The 3rd Colonial Infantry Division (french: 3e Division d'Infanterie Coloniale, 3e DIC) was a division of the French Marine Forces, comprising mostly French citizen troops. The 3rd Colonial Infantry Division fought in the First and Second world wars.

World War I

Composition

*'' 1^er Régiment d'infanterie coloniale'' August 1914 *'' 2^e Régiment d'infanterie coloniale'' August 1914 *'' 3^e Régiment d'infanterie coloniale'' August 1914 - February 1916 *''7e régiment d'infanterie coloniale'' August 1914 - November 1918 *'' 21^e Régiment d'infanterie coloniale'' August 1914 - November 1918 *''23e régiment d'infanterie coloniale'' end of 1914 - November 1918 *''58e régiment d'infanterie coloniale du Sénégal'' June - October 1916 * 1 Battalion of the ''88e régiment d'infanterie territoriale'' August - November 1918 As part of the French 1st Colonial Corps (french: 1er corps d'armée colonial, 1er CAC), at various times it was part of the

French First Army The First Army (french: 1re Armée) was a field army of France that fought during World War I and World War II. It was also active during the Cold War. First World War On mobilization in August 1914, General Auguste Dubail was put in the ch ...

French Second Army The Second Army (french: IIe Armée) was a field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. The Army became famous for fighting the Battle of Verdun in 1916 under Generals Philippe Pétain and Robert Nivelle. Commanders World ...

French Third Army The Third Army (french: IIIe Armée) was a Field army of the French Army, which fought during World War I and World War II. Commanders World War I *General Ruffey (Mobilization – 30 August 1914) *General Sarrail (30 August 1914 – 22 July 1915 ...

, French Fourth Army,

French Fifth Army The Fifth Army (french: Ve Armée) was a fighting force that participated in World War I. Under its commander, Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, it led the attacks which resulted in the victory at the First Battle of the Marne in 1914. World War I C ...

French Sixth Army The Sixth Army (french: 6eme Armée) was a field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. World War I The Sixth Army was formed 26 August 1914, composed of troops from various disparate French armies: two active army corps, th ...

French Seventh Army The Seventh Army (french: VIIe Armée) was a field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. World War I Created on 4 April 1915 to defend the front between the Swiss border and Lorraine, the Seventh Army was the successor of th ...

French Eighth Army The Eighth Army (french: VIIIe Armée) was a Field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. During World War I, there were two 8th armies. The first was the former ''Détachement d'armée de Belgique'' (Army Detachment in Bel ...

and

French Tenth Army The Tenth Army (french: Xe Armée) was a Field army of the French Army during World War I and World War II. World War I The Tenth Army, first called ''détachement d'armée Maud'huy'', was formed on 1 October 1914 during the Race to the Sea. It ...

Engagements

1914: The division fought in the

Battle of the Ardennes The Battle of the Ardennes took place during the First World War fought on the frontiers of France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg from 21 to 23 August 1914. The German armies defeated the French and forced their retreat. The battle was part o ...

(where it lost roughly 11,000 men out of a contingent of 15,000), the Battle of the Meuse, the

First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne was a battle of the First World War fought from 5 to 12 September 1914. It was fought in a collection of skirmishes around the Marne River Valley. It resulted in an Entente victory against the German armies in the ...

and the

First Battle of Champagne The First Battle of Champagne (french: 1ère Bataille de Champagne) was fought from 1915 in World War I in the Champagne region of France and was the second offensive by the Allies against the German Empire since mobile warfare had ended after t ...

. 1915: Many small engagements, plus the

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 Septemb ...

. 1916: The

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 bet ...

(twice). 1917: The

Second Battle of the Aisne The Second Battle of the Aisne (french: Bataille du Chemin des Dames or french: Seconde bataille de l'Aisne, 16 April – mid-May 1917) was the main part of the Nivelle Offensive, a Franco-British attempt to inflict a decisive defeat on the Germa ...

, and many small engagements. 1918: The

Third Battle of the Aisne The Third Battle of the Aisne (french: 3e Bataille de l'Aisne) was a battle of the German spring offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Forces arrived completely in ...

, the 4th Battle of Champagne, the

Second Battle of the Marne The Second Battle of the Marne (french: Seconde Bataille de la Marne) (15 July – 18 July 1918) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First World War. The attack failed wh ...

, and many minor engagements until the end of the war.

Organization in World War 2

The structure of the division in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

was as follows: * Chief of Staff, 3rd Colonial Infantry Division ** Infantry Commander, 3rd Colonial Infantry Division *** 1st Colonial Infantry Regiment *** 21st Colonial Infantry Regiment *** 23rd Colonial Infantry Regiment ** Artillery Commander, 3rd Infantry Division *** 3rd Colonial Divisional Artillery Regiment *** 203rd Colonial Divisional Heavy Artillery Regiment

References

External links