French 342nd Independent Tank Company ?

Also involved in operations in the Narvik area during the Norwegian campaign in 1940. I´m looking for details on equipment ( tanks ), size etc.

Thanks.

 

15 Hotchkiss H39 are sent in Norway in this unit.

David

 

Thanks, I found a picture of a Hotchkiss H-39 in Norway ( it´s so much easier when you know what you´re looking for ). The origin of the picture is a bit vague, but it´s taken from a German ( WWII ? ) publication where the caption reads "Engl. Panzer in Narvik". I guess the Germans didn´t allways knew who they were fighting.

 

Another French Independent Tank Company ( 343rd ), which is left out of the OOB I have, have turned up thanks to a website capt.mainwaring supplied ( www.nuav.net ).

Does anybody know of any encounters between these and German tanks ?

 

Look at this photo for example :

http://www.chars-francais.net/images/ar ... cacc_2.jpg

David

 

Thanks,

Is that a photo from Narvik as well ?

 

Yes, and look at the helmet of the guy on the tank, it is a British soldier.

Have a look obn this OoB also :
http://france1940.free.fr/oob/cefs.html

In fact the 342e CACC is formed with the tanks of the 1st company of the 42e BCC belonging to the 3e DCR. The tanks of this company were originally to be converted into flame-thrower tanks. The company as assigned to the 1e DLCh. It was sent to Norway, later beeing evacuated to Morocco. The unit served later in the Free French forces in Gabon.

David

 

I can´t find the 343rd Independent Tank Company on the OoB you provided. I guess this means that only the 342nd reached Norway. I noticed that yet another tank company, the 344th, was intended for Norway as well.

 

The 343rd is grossly 5th row, 2nd line in the theoretical organization..... oh yes I see you are right the 343rs has "disappeared" it does not appear in the elements recalled to UK ... strange.
AFAIK FT17 tanks were loaded in Brest in the same time than the units for Norway but these tanks were never intended to go to Norway ... the presence of the 343rd may be a mistake of this OoB ... perhaps other people will have more info ?

David

 

Could the 343rd have been disbanded or left behind when Narvik was evacuated?

 

AFAIK no FT17 tank landed in Norway at all. They were in the same French harbour while loading the H39 tanks but either they went to an other destination or simply stayed in France IMHO.
It would have been not very smart to send these WW1 obsolete tanks if the loading space dedicated to armor was already limited in the ships used for the expedition I guess.

Regards,

David