Early LS in French, signed “C. De Gaulle,” one page both sides, 5.25 x 3.5, 507 Regiment de Chars, Le Colonel letterhead, June 22, 1938. Letter to an unidentified woman. In full (translated): “The 507th thank you heatedly to have accepted to be the godmother to the tank ‘Indefatigable.’ Please find herewith the insignia for your function which will be at the same time a reminder of our gratitude. The event committee hopes to have, Madame, the honor to welcome you, bearing your insignia, on June 26 before 3:45 PM at the Lizé quarter. So it can introduce your godson on time at his spot in the order of battle and inform you of the small formalities to fill out.” In fine condition, with small red spot along bottom edge of first page.
Assuming command of the 507th Tank Regiment in October of 1937, de Gaulle strongly believed that the fundamental weakness of the French tanks was in their deployment, not the machines themselves. Extensively training and drilling his troops, he accelerated the separation of tanks from the infantry and into specialized armored divisions. In 1934, he wrote the book Towards a Professional Army, which favored an army based on mobile armored divisions; the book sold poorly in his home country, but was rather successful in Germany, even being read to Hitler. A particularly early example of the future general’s strong advocacy of a strong and mobile army. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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