The
Fusiliers Marins (Naval Infantry) are units specialised in the protection and defence of key sites of the
French NavyThe French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military...
on land. They consist of about 1,800 men.
Their deployments include:
- One group(sized as battalion) in the naval station of Toulon
Toulon is a city in southern France and a large military harbour on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base...
and another the naval station of BrestBrest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in north-western France.Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, Brest is an important seaport and naval base. The 1999 census recorded 303,484 inhabitants of the Brest metropolitan area, while the...
, both with a "reinforcement and Intervention Group"(sized as a Company) to reinforce the protection of any particular building, place, or ship.
- Seven companies scattered around metropolitan territory: one in the naval station of Cherbourg, one in every site of the FOST (Île Longue
Île Longue is a peninsula of the roadstead of Brest. It is the base of the SNLE, the French ballistic missile submarines, and as such one of the most secretive and heavily defended places in France.-Geography:...
, France-sud, Rosnay and Sainte Assise) and one on each of the naval air stations of Lann Bihoué and Nîmes-Garons.
They also protect the DOM/TOM where interarm transmission stations are located.
The missions of the Fusiliers Marins are
- missions on shores from the sea
- support of the commandos marine
The Naval Commandos are the special forces of the French Navy. They are made up of ~500 members, mostly based in northwestern France , with several bases across the country for specific training needs. The Naval Commandos are nicknamed bérets verts...
during special operations
- protection of sensitive sites of the Navy
- protection of the ships and security aboard.
- Military Instruction in french navy schools
In 1627, Richelieu founded the
Régiment de la Marine.
The
Fusiliers Marins (Naval Infantry) are units specialised in the protection and defence of key sites of the
French NavyThe French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military...
on land. They consist of about 1,800 men.
Their deployments include:
- One group(sized as battalion) in the naval station of Toulon
Toulon is a city in southern France and a large military harbour on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base...
and another the naval station of BrestBrest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in north-western France.Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, Brest is an important seaport and naval base. The 1999 census recorded 303,484 inhabitants of the Brest metropolitan area, while the...
, both with a "reinforcement and Intervention Group"(sized as a Company) to reinforce the protection of any particular building, place, or ship.
- Seven companies scattered around metropolitan territory: one in the naval station of Cherbourg, one in every site of the FOST (Île Longue
Île Longue is a peninsula of the roadstead of Brest. It is the base of the SNLE, the French ballistic missile submarines, and as such one of the most secretive and heavily defended places in France.-Geography:...
, France-sud, Rosnay and Sainte Assise) and one on each of the naval air stations of Lann Bihoué and Nîmes-Garons.
They also protect the DOM/TOM where interarm transmission stations are located.
The missions of the Fusiliers Marins are
- missions on shores from the sea
- support of the commandos marine
The Naval Commandos are the special forces of the French Navy. They are made up of ~500 members, mostly based in northwestern France , with several bases across the country for specific training needs. The Naval Commandos are nicknamed bérets verts...
during special operations
- protection of sensitive sites of the Navy
- protection of the ships and security aboard.
- Military Instruction in french navy schools
History
In 1627, Richelieu founded the
Régiment de la Marine. It was to provide onboard troops capable of fighting on land or on sea, and commanded by the officers of the ship. These troops were part of the crew, and helped with navigation.
The base unit was the 70-man company,
compagnie détachée de la Marine. It was commanded by a
lieutenant des vaisseaux du Roi ("Lieutenant of the Ships of the King") and two ensigns. These companies fought in all French colonies, particularly in
Nouvelle France. An anonymous
Fusilier de Marine is credited for Nelson's death during the
Battle of TrafalgarThe Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars . The battle was the most decisive British naval victory of the war...
.
In 1825, a royal decree abolished the
Régiments de la Marine and imposed that landing parties (compagnies de débarquement) should be composed of sailors. The tradition of the
Régiments de la Marine later gave birth to the
troupes de marine and
troupes coloniales of the Army.
As the crews of the ships lacked personnel trained for fighting on land, the imperial decree of 5 June 1856 created the specialisation of
marin fusilier. The
was initially composed of sailors and naval officers who were sent to special training in
LorientLorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-Demographics:Inhabitants of Lorient are called Lorientais.Population: city: 61,844; urban area: 186,144...
in order to form the marine detachments aboard ships. This was not the first time that the French had tried this approach. Before the First Republic, the Corps royal de l'infanterie de la marine had been superseded by the Corps royal de canonniers-matelots on 1 January 1786.
These troops were notably engaged during the
war of 1870The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between France and Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and Bavaria...
in
BapaumeBapaume is a commune and the seat of a canton in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial town located 10 miles south of Arras at the junction of the A1 autoroute and the N17 and N30 national roads.-Population:-History:The...
and defending Paris and in 1900 during the
Boxer RebellionThe Boxer Rebellion, more properly called the Boxer Uprising, or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in Chinese, was a violent anti-imperialism, anti-Christian movement by the "Righteous Fists of Harmony,” Yihe tuan义和团 or Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists in China , between 1898 and 1901...
.
In
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, their famous defense in 1914 of
DiksmudeDiksmuide is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Diksmuide proper and the former communes of Beerst, Esen, Kaaskerke, Keiem, Lampernisse, Leke, Nieuwkapelle, Oostkerke, Oudekapelle, Pervijze, Sint-Jacobs-Kapelle,...
in the
Battle of the YserThe Battle of the Yser secured part of the coastline of Belgium for the allies in the "Race to the Sea" after the first three months of World War I.-Strategic Context:As part of the execution of the Schlieffen Plan, Belgium had been invaded by Germany...
stands out. They also served in
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country located in both Central and Southeastern Europe. Its territory covers the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and central part of the Balkans...
and at the
DardanellesThe Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosporus. It is located at approximately...
.
The
were busy studying amphibious warfare, testing experimental landing craft and taking part in
from the late 1920s until the mid 1930s.
In
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, their most famous battles were Bir Hakeim (
Battle of Bir HakeimBir Hakeim is a remote oasis in the Libyan desert, and the former site of a Turkish fort. During the Battle of Gazala the First Free French Division of General Marie Pierre Koenig defended the site from 26 May to 11 June 1942 against attacking German and Italian forces directed by General Erwin...
) and Normandy (D-Day). World War II fusiliers-marins units included the 1er Regiment de Fusiliers-Marins de Reconnaissance which served in the 1st Free French Division (1er DFL), the Régiment Blindé de Fusiliers Marins (RBFM) of the 2nd Armoured Division and the
1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos was a Fusiliers Marins commando unit of the Free French Navy which served during the Second World War...
(1er BFMC).
In Vietnam after World War II, the French Navy and fusiliers marins created the famous riverine warfare units called divisions navales d'assaut (naval assault divisions), commonly referred to as dinassauts. The Demi-Brigade de Fusiliers-Marins (DBFM) which included the Bataillon d'Intervention de Fusiliers-Marins (BIFM) served in Algeria.
External links
Présentation des fusiliers marins et commandos marine