The Moroccan Division (French: Division marocaine, 1re D.M) or the 1st Moroccan Division of 1914, initially the Marching Division of Morocco (French: « Division de Marche du Maroc »D.M du Maroc) was an infantry division of France's Army of Africa (French: Armée d'Afrique) which participated in World War I.
During the major engagements of the Division, the composition of the latter consisted of, half of Maghrebi soldiers (Algerian and Tunisian Tirailleurs)[1] and the other half made of "European" soldiers (Marsouins ex-Infantry Colonial Troops, Zouaves and Legionnaires), the Moroccan Division illustrated capability in the First Battle of the Marne in September and the Second Battle of Artois of May 1915 where for the first time, a French division pierced the front.[2]
The Moroccan Division was one of the most decorated units of the French Army and all its regiments were cited at the orders of the armed forces at the end of the conflict.[3] The Moroccan Division was the only division of all French regimental colours to be decorated with the légion d’honneur throughout the course of World War I.[4]
A 1917 poster advertising an art exposition for the benefit of wounded Moroccan soldiers serving in the French Army.
On the eve of mobilisation on August 2, 1914, the troops which were at the disposition of the French Army in Morocco constituted:
1st Colonial Infantry Battalion (French: 1er Bataillon d'Infanterie Colonial, 1er B.I.C. du Maroc) of Morocco at Fez
6 Mixed Colonial Infantry Regiments of Morocco composed each of 1 colonial battalion (French: « marsouins ») and 2 Senegalese Tirailleurs (French: « Tirailleurs Sénégalais ») at Rabat, La-Chaouïa, Meknés, Fez et Marrakech.
2 Mixed Artillery Colonial Groups (one group of 3 (French: « Batteries Montées de 75 de Campagne ») and the other of 4 (French: « Batteries de 65 de Montagne »))
6 companies of Senegalese scouts
13 battalions of Algerian Tirailleurs
9 battalions of Tunisian Tirailleurs
9 battalions of Zouaves
5 battalions of Moroccan Trailleurs
1 squadron of Senegalese Spahi
While at disposition, these part forces were made immediately available to GénéralHubert Lyautey who created since mobilisation in Morocco, the Marching Division of Morocco (French: « Division de Marche du Maroc ») (future Moroccan Division, « Division Marocaine » ), with mainly 3 battalions (6th, 7th, 9th Colonial Infantry Battalions of Morocco) regrouped at Bled-el-Makhzen which formed the Colonial Infantry Marching Regiment of Morocco ( future « R.I.C.M » in 1956) of the 1st Marching Brigade of Morocco (French: « 1re Brigade de Marche du Maroc ») belonging to this division.
Under orders of Général Georges Humbert, the units constituting the Marching Division of the Morocco (French: « Division de Marche du Maroc ») were regrouped at Bordeaux and positioned themselves in the region of Tournes (French Ardennes) on August 18, and that to join the Colonial Troops Army Corps (French: « Corps d’Armée des Troupes Coloniales ») of the IVth Army (French: « 4e Armée Française ») in the battle of (French: « Bataille des frontières »).
On August 20, 1914, the Marching Division of Morocco (French: « Division de Marche du Maroc ») was renamed the Moroccan Division (French: « Division du Maroc ») (another Moroccan Division « 2e Division du Maroc » was enacted on August 4, 1918) formed by principle of two Marching brigades of Morocco (French: « Brigade de Marche du Maroc »).
6th Battalion of Commandant Vincent – the 7th Battalion of Commandant Coup – and 9th Battalion of Commandant Garrely.
The regiment was attached to the 1st Marching Brigade of Morocco (French: « 1re Brigade de Marche du Maroc ») of général Blondlat, along with the 1st Zouaves Regiment (French: « 1er Régiment de Zouaves ») of Lieutenant-Colonel Leveque leading also 3 battalions of Commandants Lagure, Randier and Burkart.
The 2nd Marching Brigade of Morocco (French: « 2e Brigade de Marche du Maroc ») of Colonel Cros regrouped:
1 Regiment of Moroccan Tirailleurs constituted of 3 battalions formed based on Tirailleurs Regiments of Occidental Morocco.
(1st Battalion of 5th Tirailleurs of Commandant Britsch - 4th Battalion of 7th Tirailleurs of Commandant De-Ligny - and the 5th Battalion of 4th Tirailleurs of Commandant Tisseye).
1 Mixed Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Fellert, constituted of 3 battalions formed based on Tirailleurs Regiments of Oriental Morocco.
(1st Battalion of 2nd Tirailleurs of Commandant Mignerot - 4th Battalion of 2nd Tirailleurs of Commandant Sauvageot - and the 3rd Battalion of 6th Tirailleurs of Commandant Clerc), one of the battalions, also formed based on the 2nd Zouaves Regiment (French: « 2e Régiment de Zouaves ») (3rd Battalion of Commandant Modelon).
The 1st Moroccan Division (French: « 1re Division du Maroc ») was supported by:
1 Artillery unit commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Ducros compromised on one marching group under the orders of Commandant Turpin (1st and 2nd batteries of the 4th artillery group of African campaigns as well as the 2nd battery of the 8th artillery group of African campaigns – (French: 1re et 2e Batteries du 4e Groupe d'Artillerie de campagne d'Afrique ainsi que la 2e Batterie du 8e Groupe d'Artillerie de Campagne d'Afrique)) and one group of 2 artillery batteries of the 3rd Colonial Artillery Regiment 3e RAC (French: « 3e Régiment d’Artillerie Coloniale », 3e R.A.C) under the orders of Commandant Martin.
1 Engineering Divisionary Company of (French: Génie) of Morocco under the orders of Captain Quinson.
During the battle of Bataille des Ardennes on August 23, 1914, the 1st Moroccan Division (French: « 1re Division du Maroc ») was integrated in the 9th Army Corps (French: « 9e Corps d’Armée ») of the IVth Army (French: « IVe Armée ») under the orders of général Dubois. This army corps had for mission to cover the unfolding of the later while maintaining positions on the designated line Signy-l'Abbaye / La-Fosse-à-l'Eau, on which this corps had to counter a massive advancement.
1st Mixed Zouaves and Trailleurs Regiment (French: 1er Régiment Mixte de Zouaves et de Tirailleurs, 1er R.M.Z.T) until September 5, 1914; Zouave by designation, no Zouave Battalion was ever found in the 1st Mixed Zouaves and Tirailleurs Regiment.
Marching Tirailleurs Regiment of Occidental Morocco (French: Régiment de Marche de Tirailleurs du Maroc Occidental) – 3 battalions from September 5 till October 1, 1914.
Marching Tirailleurs Regiment of Oriental Morocco (French: Régiment de Marche de Tirailleurs du Maroc Oriental) – 4 battalions from September 5 till October 1, 1914.
7th Marching Tirailleurs Regiment (French: 7e Régiment de Marche de Tirailleurs, 7eR.M.T), formed by merger of the Marching Tirailleurs Regiment of Occidental Morocco (French: Régiment de Marche de Tirailleurs du Maroc Occidental) and Marching Tirailleurs Regiment of Oriental Morocco (French: Régiment de Marche de Tirailleurs du Maroc Oriental) – October 1, 1914 till November 11, 1918.
8th Marching Zouaves Regiment (French: 8e Régiment de Marche de Zouaves, 8eR.M.Z) by changing designation of 8th Marching Zouave Regiment – October 1914 till November 11, 1918.
Composition formations
August–September 1914
1st Moroccan Brigade – 1914
Colonial Marching Regiment
Marching Zouave Regiment
2nd Moroccan Brigade – 1914
Marching Tirailleurs Regiment of Oriental Morocco
Marching Tirailleurs Regiment of Occidental Morocco
August 23 – 6 September: movement by Mézières towards the north-east, then unfolded by Mézières and Witry-lès-Reims, towards the region of Fère-Champenoise.
August 28: combat of Dommery and Battle of la Fosse-à-l'Eau (Meuse Battle).
September 14 – April 23, 1915: combat in the region (Bataille de l'Aisne (1914)), the stabilisation and occupation of a sector towards the ferme des Marquises and the north of Sillery, extended left on October 7 until the Fort de la Pompelle (Battle of Mines).
September 23–28: participation to the French attacks in direction of Berru.
October 12, 13 – December 22: local attack.
October 22: combat in the forest by the Zouaves.
October 26, 1914 – February 8, 1915: the 2nd Brigade was transferred to the north. Engaged November 11 in the first Battle of Ypres, lifting of the bois triangulaire (north of Ypres and the Grand Dune (Nieuport-Bain)).
1915
April 23–27: retrieved from the front, starting April 25, transport by V.F to the region of Épernay, in Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise.
April 27–29: movement towards the region Aubigny-en-Artois, then since April 29, occupation of a sector towards the farm de Berthonval and Targette.
May 26 – June 24: movement towards the front and occupation of a sector towards cote 123 of the wooden forest of Carency, reduced to the left, on June 3 made way the red cabaret.
June 24 – September 14: retrieved from the front and rested towards Wail. As of July 4, transported by V.F. in to the region of Montbéliard, since July 15, movement towards Giromagny; instruction and pause.
September 14 – October 18: transported by V.F. into the region of Lure, in Suippes. As of September 25, engaged towards the wooden forest of Sabot in the seconde bataille de Champagne.
September 25–28: attack towards Trou Bricot and the butte of Souain-Perthes-lès-Hurlus. As of September 30, movement of rocade and occupation of a sector south-east of Sainte-Marie-à-Py.
October 18 – December 21: retrieved from the front towards Cuperly. As of October 20, transported by V.F. from the region of Cuperly to Pont-Sainte-Maxence; instruction and pause.
December 21, 1915 – January 16, 1916: movement towards Cœuvres-et-Valsery, instruction.
1916
January 16 – February 24: movement towards Crépy-en-Valois; instruction. As of January 23, movement by stage towards the camp of Crèvecœur-le-Grand; pause instruction. As of February 13, movement towards the region of Noyers-Saint-Martin; pause.
February 24 – June 19: movement towards Montdidier (Somme), occupation of a sector between l'Oise and Plessis-de-Roye.
June 19 – July 6: retrieved from the front. Transported by V.F. into the region of Amiens. In reserve at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme.
July 7–13: French attack, south-east of Belloy-en-Santerre.
July 15–29: retrieved from the front. Transported by V.F. in the region of Gournay-sur-Aronde.
July 29 – October 29: movement towards the front and occupation of a sector between Belval and la lisière south of the wooden forst of Loges.
October 29 – November 17: retrieved from the front. Pause towards Estrées-Saint-Denis. As of November 3, movement towards the camp de Crèvecœur; instruction.
November 17 – December 28: transported by truck into the region of Chuignolles. Occupation of a sector towards Belloy-en-Santerre and south of Barleux.
December 28, 1916 – January 25, 1917: retrieved from the front, movement towards the camp de Crèvecœur; instruction.
April 26 – June 2: retrieved from the front, pause towards Châlons-en-Champagne.
June 2 – July 4: transported by truck towards Jonchery-sur-Vesle, then starting June 5, occupation of a sector between Miette (rivière) and Aisne.
July 4 – August 18: retrieved from the front. As of July 10, pause towards Arcis-sur-Aube. As of August 8, transported by truck into the region Verdun; work.
August 18 – September 3: occupation of a sector toward Chattancourt and Meuse (fleuve).
engaged in the second Battle of Verdun 1917, apprehending of the wooden forest of Corbeaux. Accordingly, organisation of positions towards Meuse and west towards Forges-sur-Meuse
September 3 – October 3: retrieved from the front, transported by truck into the region of Vaucouleurs (Meuse), then starting September 8 at camp de Bois l'Évêque; pause and instruction.
October 3, 1917 – January 21, 1918: occupation of a sector between Limey-Remenauville and l'étang de Vargévaux.
January 8, 1918: Local French action north of Flirey towards the wooden forest of Montmare.
1918
On January 21 – March 31: retrieved from the front, instruction towards Vaucouleurs and work. As of March 26, regroupment towards Vaucouleurs; pause and instruction.
March 31 – April 24: transported by V.F. north to Beauvais; work and instruction towards Rumigny; then held ready to intervene towards Sains-en-Amiénois and Hangard.
April 24 – May 7: movement towards the front, participated to the action of supporting Australian and British troops during the Bataille de Villers-Bretonneux 1918, south of la bourgade and towards the wooden forest (bois) of Hangard. Organization and defensive mountings, in this region with a reduced left sector, on April 29, until the northern lisière of the wooden forest of Hangard.
May 7–28: retrieved from the front, transported by trucks towards Nanteuil-le-Haudouin; paused.
June 4–20: movement towards the front and occupation of a sector towards Ambleny and Aisne, made way right on June 14 towards Ambleny and Fosse-en-Haut.
June 12: counter-attacked.
June 20 – July 5: retrieved from the front and paused towards Rethondes.
July 22 – August 27: retrieved from the front; transported into the regions Breteuil and Crèvecœur-le-Grand; pause.
August 27 – September 17: transported by truck to the front, preparation of offensives. Took part in the frontal line pushing towards the Hindenburg Line. Apprehending of Terny-Sorny, September 5; progression towards Vauxaillon, apprehending of positions of region of Allemant ( September 14–15, Battle of Vauxaillon )
September 17 – October 13: retrieved from the front and paused toward Vic-sur-Aisne, then towards Meaux. As of September 24, transported by V.F. to Rosières-aux-Salines; paused.
October 13 – November 11: movement towards the front and occupation of a sector towards Brezange-la-Grande and Brin-sur-Seille; offensive preparations.
Most Armed/Army Corps (French: Corps d'armée, C.A) (which are a formation of several divisions)[6] are the subdivisions of an Army (French: Armée), which could also be the designation of an Air Army/Force (French: l'Armée de l'Air) or Naval Army/Force (French: l'Armée de Mer) contingent. However and throughout the courses of the WorldWars, France centralized the vast majority of frontcombat theatre battles, led almost entirely by regiments of the French Army (French: L'Armée de Terre), hence the designation of "Army" (France). During World War I, the Moroccan Division being organically assigned part of the French Army included the following land "Army" (French: Armée) attachments which included various Army Corps (French: Corps d'armée, C.A) detachments (including Naval infantry and Air auxiliaries part of the various respective Army (French: Armée) and Army Corps (French: Corps d'Armée)):
Fourragere bearing ruban colours of the Légion d’honneur (6-8 citations at the orders of the armed forces) (French: 6-8 citations à l'ordre de l'Armée)
Colonel Cros: September 28, 1914 – May 10, 1915 (killed).
Colonel d'Anselme: May 14, 1915 – January 23, 1916.
Colonel Pierre Girondon: January 25, 1916 – May 25, 1916 (killed as général commandant of the French 12th Infantry Division (French: 12e division d'infanterie, 12e DI))
Colonel Schuhler: May 25, 1916 – July 17, 1918.
Colonel Bertrand: July 20, 1918.
Memorial of Givenchy-en-Gohelle
Moroccan Division Memorial.
A Monument was inaugurated in June 1925 at Givenchy-en-Gohelle on the plateau de Vimy, in front of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, and renders homage to the Moroccan Division and the hundreds of thousands of Foreign soldiers engaged for France during the War.[7]
^"The regiments de marche were in fact formed from the Algerian and Tunisian battalions serving in Morocco at the time and not from Moroccans. These latter were to be found in the third independent brigade, the Brigade des Chasseurs Indigenes, known from September 1914 as the Brigade Marocaine, as its units were Moroccan, the future Tirailleurs Marocains", Anthony Clayton, France, Soldiers, and Africa, Brassey&s Defence Publ., 1988, p.96
^« ... Le 9 mai 1915, les régiments de la division marocaine s’élançant à 10 heures des tranchées de Berthonval et brisant de haute lutte la résistance des allemands atteignirent d’un bond la côte 140, leur objectif, rompant pour la première fois le front ennemi »
^Marc Michel, L'Afrique dans l'engrenage de la Grande Guerre, 1914–1918, Karthala, 2013, p.103
^4e R.T.T; 7e R.T.A; the R.M.L.E; 8e R.Z; Bulletin des lois de la République française, Imprimerie Royale, 1919, pp.2023–2035
^Memorialgenweb.org - Château-Salins : plaque commémorative de la Division Marocaine (relevé n° 201037).
^The Corps d'armée was a creation of Napoleon Bonaparte, who for the first time used this denomination in 1805 within the Grande Armée. Bonaparte regrouped the divisions of the latter in grand inter-arm units (cavalry, artillery and infantry) commanded by marshals, these groupments were relatively small to harbor in a nation. This sort of force decentralization, then concentration was validated later in 1805. By the subsequent augmentation of numbers in the 19th century, the term Corps d'armée (Army Corps) became a subdivision of an Armée(Army), and often specialized in an inter-arm character. In France, during the two world conflicts, each Army Corps was composed of two infantry divisions
Jean-Louis Larcade, Zouaves et tirailleurs, les régiments de marche et les régiments mixtes : 1914-1918, Argonautes, 2000
Anthony Clayton, Histoire de l'Armée française en Afrique 1830-1962, Albin Michel, 1994
Pages de gloire de la Division marocaine, 1919
AFGG, vol. 2, t. 10 : Ordres de bataille des grandes unités : divisions d'infanterie, divisions de cavalerie, 1924, 1092 p. (lire en ligne).
(fr) Ministère des Armées, État-Major de l'Armée de Terre, Service Historique, Inventaire sommaire des archives de la Guerre 1914-1918, Imprimerie « La Renaissance »
