1er Régiment de Spahis Marocains
Encyclopedia
The First Regiment of Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
Spahis is an cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiment of the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
which was founded in 1914. It saw service in both the First World War and the Second World War as part of the Forces Françaises Libres as well as post-war service in the French-Indochina War and elsewhere. The modern regiment continues the traditions of all former Spahi
Spahi
Spahis were light cavalry regiments of the French army recruited primarily from the indigenous populations of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. The modern French Army retains one regiment of Spahis as an armoured unit, with personnel now recruited in mainland France...
regiments in the French Army of Africa
Army of Africa
Army of Africa may refer to:*Army of Africa *Army of Africa *Panzer Army Africa...
.
World War I service
The regiment was organized from cavalry squadrons under General of Division, later MarshalMarshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
Hubert Lyautey
Hubert Lyautey
Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey was a French Army general, the first Resident-General in Morocco from 1912 to 1925 and from 1921 Marshal of France.-Early life:...
in 1914. The regiment saw service on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
and the Western front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, including the Battle of the Marne
Battle of the Marne
There were two Battles of the Marne, taking place near the Marne River in Marne, France during World War I:* First Battle of the Marne * Second Battle of the Marne...
. The regiment also served in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, capturing the standard of the 1st regiment of Evzones
Evzones
The Evzones, or Evzoni, is the name of several historical elite light infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army. Today, it refers to the members of the Proedriki Froura , an elite ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier , the Hellenic Parliament and the Presidential...
. The regiment was temporarily organized during the war as the régiment de marche de chasseurs indigènes à cheval (RMCIC) and later as the régiment de marche de spahis marocains (RMSM). The French Army had raised four regiments of indigenous Spahi cavalry in both Algeria and Tunisia during the 19th century and extended this designation to the Moroccan mounted units recruited after 1908.
Inter-War Service
Between the First and Second World Wars, the regiment was deployed in SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
as part of the post-war occupation of parts of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. It received a battle honor at Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
in 1920 as part of the pacification efforts. As before, the regiment was organized during this period as the
2l e régiment de spahis marocains (2LE RSM or 21st regiment of Moroccan spahis) as well as the 1er régiment de spahis marocains (1 RSM or first regiment of Moroccan Spahis).
World War II service (Vichy France)
During 1939, the Regiment first organized two units of light infantryLight infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
scout
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
s for reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
. The main part of the 1st Regiment served in Syria under Vichy command. It was subsequently deployed in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
where it resisted the allied invasion Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
. After the defeat of the Vichy Forces in Morocco, the Regiment fought near Royan,France
Royan
Royan is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, along the Atlantic Ocean, in southwestern France.A seaside resort, Royan is in the heart of an urban area estimated at 38,638 inhabitants, which makes it the fourth-largest conurbation in the department, after La Rochelle, Rochefort and Saintes...
in 1945. It was eventually dissolved and merged with the 8th regiment of dragoons.
World War II service (Free France)
At the beginning of July 1940 less than half of the first squadron and a few other spahis joined the British in Palestine to become part of the Free French forces. After being expanded and mechanised this part of the regiment fought against the Italians in EritreaEritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
and against the Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
In 1941, the squadron was mechanised, losing its former role as a horse mounted unit made up primarily of Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
and Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
troopers with mostly French officers. The effect of these changes was to greatly increase the proportion of French personnel and the squadron become a regiment.
The regiment was then organized as the 1er régiment de marche de spahis (1st regiment march regiment of spahis). The regiment then joined the British 8th Army fighting in the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
before becoming part of the column under Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe François Marie, comte de Hauteclocque, then Leclerc de Hauteclocque, by a 1945 decree that incorporated his French Resistance alias Jacques-Philippe Leclerc to his name, , was a French general during World War II...
. Eventually it became the reconnaissance regiment of the French 2nd Armored Division, participating in the Liberation and taking heavy casualties in France and Germany.
Post-War service
As an armoured unit the regiment was sent to French IndochinaFrench Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
in 1947, but was returned briefly to Morocco and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
before serving in the occupation of West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
as part of the French zone of occupation, and then the North Atlantic Treaty Organization serving in Germany. The unit returned to France in 1984 as part of the French rapid reaction force
Corps de réaction rapide France
Created on 1 July 2005, Headquarters Rapid Reaction Corps-France is a French headquarters, NATO certified, able to command a national or multinational land component of between 5 000 to 60 000 personnel....
where it is headquartered at Valence
Valence, Drôme
Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois...
Drôme
Drôme
Drôme , a department in southeastern France, takes its name from the Drôme River.-History:The French National Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments of France on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution...
.
The regiment was also part of Opération Daguet
Opération Daguet
Opération Daguet was the codename for French operations during the 1991 Gulf War...
in 1991 as part of the French contingent in the 1st Gulf War. The Regiment remains headquartered in Valence.
Present day
Following the end of the Algerian War in 1962, all North African Spahi regiments in the French Army were disbanded. The one exception was the 1er Régiment de Spahis Marocains, which was retained in service both because of its distinguished record in World War II and in order to preserve the traditions of the entire Spahi branch. Features such as the white burnous (cloak) and red sash of the historical Spahi uniform are still worn by the modern regiment on parade.The regiment is currently part of the 6th French Light Armored Brigade and has been since 1999. The regiment's armored vehicles core consists of 48 AMX
AMX 10 RC
The AMX-10RC is a wheeled recon vehicle and tank destroyer built by GIAT. Over 300 are in service in the French Army. 120 additional vehicles were sold to Morocco and Qatar ....
, 90 VAB
Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé
The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or VAB is an armoured personnel carrier and support vehicle designed by the Euro Mobilité Division of GIAT Industries of France. It entered service in 1976; around 5,000 were produced.- Design :The VAB was designed as a wheeled troop transporter, complementing the...
and 110 trucks. The Regiment trains new recruits at headquarters, including armored vehicle crewmen and various mechanical trades as well as musicians and non-commissioned officers.