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4th Army (France)

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4th Army
4e armée
FoundedAugust 2, 1914
CountryFrance
BranchArmy
TypeArmy
EngagementsFirst World War Second World War

The Fourth Army (French: IVe Armée), nicknamed the "Army of Fontainebleau", was a unit of the French Army, which fought during World War I and World War II.

It was one of five armies created and placed on a war footing by the Grand Quartier Général when Plan XVII was launched in response to the German attack of August 1914.

Commanders

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World War I

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Commanders

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Tribute to the Fourth Army which liberated Sommepy-Tahure.

Chief of Staff

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  • General Paul Maistre (2 August – 12 September 1914)
  • Colonel Alphonse Nudant (12 September – 21 November 1914)
  • Colonel Gabriel Alexandre Paquette [fr] (21 November 1914 – 28 January 1916)
  • Colonel Jean Degoutte (28 January – 3 August 1916)
  • Colonel Vidalon (3 August 1916 – 7 January 1917)
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Broussaud (7 January – 26 May 1917)
  • Colonel Spire (26 May 1917 – 8 January 1918)
  • Lieutenant-Colonel André-Gaston Prételat (8 January 1918 – ???)

World War II

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Commanders

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First World War

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Composition at mobilization

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Further information (in French): French mobilization of 1914 [fr]

On mobilization in August 1914, the 4th Army of the French Army was commanded by General de Langle de Cary. It comprised the 12th and 17th Corps, the Colonial Army Corps and a cavalry division.

Chief of Staff: General Paul Maistre (replaced on 12 September 1914 by Colonel Alphonse Nudant, then on 21 November 1914 by Colonel Gabriel Alexandre Paquette);
Deputy Chief: Lieutenant-Colonel Dessens;
Head of 3rd Office: Commandant de La Fontaine ;
Head of Aviation Services: Commandant Barès;
Head of Stages and Services: General Sentis.

The 1st echelon of staff from Paris arrived at Saint-Dizier on 5 August at 8:15 a.m.; the 2nd echelon on 6 August at 9 p.m. from Fontainebleau.

12th Army Corps (Limoges)

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17th Army Corps (Toulouse)

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Colonial Army Corps

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The Colonial Army Corps (CAC, formed in Paris) was commanded by General Jules Lefèvre (replaced on January 22, 1915 by General Henri Gouraud).

Chief of Staff: Colonel Puypéroux;
Deputy Chief of Staff: Lieutenant-Colonel Piquemal;
Artillery Commander: General Gautheron;
Engineer Commander: Colonel Dehoey.

9th Cavalry Division

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The 9th Cavalry Division (France) [fr] (from Tours) was formed from the 9th, 10th and 11th regions, and was commanded by general Jean de l'Espée.

  • 1st Brigade of Cuirassiers (Tours), Colonel de Mitry
5th Cuirassiers Regiment (France) [fr] (Tours)
8th Cuirassiers Regiment (France) [fr] (Tours)
  • 9th Dragoon Brigade (Nantes), General de Sailly
1st Dragoon Regiment (France) [fr] (Luçon)
3rd Dragoon Regiment (Nantes)
24th Dragoon Regiment (France) [fr] (Rennes)
25th Dragoon Regiment (France) [fr] (Angers)

Army elements

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Artillery

Engineering

Aeronautical squadrons

Changes during the war

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With the arrival of the Americans in the conflict, troops served under French command and for the Fourth Army:

History

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World War One

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The French Fourth Army was one of five armies mobilized as part of Plan XVII’s launch in August 1914 as a response to the German attacks. Its strength on mobilisation was 4,689 officers, 154,899 NCOs and men, and 58,491 horses organised into three corps of four infantry divisions, two colonial infantry divisions, and one cavalry division. [2][3] In August 1914, it was concentrated between Saint-Dizier and Bar-le-Duc, with the mission of being held in reserve in the Argonne Region. [4]

The Outbreak of World War I

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  • On the 2nd of August, the French Fourth Army was officially mobilized. From the 2nd to the 14th of August, the Fourth Army became concentrated in the south and west of the Argonne. From the 8th of August, the Fourth Army had coverage by the 2nd Army Corps and the 9th Cavalry Division from Mangiennes (3rd Army) to Mouzon (5th Army).

Battle of Frontiers

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Further information: Battle of the Frontiers
Battle of Ardennes
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Further information: Battle of Ardennes
  • On August 21, the Fourth Army participated in an offensive in the general direction of Neufchâteau in coordination with the Third Army. Participating in the Battle of Ardennes, the French Fourth Army advanced to the Robelmont line, where the Third Army was located, Tintigny, Jamoigne [fr], Chiny, Bertrix, Houdremont, and Revin where the 5th Army was located. After heavy fighting, they withdrew to the right bank of the Chiers. [5] On the 24th and 26th of August, they withdrew to the Meuse. From Sassey-sur-Meuse, the 3rd Army withdrew to Mézières.
Battle of Meuse
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Further information: Battle of the Meuse
Battle of Marne
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Further information: Battle of Marne
  • From the 6th to the 10th of September, the Fourth Army engaged in the Battle of Marne (Battle of Vitry). They resisted the German thrust, fiercely fighting on the Marne front’s left wing which was located south of Sompuis. They fought in conjunction with the 9th Army.

1914

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  • 10–15 September: pursuit of retreating German troops, up to the Varennes-en-Argonne line (3rd Army), Ville-sur-Tourbe, Sabot Wood (9th Army).
  • 15–22 September: attempts to break the German front, then stabilization and organization of the positions reached.
  • 22–23 September: loss of Varennes-en-Argonne.
  • 26–29 September: violent German attacks in the Argonne. On September 29th, right limit in liaison with the 3rd Army at Le Four de Paris.
  • 7 October: extension of the front to the left as far as Ferme des Marquises (5th Army) following the suppression of the 9th army.
  • October–November: numerous German attacks in Argonne on Grurie wood, Bagatelle, Saint-Hubert and Four de Paris.
  • 20 November: right limit (3rd Army) brought to the Aire river.

First Battle of Champagne

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1915

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  • 8 January: sector reduced to the right as far as Aisne (Oise) (3rd Army).
  • 31 May: front reduced to the right as far as Massiges (3rd Army).
  • 10 August: front reduced to the right as far as Sabot Wood (2nd Army introduced on the front).
  • 25 September: engaged in the Second Battle of Champagne, capture of Navarin Farm; then organization and defense of conquered positions.

1916

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  • 5 January: as a result of the 2nd Army's withdrawal from the front, right limit (3rd Army) extended to the Aisne (Oise).
  • 9 January: German attacks on Mont Têtu.
  • 12 February: German attack in the Navarin farm area.
  • 25 February: French attack in the Navarin farm area.
  • 27 February: German counter-attack in the same area.
  • 15 March: French attack in the same area.
  • 16 May: German coup de main at Mount Têtu.
  • 26 June: following the withdrawal of the 3rd Army, right limit brought to Le Four de Paris (2nd Army).

1917

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  • 22 March: right limit reduced to Ville-sur-Tourbe (2nd Army).
  • 17 April – 16 July: Battle of the Champagne Mountains, offensive on the Aubérive front. Prosnes; capture of Aubérive, Mount Sans Nom, Mount Blond, Téton, Casque, Mount Haut and Mount Cornillet. Organization and defense of conquered positions.
  • 10 May: right limit brought to Le Four de Paris (2nd Army).
  • Late July and August: German attacks in the Monts region.

1918

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  • 6 February: right boundary brought back to Beaurain Wood (2nd Army).
  • 29 March: left limit brought up to the Courcy cavalrymen (withdrawal of the 5th Army).
  • 26–27 May: following the withdrawal of the 6th Army, some elements of the left of the 4th Army fall back slightly to the south in the area northwest of Reims.
  • 29 May: left limit (5th Army) brought back to the Prunay area (introduction of the 5th Army) and on May 31 brought to Fort de la Pompelle.
  • On 16 June 1918, on the orders of General Pershing, the United States’ 42nd Division were attached to the Fourth Army and assigned under Henri Gouraud’s command until the end of the war. [6]
  • 4 July: left boundary (5th Army), moved to Prunay; right boundary 2nd Army, moved to the Houyette ravine.

Second Battle of Marne

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Fourth Battle of Champagne

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Further information: Second Battle of Marne § German attack
  • On the 15th of July, the German First and Third Army attacked the French Fourth Army east of Reims. At 11:00, the attack on the French Fourth Army was halted. [7]

15–18 July: Battle of Champagne, German offensive towards the Hand of Massiges [fr] at Prunay, halted in front of the French resistance position, after voluntary abandonment of the front lines (battle of Prosnes-Massiges).

    • 16 July: right limit (2nd Army) brought back to Beaurain Wood.

The Continuation of Second Battle of Marne

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Meuse-Argonne offensive

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  • From September 26 to October 16, the Fourth Army engaged in the Meuse–Argonne offensive, initially fighting in the Battle of Somme-Py, which lasted from September 26 to October 4. Exploiting the confusion of the Germans, the French Fourth Army advanced to the Aisne. After the battle, the Fourth Army reorganized itself on the Termes front with the American Army and in the Vouziers, Rethel region with the 5th Army. [9] From 16-20 October, there was a French offensive with heavy fighting in the Olizy, Vouziers region. On October 18, there was a crossing of the Aisne towards Vouziers, and a creation of a bridgehead north of the Aisne. On 21 October, there was a strong German attack towards Terron-sur-Aisne.

Third phase

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Parade of the French Fourth Army on the Place de la République in Strasbourg on November 22, 1918, with General Gouraud in front of the rostrum.

World War II

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It was initially attached to Army Group No. 2 (east), then in June 1940 joined Army Group No. 4.[10]

Composition

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Liste des armees francaises" [List of French armies]. atf40.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-04-18. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  2. ^ AFGG 1923, book 10, volume 1, p. 203-4.
  3. ^ AFGG 1936, book 1, volume 1, p. 563.
  4. ^ W. A. Stewart. "LANREZAC, JOFFRE, AND PLAN XVII" (PDF). p. 15. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  5. ^ Doughty 2005, pp. 71–76.
  6. ^ James 1970, pp. 166, 172.
  7. ^ a b "Battles - The Second Battle of the Marne, 1918". Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  8. ^ Lt. Col. Peter F. Owens, USMC (RET); Lt. Col. John Swift, USMC (RET). "A HIDEOUS PRICE" (PDF). p. 5. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  9. ^ "American Operations in the Meuse-Argonne Region" (PDF). p. 1. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  10. ^ a b Adam, Alain; Delporte, David; Houliez, Didier; Denis, Eric; Capdebosq, Eric. "Situation des troupes du 05 au 25 juin 1940" [Situation of troops from June 5 to 25, 1940] (PDF). atf40.fr (in French). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-01-06. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  11. ^ a b "Liste des corps d'armees francais" [List of French Army Corps]. atf40.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2024-12-04.
  12. ^ "Liste des bataillons français—Bataillons de Mitrailleurs" [List of French battalions—Machine Gun Battalions]. atf40.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2020-08-13.

Sources and bibliography

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See also

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