Marine (military)

Marines, from the English adjective marine, meaning of the sea, via French marin(e), of the sea from Latin marinus ("maritime"), are military forces similar to the army. Historically the Marine forces or Marine Corps are infantry forces that are part of the country's navy. However, in some countries the Marine force or Marine Corps are under independent command. The Spanish Naval Infantry (Infantería de Marina), is the oldest Marine Corps in the world, formed in 1537.^[1]

Tasks undertaken by marines have included providing security in a warship while at sea, reflecting the pressed nature of the ships' company and the risk of mutiny. Other tasks would include boarding of vessels during combat or capture of prize ships and providing manpower for raiding ashore in support of the naval objectives. Marine elements would also contribute to the campaign ashore, in support of the military objective.

With the industrialization of warfare in the 20th Century the scale of landing operations increased; thus brought with it an increased likelihood of opposition and a need for co-ordination of various military elements. Marine forces evolved to specialize in the skills and capabilities required for amphibious warfare.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Roles 3 Marines 3.1 Argentina 3.2 Bolivia 3.3 Brazil 3.4 Cambodia 3.5 Chile 3.6 China, People's Republic of 3.7 China, Republic of 3.8 Colombia 3.9 Croatia 3.10 Cuba 3.11 Ecuador 3.12 El Salvador 3.13 Egypt 3.14 Finland 3.15 France 3.15.1 French Army 3.15.2 French Navy 3.16 Germany 3.17 Greece 3.18 Honduras 3.19 India 3.20 Indonesia 3.21 Iran 3.22 Iraq 3.23 Israel 3.24 Italy 3.25 South Korea 3.26 North Korea 3.27 Mexico 3.28 Morocco 3.29 Myanmar 3.30 Netherlands 3.31 Norway 3.32 Pakistan 3.33 Paraguay 3.34 Peru 3.35 Philippines 3.36 Poland 3.37 Portugal 3.38 Romania 3.39 Russia 3.40 Saudi Arabia 3.41 South Africa 3.42 Spain 3.43 Sri Lanka 3.44 Sweden 3.45 Thailand 3.46 Turkey 3.47 Ukraine 3.48 United Arab Emirates 3.49 United Kingdom 3.50 United States 3.51 Uruguay 3.52 Venezuela 3.53 Vietnam 4 Historical Marine forces 4.1 Ancient Rome 4.2 Byzantine Empire 4.3 Confederate States of America 4.4 Denmark-Norway 4.5 Estonia 4.6 Gran Colombia 4.7 Germany 4.8 France 4.9 Japan 4.10 Iraq 4.11 Italy 4.12 Lebanon 4.13 The Netherlands 4.14 Ottoman Empire 4.15 Portuguese Empire 4.16 Russia 4.16.1 Novgorod Republic 4.17 Spanish Empire 4.18 Soviet Union 4.19 South Africa 4.20 United Kingdom 4.21 United States 4.22 Republic of Vietnam 4.23 Yugoslavia 5 See also 6 References

Etymology

The word marine was originally used for the forces of England and United States, and the exact term marine does not exist in many other languages. Typically, foreign equivalents are called naval infantry or navy infantry (e.g., as in Spain, Germany, and Russia) or coastal infantry. In French-speaking countries, two terms exist which could be translated as marine: troupes de marine and fusiliers-marins; similar pseudo-translations exist elsewhere, e.g., Fuzileiros Navais in Portuguese. The word marine means Navy in many European languages such as Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Swedish and Norwegian.

Roles

The principal role of marine troops is military operations in the littoral zone, operating from ships they are trained to land on and secure key points to around 50 miles inland.

Marine units primarily deploy from warships using helicopters, landing craft, hovercraft or amphibious vehicles with some force elements capable of parachute insertion.

In addition to their primary role, marine troops are also used in a variety of other naval roles such as boarding operations, ship and naval port security or riverine operations.

Marines

Argentina

The Naval Infantry of the Armada of Argentina (Infantería de Marina de la Armada de la República Argentina, IMARA) is a part of the Argentine Navy. Argentine Marines have the same rank insignia and titles as the rest of the Navy. It is composed of a Fleet Marine Force (one Marine Battalion, plus artillery, air defence, communications, logistics, engineer and vehicle units), a Southern Marine Force (2 Marine Battalions), a River Operations Battalion, a Special Forces Unit (the Amphibious Commandos Group) and several Security Battalions and Companies. The 5th Battalion of the Infanteria de Marina fought and lost against three British battalions in the Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur).

Bolivia

The Bolivian Naval Force includes about 2,000 naval infantry personnel and marines

Brazil

The Corps of Naval Fusiliers (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais), is subordinate to the Brazilian Navy. The Marine Corps is composed of an Operational Brigade and some Guard and Ceremonial Duty Battalions. The main unit is the brigade-sized Divisão Anfíbia (Amphibious Division).

Cambodia

The Royal Cambodian Navy created a force of 2,000 marines in 2007.

Chile

The Chilean Corps of Naval Infantry (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina) is a branch of the Chilean Navy. They specialise in performing amphibious assaults, and belong to the Chilean Special Forces Unit, along with the Combat Divers. The Corps is composed of four units, organized along the Chilean territory. Each one with their own anti-aircraft guns, artillery and landing craft.

China, People's Republic of

• People's Liberation Army Marine Corps

China, Republic of

• Republic of China Marine Corps

Colombia

The 24,000-member Colombian Marine Corps is organized into a single division with four brigades (one amphibious assault brigade and three riverine brigade), each with several battalions plus numerous small security units. It is a part of the Colombian Navy.

Croatia

The Croatian Navy maintains a 200 man (naval infantry corps) headquartered in Split. The group consists in three companies divided between Pula, Šibenik, Ploče and the 4th Guards Brigade (based at Split) which was transferred to the Croatian Navy as a naval infantry unit in January 2002.^[2]

Cuba

The Cuban Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, or MGR) maintains a small marine battalion called the Desembarco de Granma.

Ecuador

The 5000 man Ecuadorian Navy maintains a 1700 man Naval Infantry Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina) headquartered in Guayaquil. It was formed on 12 November 1962. It is organised into two security battalions, one east in the Amazon River area and the other on the coast. There is also a commando battalion based in the Galápagos Islands.

El Salvador

The El Salvador Navy included two 600-man Marine Infantry Battalions (Batallon de Infanteria de Marina—BIM), and a 300 man Naval Commando Force. The BIMs were located at La Unión and Usulatan.

Egypt

The 111th Independent Mechanized Brigade (formerly the 130th Marine Amphibious Brigade) of the Egyptian Army can conduct amphibious assault operations. There is also the 153d Commando Group with three Marine Commandos Battalions (515th, 616th, 818th) controlling 12 Marine Commandos Companies.

Finland

The Finnish Uusimaa Brigade (Swedish: Nylands brigad) in Ekenäs is part of the Finnish Navy and trains the Finnish coastal jaegers. The detachment is the only Swedish-speaking unit in the Finnish Defence Forces.

France

In the French armed forces both the French Army and the French Navy possess troops called marines:

French Army

The Troupes de marine (Navy Troops) are, despite the name, a branch of the French Army. The arm is dedicated to service overseas, particularly in Africa. The troupes de marine include infantry (Infanterie de Marine), including paratroopers and light cavalry, artillery (Artillerie de Marine). Due to their former name of Troupes Coloniales, Marine Forces are commonly referred as La Colo. Infantry marines are known in French as marsouins, allegedly because, like porpoises, they accompany ships without really being part of the crew. Marine Gunners are known as "bigors", a nickname whose origin is disputed. It could come from bigue dehors which was the order given for loading the guns on a ship. It could also come from bigorneau (winkle in English), either due to their toughness and unwillingness to desert their positions in combat or because their duties usually had them stuck on coastal rocks.

The troupes de marine were founded in 1622 (officially titled compagnies ordinaires de la mer) as land forces under the control of the Secretary of State of the Navy, notably for operations in French Canada. The Compagnies de la Mer were transformed in line infantry regiments by Napoleon, but became once more Marine Forces in 1822 (for the artillery) and 1831 (for the Infantry). These Troupes de marines were in the 19th century the main overseas and colonial forces of the French military. In 1900 they were put under the orders of the War Ministry and took the name of Troupes Coloniales (Colonial Forces). In 1958 the designation of Troupes Coloniales was changed to Troupes d'Outre-Mer (Overseas Forces) but in 1961 it reverted to the original Troupes de Marine. Throughout these changes in title these troops continued to be part of the French Army.

French Navy

• The Commandos Marine (literally "Navy Commandos", sometimes loosely translated as "Marine commandos") are an elite special operations unit of the French navy.
• The Navy also includes the Fusiliers Marins (literally "sailors riflemen"), who protect naval bases and serve on capital ships. Currently the Naval Fusiliers consists of two battalion and seven companies and a Naval support Base.

The Naval Fusiliers and Naval Commandos are under the common command of the FORFUSCO or Force Maritime des Fusiliers Marins et Commandos in Lorient.

Germany

The Deutsche Marine (German Navy) maintains two distinct marine commando organizations:

• The Spezialisierte Einsatzkräfte Marine (Naval Special Deployment Force) is a special operations formation of the German Navy. The battalion includes the Kampfschwimmerkompanie, the Minentaucherkompanie and a boarding-company. The unit is based at Eckernförde.
• The Marineschutzkräfte (Naval Protection Force), which are responsible for the protection of naval bases and facilities. The battalion is based in Eckernförde and it organized into five units: one staff & support company, three infantry companies and a military intelligence platoon.

Greece

Greece does not have a marine corps. Instead, the 32nd Marine Brigade "Moravas" (32η Ταξιαρχία Πεζοναυτών Mοράβας) and the Underwater Demolition Command (known as OYK) are units of naval infantry maintained by the Hellenic Army.

Honduras

The Honduran Navy established at least one 600-man Marine Infantry Battalion (Batallón de Infantería de Marina — BIM) in 1982.

India

• The Indian Navy has an elite special operations unit called the Marine Commando Force. It is commonly referred to as "MARCOS", meaning Marine Commandos, or MCF. They form a special/covert operations and counter-terrorism unit specializing in sea-based land warfare. Also, they provide support to Indian Army units in specialized areas, such as preventing infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir's Wular lake. This unit was established in 1986, and is reputed to have a strength of 2000 personnel.
• The Indian Army maintains the 340 Independent Infantry Brigade (Amphibious) subordinate to 12 Corps (Jodhpur, Rajasthan) of the South Western Command.

Indonesia

• Indonesian Marine Corps (Korps Marinir TNI AL) , a part of the Indonesian Navy established on 15 November 1945, and consists of three brigades equipped with BMP-3 IFVs.

Iran

• At the fall of the Shah in the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the Imperial Iranian Navy had three battalions of marines. That force has since expanded to 2,600 personnel, two Marine Brigades each of three Marine Battalions. These two brigades have also been reported as three Marine Battalions in the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (may be part of the Iranian Army).
• The Navy of the Revolutionary Guard Corps maintains several units which may perform marine-type functions to include at least one 5,000 man Brigade of three or four Marine Battalions.^[3] They also have a Takavar Naval Commando Battalion

Iraq

The Iraqi Navy is a small force with 800 sailors and six platoons of marines designed to protect the shoreline and inland waterways from insurgent infiltration. The navy is also responsible for the security of offshore oil platforms. The navy will have coastal patrol squadrons, assault boat squadrons and a marine battalion.^[4] The force will consist of 2,000 to 2,500 sailors by year 2010 and will be brought to 1,500 sailors by 2015 ^[5]

Israel

The Givati Brigade functions as the amphibious force and is one of the infantry brigades in the Israel Defense Forces. It was formed in December 1948 and placed under the command of Shimon Avidan. Before that it participated in Operation Yoav (October 15–22, 1948). Its role was to capture the areas of Hulikat, Kawkaba and the junction which is today known as the Givati Junction. Later it was disbanded but was reestablished in 1983 and still exists today. Since 1999 it serves under the Southern Command (Pikud Darom). Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets. The Brigade's symbol is the fox, alluding to Shualei Shimshon (שועלי שמשון, lit. Samson's Foxes), a unit in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

Italy

The Italian military maintains two marine type units:

• The Italian Navy (Marina Militare) has a marine unit, the San Marco Regiment, based in Brindisi.
• COMSUBIN (Commando Raggruppamento Subacquei ed Incursori Teseo Tesei) is the elite combat frogman force of the Navy and one of the Italian special forces.
• The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano) has its own Marine infantry unit, the Serenissima Regiment, based in Venice. Its soldiers are called Lagunari.

South Korea

• Republic of Korea Marine Corps

North Korea

The NKPA's Light Infantry Training Guidance Bureau has a two or more amphibious light infantry/sniper brigades. These brigades are believed deployed to Wonsan on the east coast and Namp'o and Tasa-ri on the west coast. In organization and manpower, they are reduced versions of the regular light infantry brigades with a total strength of approximately 5,000 men organized into ten battalions. Each battalion has about 400 men organized into five companies each. Some amphibious brigade personnel are trained as frogmen.^[6]

Mexico

The Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico) - The Mexican Marines consists of 20,000 marines spread in a brigade of three battalions, plus a battalion attached to the Presidential Guard Brigade, three Regional battalions with headquarters in Mexico City, Acapulco, and Veracruz, and thirty-five independent companies Mainly In (Celaya) and detachments distributed among ports, bases, and zonal headquarters. The marines are responsible for port security, protection of the ten-kilometer coastal fringe, and patrolling major waterways. In addition to having light arms, the marines are equipped with 105mm towed howitzers, 60mm and 81mm mortars, and 106mm recoilless rifles, as well as Pegaso BMR VAP-3550 and BTR-60 amphibious vehicles. The marines riverine duties have been increasingly taken over by the Mexican Army. More recently the Navy has ceded most of its riverine responsibilities (formally handled by the Marines) to the Army, and has reduced the size of the Marine force, putting them back aboard ships where they play a vital role in drug interdiction and boarding of suspect vessels in territorial waters.

Morocco

‎The modern Royal Moroccan Navy (Marine Royale) was founded in 1960, four years after the country's independence from France. It has a manpower strength of 50,000 sailors, officers and marines. The Royal Moroccan Navy is the naval branch within the Moroccan Military. It is inspected by Inspector of the Royal Navy Mohammed Berrada Kouzi. The Royal navy enjoys friendship with the French Navy and uses modern French equipment like the Floréal class frigate, Surcouf (F711) and Panther helicopters.

The Royal Moroccan Navy is divided in critical response elite teams and the 'regular' navy, which day to day tasks are defending the Moroccan coasts and search for illegal traffic of drugs and illegal aliens from and to Europe.

Myanmar

The Myanmar Navy raised a naval infantry battalion of 800 men in 1964, followed by a second battalion in 1967, 3rd and 4th battalions may have also been raised. They were deployed mainly to the Arakan and Tenasserim areas, and to the Irrawaddy delta, to assist in counter-insurgency operations, but also performed other security duties.

Netherlands

The Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine) naval infantry unit is the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (Korps Mariniers). Founded in 1665, originally as an infantry regiment to the Dutch Navy. Today, it is a brigade, made of 3 marine infantry battalions (of which 1 in Aruba and Curaçao), 1 amphibious combat support battalion and 1 logistical battalion. The Dutch Marine Corps is a light infantry unit, operating as a rapid-reaction force, deployable anywhere in the world within a 48-hours notice. Dutch marines train in all possible geological and climate conditions for their role.

Enlisted marine recruit training lasts 30 weeks, as for marine officers, it takes up to 5 years (including naval academy). Similar to the United Kingdom's Royal Marines, they both share a Bond of Friendship.

Norway

Kystjegerkommandoen (KJK: in English "The Coastal Ranger Command") of the Norwegian Navy is an amphibious unit trained to operate in littoral combat theatres, filling the role of a marine corps and coastal artillery.

Pakistan

The Pakistani Navy operates two amphibious organizations.

• The Pakistan Marines The Marines division was re-established on April 14, 1990 with about 2000 men and plans to expand the force significantly by 2015. The naval marines are based at Port Qasim naval base.
• Special Service Group Navy (SSGN) is an elite special operations force similar to the Royal Navy's Special Boat Service and United States Navy SEALs.

Paraguay

The Paraguayan Marine Corps (Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales) is a battalion sized organization consisting of four company sized brigades.

Peru

The Peruvian Naval Infantry (Infantería de Marina del Perú) comprises of around 3,000 naval infantrymen and includes an amphibious brigade of three battalions and local security units with two transports (one used as a school ship), four tank landing ships, and about forty Portuguese Chaimite armored personnel carriers. Since 1982 IMAP detachments have been deployed, under army command, in counterinsurgency capacities in Ayacucho and Huancavelica departments.

Philippines

The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) has a strength of about 10,000 men divided into three (3) brigades. The Marine units include three infantry maneuver brigades, each composed of three tactical infantry battalions with one infantry battalion in reserve and one heavy weapons battalion (composed of the 105mm howitzer, 106mm recoilless gun, along with amphibious vehicles (LVT) and various armoured units). Two of the Marine battalions have specialized roles: the Force Reconnaissance (Recon) battalion is used for rapid airlift to troubled areas. This Recon Battalion is also trained in ship-boarding attacks. The Marine Guard battalion is deployed in urban warfare and in defence of installations. The Philippine Marine Corps is also considered the shock force of the Armed Forces and is the first unit to be involved in any amphibious or seaborne clashes.

Poland

Poland maintains two marine type forces

• The Polish Navy maintains several naval Infantry units responsible for port and coastal security.
• The Polish Army maintains the 7th Coastal Defense Brigade which bears traditions of the disbanded 7th Coastal Defence Division (the Blue Berets), therefore it is sometimes referred to the Marines of Poland. However, as of now (2010) there are no plans by the Polish Army to create an active Marine unit. Therefore the 7th Brigade carries out only limited-scale exercises of amphibious assaults.

Portugal

Since 1621 the Portuguese Navy has maintained a naval infantry corps, which is currently known as Corpo de Fuzileiros. The Portuguese Marine Corps consists of about 1500 men, including two naval infantry battalions, a naval police unit, a special operations unit and several support units (logistical, fire support, landing craft, etc.).

Romania

The 307th Marine Battalion (Batalionul 307 Infanterie Marină) is the light infantry/reconnaissance/special operations unit of the Romanian Navy. It is located in Babadag, Tulcea County, and it was formed in the mid 1970s for the defence of the Danube Delta and Romanian Black Sea shore. Its operational capabilities are the same as those of the United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions, which provided member exchange programmes and instructors to its Romanian counterpart. Its base is near the largest military training range in Romania.

Russia

The Russian Naval Infantry, (Russian: Морская пехота) are the amphibious forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The naval infantry includes the 55th Division of the Russian Pacific Fleet, the detached brigades of the Northern and Baltic Fleets and of the Caspian Military Flotilla, and the detached regiment of the Black Sea Fleet. SPUTNIK is the name of the Arctic Ocean Northern Fleet Marine Main Naval Base.

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Navy maintains two 1500 (approx) man marine brigades consisting of three battalions each. The brigades are assigned to the Western Fleet Headquartered in Jeddah and the Eastern Fleet headquartered in Jubail. The brigades are equipped with 200 Pegaso BMR AFV's and US made HMMWVs.

South Africa

The South African Navy's new Rapid Reaction Squadron is a marine type unit. It is planned that this squadron will eventually be a battalion sized unit. Currently it consists of roughly two companies. Members are sailors and use Naval ranks. They are trained in infantry combat up to company sized operations. They are also used for crowd control and conduct peacekeeping operations. During peacekeeping operations they are meant to augment an Army infantry battalion. Their role is very similar to the now disbanded South Africa Marine Corps.

Spain

The Spanish Navy Marines (Infantería de Marina), are the oldest existing marine force in the world,^[7] as they were established on February 27, 1537 by Charles I when he permanently assigned the Compañías Viejas del Mar de Nápoles (Naples Old Sea Companies) to the Escuadras de Galeras del Mediterráneo (Mediterranean Galley Squadrons). Their red trouser stripes mark the Infanteria de Marina as part of the Royal Household Corps, an honor only shared with the Royal Guard, and were given by Charles III to the marines in reward for their fierce defence of the Castillo del Morro in Havana against the British fleet in 1763.^[8]

Sri Lanka

• Special Boat Squadron is the elite special operations unit of the Sri Lanka Navy. It is capable of carrying out amphibious raids/operations, maritime counter-terrorism, reconnaissance and target indication, combat swimmer missions and small boat operations. As a Special Forces unit, its role is not limited to water-borne operations. It also conducts operations on land, either with ground combat units of the Navy and the Army, or separately.

• Naval Patrolmen are naval infantry units of the Sri Lanka Navy. Its current size is unknown, however it may be 2-3 battalions strong. These units were formed primary as a protective force for base and port security, but has since been trained and deployed for amphibious and land combat operations. In addition to being equipped with light arms, the patrolmen have 60mm, 82mm mortars and operate Unibuffel light armored vehicles

Sweden

The Swedish Amphibious Corps (Svenska amfibiekåren) is an arm of the Swedish Navy. The Corps consised of 6 battalions, capable of everything from reconnaissance, amphibious assaults, and combat on, over, and under the surface of the sea. The Amphibious Corps wears green berets.

Thailand

• Royal Thai Marine Corps or RTMC.

Turkey

The Turkish Navy maintains several Marine and Special Operations units. These include the Amphibious Marines Brigade (Amfibi Deniz Piyade Tugayı), several commando detachments and two special operations forces:

• Amphibious Marines Brigade - (Amfibi Deniz Piyade Tugayı) consisting of 6000 men based in Foça near İzmir, three amphibious battalions, an MBT battalion, an artillery battalion, a support battalion and other company-sized units.
• Su Altı Taarruz - (S.A.T.) (Underwater Attack). The missions of the Su Altı Taarruz (SAT) include the acquisition of military intelligence, amphibious assault, counter-terrorism and VIP protection.
• Su Altı Savunma - (S.A.S.) (Underwater Defense).

Ukraine

Ukrainian Marines, founded in 1993 from a unit of the former Soviet Naval Infantry.

United Arab Emirates

The UAE maintains a small battalion sized marine force called the UAE Marines, it is equipped with BTR-3s.

United Kingdom

The Royal Marines (RM) of the United Kingdom were formed in 1664 and are a part of the Naval Service. They have the longest infantry training in the world, which stands at 32 weeks for an enlisted recruit^[9] and 54 weeks for an officer recruit.^[10] They include a commando brigade (3 Commando Brigade RM), a naval security unit responsible for guarding Britain's naval nuclear weapons and other security duties (the Fleet Protection Group RM), a commando training centre, a landing craft and boat-training group which is also a parent unit for three landing craft units deployed on amphibious-support ships, a naval Special Forces unit (the Special Boat Service) and a naval band service (Royal Marines Band Service).

United States

• The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is currently the largest marine force in the world, responsible for much of the United States expeditionary operations.^[11] While the USMC is a component part of the Department of the Navy, in the military command structure, it is a military branch separate from the United States Navy.
• The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command was created in 2005 to support the Marine Corps in expeditionary operations.
• The Marine Security Guard has the responsibility to provide enlisted Marines who meet the Department of State's security guard requirements at Foreign Service posts throughout the world.

Uruguay

The Uruguayan Marine Corps-FUSNA (Cuerpo de Fusileros Navales) is a battalion-sized organization consisting of four company sized brigades.

Venezuela

The Venezuelan Marine Corps (Infantería de Marina) of Venezuela is a sub-division of the Venezuelan Navy which forms part of the National Armed Forces of the BRV. Headquartered in Meseta de Mamo, Vargas, the estimated numerical strength of this unit is approximately 8,000 men and women. Its mission is to "enlist and direct its units in order to form the disembarking force and/or support of amphibious or special operations; executing naval safeguarding and environmental policing, as well as actively participating in the national development".

Vietnam

The Vietnam People's Navy maintains a Naval Infantry Force of which not much is known. It once stood at eleven brigades each of several battalions. The first Naval Infantry unit was established in 1975 and was known as the 126th Brigade. Currently the Vietnam People's Navy maintains two Naval Infantry brigades which happen to be the 101st Brigade and 147th Brigade.

Historical Marine forces

Ancient Rome

The Roman Navy was known to use marines and naval personnel were trained for raiding and also provided at least two legions (I Adiutrix and II Adiutrix) for service on land. The various provincial fleets were usually provided with marines from the adjacent legions.

Byzantine Empire

For several centuries, the Byzantine navy used the descendants of the Mardaites, who were settled in southern Anatolia and Greece, as marines and rowers for its ships. Emperor Basil I also established a separate marine regiment, 4,000 strong, for the central Imperial Fleet based at Constantinople. These were professional troops, and were counted among the elite tagmata troops.

In the 1260s, when emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos rebuilt the navy, he recruited the Tzakones (settlers from Laconia) and the Gasmouloi (men of mixed Greek-Latin descent) as special marine troops. Despite the progressive decline and virtual disappearance of the navy, they remained active until the late Palaiologan period.

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States Marine Corps (CSMC), a branch of the Confederate States Navy, was established by the Confederate Congress on 16 March 1861.

Denmark-Norway

Marineregimentet (The Marine Regiment) was the naval infantry of the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy.

Estonia

The Meredessantpataljon, was a short lived marine infantry battalion of the Estonian Navy. The battalion was created in 1919 from the crews of the Estonian surface warships and was based in Tallinn. The unit was mainly used on the Southern Front during the Estonian War of Independence. The unit was operational from March to June in 1919.

Gran Colombia

The Confederation of Gran Colombia Marines were formed in 1822 and were disbanded in 1829, Personnel were mostly from Venezuela.

Germany

• German Empire - During the German Imperial era, three ‘sea battalions’ or Seebatallione^[12] based at Kiel, Wilhelmshaven and Tsingtao were maintained. These units served intermittently as colonial intervention forces. The III Seebatallion at the imperial navy’s east Asian station at Tsingtao was the only all-German unit with permanent status in a protectorate/colony. The battalion fought at the Siege of Tsingtao.
• East Germany - The East German army's Nr29. Regiment ("Ernst Moritz Arndt") was a Motorized Rifle Regiment intended for amphibious operations in the Baltic Sea. while the Volksmarine Kampfschwimmer: Combat swimmer units intended for support of amphibious operations and for raiding.

France

The Ordinary Marine Companies (Compagnies Ordinaires de la Mer) was a French Marine force created in 1622.

Japan

Both the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army maintained marine type units. Both were dissolved at the end of World War II and Japan no longer has marines.

• The Imperial Japanese Navy's Land Forces maintained several combat units.
  • Special Naval Landing Forces were the Empire of Japan's marine corps.
  • The IJN also maintained the Guard Forces keibitai and Defense Units bobitai both of whom also received amphibious assault and beach defence training, however, their performance was poor or average when they were used as assault troops.
• The Imperial Japanese Army's 3,500 man 1st to 4th Sea-Landing Brigades, were used to conduct amphibious assaults on an island but afterward they stayed to garrison that island.

Iraq

• The old Iraqi Navy maintained several marine companies.
• The Iraqi Republican Guard maintained a Marine Brigade as part of its 8th As Saiqa Special Forces Division. The brigade was equipped with Brazilian made Engesa EE-11 Urutu wheeled armored personnel carriers.

Italy

The Blackshirt militia maintained an independent Marine Group with four MVSN battalions (24th, 25th, 50th and 60th).

Lebanon

The Lebanese Forces militia maintained a small elite Marine unit until the LF was disarmed and disbanded the unit. The Marines were the navy of the militia and it maintained a force of small boats.

The Netherlands

The corps was founded on 10 December 1665 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War by the unofficial leader of the republic Johan de Witt and Admiral Michiel de Ruyter as the Regiment de Marine. Its leader was Willem Joseph Baron van Ghent. The Dutch had successfully used ordinary soldiers in ships at sea in the First Anglo-Dutch War. It was the fifth European Marine unit formed, being preceded by the Spanish Marines (1537), the Portuguese Marines (1610), the French Marines (1622) and the English Royal Marines (1664). Like Britain, the Netherlands has had several periods when its Marines were disbanded. The Netherlands itself was under French occupation or control from 1810 until 1813. A new Marine unit was raised on 20 March 1801 during the time of the Batavian Republic and on 14 August 1806 the Korps Koninklijke Grenadiers van de Marine was raised under King Louis Bonaparte. The modern Korps Mariniers dates from 1814, receiving its current name in 1817.

The battle honors on the Korps Mariniers' colors are: Raid on the Medway (1667), Kijkduin (1673), Sennefe (1674), Spain, Dogger Bank (1781), West Indies, Algiers (1816), Atjeh, Bali, Rotterdam (1940), Java Sea (1942), Java and Madoera (1947–1948), and New Guinea (1962).

Ottoman Empire

The role of Ottoman naval infantry originated in Orhan's conquest of the Karasi Beylik and the capture of its fleet. From then on Janissaries and Azaps were sometimes deployed as marines during the 14th Century. The Deniz azaps were used during the 16th Century; while troops called Levend (Bahriyeli) were raised on and off over the centuries - over 50,000 of them by the late 18th century. The last raised units were the Ta'ifat al Ru'sa (corsair captains militia) recruited from among the North African Arabs and indigenous Berbers. Ottoman marines were part of the Ottoman navy.

Portuguese Empire

Portugal raised numerous companies of Special Marines (Fuzileiros Especiais) and African Special Marines (Fuzileiros Especiais Africanos), both at home and in the African colonies of Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Mozambique, for service in Africa during the Portuguese Colonial Wars. The African Special Marines were all-black units.

Russia

The Imperial Russian Navy used several regiments of marine equipage troops that fought as much on land as they served in ship detachments. One battalion was formed within the Guard, and served on the Imperial family's ships.

Novgorod Republic

Until Novogorod was annexed by Moscow in the fifteenth century, Novgorod was notorious for its Ushkuiniks. These were irregular marines, the last successors of Viking traditions, and often raided other Russian settlements.

Spanish Empire

The Spanish Infanteria de Marina were first established under the instructions of Charles I to guard the Spanish Crown's possessions in the Mediterranean. In the following centuries it was used in distant parts of the world.

Soviet Union

The Soviet Navy had a number of small battalion-sized naval infantry and coastal defence units that mostly served in the ports and bases before the Second World War. During the war, and building on the visuals of the mutinied sailors of Petrograd in 1917, the Stavka ordered formation of naval infantry brigades from the surplus to either ship or shore duty sailors, and forty brigades served in mostly ground troops roles until 1944 when they were used for amphibious operations in Norway and along the Black Sea coast.

South Africa

The South Africa Marine Corps was set up as a sub-branch of the South African Navy in 1979, with the primary purpose of protecting harbours. The Marines were disbanded in 1989, following a major restructuring of the Navy at the end of the South African Border War.

United Kingdom

• The Royal Marines date from the establishment of a Maritime Regiment of Foot in 1664. Six regiments of Marine Regiments for Sea were formed in 1702 but by 1713 they had been disbanded or taken into the army as regiments of foot. In 1755, a permanent corps of fifty companies of marines was established for direct service under the Admiralty and this force has an unbroken descent to the Royal Marines of today. See History of the Royal Marines.

• The Royal Navy has since its beginning formed naval landing parties of seamen for action ashore, this being later formalised into the Naval Brigades. These brigades would often dismount guns from their parent vessels for use ashore, these guns often being the only artillery available. The most famous example of this form of land service was provided by the guns accompanying the forces relieving Ladysmith.

• The Corps of Colonial Marines was a British Marine Corps formed during the mid 1840s to serve in the remaining British America colonies (mainly the West Indies). The Colonial Marines were controlled by the Royal Marines as an auxiliary force. Initially recruited from freed or escaped slaves from the United States and later from local inhabitants, these units were either disbanded or absorbed by the West India Regiment.

• In the First World War, the shortage of ground forces for the Western Front in 1914 led to the creation of the Royal Naval Division, composed of two brigades of sailors and the brigade formed by the Royal Marines. The Division was part of the Royal Navy but for command purposes was integrated into the army's command structure. The sailors were initially disappointing as infantry, but eventually developed into one of the better divisions. The division participated in the defence of the Belgian city of Antwerp in late 1914, and then served with heavy casualties at the Battle of Gallipoli. At different times the Division included various army units. The division ceased to exist after the end of the First World War. Only men are allowed in the Royal Marines.

United States

• Gooch's Marines,^[13] the 61st Foot, raised in the American colonies for the War of Jenkins' Ear in 1739. This was a 3,000 man American regiment of the British Army that served alongside British Marines. Among its officers was Lawrence Washington, half-brother of George Washington. It was disbanded as a regiment in 1742 and the remaining independent companies were merged with another regiment in 1746.
• Nobel Jones' Company of Marine Boatmen of the Georgia militia also fought in the War of Jenkins' Ear, helping defeat a Spanish amphibious landing on St. Simons Island in the Battle of Gully Hole Creek and the Battle of Bloody Marsh.
• American Colonial Marines were State Marines raised for the various state navies that came into existence shortly before the Revolutionary War.
• The Continental Marines were the Marine force of the American Colonies during American Revolutionary War. The corps was formed by the Continental Congress in November 10, 1775 and was disbanded in 1783. The Continental Marines' first and only Commandant was Captain Samuel Nicholas.
• Hillet Marine River Regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War, this regiment consisted of 10 rifle companies, a Cavalry Battalion of 5 companies, and an artillery battalion of three batteries, all of whom operated from Mississippi River gunboats.

Republic of Vietnam

The Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps (VNMC) was established by President Ngo Dinh Diem on October 13, 1954, and then disbanded on 1 May 1975 after the reunification of Vietnam.

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia Navy (the entire coast of Yugoslavia was part of a naval region headquartered at Split) maintained the 12th Naval Infantry Brigade (Mornaricka Pesadijska Brigada) near Kotor, a coastal town in Montenegro. The brigade consisted of 900 to 2000 men in three battalions. A multi-ethnic unit, the brigade was broken up during the dissolution of the Yugoslav federation and saw little action. The largest remnant moved to Montenegro.

See also

• Navy
• Space marine

References