The 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment (French: 2e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine, 2e RIMa) is a unit of the French Army, the only regiment to bear 16 battle honours inscriptions of the regimental colors. The regiment is one of the "quatre vieux" regiments of the Troupes de marine, with the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment 1er RIMa, the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment 3e RIMa and the 4th Marine Infantry Regiment 4e RIMa (dissolved in 1998); also, alongside the 1st Marine Artillery Regiment 1er RAMa as well as the 2nd Marine Artillery Regiment 2e RAMa which formed the Blue Division.
Creation and different nominations
1622 : Creation by the cardinal Richelieu of the Compagnie Ordinaire de la Mer.
1822 : Ordinance of the King prescribing the formation of Marine Infantry Regiments (French: Régiments d'Infanterie de la Marine).
The Royal Ordinance by Louis Philippe I, the King of the French of May 14, 1831, created two infantry regiments assigned to the ordinary service of garrisons in the French colonies (uninterrupted direct filiation of the 2e RIMa from that date until the present).
1870 : 2nd Marching Marine Infantry Regiment.
March 1, 1890 : doubling of the regiment : formation of the 6th Colonial Infantry Regiment
1900 - 1942 : designated as 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment 2e RIC, and garrisoned at Brest.
1941 - 1945 : 1/2 brigade DFL.
1945 - 1947 : designated 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment.
1947 : 2nd Colonial Infantry Battalion, 2e BIC.
1947 - 1954 : Marching Battalion of the 2e RIC in Indochina, then Algeria.
1951 - 1955 : 2nd Colonial Infantry Battalion.
1958–present : 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment 2e RIC designated as 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment 2e RIMa.
Since 1822, and until 2012, the unit has endured the loss of 5000 members.
1813 : German Campaign of 1813
October 16–19 : Battle of Leipzig
1814 : Campaign of France
February 14, 1918 : Battle of Vauchamps
1823: Spanish expedition; campaign Madagascar and South America (1829).
Conquest of Marquesas Islands and Society Islands (1842–1847).
1854 : Bomarsund Franco-British Campaign in the Baltic Sea.
August 31, 1854 : the 2e RIMa, stationed at Rochefort moved to Brest.
Crimean War.
Mexican Expedition : siege of Puebla.
Campaigns in the Extreme-Orient.
1869 : the regiment was distributed between Brest, Cochinchine and Guadeloupe.
August 17, 1870: the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment 2e RIMa was part of the Armée de Châlons (1870) (French: Armée de Châlons (1870)) of Marshal de MacMahon.
With the 3rd Marching Marine Infantry Regiment of colonel Lecamus, the 2e under the orders of colonel Alleyron formed the 2nd Brigade of général Charles Martin des Pallières. This 2nd Brigade with the 1st Brigade of général Reboul, three batteries de 4, two batteries de 4 and a machine gun of the Marine Artillery Regiment, on engineer company constituted the 3rd Infantry Division commanded by division general de Vassoigne. This infantry division evolved at the corps of the 12th Army Corps having for commander-in-chief division general Lebrun.
August 23–26 : Marching towards the East.
August 31, 1870 : Battle of Bazeilles.
For a first time, the 2nd Marine engaged in combat on metropolitan soil. On August 31 and September 1, 1870, engaged at the corps of the Blue Division, the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment 2e RIMa disappeared in a heroic battle against the Prussians, until the "last shot" (French: « dernière cartouche »).
During the Paris Commune in 1871, the regiment participated with the Armée Versaillaise.
Operations of the campagne du Soudan (1882).
Tonkin Campaign (1882-1883).
Expedition of the Formose and occupation of Pescadores islands (1884).
At the Siege of Tuyên Quang: 600 men of the regiment unblocked the garrison.
Madagascar (1885).
First Dahomey campaign (1889).
Struggle against the Boxer Rebellion in China (1900).
Moroccan Campaign (1910).
1914 : still stationed at Brest, the regiment was part of the 1st Colonial Brigade of the 3rd Colonial Infantry Division 3e DIC.
Reconstituted more than ten times, having endured for 52 months with daily struggles of nearly 20,000 men killed, wounded or disappeared, the 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment 2e RIC has participated to all the major battles of the conflict. The regiment received 4 citations at the orders of the armed forces as well as the fourragere with colors of the Médaille Militaire.
Operations of the IIIrd Army and IVth Army:
Battle of the Frontiers,
August 22 : Battle of Rossignol
August 24 : Saint-Vincent.
November 17–18 : Offensives of Argonne, wooden forest de la Gruerie
July - August : Operations in Argonne.
September 25 - October 6 : Second Battle of Champagne.
July : Battle of the Somme: Barleux, Belloy-en-Santerre.
Avril - May : Le Chemin des Dames.
Octobre 25 - Novembre 6 : Verdun 1917: Les Chambrettes.
July 12–23 : Mailly-Raineval.
August 8 : Les Éparges.
Novembre 7-10: Hauts-de-Meuse.
In 1930: 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment was stationed at Brest.
In 1939: Tripoli in Greater Syria (now in Lebanon).
Engaged at Amiens, the regiment was dissolved in November 1940.
With the Free French Brigade of the Orient:
Battle of Keren, February 23
Battle of Keren, February 26
Massaoua, April 8
The 2nd Brigade of Free France was officially formed in Syria in April 1942. The brigade participated to the campaigns in Libya (Battle of El Alamein) 1942 and Tunisia.
Battle of Takrouna, May 11, 1943
Italian Campaign
Battle of Pontecorvo
Campaign of France, Toulon and Colmar.
By orders of the général Charles de Gaulle, on May 25, 1945, the 2nd brigade of the 1re DFL retook the traditions of the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment.
Général de Gaulle, made the 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment 2e RIC, a Compagnon de la Libération and awarded the regiment, the croix de la Libération, while the fourragere received olive colors of the Croix de guerre 1939-1945 (August 7, 1945).
Indochina War where the 1st Marching Battalion was attributed the croix de guerres des TOE with palm. The Légion d'honneur was awarded to the regimental colors on July 14, 1952.
Algeria: the 2e RIC mounted with 3 battalions was sent in full to Algeria sectors Khenchela, El Kantara and Batna (1954–1959), sectors of Orleans Town, Valley Soumman (1959–1962).
At the cease-fire on March 19, 1962 in Algeria, the 2e RIMa constituted among 91 other regiments, part of the 114 local forces. The I/2e RIMa was a local force of the Algerian order of battle, 442°UFL-UFO and la 443°UFO, composed of 10% metropolitan military and 90% Muslim Military, and which during the transition period were at the service of the executive provisional Algerian authority, until the independence of Algeria (Evian accords of March 18, 1962).
The regiment garrisoned in the Sarthe in 1963: a part in Le Mans, a party to Auvours.
The 2e RIMa participated since professionalization in 1978 to numerous operations on the continents. The 2nd Marine illustrated capability notably in Chad in Mauritania in Lebanon (part of Multinational Force in Lebanon), former Yugoslavia in Albania in Central in Côte d'Ivoire in Guyana in New Caledonia at Senegal in Kosovo in Bosnia and Herzegovina at Cameroon in Macedonia, Afghanistan.
During the first Gulf War, the regiment was cited at the orders of the brigade on May 10, 1991, this citation included the croix de guerre des TOE with bronze star.
Ivory Coast - 2003 and 2004 : the regiment was deployed in the south-west of the republic and assured the return of the refugees while pushing back rebels that terrorized the region. Stability required two months. Accordingly, the regiment was sent to center of the country. The mission was to assure the neutrality of the confidence zone. The regiment endured the loss of the 3 Marines at Bouake on November 6, 2004.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: the 2e RIMa illustrated capability on May 27, 1995 by retaking an observation post point of the FORPRONU. The regiment was the last French regiment to arm and command the Franco-Spanish Battalion. The mission was to collect the detained arms and facilitate the reorganization of French forces in the zone.
Tchad in 2005, the regiment composed with a squadron of the 1er RIMa, the terrestrial group of French elements based in Tchad.
In 2006, the 2e RIMa was engaged in Lebanon in the evacuation of French personnel and the containment of populations in danger.
500 Marines of the 2E RIMa reinforced elements of other regiments (infantry, artillery engineer, armoured cavalry, aerial means) formed officially the Tactical Interarm Group (GTIA or battle group) Richelieu since November 25, 2010. This groupment joined Suroni in Afghanistan a couple day later for a mission of 6 months. ( The 2e RIMa, reinforced by the artillery of the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment 11e RAMa as well as 110 sapeurs of the 6th Engineer Regiment 6e RG, the Régiment d'infanterie-chars de marine RICM, small complementary units of the 92 Infantry Regiment, a detachment of the 132nd Infantry Regiment, then 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment 3e RIMa) middle of June 2011, the marsouins were relieved by the battle group of the 152nd Infantry Regiment. On Jul 7 2011, battalion Richelieu would be dissolved.
The regiment endured the loss of 2 marsouins in Kapisa on April 20, 2011 resulting from a mine explosion which wounded three others.
2013 : Mali, Operation Serval. A unit of the 2e RIMa integrated the 1st interarm tactical group, the unit intervened with units of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment 21e RIMa, the 1er RHP, the 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment 3e RAMa, the 6th Engineer Regiment 6e RG, the 3e RPIMa, the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1er REC and CPA 20. The unit conducted the operation alongside the Malian Army on January 28, 2013.
The regiment is subordinated to the 9th Marine Infantry Brigade, a part of the terrestrial forces.
The regiment is articulated into 8 companies with :
Compagnie de Commandement et de Logistique (CCL) – Command and Logistics Company -
1re Compagnie de Combat (1re Cie) – 1st Combat Company -
2e Compagnie de Combat (2e Cie) – 2nd Combat Company
3e Compagnie de Combat (3e Cie) – 3rd Combat Company
4e Compagnie de Combat (4e Cie) – 4th Combat Company
5e Compagnie de Combat (5e Cie) – 5th Combat Company
6e Compagnie de reserve (6e Cie) – 6th Reserve Company
Compagnie d'Eclairage et d'Appui (CEA) – Reconnaissance and Support Company
The anniversary is celebrated for combats in Bazeilles, the village which was apprehended and abandoned four consecutive times under orders, respectively on August 31 and September 1, 1870.
Et au Nom de Dieu, vive la coloniale !
In the Name of God, vive la coloniale !
The Marsouins and the Bigors have for Saint, God. This war calling concludes intimate ceremonies which part life in the regiments. Often also at origin as an act of grace to Charles de Foucauld.
"Fidelitate et honore, terra et mare" translates to "Fidelity and honor on land and sea".
« A Frigate firing broadside, featuring the coat of arms of Fleur-de-lis and Ermine. The frigate plaque rests on a golden Marine anchor, featuring « 1638 » dated on the stock. A military inscribed « 2 » surmounted of three chevrons brushing on a diamond on the crown of the anchor. The arm of the anchor is inscribed with "Fidelitate et honore, terra et mare" ».
The regimental colors are decorated with:
Légion d'honneur
Croix de la libération
Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with:
4 palms
Croix de guerre 1939-1945 with:
2 palm
Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures with :
1 bronz star and 1 palm
The Regiment was made a Compagnon de la Libération
croix de la Valeur militaire with:
1 palm
Fourragere:
The regiment is entitled to wear the fourragere bearing the colors of the Médaille militaire awarded on December 25, 1919, with Croix de guerre 1914-1918 and Croix de guerre 1939-1945, awarded on September 18, 1946.
The fourragere with colors of the Ordre de la Libération since June 18, 1996.
Bomarsund 1854
Puebla 1863
Bazeilles 1870
Tuyen-Quan 1885
la Marne 1914
Champagne 1915
la Somme 1916
L'Aisne - Verdun 1917
Kub Kub 1941
El Alamein 1942
Takrouna 1943
Ponté Corvo 1944
Toulon 1944
Colmar 1945
Indochine 1947-1954
AFN 1952-1962
1869 - 1870 : colonel Loubère
1870 : colonel Alleyron
...
1885 : colonel Frey
...
Joseph Gallieni, lieutenant in 1873 (Marshal of France in 1921).
Joseph Aymerich, as lieutenant and captain in 1887-1888.
Jean-Louis Delayen, regimental commander (1969-1971).
