"French Marines and French Sailor Uniforms" Topic

Are there any handy online references for French Colonial Marines and French sailor uniforms? What campaigns did the French Marines fight in besides the Boxer Rebellion and Dahomaney campaign?

I'm assuming French Marines and French sailors were used in shore parties during the late 19th century (I know about French sailors fighting at Sedan and the later Republican battles of the Franco-Prussian War). Does anyone know of specific battles or engagements where they fought? Were French Marines and French sailors used to fight the Germans in Africa during WWI?

Anyway, I'm thinking about coming up with French colonial troops (namely French Marines and sailors). But I don't want to be bothered with the Boxer Rebellion.

Thanks,
Blake

Interesting, Blake.

I'd like to see the French on the board since your games with Brits, Force Publique, and German colonials have gone so well in 2010. Looking forward to games in 2011. Even if I don't have any great love for TSATF.

Gracias,

Glenn

Anywhere France fought in the Empire there were marines, most often they were paired with the FFL to form the back bone of a force, the Army could not fight outside of France till very late in the century.

link

Warflag does have some information:

link

For the Marines (or Marsouins as they are known in French), I have an illustration in an old Larousse dictionary from 1996. The uniform (dated 1870) is similar to the officer of the Tirailleurs Sénégalais in the Warflag link above, but without the sash. Instead, the Marsouin has a black leather belt with two pouches (like an infantryman), a naval insignia on his pith helmet and a blanket over his shoulder.

Blake, you asked lots of questions, but here goes:
The French Marines were actually France's colonial army; they were French nationals (for the most part) recruited for service in the empire, not marines in the traditional sense of sea-borne infantry. They saw service just about everywhere, including Tonkin and Madagascar.
French sailors were landed at Casablanca in 1908(?) to help deal with an uprising/riot. Beyond that, I'm not too sure where else they would have operated beyond establishing beachheads.
I'm sure the marines would have been involved in west Africa in WWI to help reduce the German colony in Togoland, at a minimum.
Not much help here in the way of uniforms, but for some nice reading, check Douglas Porch's "Conquest of Morrocco", "Conquest of the Sahara" and his history of the French Foreign Legion.
Good luck and have fun!
Bob

I'm a tad confused here; my understanding is that the French "marines" are actually naval ratings who have been trained in infantry combat and marksmanship, but otherwise were essentially *sailors* and could perform as such otherwise as needed.

Colonial infantry were just that; a colonial service branch of the French Army proper, not personnel drawn from the French Navy.

Pardon me while I go scrambling for my library…

Leland R. Erickson

Leland,

Perhaps the confusion stems from the situation of the colonial troops, at least at one time – don't know the current reality, being under the French department of the "Marine" or the Navy department if I understand it right. These troops would be different from actual shipboard marines. Kind of like the U.S. Coast Guard is part of the department of commerce (or was pre-HS days). Hope that clarifies the muddy waters.

There was a distinction between "Marines" and "Sailors", at least in the Franco Prussian War. It was the marines who fought at Sedan, detachments of sailors serving in the Armies of the Republic and in the defence of Paris. At Sedan four provisional Regiments of Marines, each of 3 battalions, served in the 12 Corps defence of Bazeilles, they were known as the Blue Division. Uniforms were similar in cut to the line infantry (Greatcoats and Kepis), but their Kepis were dark blue with Yellow piping, and their trousers were a dark greyish blue rather than red. They should have yellow epaulettes on the greatcoats, but they were left behind for the campaign. The division was assembled to be the landing force of a French naval assault on the North Coast of Germany, but the war moved too quickly for it to be mounted, making them available for Mc Mahon's Army of Chalons. They were among his best troops.

Mollinary

As already mentioned, there was a distinction between "fusiliers marins" and "troupes de marine".

Some tidbits here link

Clive

"there was a distinction between "fusiliers marins" and "troupes de marine"."

Its the former I was thinking of, the naval ratings whose MOS if you will was infantry combat. I seem to recall that the troupes de marine were infantry formations created from naval personnel drawn up for overseas service as dedicated infantry.

Leland R. Erickson