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'Marines' (from the English adjective "marine", meaning "of the sea", from
Latin language ''mare'', meaning sea, via
French adjective ''marin(e)'', "of the sea") are, in principle, seaborne land soldiers that are part of a
navy. However in some countries Marines are no longer part of the navy (notably the
United States Marine Corps which has become an independent armed force falling only administratively under the navy).
The exact term "marine" does not exist in many other languages. Typically, foreign equivalents are called "naval infantry" (e.g. as in
Spain,
Germany, and
Russia). In
French-speaking countries, two terms exist which could be translated as "marine", but do not translate exactly: ''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 French, German, Dutch and Norwegian.
Historically, Marines served on board
warships, assisted the crew in battles, boarded enemy ships, conducted small coastal raids, protected the officers from
mutiny by the crew, protected ports and naval bases, and served as a
landing force.
As a result of their mixed land and naval role, Marine forces are mainly specialised in
amphibious assaults using infantry, armour, aircraft, and watercraft.
Roles
Today, Marines are primarily a naval amphibious force. Operating from ships, they are trained to land on and capture a section of coast-line. However, they are also used in other roles.
Marine units primarily deploy from warships, in a variety of ways. This includes landing by hovercraft, landing craft, boat and amphibious vehicle units on amphibious-support ships and by aircraft units from aircraft carriers or amphibious-support ships.
Embarked Marines parties serve on warships to assist with bridge watch-keeping, fire-fighting, ship security and the provision of boarding parties to board other vessels.
They are also used for coastal or riverine boat patrols and security of naval bases.
In modern warfare, most Marines usually form an
elite, of highly-mobile troops, usually tasked with short rapid deployment and intervention missions; however some forces are capable also of sustained warfighting missions.
For example the
United States Marine Corps, is a part of the United States Department of the Navy and the largest Marine force in the world, is often used in situations that do not involve naval elements, such as general land warfare. It has the capability to be used as a spearhead for major military offensives or as a stop-gap when a military requirement arises, performing military operations until more permanent forces arrive.
Founding dates of early Marine units
★ 1537 -
Infanteria de Marina (
Spain)
★ 1621 -
Fuzileiros Navais (
Portugal)
★ 1622 -
Troupes de marine (
France)
★ 1664 -
Royal Marines (
United Kingdom)
★ 1665 -
Royal Netherlands Marine Corps ()
★ 1775 -
United States Marine Corps {Originally
Continental Marines}
★ 1808 -
Fuzileiros Navais (
Brazil)
★ 1818 - Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina (
Chile)
National Marine units
Argentina
★ The Naval Infantry of the
Armada of the
Argentine Republic (''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 and several Security Battalions and Companies.
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 division-sized Divisão Anfíbia (Amphibious Division).
Chile
★ The 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, organised along the Chilean Territory. Each one with their own anti-aircraft guns, artillery and landing craft.
China
★ China's
People's Liberation Army Marine Corps.
Finnish coastal jaegers in a landfall exercise
Finland
★ Finnish
Uusimaa Brigade () in
Ekenäs is part of the Finnish Navy and trains the Finnish costal jaegers. The detachment is the only Swedish-speaking unit in the Finnish Defence Forces.
France
Four branches of the French armed forces could possibly be translated as "marines":
Troupes de marine
''Main article:
Troupes de marine''
The ''Troupes de marine'' ("naval troops", often roughly translated as "marine troops") are despite the name, now an arm of the French Army. The arm is dedicated to service overseas, in practice particularly in Africa. The ''troupes de marine'' include infantry (''Infanterie de Marine''), artillery (''Artillerie de Marine''), and tanks (''Chars de Marine'').
The modern troupes de marine have a special mixed heritage as descendants of a merger between the older troupes de marine (once part of the navy) and the former French Colonial Forces.
The troupes de marine were founded in 1622 (officially titled compagnies ordinaires de la mer) as land forces under the control of the navy, notably for operations in French Canada. Many of the current regiments of the troupes de marine are in fact descendants of the Troupes Coloniales (Colonial Troops), which merged into the ''troupes de marine'' in the 1960s.
Fusiliers Marins
''Main article:
Fusiliers Marins''
The
French Navy (''Marine Nationale'') includes the ''
Fusiliers Marins'', (FUSMAR) who protect naval bases and serve on capital ships. Currently the Naval
Fusiliers consists of 14 Companies of Fusiliers and a small
commando battalion (''Fusiliers/commandos'', FUSCO). They are under the common command of the
FORFUSCO.
''Fusiliers marins'' translates literally as "sea
fusiliers".
Commandos de Marine
The ''
Commandos de Marine'' (literally "Naval Commandos", sometimes loosely translated as "Marine commandos") are an elite special operations unit of the French navy which is closely linked to the
Fusiliers Marins.
commando battalion
Greece
32nd Brigade of Marines "Moravas" (32η Ταξιαρχία Πεζοναυτών Mοράβας) is a unit of naval infantry maintained by the
Hellenic Army. The unit is based at
Volos in
Thessaly; landing craft and other nautical gear are furnished by the
Hellenic Navy.
Indonesia
★
Korps Marinir TNI AL
Indonesia Marine Corps, component part of the Indonesia
Navy Force established on 15 November 1945.
Italy
★ The
Italian Navy (''Marina Militare'') has a Marine unit, the
San Marco Regiment, based in
Brindisi.
★ The
Italian Army (''Esercito Italiano'') has its own Marine infantry unit, the
Serenissima Regiment, based in
Venice. Its soldiers are called ''Lagunari''.
Japan
★
Special Naval Landing Forces were the
Empire of Japan's marine corps. Japan no longer has marines per se.
Republic of Korea
★
Republic of Korea Marine Corps -better known as the "ROK Marines" the second largest Marine force in the world after the United States Marine Corps.
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
The North Korean Peoples Army Navy has a number of Special Forces brigades
Mexico
★
Fusiliers Armada
Netherlands
★ The
Royal Netherlands Navy (''Koninklijke Marine'') naval infantry unit is the
Royal Netherlands Marine Corps.
Norway
Norwegian Coastal Rangers.
★ The
Royal Norwegian Navy (''Den Kongelige Norske Marine'') unit responsible for naval infantry and ISTAR operations (equivalent to other countries' Marine corps) is the
Norwegian Coastal Ranger Command (''Kystjegerkommandoen'').
Philippines
★ The
Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) has a strength of about 9,000 men divided into three (3) brigades. The Marine units include three (3) infantry manoeuvre brigades, each composed of three (3) tactical infantry battalions with one (1) infantry battaliion in reserve and one (1) heavy weapons battalion (composed of the 105 mm Howitzer, 106 mm recoilless gun, along with amphibious vehicles (LVT) and various armoured units). Two (2) of the Marine battalions have specialised roles: the Force Reconnaissance (Recon) battalion is used for rapid airlift to troubled areas. This Recon Battalion is also trained in shipboarding attacks. The Marine Guard battalion is deployed in urban warfare and in defence of installations. The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) is also considered the shock force of the Armed Forces and is the first unit to be involved in any amphibious or seaborne clashes.
Portugal
★ Since 1621 the
Portuguese Navy maintains a naval infantry corps, presently named
Corpo de Fuzileiros. The Portuguese Marine Corps includes many men, including two naval infantry battalions, a naval police unit, a special operations unit and several support units (logistical, fire support, landing craft, etc.).
Russia
★ The
Russian Naval Infantry (Морская пехота).
Spain
★ The
Spanish Marine Infantry (''Infantería de Marina''), the oldest Marine force in the world, was established on
February 27,
1537 by
Charles V 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).
Sweden
★
Sweden's
Svenska amfibiekåren is the amphibious arm of the
Swedish Navy.
Republic of China (Taiwan)
★
Taiwan's
Republic of China Marine Corps.
Thailand
★ Royal
Thai Marine Corps.
Turkey
★ The Turkish Navy maintains a Marine Brigade and several commando detachments.
United Kingdom
★ The
Royal Marines (RM) of the
United Kingdom were formed in 1664 and are a part of the
Royal Navy. Also known as the "Royal Marines Commandos", it consists of a commando brigade (
3 Commando Brigade RM); The Fleet Protecion Group RM (a naval security unit responsible for guarding Britain's naval nuclear weapons, and other security duties); a commando training centre, for providing basic training to new personnel, specialist trade courses and command training ; 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.
★ The
British Army also has units of
commandos which serve with the Royal Marines. Although not part of the Royal Marines, these army commandos serve in
combat engineer,
field artillery, electrical and mechanical engineer and
logistics units attached to 3 Commando Brigade. 1st battalion the
Rifles is due to join the Brigade on
1 April 2008.
[1]
United States
★ The
United States Marine Corps (USMC), was originally established as the
Continental Marines on
November 10,
1775 at
Tun Tavern in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a part of the
Department of the Navy, but no naval officers are part of the USMC chain of command; the most senior USMC member is the
Commandant of the Marine Corps, who reports directly to the
Secretary of the Navy. The USMC is a separate branch of the armed forces and is currently the largest Marine force in the world.
★ Because the USMC has developed into its own service, yet still a part of the Department of the Navy, an infantry force called the
Naval Expeditionary Combat Command was created in 2005 to support the US Army and Marine Corps in operations more traditionally identified with Marines or Soldiers. The US Air Force also provides combat support via Individual Augmentees.
★ The USMC shares many traditions, emblems and uniforms with the United Kingdom's
Royal Marines.
Uruguay
★
FUSNA
Venezuela
★ The Infantería de Marina of
Venezuela is a sub-division of the National
Navy form the National Armed Forces of the
BRV.
Historical Marine forces
Germany
★ During the Imperial German era, the German
Seebatallione provided shipboard troops to the German Navy. These forces also served in the German colonies as regular infantry.
France
★ The
Ordinary Marine Companies (''Compagnies Ordinaires de la Mer'') was a French Marine force created in 1622.
Japan
★ The
Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces, existed from 1928 to 1945.
United Kingdom
★ The Royal Navy has since its begining 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 being 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.
See also
★
Space Marines
References
1. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200607/ldhansrd/text/70129-wms0001.htm Hansard 29 Jan 2007
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