1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos
Encyclopedia
1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos was a Fusiliers Marins commando
unit of the Free French Navy which served during the Second World War. Initially its Commandant was Capitaine de Corvette (Major
) Philippe Kieffer
of the Free French Navy, under whose command they participated in the Normandy landings.
while undergoing training with other commando units at the Achnacarry, Scotland training center.
Initially the battalion was organized into the headquarters section, medical, radio, and transportation sections, and three troops, 1, 8 and 9, the last responsible for using Depth Charge Projector Mark 6, Mod 1
, commonly called the "K-Gun"; 177 men in all. In 1944 the battalion was expanded to three troops, with the Headquarters troop and the A & B troops performing the usual land commando role. A large number of battalion members came from Brittany
.
Members of the "compagnie Kieffer" took part in the raid on Dieppe
(Operation Jubilee) with the British and Canadian commandos, with in November 1942 became officially known as the 1ère compagnie de fusiliers marins commandos, with members of the unit participating in the night raid on the bridge at Plouézec
on the 11 and 12 November 1942.
French commandos took part in the raid
on the beach of Wassenaar
in Holland, the site of V-2 rocket launches, during which five of them, including commander Charles Trepel were killed.
In March 1944 the battalion received its official designation, and in May 1944, a few weeks before the Normandy landings, they receive their own badge; ecu of bronze charged with a brig
(representing adventure) and barred dagger
of the commandos with, in the sinistral corner, the Cross of Lorraine
and underlined of a streamer carrying the inscription "1er Bone F.M.Commando". The badge was worn on a green beret in the English fashion on the left side. The battalion was initially assigned to the No.4 Commando of the British Army 1st Special Service Brigade
.
In March 1944 it participated in the training for the impending invasion of France, and in the days which precede the Normandy landings, the commandos were issued with poor quality photographs of the objectives, but because some of the French commandos were from Normandy, they recognised the sites which created the concern by the Brigade's English Staff, causing them to be temporarily confined in their camp with prohibition of exit before the landings.
Promoted lieutenant commander
the day before D-day, Philippe Kieffer commanded the commando operations on June 6 in Normandy with the 176 men of the 1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos. They disembarked from landing craft at 0731 hours on Sword beach
with Colleville-sur-Mer
forces in the east of the allied landing. They are the first to be unloaded in this sector with the craft of the No.4 British commandos having to let them pass to the lead as initially planned. Their specific objective was to achieve a breach within 500 meters west of Riva Bella supporting the 3rd Infantry Division.
In spite of significant losses, the commandos seized the 50mm anti-tank gun encuvée that disabled LCI 523 (1Re Troop), then took the former Casino de Riva-Bella before advancing between Colleville and Saint-Aubin-d'Arquenay to meet the British paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division at the Pegasus Bridge
(Bénouville
) where they arrived towards 1630 hours. There the commandos occupied the perimeter of the lime pit towards 2000 hours. By the evening of June 6, the 1er BFMC had lost almost 25% of its personnel with 27 killed in combat in Normandy, with their commander Kieffer wounded twice in the course of the day.
The French commandos fought in Normandy until 27 August 1944, when the battalion was returned to the United Kingdom for rest and to receive replacements. In November 1944, the 1er BFMC was landed on the island of Walcheren
in Holland and took Flessingue as part of the Allied combined arms
operation of the British commandos. By October 1944, the commando Battalion had three companies.
Since the Second World War the unit serves as the Naval commandos
of the French Navy
.
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
unit of the Free French Navy which served during the Second World War. Initially its Commandant was Capitaine de Corvette (Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
) Philippe Kieffer
Philippe Kieffer
Philippe Kieffer , capitaine de frégate in the French Navy, was a French officer and political personality, and a hero of the Free French Forces.- Life and career :...
of the Free French Navy, under whose command they participated in the Normandy landings.
Overview
The creation of the battalion was initially planned in March 1941, but its creation did not begin until 1942 as the Troop 1, "Commandos Français" with the intention of raising the unit to a battalion of 400 in readiness for the expected operations in Europe. Initially the unit was based in the vicinity of PortsmouthPortsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
while undergoing training with other commando units at the Achnacarry, Scotland training center.
Initially the battalion was organized into the headquarters section, medical, radio, and transportation sections, and three troops, 1, 8 and 9, the last responsible for using Depth Charge Projector Mark 6, Mod 1
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
, commonly called the "K-Gun"; 177 men in all. In 1944 the battalion was expanded to three troops, with the Headquarters troop and the A & B troops performing the usual land commando role. A large number of battalion members came from Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
.
Members of the "compagnie Kieffer" took part in the raid on Dieppe
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
(Operation Jubilee) with the British and Canadian commandos, with in November 1942 became officially known as the 1ère compagnie de fusiliers marins commandos, with members of the unit participating in the night raid on the bridge at Plouézec
Plouézec
Plouézec is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.It has 13 km of rugged coastline that makes it a popular tourist destination all year round, with high quality beaches such as Bréhec and Pors Pin...
on the 11 and 12 November 1942.
French commandos took part in the raid
Raid (military)
Raid, also known as depredation, is a military tactic or operational warfare mission which has a specific purpose and is not normally intended to capture and hold terrain, but instead finish with the raiding force quickly retreating to a previous defended position prior to the enemy forces being...
on the beach of Wassenaar
Wassenaar
Wassenaar is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. A fairly affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies 10 km north of that city on the N44 highway near the North Sea coast. It is part of the Haaglanden region...
in Holland, the site of V-2 rocket launches, during which five of them, including commander Charles Trepel were killed.
In March 1944 the battalion received its official designation, and in May 1944, a few weeks before the Normandy landings, they receive their own badge; ecu of bronze charged with a brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
(representing adventure) and barred dagger
Dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
of the commandos with, in the sinistral corner, the Cross of Lorraine
Cross of Lorraine
The Cross of Lorraine is originally a heraldic cross. The two-barred cross consists of a vertical line crossed by two smaller horizontal bars. In the ancient version, both bars were of the same length. In 20th century use it is "graded" with the upper bar being the shortest...
and underlined of a streamer carrying the inscription "1er Bone F.M.Commando". The badge was worn on a green beret in the English fashion on the left side. The battalion was initially assigned to the No.4 Commando of the British Army 1st Special Service Brigade
1st Special Service Brigade
The 1st Special Service Brigade was a brigade of the British Army. Formed during World War II, it consisted of elements of the army and the Royal Marines. The brigade's component units saw action individually in Norway and the Dieppe Raid , before being combined under one commander for service in...
.
In March 1944 it participated in the training for the impending invasion of France, and in the days which precede the Normandy landings, the commandos were issued with poor quality photographs of the objectives, but because some of the French commandos were from Normandy, they recognised the sites which created the concern by the Brigade's English Staff, causing them to be temporarily confined in their camp with prohibition of exit before the landings.
Promoted lieutenant commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
the day before D-day, Philippe Kieffer commanded the commando operations on June 6 in Normandy with the 176 men of the 1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos. They disembarked from landing craft at 0731 hours on Sword beach
Sword Beach
Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord; the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944...
with Colleville-sur-Mer
Colleville-sur-Mer
Colleville-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.The beach next to the coastal village was one of the principal beachheads during the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, designated Omaha beach....
forces in the east of the allied landing. They are the first to be unloaded in this sector with the craft of the No.4 British commandos having to let them pass to the lead as initially planned. Their specific objective was to achieve a breach within 500 meters west of Riva Bella supporting the 3rd Infantry Division.
In spite of significant losses, the commandos seized the 50mm anti-tank gun encuvée that disabled LCI 523 (1Re Troop), then took the former Casino de Riva-Bella before advancing between Colleville and Saint-Aubin-d'Arquenay to meet the British paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division at the Pegasus Bridge
Pegasus Bridge
Pegasus Bridge is a bascule bridge , built in 1934, that crossed the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham, in Normandy, France....
(Bénouville
Bénouville
Bénouville is the name of several communes in France:*Bénouville, in the Calvados département*Bénouville, in the Seine-Maritime département...
) where they arrived towards 1630 hours. There the commandos occupied the perimeter of the lime pit towards 2000 hours. By the evening of June 6, the 1er BFMC had lost almost 25% of its personnel with 27 killed in combat in Normandy, with their commander Kieffer wounded twice in the course of the day.
The French commandos fought in Normandy until 27 August 1944, when the battalion was returned to the United Kingdom for rest and to receive replacements. In November 1944, the 1er BFMC was landed on the island of Walcheren
Battle of Walcheren Causeway
The Battle of Walcheren Causeway was an engagement of the Battle of the Scheldt between the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, elements of the British 52nd Infantry Division, notably the Glasgow Highlanders, and troops of the German 15th Army in 1944...
in Holland and took Flessingue as part of the Allied combined arms
Combined arms
Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different branches of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects...
operation of the British commandos. By October 1944, the commando Battalion had three companies.
Since the Second World War the unit serves as the Naval commandos
Naval commandos (France)
The Naval Commandos are the special forces of the French Navy. They are made up of ~500 members, mostly based in northwestern France , with several bases across the country for specific training needs. The Naval Commandos are nicknamed bérets verts . Their qualification training is one of the...
of the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
.
Recommended reading
- Caroff, Archives de la Marine (France), Les Formations de la marine aux armées, 1939-1945, Marine nationale, Service historique de la Marine, 1953
- Hattu, Guy, Journal d'un commando français: novembre 1943-7 juin 1944 :4-Commando Kiefer, "Troop" 1 Guy Vourc'h, Librarie bleue, 1994