Coëtquidan
Académie militaire de Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan (Template:IPA, Template:Lit, abbr. AMSCC) is a French military educational facility located in the Morbihan department of Brittany in France. It forms a part of the commune of Guer and covers an area of approximately 64 km2.
It comprises:
- École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr (ESM)
- École militaire interarmes (EMIA) (combined arms school)
- École militaire des aspirants de Coëtquidan (EMAC)
World War I
Beginning in June–July 1917 the camp was temporarily transferred to the American Expeditionary Forces for use as an artillery training center.Template:Sfn Field artillery brigades trained there included the 3rd (3rd Division), 51st (26th Division), 55th (30th Division), 56th (31st Division), 57th (32nd Division), 60th (35th Division), 61st (36th Division), 64th (39th Division), 67th (42nd Division), 158th (83rd Division), and the 160th (85th Division).Template:Sfn
World War II
During the war, Coëtquidan was the main army camp used by the Polish Army formed on French soil in September 1939.<ref>Barbarski, Krzysztof, Polish Armour 1939–45 (Osprey, London, 1982), p. 11</ref> It furnished the Polish Independent Highland Rifle Brigade<ref>Komisja Historyczna Polskiego Sztabu Głownego w Londynie, Polskie Siły Zbrojne w Drugiej Wojnie Światowej, vol. 2, part 1 (Instytut Historyczny im. Gen. Sikorskiego, London, 1959), p. 45</ref> that operated in Norway and then briefly in Brittany under General Bohusz-Szyszko in April–June 1940.<ref>Zaloga, Steven J., The Polish Army 1939–45 (Osprey, London, 1982), p. 14</ref> It also furnished the 1st Grenadier Division that operated on the Lorraine front under General Duch in May–June 1940.<ref>Ministère des Armées, État-Major de l’Armée de Terre, Service Historique, Guerre 1939–1945: Les Grandes Unités Françaises: Historiques Succincts (Paris, 1967), vol. 3, p. 293–300</ref> In addition it began the training of armoured units that would be sent to the Bollène area in the south of France before being used to form the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade that operated in the Marne–Côte-d’Or area under General Maczek in June 1940.<ref>Barbarski, Op. cit., p.11, 13–14</ref>