (placed at an appropriate spot within the islands) to deal with the situation.

As two ships have been lost so far, in uncertain circumstances, the regional French authorities have request the Iberian government to assist them in the endevour, a joint Franco-Iberian Rescue Service being considered the ideal response to the situation.

The French Government is fully expected to second the request of the Viceroy, after due deliberations.

May 2nd, 1936:

While the French Ministry of War still grapples with finding a suitable cantidate for General de Division Charles De Gaulle's replacement as the Army Inspector-General of Armoured Troops, the Ministery has decided ad interim to act on some of De Gaulle's findings via recent field manovers and weapons testing.

The heavy armoured divisions, will formed the nucleous of two Armoured Corps, the I and II Corps blindé. At present each armoured corps is expected to contain two heavy armoured divisions, and one light infantry division. Together these six divisions will form - what has been termed by some as - a Garde Mobile, for the Armee de Terre, which will be at the disposal of the Army General Headquarters for special tasks and assaults.

Further some of the equipement for the four divisions has been finalized and orders placed for full scale production. At present the FCM 2C heavy tank forms the main tactical asset of the heavy armoured divsions, which will now be supported by "mobile" artillery vehicles based on the Renault R-35, Somua S-35, and Hotchkiss H-35 chassis and Lorraine tracked carrier/tractor chassis. The R-35s, will mount 75-mm, 105-mm cannons for direct tactical support of armoured and infantry units, while the H-35s will be used to mount 105-mm or 120-mm howitzers for indirect tactical artillery support. The Lorraine carrier/tractor will be adapted to fit 105-mm and 155-mm weapons. Intensive studies and field practices have also considered all chassis for the mounting of 47-mm Anti-tank cannons.

The Somua MCG5 half-track which is a primary artillery towing vehicle for the armour has been adapted for the roles of infantry squad carrier (carrying up to 12 soldiers and their gear), anti-aircraft vehicle (mounting either a single or twin 13.2-mm MG or a single or twin 20-mm or 25-mm automatic cannon), radio/command vehicle, engineering vehicle and artillery support vehicle (mounting either a 25-mm AT, 47-mm AT guns or 75-mm field cannon depending on its role as either anti-tank or infantry support).

The Souma's smaller cousin the Unic P 107 half-track another staple of French artillery units, has also been adapted in the above tactical roles, although in the anti-aircraft role it will only fit a single 13.2-mm or 20/25-mm weapon, or a 47-mm AT gun when function in an artillery carrier role. When adapted as an infantry carrier the Unic P 107, carries only half the infantry complement of its larger cousin.

Both vehicles supported by various armoured car types will provide the main method of transport and tactical armament of supporting chasseur and reconnaissance battalions within the heavy armoured divisions.

Aren't the R-35 and H-35a bit small for carrying 105mm and 120mm weapons? You'd probably have problems with the S-35 despite the extra weight available its still a small tank. The Somua S-40 or ARL 40 seem more likely.