Editing Freikorps (section)

===France===
In [[French Third Republic|France]], a similar group (but unrelated to the Freikorps) were the "Corps Franc". Starting in October 1939, the French Army raised a number of Corps Franc units with the mission of carrying out ambush, raid, and harassing operations forward of the [[Maginot Line]] during the period known as the [[Phoney War|Phoney War (Drôle de Guerre)]]. They were tasked with attacking German troops guarding the [[Siegfried Line]]. Future [[Vichy France|Vichy]] [[Collaborationism#France|collaborationist]], [[Anti-communism|Anti-Bolshevik]] and [[Waffen-SS|SS]] [[Sturmbannführer|Major]] [[Joseph Darnand]] was one of the more famous participants in these commando actions.

In May 1940, the experience of the Phoney War-era Corps Franc was an influence in creating the [[Groupes Franc Motorisé de Cavalerie|Groupes Francs Motorisé de Cavalerie (GFC)]] who played a storied role in the delaying operations and last stands of the [[Battle of France]], notably in the defenses of [[Battle of France#Weygand Plan|the Seine]] and [[Battle of Saumur (1940)|the Loire]]. Between April – September 1944, the [[Corps Franc de la Montagne Noire]] unit operated as part of the [[French Resistance]].

==== Corps Francs d'Afrique ====
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On 25 November 1942, in the immediate aftermath of the [[Operation Torch|Allied Invasion of Vichy French North Africa]] the '''Corps Francs d'Afrique (CFA)''' (African Corps Franc) was raised in [[French protectorate in Morocco|French Morocco]] within the [[Free French Forces]] by [[Henri Giraud|General Giraud]]. Giraud drew the members of the all-volunteer unit from residents of Northern Africa of diverse religious backgrounds (Christian, Jew, and Muslim) and gave them the title of ''Vélite'', a name inspired by the elite light infantry of [[Napoleon|Napoleon's]] [[Imperial Guard (Napoleon I)|Imperial Guard]], who were named after the [[Roman army of the mid-Republic|Roman]] [[Velites]]. Much of the Corps was drawn from [[Henri d'Astier de la Vigerie]] and [[José Aboulker]]'s [[Géo Gras Group|Géo Gras]] [[French Resistance|French Resistance Group]] which had been responsible for the [[Géo Gras Group#November 8, 1942|Algiers Insurrection]] where the Resistance seized control of Algiers on the night of 8 November 1942 in coordination with the [[Operation Torch|Allied landings]] happening that same night. In taking over Algiers, they managed to capture both [[François Darlan|Admiral Darlan]] and [[Alphonse Juin|General Juin]], which led to the [[François Darlan#Darlan's deal in North Africa|Darlan Deal]] wherein [[Vichy France|Vichy French]] forces came over to the Allied side. [[François Darlan|Darlan]] was later assassinated by [[Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle]], an early member of the Corps Francs d'Afrique. They functioned as the [[Free French Forces|Free French]] equivalent to the [[British Army|British]] [[Commandos (United Kingdom)|Commandos]]. The Corps also included many Spanish and International old combatants of the [[Spanish Republican Army]], which had sought refuge in Northern Africa in 1939.

The Corps Francs d'Afrique, under command of [[Joseph de Goislard de Monsabert]], went on to fight [[Erwin Rommel|Rommel's]] [[Afrikakorps]] in [[Tunisian Campaign|Tunisia]] with the U.S. [[United States Army North#World War II|5th Army]]. They fought alongside the [[139th (Sherwood Foresters) Brigade|British 139th Brigade]] at [[Battle of Kassarine Pass|Kassarine]] and [[Operation Ochsenkopf|Sidi Nasr]], where they famously conducted a heroic bayonet charge, facing two to one odds, against the [[Military history of Italy during World War II|Italian]] [[Bersaglieri|34th Battalion of the 10th Bersaglieri]] near the mountain of [[Sejnane|Kef Zilia]] on the road to [[Bizerte]], taking 380 prisoners, killing the Italian battalion commander, and capturing the plans for [[Operation Ausladung]]. They participated in [[Tunisian Campaign#Battle|the capture of]] Bizerte in May 1943.

For its actions, the Corps Franc d'Afrique was awarded the [[Croix de Guerre]].

The CFA formally was dissolved on 9 July 1943, with its members and equipment forming the corps of the newly created [[Groupe des Commandos d'Afrique|African Commando Group (GCA)]] on 13 July 1943 in [[Damous|Dupleix]], [[French Algeria|Algeria]], today seen as a forebear to the postwar [[11e régiment parachutiste de choc|Parachutist Shock Battalions]] and the modern day [[13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment|13th RDP]]. The GCA went on to fight at [[Pianosa#History|Pianosa]], [[Invasion of Elba|Elba]], [[Operation Avalanche|Salerno]], [[Operation Dragoon|Provence]], [[1st Army (France)#1944–1945|Belfort]], [[Fort de Giromagny|Giromagny]], [[Battle of Alsace|Alsace]], [[Cernay, Haut-Rhin#Second World War|Cernay]], [[Guebwiller]], [[Buhl, Bas-Rhin|Buhl]], and the [[Western Allied invasion of Germany|Invasion of Germany]].