Alsace-Lorraine Independent Brigade (France)

The Alsace-Lorraine Independent Brigade (Brigade indépendente Alsace-Lorraine, or BIAL), usually known as the Alsace-Lorraine Brigade or sometimes as the Brigade Malraux, was a French Forces of the Interior (FFI) unit that fought alongside regular French Army forces in World War II during the closing months of 1944 and early 1945. Formed in September 1944 by André Malraux, the brigade comprised approximately 1,000 men organized into three battalions named for the cities of Metz, Mulhouse, and Strasbourg. Malraux's achievement in organizing this brigade was noteworthy in that few brigade-sized units of FFI men were organized at all, and his was one of the brigades that retained the longest an organization independent from that of the French regular army. Although the men of the brigade were highly motivated, many were not military veterans and the unit was equipped with a mixture of Allied and German weapons and material. Despite these disadvantages, the brigade compiled a good combat record. Not assigned permanently to a division, the brigade was part of the army reserve of General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny's French First Army, and as such, was assigned as a reinforcement unit to various regular French divisions. From 26 September to 16 October 1944, the brigade fought in the vicinity of Thillot, east of Mulhouse. In November 26-27, 1944, the brigade fought with the French 5th Armored Division to liberate the town of Dannemarie in the Vosges Mountains. Subsequently, Malraux personally led the brigade's assault on the nearby town of Ballersdorf. In January 1945, the brigade took part in the defense of Strasbourg during the German Nordwind offensive. During this action, 140 men of the brigade were encircled for three days from January 8-10 in Gerstheim, south of Strasbourg. On the afternoon of January 10, the Gerstheim garrison was assaulted by 10 Tiger tanks and two infantry companies, forcing the garrison to withdraw during the night after losing 40 men.