The Division Daguet was a French Army division formed in September 1990 in Saudi Arabia as part of France's contribution to Operation Desert Shield. The French military contribution to the allied cause to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation was named Opération Daguet and its ground part was subsequently named Division Daguet. In French "Daguet" is a young brocket deer.
In 1991 the division participated in Operation Desert Storm guarding the left flank of the allied advance. After Iraq surrendered the division's units returned to France and the division itself was disbanded on 30 April 1991.
After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 the United States and its allies began to deploy forces to Saudi Arabia to protect the country from a feared Iraqi invasion. As Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein refused to remove his forces from Kuwait the United Nations Security Council accepted UNSC Resolution 678, which authorized UN member nations in to evict Iraqi forces from Kuwait with force after 15 January 1991.
France had already dispatched troops to Saudi Arabia in September 1990 to help deter Iraq further military adventures, but with war drawing closer, the French contingent was rapidly reinforced all through fall of 1990. Most of the initial units of the Division Daguet were drawn from the 6th Light Armoured Division (6 DLB), but ultimately the division was made up mixed units from 20 regiments with troops and equipment coming from 57 regiments in total.
Initially the commander of 6th Light Armoured Division Major General Jean-Charles Mouscardès commanded Division Daguet, but after a medical emergency on 7 February 1991 he was replaced by Brigadier General Bernard Janvier the next day. Overall commander of French forces in Saudi Arabia and Opération Daguet was General Michel Roquejeoffre, commanding officer of the French Army's Force d'action rapide (Rapid Action Force). Initially, the French operated independently under national command and control, but coordinated closely with the highest allied command CENTCOM. In January, the Division was placed under the tactical control of the US XVIII Airborne Corps and reinforced for the ground war with the following units from the US Army: 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, and 27th Engineer Battalion.
On 24 February 1991, the ground phase began. Reconnaissance units of Division Daguet advanced into Iraq. Three hours later, the French main body attacked. The initial objective of the division was an airfield 90 miles (140 km) inside Iraq at As-Salman. Reinforced by the US 82nd Airborne Division, the French crossed the border unopposed and attacked north. The French then came across elements of the 45th Iraqi Mechanised Infantry Division. After a brief battle, supported by French Army missile-armed Aérospatiale Gazelle attack helicopters, they controlled the objective and captured 2,500 prisoners. By the end of the first day Division Daguet had secured its objectives and continued the attack north, securing the highways from Baghdad to southern Iraq.
The division's staff was mostly drawn from the staff of the 6th Light Armoured Division based in Nîmes. After the arrival of most units the division was split into two tactical groups: Group West (Groupement Ouest) and Group East (Groupement Est). At the outset of hostilities the division was composed as follows:
Division Daguet6e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured DivisionDivisional HQ company1x reconnaissance squadron from the 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes from the 11th Paratrooper Division with ERC 90 Sagaie1x signal company, organic to the 6e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured Division1x signal company from the 54e Régiment de TransmissionLogistic Support Group2x transport companies, organic to the 6e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured Division2x transport companies from the 511e Régiment du Train respectively the 602e Régiment de Circulation Routière2x supply companies, from the 511e Régiment du Train respectively the 516e Régiment du TrainMedical Support Group4th Air-transportable Surgical Hospital9th Air-transportable Surgical Hospital2x medical transport companies and 1x medical supply company from medical units1x medical company organic to the 6e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured Division1x CBRN defence company1x Military Police squadron from the National GendarmerieGeneral and HQ Protection Company6x Long Range Reconnaissance/Special Forces teams from the 13e Régiment de Dragons ParachutistesGroupement Ouest, with units from the 6th Light Armoured Division1er Régiment de Spahis3x squadrons with AMX-10RC1x anti-tank squadron with VAB/HOT1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie3x squadrons with AMX-10RC1x anti-tank squadron with VAB/HOT2e Régiment Étranger d'Infanterie3x companies with VAB APCs1x company from the 21e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine with VAB APCs1x squadron from the Régiment d'Infanterie-Chars de Marine from the 9th Marine Infantry Division with AMX-10RC1x reconnaissance squadron from the 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes from the 11th Paratrooper Division with ERC 90 Sagaie11e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine from the 9th Marine Infantry Division reinforced with men from the 68e Régiment d'Artillerie3x batteries with towed 155mm TRF1 howitzers1x air defence battery from the 35e Régiment d'Artillerie Parachutiste from the 11th Paratrooper Division with Mistral surface-to-air missiles1er Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat from the 4th Airmobile Division (including all attached units)1st Reconnaissance and Support-protection Helicopter Squadron (EHRAP1) with Gazelle/20mm helicopters2nd Reconnaissance and Support-protection Helicopter Squadron (EHRAP2) with Gazelle/20mm helicopters3rd Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA3) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters4th Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA4) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters from the 2e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat5th Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA5) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters6th Maneuver Helicopter Squadron (EHM6) with Puma helicopters1x airmobile infantry company from the 1er Régiment d'Infanterie1x artillery battalion from the 18th Field Artillery Brigade with towed 155mm M198 howitzersGroupement Est4e Régiment de Dragons from the 10th Armoured Division3x squadrons with AMX-30 B2 main battle tanks3e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine from the 9th Marine Infantry Division3x companies with VAB APCs1x company from the 21e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine from the 6th Light Armoured Division with VAB APCs1x squadron from the Régiment d'Infanterie-Chars de Marine from the 9th Marine Infantry Division with AMX-10RC3e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat from the 4th Airmobile Division (including all attached units)1st Reconnaissance and Support-protection Helicopter Squadron (EHRAP1) with Gazelle/20mm helicopters2nd Reconnaissance and Support-protection Helicopter Squadron (EHRAP2) with Gazelle/20mm helicopters from the 5e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat3rd Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA3) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters from the 6e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat4th Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA4) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters5th Maneuver Helicopter Squadron (EHM5) with Puma helicopters from the 6e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat6th Attack Helicopter Squadron (EHA6) with Gazelle/HOT helicopters from the 5e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat7th Maneuver Helicopter Squadron (EHM7) with Puma helicopters from the 5e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat8th Maneuver Helicopter Squadron (EHM8) with Puma helicopters from the 4e Régiment d'Helicopteres de Combat1x airmobile infantry company from the 1er Régiment d'Infanterie2x artillery battalions from the 18th Field Artillery Brigade with towed 155mm M198 howitzers2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment (Airborne)2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment (Airborne)4th Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment (Airborne)2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment (Airborne) (105mm howitzers)1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine Battle Group with troops from the 11th Paratrooper Division1x headquarters company with men from the 7e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien and 14e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien1x airborne company with men from the 3e Régiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine and 6e Régiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine1x mixed reconnaissance/artillery company with men from the 1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes and 35e Régiment d'Artillerie ParachutisteReconnaissance and Covered Action Commando from the 2e Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes2e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine from the 9th Marine Infantry Division3x companies with VAB APCs6e Régiment Étranger de Génie from the 6th Light Armoured Division3x engineer companies1x detachment from the 3e Régiment du Génie from the 10th Armoured Division1x detachment from the 5e Régiment du Génie from the 1st Military Region6e Bataillon du Matériel from the 6th Light Armoured Division3x maintenance companies1x maintenance company, organic to the 6e Régiment de Commandement et de Soutien from the 6th Light Armoured Division1x maintenance company from the 9e Régiment de Soutien Aéromobile1x maintenance company from the 9e Bataillon du Matériel from the 9th Marine Infantry Division1x maintenance company from the 10e Bataillon du Matériel from the 10th Armoured DivisionFive members of Division Daguet were killed, including one before the beginning of the conflict and two afterwards: a soldier was killed in a car accident in Saudi Arabia in November 1990. During the conflict, two paratroopers of the 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine were killed while clearing unexploded U.S. submunitions near Al-Salman on 26 February 1991, and after the conflict two Legionnaires of the 6e Régiment Étranger de Génie were killed in March respectively April near Kuwait City.
