Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Bayan Armistice na 22 ga Yuni 1940, ya kasance a cikin Sojojin Vichy Faransa kuma daga Yuli 1940 zuwa Satumba 1941, ya kasance mataimakin janar wanda ke jagorantar Rundunar Soja ta 13 a Clermont-Ferrand da kwamandan soja na Puy-de-Dôme. A waɗannan lokutan, de Lattre ya aiwatar da umarnin gwamnati game da inganta horo da haɗin kai a cikin sojojin, yana gaskanta cewa mulkin Marshal Philippe Pétain yana aiki ne don kare bukatun ƙasa. Da sha'awar ƙarfafa samari, ya buɗe makarantu da cibiyoyin koyar da sojoji da yawa <unk> waɗanda sojojin Alsatian suka gina <unk> da nufin samar da jami'ai da janarori masu iyawa, waɗanda aka horar da su a cikin aikin ƙungiya kuma za su iya yada kwarewarsu a duk faɗin rundunar tsagaita wuta. An daukaka shi zuwa general de division (wanda yayi daidai da Manjo Janar a kasashen da ke magana da Ingilishi), shi ne babban kwamandan sojoji a cikin kariyar Tunisia inda ya bude wani cibiyar koyar da sojoji. Bayan wannan aiki na watanni hudu daga ƙarshen Satumba 1941 zuwa 2 ga Fabrairu 1942, an sake kiransa zuwa Faransa bayan rikici da shugabansa Alphonse Juin kuma an sake sanya shi. Da ya koma Faransa, de Lattre ya dauki nauyin Rundunar Soja ta 16, wanda ke zaune a Montpellier. Biye da Allies
Saukowa a Faransa ta Arewacin Afirka a ranar 8 ga Nuwamba, 1942, Jamus ta mamaye kudancin Faransa kuma ta rushe sojojin Vichy. An kama De Lattre kuma aka tsare shi har tsawon watanni.