The 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment (french: 2^e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine, 2^e RIMa) is an infantry regiment of the

Troupes de marine The (TDM, ) is a corps of the French Army that includes several specialities: infantry, artillery, armoured, airborne, engineering, and transmissions (Signals). Despite its name, it forms part of the Army, not the Navy. Intended for amphibi ...

in the

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

, the only regiment to bear 16 battle honours inscriptions of the regimental colors. The regiment is one of the "quatre vieux" regiments of the

, with the 1st Marine Infantry Regiment 1^er RIMa, the

3rd Marine Infantry Regiment The 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment (french: 3e Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine, 3e RIMa) is a unit of the French Army in the French Forces. The 3e RIMa is one of the oldest of the troupes de marine. This regiment is one of the "Quatre Grands" of ...

3^e RIMa and the 4th Marine Infantry Regiment 4^e RIMa (dissolved in 1998); also, alongside the

1st Marine Artillery Regiment The 1st Marine Artillery Regiment (french: 1er Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine, 1er RAMa) is one of the oldest marine artillery units in the military of France, as part of the troupes de marine within the French Army . History With two infantr ...

1^er RAMa as well as the 2nd Marine Artillery Regiment 2^e RAMa which formed the

Blue Division The Blue Division ( es, División Azul, german: Blaue Division) was a unit of volunteers from Francoist Spain within the German Army (''Wehrmacht'') on the Eastern Front during World War II. It was officially designated the Spanish Volunteer ...

Creation and different nominations

* 1622 : Creation by the cardinal Richelieu of the Compagnie Ordinaire de la Mer. * 1822 : Ordinance of the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...

prescribing the formation of Marine Infantry Regiments (french: Régiments d'Infanterie de la Marine). * The Royal Ordinance by

Louis Philippe I Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary Wa ...

, the

King of the French The precise style of French sovereigns varied over the years. Currently, there is no French sovereign; three distinct traditions (the Legitimist, the Orleanist, and the Bonapartist) exist, each claiming different forms of title. The three styles ...

of May 14, 1831, created two infantry regiments assigned to the ordinary service of garrisons in the French colonies (uninterrupted direct filiation of the 2^e 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 2^e RIC, and garrisoned at Brest. * 1941 - 1945 : 1/2 brigade DFL. * 1945 - 1947 : designated 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment. * 1947 : 2nd Colonial Infantry Battalion, 2^e BIC. * 1947 - 1954 : Marching Battalion of the 2^e RIC in Indochina, then Algeria. * 1951 - 1955 : 2nd Colonial Infantry Battalion. * 1958–present : 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment 2^e RIC designated as 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment 2^e RIMa.

History

Since 1822, and until 2012, the unit has endured the loss of 5000 members.

Ancien Regime

Wars of the Revolution & Empire

* 1813 :

German Campaign of 1813 The German campaign (german: Befreiungskriege , lit=Wars of Liberation ) was fought in 1813. Members of the Sixth Coalition, including the German states of Austria and Prussia, plus Russia and Sweden, fought a series of battles in Germany ag ...

** October 16–19 :

Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig (french: Bataille de Leipsick; german: Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig, ); sv, Slaget vid Leipzig), also known as the Battle of the Nations (french: Bataille des Nations; russian: Битва народов, translit=Bitva ...

* 1814 : Campaign of France ** February 14, 1918 :

Battle of Vauchamps The Battle of Vauchamps (14 February 1814) was the final major engagement of the Six Days Campaign of the War of the Sixth Coalition. It resulted in a part of the Grande Armée under Napoleon I defeating a superior Prussian and Russian force ...

1815 to 1848

* 1823: Spanish expedition; campaign

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...

and South America (1829). * Conquest of

Marquesas Islands The Marquesas Islands (; french: Îles Marquises or ' or '; Marquesan: ' (North Marquesan) and ' ( South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in ...

and

Society Islands The Society Islands (french: Îles de la Société, officially ''Archipel de la Société;'' ty, Tōtaiete mā) are an archipelago located in the South Pacific Ocean. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the F ...

(1842–1847).

Second Empire

* 1854 : Bomarsund Franco-British Campaign in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

. * August 31, 1854 : the 2^e RIMa, stationed at

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the Ga ...

moved to Brest. *

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

. *

Second French Intervention in Mexico The Second French Intervention in Mexico ( es, Segunda intervención francesa en México), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867), was an invasion of Mexico, launched in late 1862 by the Second French Empire, which hoped to ...

: 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 2^e RIMa was part of the Armée de Châlons (1870) (french: Armée de Châlons (1870)) of

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

de MacMahon. With the 3rd Marching Marine Infantry Regiment of colonel Lecamus, the 2^e 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 2^e RIMa disappeared in a heroic battle against the Prussians, until the "last shot" (french: « dernière cartouche »).

1870 to 1914

* During the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defende ...

in 1871, the regiment participated with the Armée Versaillaise. * Operations of the campagne du Soudan (1882). *

Tonkin Campaign The Tonkin campaign was an armed conflict fought between June 1883 and April 1886 by the French against, variously, the Vietnamese, Liu Yongfu's Black Flag Army and the Chinese Guangxi and Yunnan armies to occupy Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and ...

(1882-1883). * Expedition of the Formose and occupation of Pescadores islands (1884). * At the

Siege of Tuyên Quang The siege of Tuyên Quang was an important confrontation between the French and the Chinese armies in Tonkin (northern Vietnam) during the Sino-French War (August 1884 – April 1885). A French garrison of 630 men, including two companies of th ...

: 600 men of the regiment unblocked the garrison. * Madagascar (1885). * First Dahomey campaign (1889). * Struggle against the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an Xenophobia, anti-foreign, anti-colonialism, anti-colonial, and Persecution of Christians#China, anti-Christian uprising in China ...

in China (1900). * Moroccan Campaign (1910).

World War I

* 1914 : still stationed at Brest, the regiment was part of the 1st Colonial Brigade of the 3rd Colonial Infantry Division 3^e 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 2^e 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.

1914

* Operations of the IIIrd Army and IVth Army: *

Battle of the Frontiers The Battle of the Frontiers (, , ) comprised battles fought along the eastern frontier of France and in southern Belgium, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. The battles resolved the military strategies of the French Chief of ...

, * August 22 :

Battle of Rossignol The Battle of Rossignol (22 August 1914) one of the first battles of the First World War, was part of the Battle of the Frontiers on the Western Front between the German and French armies. To counter the German invasion of Belgium, the French com ...

* August 24 : Saint-Vincent. * November 17–18 : Offensives of Argonne, wooden forest de la Gruerie Insigne infanterie de marine

1915

* July - August : Operations in Argonne. * September 25 - October 6 :

Second Battle of Champagne The Second Battle of Champagne ( or Autumn Battle) in World War I was a French offensive against the German army at Champagne that coincided with an Anglo-French assault at north-east Artois and ended with French retreat. Battle On 25 Sept ...

1916

* July :

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place be ...

: Barleux, Belloy-en-Santerre.

1917

* Avril - May : Le

Chemin des Dames In France, the Chemin des Dames (; literally, the "ladies' path") is part of the route départementale (local road) D18 and runs east and west in the Aisne department, between in the west, the Route Nationale 2 (Laon to Soissons), and in the eas ...

. * Octobre 25 - Novembre 6 : Verdun 1917: Les Chambrettes.

1918

* July 12–23 : Mailly-Raineval. * August 8 : Les Éparges. * Novembre 7-10: Hauts-de-Meuse.

Interwar period

In 1930: 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment was stationed at Brest. In 1939: Tripoli in

Greater Syria Syria ( Hieroglyphic Luwian: 𔒂𔒠 ''Sura/i''; gr, Συρία) or Sham ( ar, ٱلشَّام, ash-Shām) is the name of a historical region located east of the Mediterranean Sea in Western Asia, broadly synonymous with the Levant. Other ...

(now in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...

World War II

1940

* Engaged at Amiens, the regiment was dissolved in November 1940.

1941

With the Free French Brigade of the Orient: *

Battle of Keren The Battle of Keren ( it, Battaglia di Cheren) took place from 3 February to 27 March 1941. Keren was attacked by the British during the East African Campaign of the Second World War. A force of Italian regular and colonial troops defended t ...

, February 23 * Battle of Keren, February 26 * Massaoua, April 8

1942

* The 2nd Brigade of

Free France Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...

was officially formed in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

in April 1942. The brigade participated to the campaigns in

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

(

Battle of El Alamein There were two battles of El Alamein in World War II, both fought in 1942. The Battles occurred in North Africa, in Egypt, in and around an area named after a railway stop called El Alamein. * First Battle of El Alamein: 1–27 July 1942 * Secon ...

) 1942 and

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

1943

* Battle of Takrouna, May 11, 1943 * Italian Campaign

1944

* Battle of

Pontecorvo Pontecorvo is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, Italy. Its population is c. 13,200. History The village lies under Rocca Guglielma, a medieval fortification perched on an inaccessible spur. Its name derives from the ''p ...

* Campaign of France,

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

and

Colmar Colmar (, ; Alsatian: ' ; German during 1871–1918 and 1940–1945: ') is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it i ...

1945

* By orders of the

général is the French word for general. There are two main categories of generals: the general officers (), which are the highest-ranking commanding officers in the armed forces, and the specialist officers with flag rank (), which are high-level office ...

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...

, on May 25, 1945, the 2nd brigade of the 1^re DFL retook the traditions of the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment. * Général de Gaulle, made the 2nd Colonial Infantry Regiment 2^e RIC, a

Compagnon de la Libération The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour) ...

and awarded the regiment, the

croix de la Libération The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' ( Legion of Hono ...

, while the fourragere received olive colors of the

Croix de guerre 1939-1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

(August 7, 1945).

1945 to present

Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...

where the 1st Marching Battalion was attributed the croix de guerres des TOE with palm. The

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

was awarded to the regimental colors on July 14, 1952. *

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

: the 2^e 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 2^e RIMa constituted among 91 other regiments, part of the 114 local forces. The I/2^e 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 Sarthe () is a department of the French region of Pays de la Loire, and the province of Maine, situated in the '' Grand-Ouest'' of the country. It is named after the river Sarthe, which flows from east of Le Mans to just north of Angers. It ha ...

in 1963: a part in Le Mans, a party to Auvours. * The 2^e RIMa participated since professionalization in 1978 to numerous operations on the continents. The 2nd Marine illustrated capability notably in

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

(part of

Multinational Force in Lebanon The Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF) was an international peacekeeping force created in August 1982 following a 1981 U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel to end their involvement in the confl ...

), former

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre ...

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a international recognition of Kosovo, partiall ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the ...

in Macedonia,

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

. * During the first

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, 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 Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre i ...

- 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. *

: the 2^e 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 1^er RIMa, the terrestrial group of French elements based in Tchad. * In 2006, the 2^e RIMa was engaged in Lebanon in the evacuation of French personnel and the containment of populations in danger. * 500 Marines of the 2^e 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

a couple day later for a mission of 6 months. ( The 2^e RIMa, reinforced by the artillery of the

11th Marine Artillery Regiment The 11th Marine Artillery Regiment (France) (french: 11e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine, 11e RAMa) is an artillery regiment of the French Army. The regiment constitutes the fire support unit of the 9th Marine Infantry Brigade. The regiment emp ...

11^e RAMa as well as 110 sapeurs of the 6th Engineer Regiment 6^e RG, the

Régiment d'infanterie-chars de marine The Régiment d'infanterie chars de marine RICM in French, (R.I.C.M, or Marine Infantry Tank Regiment) is a light cavalry regiment of the French Army, successor to the Régiment d'infanterie coloniale du Maroc RICM (R.I.C.M, or Colonial Infantry R ...

RICM, small complementary units of the 92 Infantry Regiment, a detachment of the 132nd Infantry Regiment, then

3^e RIMa) middle of June 2011, the marsouins were relieved by the battle group of the 152nd Infantry Regiment. On July 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. * On May 18, 2011 Marsouin 1st Class Cyril Louaisil died, and four others were injured following an accidental explosion in eastern Afghanistan. File:Ceremonie-de-creation-du-battle-group-richelieu.jpg, File:2° R.I.Ma, BATTLE GROUP RICHELIEU 2010 2011.jpg, File:Bgroup1.JPG, File:Bgroup2.JPG, File:Bgroup3.JPG, File:Bgroup5.JPG, File:Bgroup6.JPG, * 2013 :

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...

Operation Serval Operation Serval (french: Opération Serval) was a French military operation in Mali. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali. Operation Serval followed the ...

. A unit of the 2^e RIMa integrated the 1st interarm tactical group, the unit intervened with units of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment 21^e RIMa, the 1^er RHP, the

3rd Marine Artillery Regiment The 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment (french: 3e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine, 3e RAMa) is the heir to the 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment created in Rochefort by Napoleon Bonaparte's consular decree of May 13, 1803, the 3rd Colonial Artillery R ...

3^e RAMa, the

6th Engineer Regiment The 6th Engineers Regiment (french: 6e Régiment du Génie) is a regiment of the ''génie militaire'' of the French Military constituted under the IIIrd Republic. It is the only Engineers Regiment among the Troupes de Marine (French Marine Cor ...

6^e RG, the 3^e RPIMa, the

1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment () is the only cavalry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of two armoured cavalry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. The regiment recently moved camp after being stationed a ...

1^er REC and CPA 20. The unit conducted the operation alongside the Malian Army on January 28, 2013.

Subordinations

The regiment is subordinated to the

9th Marine Infantry Brigade The 9 Marine Infantry Brigade (french: 9 Brigade d'Infanterie de Marine, 9 BIMa) is a light armoured, amphibious unit of the ''Troupes de marine'' of the French Army. In July 1963, the 9 Brigade was created in Brittany. On 1 January 1976, the 9 ...

, a part of the terrestrial forces.

Organization

The regiment's structure is as follows: ** 1^re compagnie de combat - 1st Infantry Company ** 2^e compagnie de combat - 2nd Infantry Company ** 3^e compagnie de combat - 3rd Infantry Company ** 4^e compagnie de combat - 4th Infantry Company ** 5^e compagnie de combat - 5th Infantry Company ** 6^e compagnie de réserve - 6th Reserve Infantry Company ** 12^e compagnie de réserve - 7th Reserve Infantry Company ** Compagnie d'éclairage et d'appui - Support Company ** Compagnie de commandement et de logistique - Command and logistics company

Traditions

File:Musée du 2e de Marine.jpg, Museum of the 2^e RIMa. The anniversary is celebrated for combats in

Bazeilles Bazeilles () is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northern France. On 1 January 2017, the former communes of Rubécourt-et-Lamécourt and Villers-Cernay were merged into Bazeilles. The inhabitants of the commune a ...

, 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 Charles Eugène de Foucauld de Pontbriand, Viscount of Foucauld (15 September 1858 – 1 December 1916) was a French soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnographer, Catholic priest and hermit who lived among the Tuareg people in the Sahara in Alg ...

Motto

"Fidelitate et honore, terra et mare" translates to "Fidelity and honor on land and sea".

Insignia of the 2^e RIMa

Image:2rima.jpg, « A

Frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed an ...

firing

broadside Broadside or broadsides may refer to: Naval * Broadside (naval), terminology for the side of a ship, the battery of cannon on one side of a warship, or their near simultaneous fire on naval warfare Printing and literature * Broadside (comic ...

, featuring the coat of arms of

Fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

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" ».

Regimental Song

Regimental Colors

Battle Honours

The regimental colors are decorated with: * 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

Decorations

The regiment holds the following decorations: *

* Croix de la libération * Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with: ** 4 palms *

with: ** 2 palm *

Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures The ''Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieurs'' (War Cross for foreign operational theatres), also called the ''Croix de Guerre TOE'' for short, is a French military award denoting citations earned in combat in foreign countri ...

with : ** 1 bronze star and 1 palm * The Regiment was made a

croix de la Valeur militaire The Cross for Military Valour (french: Croix de la Valeur Militaire) is a military decoration of France. It recognises an individual bestowed a Mention in Dispatches earned for showing valour in presence of an enemy, in theatres of operations wh ...

with: ** 1 palm Fourragere: * The regiment is entitled to wear the fourragere bearing the colors of the

Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...

awarded on December 25, 1919, with Croix de guerre 1914-1918 and

, awarded on September 18, 1946. * The fourragere with colors of the Ordre de la Libération since June 18, 1996. Image:2e_R.I.Ma_fourragères.jpg, Fourragère with colors of the

and olives 1914-1918, 1939-1945 and the colors of the Ordre de la Libération

Regimental Commanders

2^e RIMa (1869 - 1900)

* 1869 - 1870 : colonel Loubère * 1870 : colonel Alleyron * ... * 1885 : colonel Frey * ...

2^er RIC (1900 - 1958)

2^er RIMa ( 1958 - present)

Image:Ancien colonel Christophe Launois du 2e RIMa.jpg, Image:Colonel Regis Colcombet du 2e de Marine.jpg,

Gallery - 2^e RIMa

Image:Garde du drapeau du 2e RIMa.jpg, Image:Defile de certaine compagnies du 2e RIMa.jpg, Image:Musique des troupes de marine.jpg,

Notable Officers & Marines

* 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).

References

Sources and bibliography

* Yohann Douady, Bruno Héluin, ''D'une guerre à l'autre : de la Côte d'Ivoire à l'Afghanistan avec le 2e RIMa'', Nimrod, 15 octobre 2012, * Erwan Bergot, ''La coloniale du

Rif The Rif or Riff (, ), also called Rif Mountains, is a geographic region in northern Morocco. This mountainous and fertile area is bordered by Cape Spartel and Tangier to the west, by Berkane and the Moulouya River to the east, by the Mediterrane ...

Tchad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republ ...

1925–1980'', imprimé en France : décembre 1982, n° d'éditeur 7576, n° d'imprimeur 31129, sur les presses de l'imprimerie Hérissey. {{DEFAULTSORT:Marine Infantry Regiment, 2nd Marines regiments of France Infantry regiments of France Companions of the Liberation 20th-century regiments of France 21st-century regiments of France Military units and formations disestablished in 1831