The 1re, 2e, and 3e Divisions Cuirassées de Réserve (DCR) were formed in early 1940 as part of the French Infantry Arm. The 4e DCR was created in mid-May 1940, after the German offensive had begun, and had a different composition from the earlier three divisions, being assembled hastily from training units, depot troops, and other detachments.
The Divisions Cuirassées de Réserve (DCRs) were France’s primary infantry-arm heavy armoured formations of 1940, created to deliver powerful, localised counter-attacks against enemy breakthroughs. Their conception reflected the French Army’s interwar doctrine, which saw tanks as primarily a support weapon for infantry rather than an independent strategic arm.
The origins of the DCRs lay in the mechanisation of infantry support units in the 1930s. While the cavalry arm pursued high-speed mechanised formations (the DLMs), the infantry branch focused on creating concentrated groups of heavy tanks to smash fortified positions and blunt enemy armoured thrusts. This emphasis on direct support led to designs such as the Char B1 bis — heavily armoured, well-armed, but relatively slow and short-ranged.
By the late 1930s, experiments with groupements cuirassés (armoured groupings) demonstrated the need for larger, more coherent heavy armoured formations. French planners envisioned divisions that could be committed at decisive points to halt an enemy advance or support a major offensive.
Creation of the DCRs (1940)
In January–February 1940, the French High Command authorised the formation of the first three Divisions Cuirassées de Réserve: 1re DCR, 2e DCR, and 3e DCR. A fourth, 4e DCR, was created in mid-May 1940 — after the German offensive began — from training units and other available elements, and had a markedly different composition from the earlier three divisions.
Despite the name, “reserve” did not mean second-rate; it referred to their intended role as a strategic reserve to be committed at critical moments.
The DCRs were intended to:
- Deliver concentrated counter-attacks against enemy penetrations
- Support infantry corps in breaking through fortified or heavily defended positions
- Provide a mobile reserve of heavy tanks at army or army group level
Typical DCR organisation (early 1940)
- Two tank battalions of Char B1 bis heavy tanks
- Two tank battalions of Hotchkiss H39 light tanks
- One motorised infantry regiment (bataillons de chasseurs portés) for close support
- One motorised artillery regiment (75mm and 105mm guns)
- Reconnaissance, engineer, signals, medical, and service elements — all motorised
Operational Realities
In theory, the DCRs were powerful armoured formations. In practice, they suffered from several limitations:
- Slow operational speed due to heavy tank mobility and logistical demands
- Short operational range (particularly the Char B1 bis, with high fuel consumption)
- Insufficient organic reconnaissance capability
- Artillery and infantry components that struggled to keep pace in fluid operations
The DCRs were rarely committed as intact divisions. Instead, their battalions and companies were often split up and assigned piecemeal to infantry divisions, diluting their striking power. The 4e DCR, under Colonel Charles de Gaulle, was one of the few to conduct a large-scale independent counter-attack — at Montcornet on 17 May 1940.
The Hotchkiss H39 was an attempt to improve the speed of the H35 and also saw the replacement of the 37L21 gun with the more effective 37L33. The H39 was only available in small numbers in 1940, but was fitted with radios.
Based on outmoded design concepts, the Char B1 bis owes its origins to World War One tank design. Slow and unreliable, the Char B1 bis is heavily-armoured and with a hull-mounted 75mm howitzer. It has a 47mm gun in a On-Man Turret. The 75mm gun may only be fired if the Char B1 bis doesn’t move, but after moving a unit can use opportunity fire.
